Mar 19, 2024  
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog 
    
2020-2021 Graduate Catalog [Not Current Academic Year. Consult with Your Academic Advisor for Your Catalog Year]

Materials Science and Engineering, MS


Cullen College of Engineering  > Department of Mechanical Engineering  > Materials Science and Engineering, MS

Our main goal is to develop leadership in academia, government, and industry nationally and globally. The importance of global scientific, social, and cultural interaction and the demands of the dynamic, ever-changing global healthcare economy have been strongly emphasized in our undergraduate and graduate programs. The research in the graduate program focuses on three main areas, neural, cognitive, and rehabilitation engineering, biomedical imaging, and bionanoscience.

The Master of Science (MS) Program offers a thesis and a non-thesis track. The MS with a thesis degree is a research-oriented degree that requires the selection of a faculty advisor. Selection of an advisor is critical to completing the degree and therefore should be done as soon as possible.

For more information, please visit the Materials Science and Engineering website: http://materials.egr.uh.edu/.

Admission Requirements


The graduate programs are open to all qualified individuals with a Bachelor of Science (BS) or Masters of Science (MS) in Engineering, Materials Science, Metallurgy, Physics, Chemistry, Geology or related field.

Students must meet or exceed these requirements in order for their application to be reviewed.

  • BS Degree: Materials Science or related field
  • GPA: 3.00/4.00 on last 60 hours or Graduate hours if hold MS degree
  • Recommended GRE*: (Current scale) Q-159, V-150 (Prior scale) Q-750, V-450
  • (International Applicants) TOEFL: PBT- 580, CBT- 236, IBT- 92
  • (International Applicants) IELTS: 7.0

*These scores reflect those of a competitive applicant but admission into our program is based on a holistic review of your application.

Course Requirements

Upon admission, students with degrees in related fields will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and may be required to take additional leveling courses. These leveling courses do not count towards the graduate degree. Generally, every graduate student should have taken:

  • 2 years of Calculus (through differential equations)
  • 1 year of Engineering Physics (calculus based physics)
  • 1 year of Biology
  • 1 year of Chemistry

Acceptance into the program is based on a competitive combination of academic background, GRE scores, recommendation letters, resume, and the statement of purpose. The Checklists below list all requirements for the Application Submission:

Applicant Checklist

  • UH Graduate School Application
  • Non-refundable Application Fee (cannot be waived) - $25 domestic applicants; $75 international applicants
  • Official Transcripts from all colleges and universities you have attended (Scanned copies of official transcripts can be uploaded as PDF files and may be used to make admission decisions. If admitted, however, you will not be able to enroll without the official transcript(s) showing undergraduate degree conferral on file.)
  • GRE scores (University code is 6870)
  • Statement of Purpose (Upload into Application)
  • Resume/CV (Upload into Application)
  • 3 Letters of Recommendation (Submit emails within the Application and forms will be sent to Recommenders)
  • International applications have additional documentation requirements, including fulfilling English language proficiency requirements with either degree completion or submitted test scores. For more information, visit www.uh.edu/graduate-school/admissions/international-students/.

Note: When preparing your Resume/CV and Personal Statement for submission, please be sure to highlight your past research, current research interests, and UH Biomedical Engineering faculty that you are interested in working with. There is no prompt or length requirement for the statement of purpose.

For more information about the Graduate School Admissions, please visit: http://www.uh.edu/graduate-school/prospective-students/how-to-apply/index.php.

Degree Requirements


Credit hours required for this degree: 30.0

Program Study for the MS in Materials Science and Engineering with Thesis


The program requires the completion of a minimum of 30 credit hours of approved graduate work distributed as follows:

  • Six (6) hours of core course:
    • Three (3) hours in each of the two categories:
      • Thermodynamics and
      • Introduction to Materials
  • Nine (9) hours of concentration recommended/assigned by the academic advisor
  • Six (6) hours of additional Materials Science and Engineering coursework
  • Three (3) research credits (6x98)
  • Six (6) hours of thesis credits (6399 and 7399)
  • Seminar attendance (required with excess research enrollment)

Program Study for the MS in Materials Science without Thesis


The program requires the completion of a minimum of 30 credit hours of approved coursework distributed as follows:

  • Six (6) hours of core course:
    • Three (3) hours in each of the two categories:
      • Thermodynamics and
      • Introduction to Materials
  • Nine (9) hours of additional Materials Science and Engineering coursework
  • Eighteen (18) hours of coursework offered by the College of Engineering

Seminar


  • Credit Hours: 1.0
  • The Seminar Course is not a traditional lecture/lab course.

