Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science

Admission

Students are selected for the Doctorate of Philosophy in Materials Science degree program on a competitive basis. Meeting minimum requirements does not guarantee admission. Applications for graduate assistantships must be received by April 1 to receive full consideration for fall, and are reviewed each semester. Students must comply with the College of Graduate Studies degree completion timeline. A student who has not matriculated for three or more consecutive semesters must re-apply and meet all admission requirements in effect at the time of the new application for admission. 

Admission Requirements

For regular admission to the PhD in Materials Science degree program, the applicant must have:

• Completed requirements for a bachelor’s degree in Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or closely related field (as approved by the graduate program coordinator) at an accredited college or university

OR

• Completed requirements for master’s degree in Applied Physical Science, Biology, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Materials Science, Physics, or closely related field (as approved by the graduate program coordinator) at an accredited college or university.

International students must meet the College of Graduate Studies English Proficiency requirements.

Program of Study

The graduate student and the graduate committee shall jointly develop a Program of Study that includes 72-90 credits in graduate course work including the required courses listed below.

Core Requirements: 14 Credit Hours

• MATS 7000 - Materials Science First Year Seminar: Resources (1 Credit Hours)
• MATS 7001 - Materials Science First Year Seminar: Skills (1 Credit Hours)
• MATS 7002 - Materials Science First Year Seminar: Research Interview and Process (1 Credit Hours)
• MATS 7003 - Seminar in Materials Science (1 Credit Hours)
• MATS 7100 - Introduction to Materials Science (3 Credit Hours)
• MATS 7101 - Materials Characterization (3 Credit Hours)

• ​Must include a combined total of 2 cr hrs of MATS 7002 Materials Science First Year Seminar: Research Interview and Process  , and 4 cr hrs of MATS 7003 Seminar in Materials Science  (1 cr hr each per semester)

Electives:12-18 Credit Hours

Other graduate level courses 6000-level and above approved by the Graduate Director and Department Chair.

Other Requirements: 46-64 Credit hours

• MATS 9900 - Research in Materials Science (1-9 Credit Hours)
• MATS 9999 - Dissertation in Materials Science (1-6 Credit Hours)

• Must include a combined total of 6 cr hrs of MATS 9999 Dissertation in Materials Science  and 40-58 credit hours of MATS 9900 Research in Materials Science .

Dissertation Requirements

Each candidate for the PhD in Materials Science degree must complete a dissertation on a subject approved by the graduate dissertation committee. Dissertation credits must be completed over no less than two semesters, and a student must remain continually enrolled in dissertation credits once initially enrolled.

• The major professor, who must have affiliate status with the Center of Advanced Materials Science supervises the research, directs the writing of the dissertation, and approves the dissertation in its final form. Prior to the final approval, the dissertation is read by the dissertation committee. One member, termed the second reader, has responsibility for an intensive and rigorous criticism of the dissertation and a third member of the dissertation committee has the responsibility of an “editorial reader.” Both second and third readers must report all comments to the major professor. The dissertation must be defended in an oral examination before the graduate committee prior to final approval and sign-off. The style and format for the completed dissertation shall follow that prescribed by the college. Procedural steps in the preparation of the dissertation are as follows:
• The prospectus for the dissertation shall be submitted to the major professor and dissertation committee for approval.
• The student must prepare the dissertation for electronic submission following the latest version of the Electronic Thesis and Dissertation (ETD): Student Guide to Preparation and Processing manual. *
• The dissertation must be electronically submitted to the ETD site for format check by the ETD format check submission deadline as stated in the University Calendar.
• The final corrected dissertation must be electronically submitted to the ETD site by the ETD format check submission deadline as stated in the University Calendar.
• The final document must be electronically approved by the Dissertation Committee.

Admission Requirements:

• Completion of a Qualifying Exam by the end of the third semester or prior to completion of 27 credits. A maximum of two attempts is allowed if necessary.
• Completion of a Research Proposal Examination prior to beginning dissertation credits
• Culmination of a research activity that is accepted by the profession
• Successful completion of a dissertation defense
• Successful submission of an electronic dissertation
• Any courses completed at Georgia Southern as part of a MS degree, cannot be repeated for credit towards the PhD program