Integrated Materials Science (Ph.D.), Program

Program Faculty

Physics

Dr. Ramesh Budhani, Professor

Dr. Richard Damoah, Assistant Professor

Dr. Yucheng Lan, Professor

Dr. Xiaowen Li, Associate Professor

Dr. Abdellah Lisfi, Professor

Dr. Stacyann Nelson, Assistant Professor

Dr. Birol Ozturk, Associate Professor

Dr. Willie Rockward, Professor

Dr. Ezana Negusse Rosario, Lecturer

Dr. Clementine Santamaria, Assistant Professor

Dr. Dereje Seifu, Professor

Dr. Michael Spencer (Affiliated Faculty), Department of Electrical Engineering, Professor

Chemistry

Dr. Fasil Abebe, Associate Professor

Dr. Maurice Iwnze, Professor

Dr. Santosh Mandal, Professor

Dr. Pumtiwitt McCarthy, Associate Professor

Dr. Jiangnan Peng, Associate Professor

Dr. Alexander Samokhvalov, Associate Professor

Dr. Roosevelt Shaw, Associate Professor

Dr. Angela Winstead, Professor

Dr. Hongtau Yu, Provost and Professor

Dr. Yongchao Zhang, Associate Professor

Program Description

The Interdisciplinary Materials Science field focuses on the research and discovery of materials.  Materials are ubiquitous in our daily lives, and it is important to understand the structure, properties, and performance of naturally occurring and novel man-made materials.  Fundamental laws of physics and chemistry are commonly used in materials science research.  There is a growing need for a trained workforce in materials science as evidenced by the government’s recent billion dollars of investments in research and development in materials science, especially in semiconductor, biomaterials and quantum materials research.  The Physics & Engineering Physics Department and the Chemistry Department within the School of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences (SCMNS) at Morgan State University (MSU) have established the Integrated Materials Science Ph.D. program.  This program functions through contemporary cross-discipline and interdepartmental research and education.

Students from broad backgrounds including physics, chemistry, engineering, and materials science can apply to the program.  Students will be required to take core courses and elective courses, which will include lectures and hands-on training courses.  Core courses will be on general principles and experimental procedures of materials science, relevant to all students from diverse academic backgrounds.  Students will choose elective courses based on their backgrounds, as well as the specific areas of emphasis and the topics of their dissertation research projects.  Regional state laboratories and companies such as Army Research Laboratories, NIST, NASA, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman would be interested in hiring graduates of this program.

Program Objectives

This Ph.D. program expands the materials science research efforts at Morgan State University and enables academic training on relevant topics.  This will result in the advancement and evolution of knowledge on materials science in the region, the state, the nation, and globally.

General Requirements

Students enrolled in the program will be required to satisfy the following requirements:

1. Form a doctoral advisory committee by the end of the first year after admission, comprising of four members, among whom at least three of them should be tenured or tenure-track faculty members.  The chair of the committee must be a member of the graduate faculty and one of the departments in SCMNS.  A minimum of two SCMNS faculty must serve on the committee.  A minimum of one committee member outside the home department can serve on the doctoral advisory committee.  The students form advisory committees no later than the end of the first year.  The committee approves the student’s program of study and guides, the student’s research activities.
2. Complete a minimum of 36 graduate credit hours (including 9 hours of dissertation-related research) of study beyond the Bachelor’s degree (with a maximum of 33 hours of dissertation-related research).
3. Pass comprehensive exam after passing 5 program core courses and 3 track-specific core courses with a letter grade “B” or higher.  Students starting in Spring will take the test by the end of May after the 4th (Spring) semester.  Students will be given two chances to pass the comprehensive exam.  A student who fails to pass the comprehensive exam in the first attempt is required to take the next available comprehensive exam.
4. Develop and defend a dissertation proposal within the first four years of admission for students starting with a bachelor’s degree, and the first two years of admission for students entering with a Master’s degree.
5. Complete and successfully defend a dissertation based on timely and original research in a relevant area of materials science within the seven years of enrollment.
6. The dissertation committee chair must determine the original contribution of the dissertation work.
7. Students entering with only a baccalaureate degree and satisfying the graduation requirements (30 credits) will be awarded a pass through (en passant) MS in Integrated Materials Science degree.

To maintain good academic standing and remain in the program. the student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0.  Failure to meet these requirements will lead to academic probation for one academic year and automatic dismissal thereafter.

Admission

The program welcomes exceptional students with at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA (on a scale of 4.0) for all undergraduate and graduate work completed.  Other requirements include a resume or curriculum vitae documenting current and previous professional activities, achievements, planned career goals, a statement of research interest, and three letters of recommendation from professors or supervisors familiar with the applicant’s academic background.  All application materials must be sent directly to the School of Graduate Studies through the application system for preliminary screening, it is then reviewed by the department committee.  Eligibility to be a student within the School of Graduate Studies is a prerequisite for admission into the program.

Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements and submitting all the required documents does not guarantee that an offer of admission will be made to the applicant.  The decision of the Program Admissions Committee involves a review and analysis of all the elements of the application as well as the availability of positions in the program.  The committee then recommends to the Dean of the School of Graduate Studies that an offer of admission should be made based on that review.

Candidacy

Admission to candidacy reflects agreement among the student, Graduate Committee, and the School of Graduate Studies that the student has demonstrated the ability to do acceptable work and that satisfactory progress has been made toward the degree.  This action usually means that all prerequisites to admission have been completed and a program of study has been approved.  A student may be admitted to candidacy for the doctoral degree after:  (1) formation of the Graduate Advisory Committee, (2) passing the comprehensive examination, (3) maintaining at least a “B” average in all graduate coursework, and (4) obtaining the Graduate Advisory Committee’s approval of the dissertation proposal and courses.  Once a student achieves candidacy, enrollment in any course other than IMAS997 is generally prohibited.  Students seeking additional skills, knowledge, or a certificate must seek approval by the Faculty Advisor and program Director.  The request must be accompanied by a revised Plan of Study.

Approved Master’s Degree Programs

Qualified applicants who are holders of M.S. degrees in STEM fields including Physics, Chemistry, and Materials Science.  M.S. degrees from other STEM fields will also be considered.

Residency Requirements

All candidates must satisfy eighteen (18) credit hours of residency requirements in one of the following ways:  enrolling in nine credit hours per semester for two consecutive semesters or part-time candidates must register for six credit hours per semester for three consecutive semesters.

Program Course Requirements

The required minimum coursework for the Ph.D. in Integrated Materials Science is 60 graduate credits beyond the bachelor’s degree.  36 graduate credits beyond the master’s degree are required.  Transfer courses at a grade of “B” or higher from other accredited institutions are reviewed and approved by the corresponding department as well as the School of Graduate Studies.