 Ph.D. Degree Program
The degree Doctor of Philosophy recognizes proficiency and high achievement in research. After
adequate preparation, the candidate must complete a search and authoritative investigation of a special area in the chosen field, culminating in a written thesis covering that investigation. The
dissertation must be either an addition to the fundamental knowledge of the field or a new and better interpretation of facts already known. It must demonstrate that the candidate possesses powers of
original thought, talent for research, and ability to organize and present findings. A Ph.D. degree cannot be gained merely by diligent application of a prescribed course of study over a period of years, nor can
it be awarded for miscellaneous study.
Entrance into the Ph.D. Program
Although a master's degree is not a prerequisite for the Ph.D. program in the School of Materials
Science and Engineering, most students will possess the M.S. degree. Any Ph.D. candidate not possessing an M.S. degree will receive vigorous screening by the Graduate Committee and School
Chair prior to acceptance. Students who plan to work for a doctorate after completing their Master's program must be formally admitted to doctoral study. Admission to candidacy is accomplished by
completing the form “Request for Continuing into the Ph.D. Program,” available in the MSE Academic office. The completed form requires approval by the MSE faculty and Director of Graduate Studies.
Upon approval, the Director of Graduate Studies will send a memo requesting that the Registrar reclassify the student.
Ph.D. Entrance Requirements
Without M.S.
Any student admitted to the direct Ph.D. program without an M.S., the minimum qualifications are a B.S. degree in Materials, Metallurgy, Ceramics or Polymers with a GPA of 3.5 or better and a high GRE
score or a B.S. degree in another field of Engineering, Physics or Chemistry with a GPA of 3.7 or higher and a high GRE score.
With M.S.
Any student accepted in the Ph.D. program with an M.S. degree, or any student in the direct Ph.D. program having completed a minimum of 30 hours of graduate coursework and passed the course
and oral portion of the Ph.D. qualification examination and making satisfactory progress toward research.
Presidential Fellows
Georgia Tech Presidential Fellowship is awarded to outstanding U.S. or P.R. Ph.D. students selected
in a campus-wide competition. These fellowships add $5,500 per calendar year to the stipend provided by the School. These awards are for four years, subject to satisfactory progress toward the degree goals.
Requirements for Obtaining a Ph.D. Degree
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Course
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Hours
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Description
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MSE 8803D (Fall)
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3-0-3
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Thermodynamics
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MSE 8803E (Fall)
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3-0-3
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Crystallography, Structure and Defects
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MSE 8803G (Spring)
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3-0-3
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Kinetics of Diffusional and Non-Diffusional Phase Transformations
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*Course of Choice
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3-0-3
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Characterization
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**Course of Choice
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3-0-3
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Computations
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*Courses in Characterization (could include not limited to):
- MSE 6105 Diffraction Studies
- MSE 6110 Transmission Electron Microscopy
- MSE 6120 Quantitative Characterization of Microstructures
- MSE 6130 Surface Characterization
- MSE 8803 Scattering Theory
- CHEM 6172 Physical Methods in Inorganic Chemistry
- CHEM 6181 Chemical Crystallography
- CHEM 6283 Electroanalytical Chemistry
- CHEM 6572 Macromolecular Structure
- CHEM 6752 Polymer Characterization
**Courses in Computations (could include not limited to):
- MSE 6795 Mathematical, Statistical, and Computational Techniques in Materials Science
- CHEM 6382 Computational Methods in Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry
- ISyE 6739 Basic Statistical Methods
- ME 6104 Computer-aided Design
- ME 6124 Finite-Element Method: Theory & Practice
- MATH 4255 Monte Carlo Methods
- MATH 4247 Partial Differential Equations I
- MATH 4348 Partial Differential Equations II
Ph.D. Requirements
- Students must complete all core courses with a grade of ”B” in each course. A maximum of one course can be repeated. Withdrawal will be considered an attempt. (15 hours)
- Six hours from general MSE curriculum (6 hours)
- Nine hours in an approved minor (9 hours)
- Prepare and submit a research proposal for the qualifying exam to the Graduate Committee within 30 days of completing Thermodynamics, Crystallography & Kinetics. Proposals must be
submitted by Summer of 2nd year or 4 semesters (not including Summer). Courses in Computations and Characterization may be completed after qualifying exam.
