Ph.D. Course List and Descriptions

Note: MSE 501, MSE 502, and MSE 503 are core courses. 

Course details and specifications

MSE 501 Materials Structure and Defects (3-0-3) 

Different levels of structure including bonding. Pauling rules and atomic radii relationship to ionic crystal structure. Binary and complex crystal structures. Crystal structures, representative crystal structures in metals and ceramics, crystallographic computations, symmetry. Amorphous materials, crystalline and semi-crystalline state of polymers. Overview of point, line and surface defects in ordered and disordered materials. Correlating structures and defects with physical, mechanical and chemical properties of engineering materials. 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing 

MSE 502 Thermodynamics of Materials (3-0-3) 

Classical and irreversible thermodynamics, phase equilibria, theory of solutions, surface phenomena, thermodynamics and kinetics of chemical reactions, electrochemistry, gas-solid reactions. Calculation of Phase Diagrams using CALPHAD software. 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing 

MSE 503 Materials Characterization (3-0-3) 

Fundamentals, instrumentation and applications of characterization techniques commonly used to investigate material structure, surface topography, chemistry, and phase constitution: scanning and transmission electron microscopy, energy and wavelength dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, x-ray fluorescence, and x-ray diffraction. The course includes demo visits to the materials lab and an experimental term project or assignment. 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing  

MSE 505 Materials Chemistry (3-0-3) 

Molecular understanding of materials properties: introductory quantum chemistry, basic reaction classes, sol-gel chemistry, surface chemistry, surface modification and functionalization, porous structure. Materials addressed include polymers, metal and metal oxide nanoparticles, carbons. Throughout the course examples from current literature are discussed to familiarize the student with the state-of-the-art in the field. 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing 

MSE 507 Diffusion and Phase Transformations (3-0-3) Atomistic theories of diffusion in metals, alloys, and non-metals, diffusion in the presence of driving forces, fast diffusion paths, interfaces and microstructure. Kinetics and thermodynamics of phase transformation, solidification, homogenous and heterogeneous nucleation, growth, and coarsening. Driving forces for transformation, phase stability. Diffusional and diffusion less transformations, spinodal decomposition, glass transition. 

Prerequisite: MSE 502 or consent of the instructor 

MSE 531 Engineering Nanomaterials (3-0-3) 

Classification of nanomaterials. Size effects. Bottom-up and top-down approaches for synthesis and processing of nanomaterials. Mechanical and physical properties of nanomaterials. Methods for characterizing the structure and properties of nanomaterials. Emerging applications for nanomaterials. Impact of nanomaterials on the environment and human health. 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing 

MSE 532 Engineering Ceramics (3-0-3) 

Bonding in ceramics, structure of ceramics, processing technologies, properties of ceramics, and applications of ceramics. 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing 

MSE 533 Materials Science of Thin Films (3-0-3) 

Fundamental and applied aspects of thin films, thin films structure, solid/vapor interfaces in thin films, thin films defects, thermodynamics, reactivity, and mechanical properties, thin film fabrication techniques, thin film characterization techniques, surface modification, surface engineering and control of surface properties. 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing 

MSE 535 Biomaterials (3-0-3) 

Biomaterials for medical applications. Basic material types and properties, functional uses of materials in medical applications, and tissue response mechanisms. Integrated design issues of multicomponent material design in prosthetic devices for hard and soft tissues. Materials for orthopedic, cardiovascular, and drug delivery applications 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing 

MSE 540 Advanced Semiconductor Materials (3-0-3) 

Fundamental understanding of semiconductor materials and manufacturing technologies; Electrical, optical, magnetic, and other physical and chemical properties of an elemental, binary, and ternary organic and inorganic semiconductor materials and their solid solutions; Mechanism of semiconductor, such as p-n junction, junction capacitors, charge transfer and metal-oxide-semiconductor field effect transistor, defects in semiconductors, 2D semiconductor materials, semiconductor in equilibrium, non-equilibrium excess carriers in semiconductor materials, metal-semiconductor, semiconductor heterojunction, and semi-conductor devices 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing 

