Doctor of Philosophy

The Doctoral degree emphasizes the creation of new knowledge through extensive independent research, the interpretation of phenomena revealed by research, and the extraction of general principles upon which predictions can be made. In the MSE department, doctoral research can be conducted in a range of areas, including nano-materials, biomaterials, materials for energy applications, metals, ceramics, electronic materials, and magnetic materials. Each Doctoral student's research is guided by a faculty advisor and a dissertation committee with milestones that allow graduation in four years or less. Each step in the doctoral degree program is described below.

• Admission
• Selection of Thesis Topic and Advisor
• Annual Reporting
• Research Performance Evaluation
• Selection of Dissertation Committee
• Thesis Overview
• The Final Dissertation
• Course requirements
• Financial Aid

Admission

Applicants must supply the following materials to qualify for admission:

1. Official transcripts from previous degree programs
2. A statement of purpose explaining why they wish to be admitted to the doctoral program
3. The results of GRE exams
4. Three letters of reference
5. For the case of non-US citizens studying outside the US, a TOEFL Score Report
6. The application fee

All admissions decisions are made by the Department Head, based on recommendations from the graduate recruiting committee. A typical student qualifying for admission will have an undergraduate gra de ins point average greater than 3.0, a verbal written GRE score greater than 500, a quantitative GRE score greater than 700, and an analytical GRE score greater than or equal to 4.0. For non-US citizens studying outside the US, the TOEFL score should exceed 600. Recent averages for the grade point average and GRE scores of student admitted to the program are 3.5, 540, 760, and 4.4, respectively.

More information on the admissions process.

Selection of Thesis Topic and Advisor

Incoming graduate students learn about available projects through contacts with individual faculty and through information provided at the graduate student orientation. In mid-October, each student submits a list of three advisors and projects that interest them. The faculty then match students and projects by November first of each year.

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Annual Reporting

Each doctorate student submits a written report at the beginning of the Fall semester. The report records cumulative achievements throughout graduate school and outlines an action plan for the following year. The report is evaluated by the student's advisor and by the Department Head.

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Research Performance Evaluation

Before the end of the third semester, each student must take a research performance evaluation. The research performance evaluation committee is selected by the candidate and the advisor and is subject to review and approval by the Department Head. The RPE committee should constitute a core of the committee for both the Thesis Overview and Dissertation Defense.

The candidate prepares a written proposal outlining initial results and plan for the immediate future. During the research performance evaluation, the candidate is expected to demonstrate, through their presentation and answers to questions, the following characteristics:

1. a fundamental understanding of the research goals of the project
2. a knowledge of background literature related to the project
3. an understanding of the research tools that are used to accomplish project goals
4. a hypothesis for the experiments performed to date and for the immediate future
5. an ability to develop a research plan
6. an ability to produce and analyze their own research results
7. an ability to integrate materials fundamentals that are relevant to the project

At the conclusion of the evaluation, the candidate receives immediate oral feedback followed by a written summary of the RPE.

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Selection of Dissertation Committee

Each Doctoral candidate, in consultation with their advisor, should arrange a dissertation committee before the beginning of the fifth semester. The doctoral thesis committee will be chaired by the advisor, and will have at least three additional members. The requirements for the committee are that at least two of the members have a primary affiliation with the MSE department and at least one of the members is not primarily affiliated with the MSE department. The candidate should carefully choose committee members who can provide supplemental resources, stimulate critical thinking, and assist in the candidate’s development. As such, the candidate is strongly encouraged to interact regularly with his/her committee members.

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Thesis Overview

Before the beginning of the seventh semester, the candidates are expected to convene their thesis committees for a dissertation overview. At the time of the overview, there may be considerable work remaining before the thesis is completed and conclusive findings may not yet have been reached. However, the overview presentation and document should demonstrate the following four items:

1. The candidate is able to place their research in the context of the background literature and defend how their research represents (will represent) an advancement of the state of knowledge in the field.
2. A clear hypothesis (or clear hypotheses) has guided the production and analysis of publishable research results.
3. The path to reach the stated goals of the thesis is clear and the candidate has mastered the skills required to complete the research; questions of feasibility should be largely absent.
4. The scope of the research, analysis, and integration are deemed appropriate by the committee to form an acceptable Ph.D. dissertation.

At the conclusion of the overview, the committee prepares written comments for the candidate that include feedback on the four points above, as well as suggestions for enhancing the quality of the thesis.

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The Final Dissertation

The doctoral dissertation must embody the results of extended research, be an original contribution to knowledge, and include material worthy of publication. It should demonstrate the candidate’s ability to conduct an independent investigation, to abstract principles upon which predictions can be made, and to interpret in a logical manner facts and phenomena revealed by the research. The written dissertation must be prepared according to the college guidelines.

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Course requirements

In addition to the research requirements, doctoral candidates are also required to complete 96 units of course work. This includes 36 units of MSE core classes that must be completed in the first semester (see table below). The remaining units may be made up of graduate level classes in the MSE department or graduate level classes in the other departments within CIT (Carnegie Institute of Technology) or MCS (Mellon College of Science). Classes outside of MSE must be approved by the student's advisor. While the 96 unit curriculum should be comprised entirely of graduate classes, it is generally permissible to include one senior level undergraduate class.

MSE Core Courses (required)

To remain a candidate for the Ph.D. degree, a student must have a QPA greater than or equal to 3.0 for the MSE core courses taken in the first semester or have a QPA greater than or equal to 3.0 by the end of the first two semesters in graduate level coursework that includes the MSE core courses. The first year QPA calculation includes courses offered by the MSE department.

Up to 24 units (two courses or equivalent) of graduate course work completed with a grade of "B" or better at other universities may be given transfer credit, provided that such course work is part of the graduate program leading to the degree sought and has not been used to fulfill the requirements of a previous degree. Students must satisfactorily complete at least 36 units of graduate course work at Carnegie Mellon before they are eligible for transfer credit.

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Financial Aid

Doctoral students generally receive financial support for their tuition and stipend from fellowships, traineeships, government grants, graduate assistantships, or scholarships. Most assistantships are arranged by the MSE department through research grants; departmental financial assistance is contingent on satisfactory academic performance.

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