- Pass the oral qualifying exam
- Complete all course work with a minimum GPA of 3.0
- Write, present and defend a Ph.D. dissertation
- MSE 8001, Seminar (1-0-1), is required for all graduate students (1 hour)
Additional Ph.D. Requirements for students entering directly from B.S. program
- Six additional hours of course work in the major (6 hours)
- Note: A total of 37 credit hours are required for Ph.D. direct from B.S
Students must submit a Program of Study to the MSE Academic Office for approval no later than
the end of the second month of study.
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Minor Field
In addition to an adequate knowledge of the field of materials, each student is required to demonstrate
a mastery of another smaller body of knowledge outside his/her major field. This area of study is referred to as a minor field. The purpose of the minor is to encourage a wider interest on the part of the
student and to provide a broader basis for the evaluation of his/her capabilities.
The minor will normally consist of at least 9 semester hours of work in related courses, chosen in
consultation with the Dissertation Advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies before the courses are taken. These courses must be completed with a grade of “C” or better.
The courses in the minor field are generally taken after the student has been formally admitted to the doctoral program. However, courses taken before admission (including courses taken at other
institutions) may be included, subject to the approval of the Dissertation Advisor and Director of Graduate Studies. Courses must be at the 4000 level or above. Of the minimum 9 semester hours, at
least 6 credit hours must be in 6000- or higher-level courses. In addition, the 4000-level courses must be from curricula outside the School of Materials Science and Engineering. Cross-listed courses in
MSE may be used to satisfy the minor requirement if they are at the 6000 level or higher.
Proposed Program of Study
With the aid of his/her advisor, each student should outline a proposed program of study no later than
the end of the second month of Ph.D. study. The appropriate form must be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies (Ph.D. Program of Study). The proposed program must consider the course
requirements outlined in Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree. Only courses for which degree credit is sought should be listed. Any subsequent changes in the proposed program must be reviewed by the
Dissertation Advisor and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.
Qualifying Examination
Once a student has successfully completed Thermodynamics, Crystallography and Kinetics with a
minimum grade of B in each course and an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher, a written Ph.D. qualifying proposal must be submitted to the MSE Academic Office by the deadline, which is 30 days after the
end of the prior semester. The proposal is to be prepared using the MSE format that follows the NSF format. All students will be required to participate in our MSE workshop the term they are completing
their coursework for oral qualifiers. Click here for the NSF website. The relevant part of this guide is
Section II - Proposal Preparation Instructions (pages 17-24). The written document should reflect an effort solely by the student and not by the research advisor
. The advisor should work on points of clarification, eliminating typographical errors and improving the grammatical structure of the document.
Prior to the Examination:
The advisor should review the proposal prior to the student submitting the document to the MSE
Academic Office. The advisor should work on points of clarification, eliminating typographical errors and improving the grammatical structure of the document. It is important, however, that the proposal
represents the work of the student not the advisor. Re-writes by the advisor are not acceptable.
Once the student submits the proposal to the MSE Academic Office, the Graduate Committee will
assign an oral qualifying examination committee. The research advisor will then be given the names of the examination committee. The advisor will:
- Distribute electronic copies of the proposal and the slides for the presentation
- Set a convenient time for the examination
- Coordinate a meeting of the committee prior to the proposal
- Ensure that each committee member has read the proposal
- Ensure each committee member has prepared three or four initial questions for the student
- Notify the academic office of the time, date and room number of the examination
- Contact the committee twenty-four hours prior to the examination to make sure that all
members will be present. An examination cannot proceed without all committee members present.