 MSE 541 Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Properties of Materials (3-0-3) 

Free Electron Theory, Review of quantum mechanics, Fermi-Dirac statistics, Fermi energy, Fermi surface, Fermi distribution, density of states, effective mass. Electrons in periodic solids, Bloch wavefunctions, electronic band structure-materials classification, Electrical conduction in polymers, ceramics, and amorphous materials, Optical properties of materials, Quantum mechanical treatment of the optical properties, Magnetic phenomena and their classical interpretation, Quantum mechanical considerations of the properties of materials, phonons, thermal properties 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing 

MSE 549 Introduction to Atomistic Simulations (3-0-3) 

Classical and quantum mechanics techniques for atomistic simulations, Essentials of statistical thermodynamics and quantum mechanics concepts, Classical molecular dynamics, Density functional theory. Materials properties: Band structure, elastic constant, thermal conductivity, Phonons and vibrational spectroscopies, free-energy calculations, diffusion coefficients, viscosity, surface chemistry, Transition State Theory. 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing 

MSE 550 Polymer Science and Engineering (3-0-3) 

An introduction to the chemistry, structure, and formation of polymers with emphasis on Thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers, physical and mechanical properties of polymer solids and their engineering applications. Polymer Composites. Polymer fabrication processes and design. 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing 

MSE 551 Electrochemical Engineering (3-0-3) 

Electrochemical engineering role in various industrial processes, such as energy storage (e.g., batteries), energy conversion (e.g., fuel cells), and corrosion protection (e.g., electrodeposition); Introduction to the fundamentals of electrochemical cells, including thermodynamics, kinetics, species, and mass and heat transport; Explore examples of electroanalytical techniques and electrochemical technologies; Apply fundamental principles of electrochemical engineering and utilize characterization techniques to analyze electrochemical systems and evaluate their performance effectively. 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing 

MSE 552 Advanced Catalysis for Environmental Applications (3-0-3) 

Fundamentals of Catalysis: Catalytic principles and mechanisms; types of catalysts: heterogeneous, homogeneous, and enzymatic; catalyst support materials; catalyst characterization techniques, Environmental Catalysis: Catalytic removal of air pollutants (e.g., NOx, VOCs); catalytic converters in automotive applications; catalytic processes for greenhouse gas reduction; catalysis for water treatment and purification, Renewable Energy Catalysis: Catalysts for hydrogen production; fuel cell catalysis; photocatalysis for water splitting; catalytic biomass conversion, Sustainable Chemical Processes: Catalysis in green chemistry; catalytic reactions in sustainable synthesis; biocatalysis and enzyme engineering; catalytic routes to reduce waste and energy consumption. Advanced Catalytic Materials: Nano catalysts and catalytic nanoparticles; bimetallic and alloy catalysts; catalyst design for selectivity and stability; catalyst poisoning and deactivation. Emerging Trends and Challenges: Single-atom catalysis; electrocatalysis for energy conversion; catalytic materials for CO2 utilization; environmental and regulatory considerations in catalysis 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing 

MSE 553 Artificial Intelligence for Materials Synthesis and Discovery (3-0-3) 

Introduction to AI and ML: Fundamentals of AI and ML; data preprocessing and feature engineering; supervised, unsupervised, and reinforcement learning; Python programming for AI. Materials Data and Databases: Collection and curation of materials data; materials databases and repositories; data mining and knowledge extraction; handling structured and unstructured data. Machine Learning Models for Materials: Regression and classification models; neural networks and deep learning; model selection and hyperparameter tuning; transfer learning in materials science. AI-Driven Materials Design: High-throughput screening and virtual experimentation; predictive modeling of material properties; materials informatics and design principles; case studies in AI-driven materials discovery. Materials Synthesis and Process Optimization: AI for materials synthesis planning; autonomous experimentation and robotics; process optimization and control; real-time data analytics in materials processing. Ethical and Societal Implications: Ethical considerations in AI research; bias and fairness in AI algorithms; intellectual property and data sharing; future directions and challenges in AI-driven materials science. 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing 

