Masters Program

The UCSD Program in Materials Science and Engineering offers the M.S. degree under both the Thesis Plan I and the Comprehensive Examination Plan II; see the UCSD Catalog for details. The general requirements for the M.S. degree are as follows:

  • Students must either complete a Thesis (Plan I) or pass the Comprehensive Examination (Plan II).

  • Students must complete 36 units. Remaining courses to complete the 36 unit requirement may be selected from an approved list of graduate courses with the consent of a faculty advisor. MATS course details can be found in the UCSD Catalog.

  • Students must meet all other requirements established by the University.

  • Students may include up to 12 units of 100-level undergraduate courses.

Thesis Plan I

  • Complete Course Requirements

    • Students in Thesis (Plan I) must complete 6-12 units of MATS 299.
       
    • Students must complete four Mandatory Core Courses and at least two of the ten Elective Core Courses:
      • Mandatory Core Courses: MATS 201A, MATS 201B, MATS 201C, MATS 227
      • Elective Core Courses (Select at least two): MATS 205A, MATS 213A, MATS 231, MATS 236, MATS 251A, MATS 251B, MATS 252, MATS 253, MATS 254, MATS 255, MATS 256, MATS 257, MATS 261A, MATS 261B, MATS 269, PHYS 152A. See Courses for detailed course information.

    • Enroll in MATS 200 for three quarters. See the MATS Events & Seminars page for requirements/details.

  • Complete Thesis Defense

    • Upon completion of the thesis research project, the student writes a thesis that must be successfully defended in an oral examination and public presentation conducted by the masters committee. The student must notify the graduate coordinator of the exam approximately four weeks prior to the exam through the MATS Exam Form.
    • Please plan to send your thesis to your committee at least four weeks prior to your defense. You must confirm and obtain approval of your committee from your Faculty Advisor/PI. You must contact and obtain the approval of each committee member serving on your committee.
    • Licensure and Certification Disclosures
       
  • MATS MS Program Requirements Checklist - Thesis (Plan I)

Comprehensive Examination Plan II

  • Complete Course Requirements

    • Students must complete four Mandatory Core Courses and at least two of the ten Elective Core Courses:
      • Mandatory Core Courses: MATS 201A, MATS 201B, MATS 201C, MATS 227
      • Elective Core Courses (Select at least two): MATS 205A, MATS 213A, MATS 231, MATS 236, MATS 251A, MATS 251B, MATS 252, MATS 253, MATS 254, MATS 255, MATS 256, MATS 257, MATS 261A, MATS 261B, MATS 269, PHYS 152A. See Courses for detailed course information.
         
    • Enroll in MATS 200 for three quarters. See the MATS Events & Seminars page for requirements/details..

  • Complete Comprehensive Examination

    • The examination consists of twelve questions, two from each of the six core courses.
    • MS students will be graded as Pass/Fail, while PhD students must obtain a passing grade of 70 percent. 
    • The examination will not exceed six hours in duration. The examination is usually administered two weeks after spring quarter finals in June. 
    • Typically, students take the exam after one year of full-time enrollment. This exam may only be retaken once before the end of the second year of study.

Students who transfer with some graduate credit or an M.S. from another institution will have their records reviewed by a faculty advisor, and an appropriate individual course of study may be approved. To have your records reviewed, please complete the MATS Course Waiver Request Form, and review Graduate Division policies.