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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
Applicants must supply the following materials
to qualify for admission:
- Official transcripts from previous
degree programs
- A statement of purpose explaining why
they wish to be admitted
to the doctoral program
- The results of GRE exams
- Three letters of reference
- For the case of non-US citizens studying
outside the US, a
TOEFL Score Report
- 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:
- a fundamental understanding of the
research
goals of the project
- a knowledge of background literature
related to
the project
- an understanding of the research tools
that
are used to accomplish project goals
- a hypothesis for the experiments performed
to
date and for the immediate future
- an ability to develop a research plan
- an ability to produce and analyze their
own
research results
- 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:
- 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.
- A clear hypothesis (or clear hypotheses)
has guided
the production and analysis of publishable
research results.
- 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.
- 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)
Number |
Title |
Units |
27-780 |
Thermodynamics |
12 |
27-788 |
Defects
in Materials |
6 |
27-766 |
Diffusion
in Materials |
6 |
27-796 |
Structure
of Materials |
6 |
27-797 |
Bonding
in Materials |
6 |
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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