For admission information, see Graduate Programs Admission on page 29.
The following introductory information is based on 2025-26 program requirements for UCLA graduate degrees. Complete program requirements are available at Program Requirements for UCLA Graduate Degrees. Students are subject to the detailed degree requirements as published in program requirements for the year in which they enter the program.
The Department of Materials Science and Engineering offers Master of Science (MS) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in Materials Science and Engineering.
There are five main areas in the MS program: ceramics and ceramic processing; computational materials science; electronic and optical materials; soft materials; and structural materials. Students may specialize in any one of the five areas, although most students are more interested in a broader education and select a variety of courses. Basically, students select courses that serve their interests best in regard to thesis research and job prospects.
Thesis Plan. Nine courses are required, of which six must be graduate courses. The courses are to be selected from the following lists, although suitable substitutions can be made from other engineering disciplines or from chemistry and physics with the approval of the departmental graduate adviser. Two of the six graduate courses may be Materials Science and Engineering 598 (thesis research). The remaining three courses may be upper-division courses.
Capstone Plan. Nine courses are required, of which six must be graduate courses, selected from the following lists with the same provisions listed under the thesis plan. Three of the nine courses may be upper-division courses.
Ceramics and ceramic processing: Materials Science and Engineering 121, 122, 143A, 151, 161, 162, 200, 201, 210, C211, 246D, 298.
Computational materials science: Materials Science and Engineering 121, 143A, 262, 270, 271, 272, 298.
Electronic and optical materials: Materials Science and Engineering 121, 122, 143A, 151, 161, 162, 200, 201, 210, C211, 221, 222, 223, 298.
Soft materials: Materials Science and Engineering 121, 122, 143A, 251, 252, 253, CM280, 298.
Structural materials: Materials Science and Engineering 121, 122, 143A, 151, 161, 162, 200, 201, 210, C211, 243A, 243C, 250B, 298.
As long as a majority of the courses taken are offered by the department, substitutions may be made with the consent of the departmental graduate adviser.
Undergraduate Courses. No lower-division courses may be applied toward graduate degrees. In addition, the following upper-division courses are not applicable toward graduate degrees: Chemical Engineering 102A, 199; Civil and Environmental Engineering 108, 199; Computer Science M152A, 152B, M171L, 199; Electrical and Computer Engineering 100, 101A, 102, 110L, M116L, 133A, M171L, 199; Materials Science and Engineering 104, 110, 120, 130, 131, 131L, 132, 140B, 141L, 150, 160, 161L, 199; Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering 102, 103, 105A, 105D, 199.
The comprehensive examination is offered during each academic quarter in written format. The student must pass five of six questions offered separately from six of the materials science and engineering course subjects selected by the student. Each student is required to submit a written request which includes the courses the student has taken and wishes to have as part of the examination. If the comprehensive examination is failed, the student may be reexamined once with the consent of the graduate adviser.
The capstone project provides an opportunity for students to culminate their studies by combining ideas from their prior coursework with their own additional research. The project is expected to help students to polish their expertise in an area that is especially relevant to their career. A successful capstone project combines academic knowledge, research, and professional skills into a coherent final product. The student defines a capstone project under the guidance of a faculty member or faculty emeritus of any rank; and demonstrates competency in project design and management skills, written presentation of complex ideas, and analytical and creative thinking.
Every master’s degree thesis plan requires the completion of an approved thesis that demonstrates the student’s ability to perform original, independent research.
In addition to the course requirements, students are required to write a thesis on a research topic in material science and engineering supervised by the thesis adviser. A thesis committee reviews and approves the thesis. Master’s committees consist of a minimum of three faculty members from UCLA—the faculty adviser as chair and two other faculty members. One of the three may be faculty from other UCLA departments. Members must hold one of the following academic ranks: professor (any rank, regular series), professor emeritus, adjunct professor (any rank), professor-in-residence (any rank), or acting professor (any rank).
Ceramics and ceramic processing; computational materials science; electronic and optical materials; soft materials; structural materials.
The basic program of study for the PhD degree in Materials Science and Engineering is built around one major field and one minor field. The major field has a scope corresponding to a body of knowledge contained in nine courses, at least six of which are graduate courses, plus the current literature in the area of specialization. The five major fields are each described in a PhD major field syllabus, which can be obtained in the department office. The minor field normally embraces a body of knowledge equivalent to three courses, at least two of which are graduate courses. Grades of B- or better, with a grade-point average of at least 3.33 in all courses included in the minor field, are required. If the student fails to satisfy the minor field requirements through coursework, a minor field examination may be taken (once only). The minor field is chosen to support the major field and is usually a subset of the major field.
There is no formal course requirement for the PhD degree and one may substitute coursework by examinations with the exception of three quarters of Materials Science and Engineering 282 to be taken on S/U basis within the first six quarters of the academic program. For coursework by examinations, the student must contact the instructor to request to take the final exam during the quarter the course is offered. Please note that coursework by examination does not fulfill MS degree course requirements for students transitioning from the PhD to MS program. It is recommended that students take courses to acquire the knowledge needed for the written and oral preliminary examinations.
During the first year of full-time enrollment in the PhD program, students take the oral preliminary examination that encompasses the body of knowledge in materials science equivalent to that expected of a bachelor’s degree. If students opt not to take courses, a written preliminary examination in the major field is required. Students may not take an examination more than twice.
After passing preliminary examinations, students take the University Oral Qualifying Examination. The nature and content of the examination are at the discretion of the doctoral committee but ordinarily include a broad inquiry into the student’s preparation for research. The doctoral committee also reviews the prospectus of the dissertation at the oral qualifying examination.
A doctoral committee consists of a minimum of four members. Three members, including the chair, are inside members and must hold appointments in the department. The outside member must be a UCLA faculty member in another department. Faculty members holding joint appointments with the department are considered inside members.
The ceramics and ceramic processing field is designed for students interested in ceramics and glasses, including electronic materials. As in the case of metallurgy, primary and secondary fabrication processes such as vapor deposition, sintering, melt forming, or extrusion strongly influence the microstructure and properties of ceramic components used in structural, electronic, or biological applications. Formal course and research programs emphasize the coupling of processing treatments, microstructure, and properties.
The computational materials area is designed for students with interests in the fields of theory, modeling, and simulation of materials behavior using computational methods. This is a cross-cutting area with applications in structural, electronic, optical, and soft materials. Topics under this area include advanced simulation algorithms, machine learning methods, and data-driven approaches—all aimed at obtaining an improved understanding of materials behavior through computer simulation.
The electronic and optical materials field provides an area of study in the science and technology of electronic materials that includes semiconductors, optical ceramics, and thin films (metal, dielectric, and multilayer) for electronic and optoelectronic applications.
Course offerings emphasize fundamental issues such as solid-state electronic and optical phenomena, bulk and interface thermodynamics and kinetics, and applications that include growth, processing, and characterization techniques. Active research programs address the relationship between microstructure and nanostructure and electronic/optical properties in these materials systems.
The soft materials area offers a field of study focusing on biomaterials, polymer science, and general organic materials. Students interested in this area take courses and carry out research with applications in biological devices, wearable electronics, organic solar cells, and various biomedical research approaches.
The structural materials field is designed primarily to provide broad understanding of the relationships between processing, microstructure, and performance of various structural materials, including metals, intermetallics, ceramics, and composite materials. Research programs include material synthesis and processing, ion implantation-induced strengthening and toughening, mechanisms and mechanics of fatigue, fracture and creep, structure/property characterization, nondestructive evaluation, high-temperature stability, and aging of materials.