Exploring?

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A graduate degree from one of our programs can be very rewarding, both for your career and personally. The challenges you'll meet and the mentoring you'll receive will prepare you to take your place at the cutting edge of technology.

MSE & WE highlights

  • Over 90% of our graduate students receive full payment of academic tuition and research costs
  • Two degree tracks available: Master's and Doctoral degrees are available in Materials Science and Engineering or Welding Engineering
  • Monthly stipend provided year-round for the duration of the degree
  • 100% payment of health insurance premiums for all Graduate Research Associates
  • Highly-ranked program with internationally-respected faculty
  • Close ties to industry (nearly 100% job placement within six months of graduation)
  • High starting salaries for our MS and Ph.D. graduates!
  • Department research budget of over $17 million annually
  • Access to extensive world-class research facilities, both in-house and university wide

Applying to the MSE and WE graduate programs

 

Materials Science and Engineering & Welding Engineering at The Ohio State University

 

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At left, Asst. Professor Desmond Bourgeois, member of the Welding Engineering faculty

The best of both worlds! Our tight-knit department lends a small-school feel with all the advantages that a large research university can offer. A diverse student body brings together people from many cultural and academic backgrounds providing an innovative environment. Over $17 million per year in research funding is added to this mix to explore the field of materials science.

The MSE department at Ohio State offers courses and conducts a wide range of theoretical, computational, and experimental studies in the fields of metallurgy, ceramics, composites, electronic materials, and welding engineering. These include:

  • Additive / Free-form manufacturing;
  • Biomaterials;
  • Energy storage and alternative energy development;
  • Nanotechnology;
  • Emergent materials;
  • Electronic materials, sensors, and membranes;
  • Modeling and computational materials science;
  • Friction stir welding;
  • Corrosion, oxidation, tribology, and other environmental effects;
  • Characterization by X-ray, electron-optical, and other advanced techniques;
  • Laser and robotic joining;
  • Mechanical, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties of materials;
  • Dissimilar material joining;
  • Solidification / casting materials science;
  • Polymers joining;
  • Non-destructive evaluation;
  • Chemical, mechanical, and thermal processing of materials such as forming, powder processing, micromachining, and thin film processing.

    View our research topics

 

The fields of MSE and WE

Materials Science and Engineering

photo of Jason Hwang, Ohio State College of Engineering

At the heart of engineering is the material being engineered; what is the best material to create a needed product or best address a pressing problem?

To answer these questions, the discipline of MSE explores the relationships between the structure of a material--from atomic bonding to macroscopic composition--and its properties--such as strength, conductivity, ductility, corrosion resistance, etc. Based upon these structure/property relationships, new design and processing techniques are developed to meet demanding performance needs.

Examples include biomaterials to repair the body, new battery materials to store renewable power, nano-technology & exotic composites for high-tech applications, and advanced alloys for the transportation and aerospace industries. Due to this near-universal significance, materials engineers readily find high-paying, rewarding jobs upon graduation.

 

Welding Engineering

photo of welding engineering female student at Ohio State

Closely allied to materials study is the understanding of how materials are joined. Welding is a critical manufacturing process estimated to have an effect on over 50% of the products manufactured in the U.S. Almost every segment of our economy depends, to some degree, on the joining of materials.

Beyond its pragmatic image, welding engineering explores the complex intersection of materials science, design, processing, and real-world application. From the joining of delicate materials in microelectronic and biomedical applications to forming submarine hulls and pipelines for deep sea drilling, welding engineers play a critical role. The fact that much of our economy depends on materials joining and welding means that our graduates can pursue rewarding and exciting careers. It is a unique program for individuals who enjoy the hands-on problem solving aspects of engineering.

 

 

A background other than MSE or WE? Great!

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Students with training outside MSE or WE are uniquely qualified to bring their knowledge to the study of materials science. MSE & WE draws upon many areas in both the scientific and engineering realms.