During the Examination:
During the oral examination all committee members must be present and meet 15-30 minutes before
the start of the oral presentation to evaluate the written document. The Committee Chair will be a voting committee member who also moderates the proceedings and monitors the time for the student
presentation and questions. The students have been told that the presentation should be approximately thirty (30) minutes and the question and answer period one and one-half (1-1/2) hours.
The format for the questions will be rounds of questions, with each committee member being allowed to ask one question per round. Each committee member will have 15 minutes, and the Committee
Chair must make sure that all committee members abide by the time limitation. No advisor is allowed to be present during the examination. The Committee Chair may keep a tab of the questions answered
and review the student’s qualifications and performance in graduate school for the benefit of the committee members during the closed-door deliberations.
After the Examination:
The Committee Chair will convey the final pass/fail decision to the advisor via e-mail with a copy to the
Graduate Coordinator/Academic Office. Students must receive a 2/3 vote from the qualifying committee in order to pass the qualifying examination. If the student fails the written portion of exam, it is the
Committee Chair’s responsibility to deliver the committee’s required changes to the advisor, who will then inform the student and ensure that they resubmit a revised version within four weeks. If the
student fails the oral portion of the examination, it is the advisor’s responsibility to meet with the student and reschedule a second oral exam before the end of the next term with a new committee. It is
also the advisor’s responsibility to discuss additional coursework (possibly auditing courses in which the student was deemed to be deficient) with the student, as recommended by the committee.
Failure to pass either the written or oral examination on a second attempt will result in automatic termination of the student’s Ph.D. candidacy.
Once the MSE Oral Qualifying Examination has been successfully completed, the Candidacy process
begins. The graduate student is expected to complete the Institute Admission to Candidacy process
before the end of the next semester in residence. The dissertation reading committee will be approved at this time using the guidelines set forth by the Institute.
Qualifying Exam Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Suppose I miss the proposal deadline?
A. An unsatisfactory grade would be assigned, leaving only 1 attempt to pass.
Q. How long should I allow for my oral qualifying presentation?
Q. How long should I allow for the Q&A portion of my qualifying examination?
Q. What will be the content of the committee questions?
A. Be prepared to answer topics related to your proposed research, with fundamentals based
on your undergraduate background and on core courses. The committee is composed of faculty who can prepare questions covering the five core courses and how the fundamentals of
these courses relate to the proposed research.
Q. What amount of data is allowed, required, and/or considered optimum?
A. If you have data from work already performed, you may use it as long as the proposal
satisfies the 15-page limit. Prior results or data are not the determining factors for passing the qualifying examination.
Q. How soon after I submit my proposal should I expect to defend?
A. Be prepared to defend 2 weeks after submission. However, due to the number of
individuals involved, defenses will take place over a 2-month period.
Q. What if I have travel plans, courses scheduled, etc. after submitting my proposal?
A. Please include your travel itinerary and other plans for 90 days after the proposal is submitted. We will do our best to schedule around them.
Q. What format should I use for my oral presentation?
Q. On page 23 of the NSF document, a biosketch is listed as being required. Do I need to include a biosketch?
Q. Do I need to include a table of contents and is there a special format for that?
A. Yes, include a table of contents in your document. No special format of the table of contents is required.
Q. Does a budget need to prepared per NSF guidelines?
Q. What is the role of my advisor in the writing and editing of my proposal?
A. No writing should be done by the advisor. All work must be original. Any portions of your
proposal that have been lifted from other sources such as the open literature or proposals submitted by faculty members and others without appropriate attribution will constitute a breach
of the Institute Honor Code. Georgia Tech Honor Code violations would be forwarded to the Vice President for Student Affairs and be dealt with according to the GT Honor Code. Click here for questions regarding what constitutes a violation and the mechanics of dealing with a violation.
