M.S., M. ENGR in Material Science and Engineering 4+1 Programs

Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering, Master of Engineering in Materials Science and Engineering with Bachelor of Science in Physics 4+1 Programs

Director:  Assistant Professor Moldenhauer 

Students completing a B.S. degree in physics have the option of beginning coursework towards a Master of Science (M.S.) in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) or a Master of Engineering (M. ENGR) in MSE by taking graduate level courses at The University of Texas at Arlington (UTA).  Specifically, graduate courses in the MSE programs at UTA, see below, will earn dual credit towards the student’s B.S. physics degree at UD while at the same time earning credits toward either the M.S. in MSE or M. ENGR in MSE. 

This collaborative 4+1 program is designed to allow UD physics majors to earn their B.S. in physics and M.S. degree in five years.  Students can begin taking courses at UTA during their senior year at UD or in summer terms.  This program allows UD physics majors to complete up to 6 credit hours of approved courses in materials science at UTA that can be applied to their B.S. degree in physics at UD.  There is a significant overlap in materials science with condensed matter physics, so these courses offer UD students a chance to learn about areas of study that are important in a balanced physics curriculum.  After completing the 6 credits, additional courses can be taken toward the M.S. or M. ENGR, but these are not required by the B.S. program in physics at UD.  Completion of the UTA graduate degree programs is optional and failure to complete does not void the upper level credits earned toward the B.S. degree.  In other words, this program gives UD physics majors an opportunity to investigate materials science and engineering graduate studies while earning credits toward their B.S. degree. 

Students interested in these programs must apply to the UTA Materials Science and Engineering graduate program and meet the requirements for admission.  The requirements for completion of the M.S. in MSE or M. ENGR in MSE can be found from UTA MSE department.  Suggested courses that will be accepted for dual credit as advanced courses for the B.S. degree in physics at UD and the M.S. in MSE or M. ENGR in MSE are MSE 5300 Introduction to Materials Science and Engineering, MSE 5304 Analysis of Materials, and MSE 5305 Solid State Physics and Thermodynamics of Materials.  The course descriptions can be found from UTA MSE department (as they may change). 

The major requirements for the B.S. degree in physics include Calculus I-II-III, Differential Equations, General Chemistry I and II, General Physics I and II, and 36 hours of upper level physics with six of those hours from an undergraduate research thesis, usually completed through summer research, and a talk at a professional meeting.  Below is a comparison of the degree requirements with MSE substitutions.

*(Note: M.ENGR requires MSE 5300 for non-MSE undergraduates)