MSE 554 Computational Thermodynamics (3-0-3) 

Introduction of Computational Thermodynamics; Formulation, optimization, and application of thermodynamic and kinetic models. The structure and content of thermodynamic and kinetic databases, Theoretical models and simulation techniques for specific materials and applications. Understanding of thermodynamic and numerical software, phase diagrams, thermodynamic properties, and simulate phase transformations and microstructure evolution. 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing 

MSE 555 Materials for Hydrogen Production and Storage (3-0-3) 

Introduction to Hydrogen Energy, Hydrogen Storage Methods, Material Selection and Properties, Hydrides Materials, Ammonia Cracking Materials, Materials for Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers (LOHCs), Advanced Materials for Hydrogen Transportation, Materials Characterization and Testing, Future Trends and Challenges. 

Prerequisite: Graduate standing 

MSE 590 Special Topics in Materials Science and Engineering I (3-0-3) 

This course examines advanced and emerging topics in Materials Science and Engineering, focusing on cutting-edge developments such as modern computational tools, nanomaterials, 2D materials, biomaterials, and materials for energy and sustainability. Through lectures, case studies, and research projects, students will explore innovative material design, advanced characterization techniques, and real-world applications. 

Prerequisite: Graduate Standing 

MSE 591 Special Topics in Materials Science and Engineering II (3-0-3) 

This course examines advanced and emerging topics in Materials Science and Engineering, focusing on cutting-edge developments such as modern computational tools, membrane materials, nanomaterials, 2D materials, biomaterials, and materials for energy and sustainability. Through lectures, case studies, and research projects, students will explore innovative material design, advanced characterization techniques, and real-world applications. 

Prerequisite: Graduate Standing 

MSE 699 Graduate (Ph.D.) Seminar (1-0-0) 

Attendance of all departmental seminars delivered by faculty, visiting scholars and graduate students. Additionally, each Ph.D. student should present at least one seminar on a timely research topic. This course gives the student an overview of recent research topics, familiarity with the research methodology, journals and professional societies, Presentation of current research done by students, faculty, and guest speakers. 

 Prerequisite: Graduate Standing 

MSE 701 Directed Research I (0-0-3) 

This course is intended to allow the student to conduct research in advanced problems in his Ph. D. research area. The faculty offering the course should submit a research plan to be approved by the Graduate Program Committee of the MSE Department. The student is expected to deliver a public seminar and a report of his research outcomes at the end of the course. 

Prerequisite: Prior arrangement with an instructor 

MSE 702 Directed Research II (0-0-3) 

This course is intended to allow the student to conduct research in advanced problems in his Ph. D. research area. The faculty offering the course should submit a research plan to be approved by the Graduate Program Committee of the MSE Department. The student is expected to deliver a public seminar and a report of his research outcomes at the end of the course. 

Prerequisite: Prior arrangement with an instructor 

MSE 711 Ph.D. Pre-Dissertation (0-0-3) 

This course enables the student to submit his Ph. D. Dissertation proposal and defend it in public. The student passes the course if the Ph. D. dissertation committee accepts the submitted dissertation proposal report and upon successfully passing the Dissertation Proposal Public defense. The course grade can be NP, NF or IC. 

Prerequisite: Ph.D. Candidacy, Co-requisite: MSE 699 

 MSE 712 Ph.D. Dissertation (0-0-9) 

This course enables the students to work on their Ph.D. Dissertation as per the submitted dissertation proposal, submit its final report, and defends it in public. The student passes this course if the Ph.D. Dissertation Committee accepts the submitted dissertation report and upon successfully passing the dissertation Public Defense. The course grade can be NP, NF, or IP. 

Prerequisite: MSE 711