Admission Information
Dear prospective graduate student,
Thank you for your interest in the Materials Science and Engineering Program at Arizona State University. If you are considering applying to graduate school, the School of Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical and Materials Engineering (MACME) is an excellent opportunity. The Materials Program offers three degrees: a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Masters (thesis) and Master's (non‐thesis).
Let me highlight 10 reasons why you should consider ASU and the Materials Program for your graduate study:
1. Multidisciplinary nature –
We encourage students with backgrounds in chemistry, physics, math, electrical and mechanical engineering as well as materials science and engineering to apply to the program. Research thrusts within the department include micro and nano fabrication of high‐technology materials, electronic materials, computation materials science and deformation behavior of materials at different length scales.
2. Diverse Faculty –
The 70 member faculty who perform a wide range of materials research come from the following disciplines: Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemistry, Physics and Solid State Science. The faculty is highly research intensive having diverse research groups and laboratories. Graduate students like the fact that they have
a wide range of faculty from which to choose when they select a research mentor. Our faculty have gained national as well as international recognition in their specialties.
3. Research Facilities –
ASU has an outstanding infrastructure in microfabrication and and expertise in microscale characterization. The department has state‐of‐the‐art facilities and equipment, including ion beam system to fabricate nanostructures, a metalorganic chemical vapor
deposition system and laser ablation system for grown thin films of dielectrics, molecular beam epitaxy and metalorganic chemical vapor deposition systems for group III‐nitride research and a facility to assess the mechanical behavior of materials at small‐length scale. In addition, faculty and students have access to materials characterization and clean‐room facilities. We have several prominent research centers at ASU, including the Center for Solid State Science and the Center for Solid State Electronics Research. The Goldwater multi‐user Materials Facility is open to faculty and graduate students. The faculty also have their own specialized laboratories.
4. Interdisciplinary Curriculum –
The required coursework covers four subjects: advanced thermodynamics, structure and mechanical properties; kinetics and phase transformations and materials physics. Electives allow students to tailor their program of study to their individual
research interests.
5. Size of the Program ‐
The program has approximately 115 students, 80 of which are PhD students.
6. Our Graduates ‐
Our proudest achievement is the success of our graduates. Graduates from our program have obtained challenging jobs with materials dependent high technology industries, universities, and government research laboratories. Many of them are now in high level administrative and research positions. The program boasts a 100% placement rate. Several of our graduates have also received national and international awards for their research.
7. Affordable Tuition and Financial Aid ‐
ASU is an affordable university compared to many other universities. Resident tuition for the fall 2009 semester is $4,388; non‐resident tuition is $8,762. Students who are awarded teaching or research assistantships receive waivers of tuition and
they receive free major medical insurance as part of their financial aid packages. There are also scholarships and fellowships for qualified students. Financial aid is awarded competitively to top applicants.
8. The Campus ‐
ASU has four campuses with an enrollment of 70,000 students. The MACME School is located on the main campus in Tempe, Arizona. We have four major libraries, including the Noble Library for Engineering and the Sciences. 9. Arizona ‐ The cost of living in Arizona is very affordable compared to many other large metropolitan cities. Arizona has a sunny climate and students can hike and swim almost year round.
10. Jobs ‐
Arizona has a booming employment market. We have many semiconductor and high technology firms such as Intel, Motorola (Freescale), Boeing, Honeywell, Microchip to name a few.
Admission to the Materials Program is highly competitive. The program receives approximately 200 applications each academic year and admits approximately 10% of the applicant pool. Applicants are required to have no less than a 3.0/4.0 cumulative GPA or the equivalent. Applicants should submit official transcripts, GRE score, resume, personal statement and three (3) letters of recommendation. Additionally, international students must submit a TOEFL score. Attached is a list of required documents
and the applications deadlines. The program cannot determine admission eligibility in advance. All application materials must be received by the application deadlines and once the application file is complete, it is then forwarded to the Graduate Admissions Committee for evaluation and recommendation. The ASU Graduate College reviews all department recommendations and in almost all cases approves the recommendation. A formal letter is sent to the applicant by ASU Graduate College.
If you have further questions about our program, feel free to contact Yolanda Murphy, Graduate Academic Advisor, yolanda.murphy@asu.edu
480‐727‐9314.
Sincerely,
Dr. James B. Adams
Professor and Program Chair for Materials Science and Engineering
School of Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical and Materials Engineering
Arizona State University
480‐965‐3316
jim.adams@asu.edu
School of Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical and Materials Engineering >