Physics, chemistry, mathematics, and computer science each play a part in explaining the origin of unique properties found in a substance. The engineering knowledge and experience of ceramists, metallurgists, electrical, mechanical, and chemical engineers are brought to bear in the application of these properties for a required use. A number of our students--and faculty--have come from fields outside of MSE / WE and have gone on to make significant contributions in the discipline.

It's this combination of scientific exploration and practical, hands-on engineering that makes this field so fascinating for our students.

 

Faculty members and research interests

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Professor Jenifer Locke, Materials Science and Engineering

Finding the right match with a faculty mentor is critical for your success as a graduate student. Internationally known and accomplished, our faculty are among the best in the world--just what you need to excel as a professional in the field.

View a listing of faculty interests
Includes fields of interest and contact information.

 

[Polymers Science. The MSE department has a number of faculty members with joint appointments in the Departments of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and Biomedical Engineering. These faculty conduct polymers research as it relates to biomaterials, membranes, etc.; i.e., polymers as used in materials applications and the joining of polymers. Polymers in the more traditional sense are primarily studied in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. You may contact Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering by visiting the CBE web site.]

 

Application

Application documents...

To apply to the MSE or WE graduate program, a number of supporting documents are required.

View application requirements

Early application is encouraged. We admit most new students for the Autumn term (August) due to course sequences and research project-funding patterns. Very few students are admitted for other terms.

Application deadlines...

Applications for both programs--MSE and WE--are accepted on an on-going basis throughout the year.

Domestic applicants should submit all necessary documents no later than two months before the start of the term of application; international applicants should submit all documents at least three months prior to the term of interest.

Please note that we begin making admission decisions for Autumn term in the January prior and continue to accept students until we have filled our anticipated GRA-funded openings.

  • Autumn term classes start in August
  • Spring term classes start in January
  • Summer Term starts in May (however, we do not admit students to Summer term)

Minimum requirements:

Our department does not establish rigid minimum test score and GPA requirements other than those set by the university. However, over time we have found that applicants who succeed in the program tend to have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or greater (on a 4.0 scale). See the Application Requirements page for more details.

Note: Our programs do not require GRE scores.

 

Financial Aid: Graduate Research Associateship and Fellowship

Graduate Research Associateships (GRA) are the primary form of financial aid offered by the MSE / WE department. These are paid positions which carry with them significant benefits:

  • Full payment of all academic tuition costs,
  • Full payment of research and lab expenses,
  • Monthly stipend paid on a 12 month basis,
  • Payment of 100% of the student's health insurance premiums,
  • Some research projects may also provide travel expenses for conferences and off-site research.

 

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The student's stipend is paid throughout the year; there are no periods such as breaks between terms in which a GRA will not receive a paycheck. All applicants are considered for GRA funding; no additional application materials are required for GRA consideration. If an applicant is offered admission to our program and is provided a GRA position, s/he will work on one of the projects available in the MSE department upon arrival at OSU.

In return for this stipend and tuition waiver, the student will assist his/her advisor with research work for the funding project. This commitment amounts to approximately 20 hours per week, though this may vary. The vast majority of students in our department are funded in this manner. The total value of a GRA position (tuition payment, lab fees, and stipend) can exceed $80,000 US per year; as much as $400,000 plus over the course of a five-year Ph.D.

University Fellowship The other form of aid for which all of our applicants are considered is the highly competitive University Fellowship. University Fellowships provide full payment of tuition and lab fees, 85% of health insurance premiums, and a high monthly stipend. To be considered for Fellowship nomination applicants must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.6+ (out of 4.0, or equivalent). Deadlines for Fellowship application are described on our Financial Support page.

 

Thank you for your interest in our program!

We would be glad to answer any questions you might have regarding the admissions process. Please feel free to contact Mr. Mark Cooper, Graduate Studies Coordinator, at your convenience.

Questions?

Contact the MSE - WE Graduate Studies Coordinator:

Mark Cooper

614-292-7280

How to apply

Grad Program Overviews

Learn more about the academics and research in the Materials Science and Engineering and Welding Engineering graduate programs.

Literature