Graduate Program Overview

The graduate program in materials science and engineering at Rutgers offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in all areas and classes of materials. The program has particular strengths in the areas of materials characterization and materials synthesis with the materials being applied to many important technological areas. These include nanotechnology, energy storage, biomedical diagnostics and therapeutics, plasmonics, glass and structural ceramics, polymer recycling and sustainable materials.

Materials research is interdisciplinary by its nature and this is reflected in our graduate faculty that span many departments and schools at Rutgers. We have well equipped laboratories with specialized instruments for materials characterization and synthesis. These laboratories are spread across several buildings, some of which were constructed specifically to house the department and its instrumentation.

In total (Ph.D. plus M.S.) there are 60 to 70 students enrolled in the graduate program, most of them on a full-time basis, though a number study part-time while working in industrial and government facilities. There is an approximately even split between Ph.D. student and M.S. student numbers, with the top M.S. students often choosing to stay in the program to complete Ph.D.s. The core curriculum covers the key topics in materials: thermodynamics; kinetics; solid state theory; mechanical properties. In addition to these classes, there are many elective courses in characterization of materials and advanced technological applications of materials. Most classes have between 10 and 15 students, promoting collegial relationships between faculty and students.

Master of Science Degree Program

Doctoral Degree Program