A Message to Prospective PENN Materials Science Graduate
Students
 The
Department of Materials Science and Engineering at the University
of Pennsylvania is recognized as a leader and innovator in
Materials Research and Education. Our faculty and students
have received many of the top awards in their respective research
fields, our educational program has produced leaders both
in industry and academia, and our University is ranked in
the top five in the United States. In 1960 we became one of
the first universities to establish a center for Materials
Research. This center, which is called the Laboratory for
Research on the Structure of Matter (LRSM), is now one of
the largest in the country and is currently funded as a National
Science Foundation (NSF) Materials Research Science and Engineering
Center. Our faculty also lead the NSF-supported Nanoscale
Science and Engineering Center (NSEC), “Molecular
Function at the Nano/Bio Interface”, and the State of
Pennsylvania’s Nano
Technology Institute that focuses on the research, development
and commercialization of nanotechnology’s real
world applications.
The research interests of our faculty span all types of materials
and phenomena and joint research programs exist with many
other schools and departments (physics, chemistry, electrical
engineering, chemical engineering, mechanical engineering,
bioengineering and the medical school). Visit our Research
web page to learn more.
The cornerstone of our graduate program is flexibility and
its hallmarks are excellence and collaboration. Our graduate
students have undergraduate degrees in many different majors,
and each student can tailor his/her education according to
their interests and goals to create an individualized curriculum.
In the first year PhD students complete seven approved courses,
three core courses (Structure of Materials, Thermodynamics,
Phase Transformations) and four others, selected according
to the background and area of interest of the student. These
courses are chosen from offerings within MSE or other departments
in SEAS or the Physical and Biological Sciences.
The most important aspect of a student’s selection
of a graduate school is their choice of a research advisor.
Advisor selection is conducted in September and October during
the Fall Semester of the 1st year. You will have the opportunity
to meet with the faculty in whom you are interested, as well
as their graduate students or post-docs, and rank your top
three choices. Typically students are assigned their first
choice; the likelihood that you will be able to work with
one of our selections is typically 100%. In certain special
cases, pre-selection of advisors prior to arrival at PENN
is possible.
Because of our long tradition of support from the NSF, our
on-site facilities (link) have outstanding core techniques
such as electron and scanning probe microscopy as well as
several unique capabilities for structural and compositional
analysis. Because of our location, students have ready access
to National Laboratories and their facilities, including synchrotron
radiation and neutron sources.
In addition to the tradition of excellence associated with
Ivy League Universities, the University of Pennsylvania is
particularly fortunate to follow the educational motto of
our founder, Benjamin Franklin, who proposed an education
that was both practical and fundamental. Our students are
also attracted to the vibrant atmosphere of center city Philadelphia
with its rich cultural activities, active nightlife, sports
teams, and superb restaurants as briefly described on our
About Philly web page.
We hope you will apply to our program. Please feel free to
contact us
with any additional questions about Materials Science at the
University of Pennsylvania.
Russell J. Composto
Graduate Group Chair
Materials Science and Engineering
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How to Apply
Program Description
Course Descriptions
For Incoming Class:
Requirements of Master’s Degree
Requirements of Doctoral Degree
Procedures for Advanced Degrees
FAQs
Current Students & Post-Docs
Past Students & Post-Docs
Request More Information
2006 NSF Graduate Fellowship Award Recipient:
Sadie White
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