MS in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE)
Students wishing to pursue an MS in MSE at Tufts can choose a one-year course-based option or can stay up to five semesters to complete a master's thesis and perform research with a thesis advisor.
All school of engineering (SOE) master’s degrees are designed to be a course-based 1-yr MS degree. This requires students complete 10 courses (30 semester hours) of courses and their degree will stipulate “non_thesis”. All credits must be chosen in accordance with the student’s academic advisor. In order to earn the stipulation “with thesis” the student must work with a mentor to preform research which will then
be written into a thesis and defended before a panel of three faculty. This is often done during a second year, where the student is only paying continuation fees. The availability and willingness of a faculty member to work with a student on a thesis is not guaranteed.
- At least one of the courses must come from the core MSE course list, see below
- An additional 12 SHUs must come from the approved MSE course list
- Up to 16 SHUs can be taken in Master’s Thesis credits, not to be combined with Master’s Project
- Up to 8 SHUs can be taken in Master’s Project credits, not to be combined with Master’s Thesis
- Up to 8 SHUs can be taken in Internship credits
- Up to 4 SHUs can be taken in Professional Development credits
MSE core courses
- MSE 101 – Materials Characterization: A jointly offered course on materials characterization techniques, taught by experts on the tools. Potential substitutes: BME-256 & 257 or EE-214
- MSE 102 – Thermodynamics of Materials Processes: The thermodynamics of phase changes, solid phase changes, surfaces, crack/void formation, diffusion, polymer alloys and solutions. Potential substitutes: ChBe203, CHM131, or ME 116
- MSE 103 – Materials Structure and Crystallography: Atomic arrangements in crystalline and non-crystalline materials. Potential substitutes: Phys 173
- MSE 104 – Materials Defects, Microstructure, and Deformation: Advanced studies of deformation and failure in materials. Macroscopic and microscopic aspects of deformation. Elasticity and plasticity theories and problems in deformation processing. Potential substitutes: ME-120
Note: These core courses are being rolled out over the 2022-23 academic years as trial courses and will likely not be listed under their MSE designation until the 23/24 academic year. Any MSE student joining after Spring 2022 will need to take the MSE core courses instead of the previously allowed substitutes, unless they are specifically given special dispensation. Another three core course options are planned and will be rolled out in the academic years that follow AY 24 and after.