Materials Science and Engineering

The Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering offers graduate programs leading to a Master of Science in Engineering (M.S.E.) with a focus in materials science and engineering. The graduate programs are broad in scope emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of the field of materials science and engineering. The program is focused around processing, structure, properties, and performance of advanced lightweight, and high temperature materials.

Facilities

Graduate students have access to a wide range of modern facilities including classrooms, laboratories, and computer systems, interconnected by local and wide area communication networks. Computational facilities include numerous Sun, DEC, and Silicon Graphics fileservers and workstations; X-windowing terminals; and personal computers. Access is also available to the Ohio Super-computer via the Ohio Academic and Research Network (OARNET).

Research

Research in materials science and engineering is focused around processing, structure, properties, and performance of metals, ceramics, polymers, and composites. Current programs include studies of super conducting ceramics, polymer, ceramic, titanium, and carbon matrix composites, nickel and titanium based alloys, as well as advanced nano- and meso- systems.

The department hosts a variety of sophis-ticated materials research equipment. This includes a scanning transmission electron microscope with associated specimen preparation equipment, state-of-the-art micro-Raman spectroscopy, high resolution x-ray photo electron spectroscopy (XPS), and unique controlled-atmosphere high temperature defor-mation testing facilities. The department also has standard laboratory equipment for fabrication and testing of materials, such as mechanical testing machines, scanning electron microscopes, an x-ray diffractometer, furnaces, microhardness testers, and optical microscopes.

Research at Wright State University is not limited to the laboratory facilities on campus. Several industrial companies, laboratories, and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base are involved in joint research efforts, making available their unique facilities for faculty and graduate research.

Collaborations

The Dayton Area Graduate Studies Institute provides collaboration opportunities through the graduate engineering courses, faculty, and research resources of the Air Force Institute of Technology, the University of Dayton, The Ohio State University, and the University of Cincinnati.

Graduate Assistantships

Assistantships are available to students on a competitive basis. Students awarded assistantship support are eligible for stipends and remission of tuition fees. Interest in financial support should be indicated at the time of application.

Degree Requirements

Students should plan a program of study in consultation with the department chair. The program of study should be finalized by the time the student completes 12 credit hours of graduate study.

The following requirements must be met for the Master of Science in Engineering degree:

Completion of 45 graduate credit hours in courses that have prior approval by an engineering graduate advisor.
At least 36 of the total 45 graduate credit hours must be engineering or computer engineering courses. At least 24 of these must be engineering courses.
At least 12 of the 36 graduate credit hours of engineering and computer engineering must be courses numbered above 700, excluding 899, Thesis. The required courses are ME 760, ME 762, ME 772, ME 783.

At least 6 of the total 45 graduate credit hours must be courses in mathematics, statistics, or computer science.
Students must choose either a thesis option or advanced course work option. Students employed as teaching or research assistants through the School of Graduate Studies at any time during their degree candidacy must choose the thesis option.
Thesis Option: A thesis satisfying all requirements of the School of Graduate Studies must be completed and successfully defended in an oral examination before the major committee. Up to 12 credit hours of 899, Thesis, may count toward degree requirements of 45 total graduate credit hours and 36 graduate credit hours in engineering or computer science.

Course Option: Students must complete 12 credit hours of courses numbered 700 or above in addition to the 12 hours specified in requirement 3.