Q. Are appendices allowed?
A. No. The page limit for the document is 15 pages. Supplementary information may be included in the oral presentation/PowerPoint
Q. Is the bibliography included in the 15 page limit and in what format does the listing have to be compiled?
A. The bibliography is not part of the 15 page limit. Format of abstract citation is to be
according to IEEE guidelines (as described in Dr. Rosenstein’s handouts). Be sure to include title of all papers are cited.
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Polymer Qualifying Examination
The written Polymer Qualifying Examination prepared by the faculty of the polymer program, is given in
September (first month of Fall semester) and March (near mid-term of Spring semester). The examination consists of the following three parts:
Part 1 (Undergraduate-level) Polymer Science and Engineering
Part 2 (Graduate-level) Structure and Properties of Polymers
Part 3 (Graduate-level) Advanced Aspects of Polymeric Materials, Processes and Properties
Each student is allowed two attempts at each part. The first attempt is made during the first year of residence in the Ph.D. program. All three parts must be successfully completed within the first 18
months of residence in the Ph.D. program. Any exceptions must be approved by the Director of the Polymer Program and by the Graduate Coordinator. Students should consult with the Director of the
Polymer Program for further details about the qualifying examinations.
Doctoral Research and Dissertation
One of the requirements for the Ph.D. degree is that the candidate complete an original research
project and write an acceptable dissertation (in English) describing the results of this work. The research must either be a genuine addition to the fundamental knowledge of the field or a new and
better interpretation of facts already known. The bulletin entitled “Graduate Research–Some Minimal Guidelines” is available from the Graduate Office at www.grad.gatech.edu.
All graduate students are expected to familiarize themselves with the research program in progress in Materials Science and Engineering and with the research interests of the faculty/staff during their first
semester of residence. During their second and subsequent semesters, students are expected to undertake research.
Selection of a dissertation topic and Dissertation Advisor is accomplished by discussing possible dissertation problems with faculty/staff members. A student is encouraged to propose additional
research problems. However, the approval of a faculty member who is willing to serve as the Dissertation Advisor, and of the Director of Graduate Studies, must be obtained. Ordinarily, the
Dissertation Advisor is a member of the Materials Science and Engineering faculty. However, in certain cases, a student may carry out dissertation research in another School or Division (e.g., GTRI),
provided that this arrangement is first approved by the Director of Graduate Studies (if applicable) of both units involved. Doctoral students must register for MSE 9000 during semesters in which they are
doing doctoral research.
Approval of Dissertation Topic
At least four (4) weeks prior to the Dissertation Proposal Examination, a Dissertation Committee,
consisting of the Dissertation Advisor, who will serve as Chair, and at least four other individuals, will be selected to review the proposal. The members will be suggested by the Dissertation Advisor to the
Director of Graduate Studies, who will formally request that they serve on the Committee. The Dissertation Committee must consist of at least three Materials Science and Engineering faculty
members and at least one member from outside the School. A brief resume of outside members must be submitted with the form. An effort should be made to include one member on the Dissertation
Committee from the technical community outside of Georgia Tech. A brief resume is required for any member(s) outside of Georgia Tech. Please submit the resume with the Request for Approval of Ph.D.
Dissertation Topic.
As soon as the Committee is formed, the student should submit a Request for Approval of Ph.D.
Dissertation Topic form to the Director of Graduate Studies. This form is a statement naming the student's Dissertation Advisor and members of the Dissertation Committee and setting forth the topic
that has been selected for investigation, the objectives the student hopes to gain, and the steps by which the student proposes to gain them. The dissertation topic must give promise of being either a
genuine addition to the fundamental knowledge of the field or a new and better interpretation of facts already known. The signatures of all Dissertation Committee members are required on the approval
form. The Director of Graduate Studies will forward a copy of the form to the Graduate Office, which will distribute copies to the Dissertation Committee.
