Graduate students take common core courses, then specialize in one area according to their research interests. The backgrounds of faculty members and the student body vary widely, and research collaborations between Materials Science and Engineering and other departments on campus are frequent. Research facilities include, but are not limited to, the Materials Research Laboratory, Coordinated Science Laboratory, Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology, Microelectronics Laboratory, Cement Research Center, Composite Materials Research Center, and Science and Technology Center for Superconductivity. The general test of the Graduate Record Examination is required. A completed application, three letters of reference, transcripts, and the application fee are required before an applicant is considered for admission.
Admission is possible for the spring semester, but most admissions are for the fall semester.
At least three units of credit must be at the 400 level. A nonthesis M.S. degree option is available for students who do not hold a research assistantship. These students are not required to submit a thesis, but must complete nine units of course work. All other departmental and divisional requirements must be met. The Ph.D. degree requires the completion of 24 units of graduate work beyond the B.S. degree.