The Department of Materials Engineering offers graduate programs leading to M.Sc. or Ph.D. degrees in Materials Engineering. The broad range of scientific interests of faculty members is manifested by the variety of research projects carrying out in different areas, thus providing students with numerous opportunities to satisfy their individual academic and professional goals. The students may choose their specialization in various aspects of Materials Science and Engineering, including metals, ceramic-metal composites, polymers, electronic materials, magnetic materials, and modern methods of materials characterization. The Department encourages interdisciplinary research, and part of the research work can be carried out in cooperation with specialists, e.g. in Physics, Chemistry, and Nuclear Engineering.
 
Graduate studies are opened for two groups of students: a) in-house students, who receive financial support through research or teaching assistantship appointments that cover tuition and provide an adequate stipend for living expenses b) external students who are employed in industry or in other institutions, but spend at least two days per week for their studies. The time needed for internal students to earn an advanced degree is not predetermined exactly. The master’s degree requires 2-2.5 years of study and the doctorate is normally completed in 4-5 years, including the time spent in the Department before Candidate Examination. After passing the Candidate Examination, the student is formally enrolled into the Ph.D. program.
   
Admission to M.Sc. graduate studies is based on the candidate’s undergraduate performance and letters of reference. A minimum weighed average of 75 for the third and fourth years of undergraduate studies is required for admission to the graduate program. However, only those whose weighed average is above 80 can be considered for financial aid in the form of teaching assistantship.
 
A M.Sc. degree requires the completion of 36 units of credit: 24 units must be graduate courses and 12 units are of the thesis work. At least 50% of courses must cover materials-related topics outside the student’s area of research and be approved by the student’s supervisor and by chair of the Departmental Graduate Studies Committee. Not more than 25% of courses may be graduate courses provided by other Departments. All full-time master students participate in the Departmental Seminars, and use this forum to report the results of their research work.
 
In order to complete the M.Sc. requirements, the candidate submits a thesis that clearly and consistently describes the objectives and accomplishments of the executed work. The thesis must be approved by the supervisor and then signed by the chair of the Departmental Graduate Studies Committee and by the Dean of the Faculty of Engineering Sciences. After submission of the thesis, the student must pass the Master's Examination. This is an oral examination, which tests for an integrated understanding of the scientific background and the performed research work. The examining panel comprises of at least four qualified examiners two of which, including the supervisor, must be faculty members and one must be an expert from other academic institutions. The panel must be approved by the Department Head. Students who fail this examination on their first attempt are allowed one additional attempt at a later date.
 
A special non-thesis M.Sc. degree option is available for people working in industry. While these students are not required to submit a thesis, they complete 39 units of credit through graduate courses and active participation in the Departmental Seminar (3 units), thus gaining broad knowledge in Materials Engineering.