Dissertation Proposal Examination
After completing the course-based and oral qualifying examination, the graduate student is expected to
complete the Institute Admission to Candidacy process before the end of the next semester in residence. In the case of students doing their research off-campus, they must complete their
proposals within two semesters of completing the oral qualifying exam. The dissertation reading committee will be approved at this time using the guidelines set forth by the Institute.
(See www.grad.gatech.edu). This is considered the second part (Part II) of the qualifying examination.
Students who do not complete Part II within this period will be REQUIRED to RETAKE Part I. This examination is based on an oral defense of the proposed Ph.D. dissertation research. At least 30 days
before the examination, an outline is to be submitted to, and discussed with, the Dissertation Advisor. At least ten days prior to the examination, the student must provide the Materials Science and
Engineering faculty with a minimum five page (1000 word) description of the dissertation topic. The oral presentation of the proposed Ph.D. topic must include not only a well-thought-out experimental
plan with clearly stated objectives but must also demonstrate a good grasp of the theoretical basis for the study. (In some cases the study may be purely theoretical.) In the presentation, the student will be
expected to relate the significance of the proposed research to the overall experimental and theoretical
situation in the field. At the Ph.D. level, it is not sufficient to propose a program that involves only a series of experimental observations. It is expected that successful completion of the proposed
research will result in a fundamental contribution, either experimental or theoretical, to the field.
After the presentation, which is open to all members of the Tech community, questions will be invited
from the general audience. After a reasonable question and answer period, there will be a brief recess and the general audience will be excused. The student will then be further examined by the
Dissertation Committee on the proposed work as well as on the fundamentals associated with the research program. The Committee will evaluate the candidate's performance and will render a
judgment as to whether or not the candidate has successfully passed the examination. In some cases the candidate may be required to retake the examination or, based on the opinion of the Committee,
may be required to take further courses to eliminate deficiencies in background. In case of serious deficiencies, the committee may decide that it is not in the best interest of the student to continue
pursuing the Ph.D.
When the student has successfully passed the examination, the Dissertation Advisor will send a
memo to the Director of Graduate Studies informing him/her of this fact. The Director of Graduate Studies will then supply this information to the Graduate Office via the Dissertation Topic Approval form.
Admission to Candidacy
A student in the doctoral program who has satisfied all major and minor area course requirements, passed both portions of the Ph.D. Qualifying Examination and submitted the Request for Approval of
Dissertation Topic is eligible for admission to Ph.D. candidacy. All students must be admitted to candidacy at least one semester prior to the semester of graduation. The student must complete the
appropriate form (available in the School office), get his/her advisor's recommendation, and submit the form to the Director of Graduate Studies. The Director of Graduate Studies will review the petition and
send it to the Director of Graduate Studies for approval. This petition will be sent to the Graduate Office to formally admit the student to candidacy.
Dissertation
Instructions concerning the preparation of the dissertation are contained in the Manual for Graduate Theses, found at www.grad.gatech.edu.
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Final Doctoral Examination
A draft of the dissertation, approved by the Dissertation Advisor, will be presented to the Director of Graduate Studies. The draft must be complete in all aspects and must be accompanied by a memo
from the advisor stating that he/she has reviewed the dissertation and is of the opinion that after incorporation of corrections suggested by the Dissertation Committee and successful defense it will
be suitable as the final dissertation document. The draft will be reviewed by the Director of Graduate Studies for completeness; if in his/her opinion it is suitable for the purposes of the defense, he/she will
distribute copies prepared by the student to the Dissertation Committee and authorize the student to schedule the presentation and defense no sooner than the fourth week following the week in which the
draft was submitted for approval. The Dissertation Committee usually consists of members named in the “Request for Approval of Dissertation Topic,” as submitted to the Graduate Office, unless a change
has been approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. One copy of the draft will be placed in a location, designated by the Director of Graduate Studies, where it will be available for review by the
faculty. All copies must be typed and contain high-quality (laser-copied) photographic illustrations. The student must be registered during the semester in which the final doctoral examination is given. The
examination will be open to the academic community and the public. Information concerning the time, place and topic of the examination should be forwarded to the Graduate Office at least two weeks in
advance of the examination.