    • MTLS 6111 is a professional development opportunity aimed at engaging students outside of the classroom by bringing in professionals within the field as well as an opportunity for students to present their research endeavors.
    • Students are required to register for one Seminar course per semester if they are enrolled in excess research hours.
    • MTLS 6111 is a one credit course, but the credit does not count towards the overall credit hours. For example, if a student is completing their Masters and doing a Thesis, their credit hour total is 30. In adding MTLS 6111, at least once a semester during their academic program, they will roughly have taken 32 credit hours. The additional 2 are from the Seminar courses and do not count towards the 30 credits needed to complete the degree but do count towards the overall semester credit count.

Academic Policies


Transfer of Credits

A student may transfer up to 6 hours of graduate-level work completed elsewhere or at the University of Houston upon the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. The student will need to file a general petition within one semester after admission to graduate program.

Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA)

This average is on all courses attempted at the university during the graduate program. Students must maintain an overall GPA of 3.0 or better in order to remain in good academic standing for the graduate program. Students who drop below a 3.0 cumulative GPA will be placed on Academic Warning. Failure to bring up the cumulative GPA to 3.0 in the following semester may result in dismissal of the program.

  • Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) for supported students:
    • The cumulative GPA must be 3.0 or better at all times in order to maintain eligibility for assistantships or in-state tuition waivers when applicable.
  • Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) for scholarship students:
    • The cumulative GPA must be 3.0 or better at all times in order to receive the in-state tuition waiver. If you do not meet this requirement, you will lose the scholarship and no longer be eligible for in-state tuition. If you drop below the 3.0 GPA in the first semester, you may not receive the 2nd installment of the scholarship.

Formation of Thesis Committee (for students completing MS with a Thesis)

  • The Thesis Committee members are determined by the student and their Advisor.
    • A Thesis Committee must consist of at least three members, with
      • the advisor as chair,
      • at least two additional faculty members from the Materials Science and Engineering Department, and
      • in total, you need a minimum of three tenure-track faculty members from the University of Houston.
  • The Committee members must fill out the Committee Appointment Form with their acknowledgment that they will participate. The form must be submitted well before the proposal defense is scheduled since the committee must be approved by the Department and Dean’s Office prior to the defense. A student need not be enrolled while requesting to form a committee but must be enrolled when the defense takes place.
  • If a Committee member is outside of the University of Houston, that member’s CV must be sent to the Graduate Advisor. 

Master’s Thesis Committee Formation Deadline

The Committee must be formed by the 12th school day/ORD of the semester the student plans to defend.

Graduate Policies

  • MTLS 6111 - Seminar is required every semester for Master’s students taking extra research hours, unless the student has received an exception from their PI, due to interference with their confirmed graduation date.
  • Once you enroll in research and thesis, respectively, you have to remain continuously enrolled in research and dissertation.
  • Students who started in and after Fall 2016: Only 25% of your courses may be taken outside of the department. If the course has not previously been approved by the department as an elective, a petition for the course must be submitted and approved prior to the start of the semester of intended enrollment. The petition must be approved by your PI and should include an explanation of why the course is relevant to your research and/or degree. Petitions can be turned in to the Graduate Advisor.
  • Students who started prior to Fall 2016: Please check with the Graduate Advisor regarding elective courses outside of the department. If the course has not previously been approved by the department as an elective, a petition for the course must be submitted and approved prior to the start of the semester of intended enrollment. The petition must be approved by your PI and should include an explanation of why the course is relevant to your research and/or degree. Petitions can be turned in to the Graduate Advisor.