The Graduate Materials Science (GMS) program leads to the degree of Master of Science (Materials Science). Students normally enter as a class in September and are scheduled to graduate in March after 18 months. The program is under the joint supervision of the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics (Structural Materials) and the Department of Engineering Physics (Non-structural Materials) and is carried out in cooperation with the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory.
Educational Objectives
The goal of the GMS program is to provide a student who has a background in engineering or physical science with the knowledge of materials science and engineering necessary for work in the fields of structural and non-structural materials for aerospace systems. Such positions may range from those requiring very detailed and advanced level work in a specific discipline to those involving broad responsibilities and requiring interaction among many disciplines.
The GMS program prepares students for a range of Air Force positions. It demands that the students develop a detailed understanding in specialty areas while ensuring that they are also well educated across all areas of materials science and engineering.
The specific goals of the GMS program are to produce graduates with:
- A solid background in the fundamental areas of materials science and engineering (structural and non-structural materials, thermodynamics and kinetics, materials characterization, and materials selection and processing).
- An in-depth knowledge in one specialty area.
- Experience in conducting and documenting an independent investigation, a thesis, on a problem of Air Force interest.
Program requirements and detailed information