The presentation of the dissertation will follow the same general format as the presentation of the
Ph.D. dissertation proposal. It is expected that the entire faculty and student body of the School will attend the presentation and participate in the general question and answer period. Following this
period, the candidate will be examined on the subject matter of the dissertation and the field in which it lies. The examination will be conducted by the Dissertation Committee; however, any faculty member
who desires may participate in the questioning.
Following the questioning, the members of the examining committee will vote on the outcome of the
examination. If the candidate has passed the examination, the Director of Graduate Studies will inform the Graduate Office of the outcome. If all other requirements (residency, minor field, etc.) have been
completed, the candidate will be certified as qualified to receive the Doctor of Philosophy degree.
In the event of failure on the final doctoral examination, one additional examination will be permitted on
the recommendation of the Dissertation Committee. In case of such failure, the result of the examination will not be sent to the Registrar, but a record will be kept in the School and the Graduate Office.
Petition for Degree
Candidates for the Ph.D. degree must file a Petition for Degree form with the Registrar during the
semester prior to the semester in which graduation is expected. If the student's petition is in error, the student's graduation may be delayed until the following semester.
Students who do not complete all requirements when anticipated must file another petition to reactivate their graduation date, checking the reactivation box at the top of the petition. This form is also
due the semester prior to the student's expected graduation semester. Petition and reactivation instructions may be obtained from the Office of the Registrar, Degree Certification Office. Click here for more information.
Award of Ph.D. Degree
The Institute Graduate Committee normally recommends to the Academic Senate the awarding of the Doctor of Philosophy degree to any candidate who has:
- An overall grade point average of at least 3.0 and has satisfied the requirements of his or her school
- Passed both parts of the Ph.D. comprehensive examination
- Submitted a “Request for Approval of Dissertation Topic” form
- Been admitted to candidacy
- Satisfied the minor requirement
- Received final acceptance of his/her dissertation by the Graduate Office and submitted three unbound copies to that office
- Passed the final examination, oral or written, required by his or her school
- Registered as a student during the semester of graduation, unless entitled to an Enrollment Waiver
- Filed a petition to graduate.
A waiver of the requirement to register during the semester of graduation may be obtained from the
Graduate Office if all other requirements have been met prior to the beginning of Phase II registration. The requirements for the degree must be completed within five years from the end of the semester in
which the candidate passes the preliminary qualifying examination.
Time-Table of Action for Ph.D. Students
A time-table of action needed for the Ph.D. degree is presented below. The student bears the
responsibility to see that all the necessary forms are submitted and approved by the deadlines.
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FORM or ACTION
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DEADLINE (to School office unless noted)
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Admission to Doctoral Program
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On admission to the Graduate School for Ph.D. study or following Program completion of the M.S. degree. Requires approval of Director of Graduate Studies.
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Proposed Program of Study
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No later than second semester of study in the Ph.D. program.
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Qualifying Examination
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30-days after completing core courses.
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Request for Approval of Thesis Topic
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Prior to submission of dissertation proposal.
A form is provided.
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Dissertation Proposal Examination
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Within 10 months of completion of preliminary qualifying exam.
NOTE: This is for students using the written qualifying examination option.
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Request for Admission to Ph.D. Candidacy
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Upon completion of course requirements, qualifying examinations and approval of dissertation topic.
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Petition for Degree
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Must be submitted to the Registrar during the semester preceding expected graduation date.
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Dissertation
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Final draft of dissertation must be submitted to the Dissertation Committee at least 4 weeks before the final doctoral examination is held.
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Final Doctoral Examination
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The student must be registered during the semester in which the final examination is given. The examination must be held prior to submission of the dissertation to Graduate Office. The “Dissertation
Approval Form” must be completed following examination.
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