Science of Advanced Materials, Ph.D.
College of Science and Engineering
Ms. Jessica Lapp
Brooks Hall 219, 989-774-4401
Course Designators:
SAM - Science of Advanced Materials
Minimum Totals for Graduation: 60 hours
The CMU Science of Advanced Materials (SAM) Ph.D. program is designed to offer an interdisciplinary environment that prepares students to be effective researchers without erecting artificial boundaries between disciplines. The coursework focuses on the scientific framework for studying materials and is organized to incorporate the student research project.
For this purpose, the curriculum for the SAM program includes the following components: core research training that establishes a solid foundation in the science of materials via directed research or traditional coursework; elective courses in a number of specialized areas; a seminar course focusing on the current SAM literature and developing essential skills in scientific communication; independent research and the dissertation.
Students may enter the program with diverse backgrounds, but a Master's degree in a relevant field is required.
Admission Requirements, Retention & Termination Standards
Admission Requirement Snapshot:
Application Deadline: Rolling Review
See Admission Requirement Details Below
Applicants already holding a Master's degree in a materials-related area may apply for admission into the program. Students with a bachelor's degree in physics, chemistry, biochemistry, biology, geology, engineering, mathematics, or other relevant areas of science may wish to pursue a Master's degree at CMU before applying to the SAM program. Applications will only be considered upon the specific written request of a SAM faculty advisor. Applicants are encouraged to contact a SAM faculty member prior to submitting the application.
Applications must include:
- transcripts of previous undergraduate and graduate degrees,
- a statement outlining your interest in the SAM program and identifying the faculty mentor with whom you've already been in contact,
- a cv/résumé,
- three letters of recommendation,
- optional GRE scores.
International students must meet the requirements for regular admission to CMU. For English proficiency, see the CMU English Proficiency Standards in the current graduate bulletin. These materials will be used in evaluating candidates for admission. A completed M.S. thesis on a materials-related topic may be counted toward the directed research credits required for the SAM Ph.D. degree. Although some courses may be transferred or waived based on prior graduate work, no more than 15 credit hours can be transferred. Successful completion of the Ph.D. requires satisfactory completion of a minimum of 60 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree.
Program Requirements
Students normally will begin directed research work no later than during the first semester of residence. Students will meet with their research advisor as early as possible, and form a dissertation committee consisting of at least four members by the end of the first year. The committee chair (research director) and two other members will come from the SAM program faculty. One of these will have research expertise outside the student's immediate area of specialization. One additional committee member may come from an institution external to CMU, including industrial labs, as appropriate. A student's progress through the program will be monitored by an annual review of the student's overall performance by the faculty advisor or dissertation committee.
During the second year, students will prepare an original research proposal, present it as a colloquium to program faculty and students and defend it before the dissertation committee. Students will carry out the bulk of their doctoral research in years 2-4 of the program. The final requirements will be the preparation and public oral defense of a scholarly dissertation that presents the results of the student's dissertation research. The oral defense and the dissertation must be approved by the dissertation committee and by the Office of Graduate Studies. A minimum expectation for graduation is at least one publication accepted in a peer-reviewed journal but the publication standards are ultimately determined by the dissertation committee and faculty advisor.
Also during the second year, Ph.D. students will take a comprehensive examination to demonstrate competence in their area of specialization and the science of advanced materials more generally. The exam will be based on coursework, the current scientific literature in the area, and other appropriate material as deemed necessary by the dissertation committee. Students passing the comprehensive exam will attain dissertator status.
Students who fail will be terminated from the program.
Degree Requirements
Required Courses I (9 hours)
| SAM 701 | Research Experience in Materials Science | 1-9(Spec) |
Note: The student may enroll in SAP 701 multiple times until 9 credits are earned.
Required Courses II (4 hours)
Current Topics Seminar
| SAM 685 | Current Topics in the Science of Advanced Materials | 1-4(1-0) |
Note: The student may enroll in SAM 685 multiple times until 4 credits are earned.
Electives (6-15 hours)
The student may enroll in 6-15 credit hours of elective graduate courses selected in consultation with and approved by the program advisor or graduate coordinator.
Research (20-29 hours)
| SAM 796 | Directed Research in the Science of Advanced Materials | 1-29(Spec) |
Dissertation (12 hours)
Total: 60 semester hours