Student Affairs, Advising

The UCI Department of Materials Science and Engineering is committed to delivering strong and knowledgeable administrative expertise with superior customer service to faculty, staff, students, researchers, department friends and community. As such, we are proud to provide support in various areas, to include Student Affairs and Advising at the department level. Desiree Rios is the department student services advisor who oversees the following areas in MSE @ UCI:

  • General support for the undergraduate programs of MSE
  • Graduate programs, admissions and recruitment management for materials science and engineering
  • Graduate student advising/counseling
  • Interpretation of student programs, university polices, regulations and requirements
  • Oversight of matters related to graduate student funding employment and curriculum
  • Program planning and accreditation oversight (ABET, WASC, APR)

For additional information related to these topics please read below or contact Desiree at 949-824-8893 or riosdn@uci.edu. 

 

Student Affairs 

Courses 

M.S. and Ph.D. students are required to complete the following core courses:

  • MSE 200 - Crystalline Solids 
  • MSE 205 - Materials Physics 
  • MSE 256A - Mechanical Behavior of Engineering Materials 
  • MSE 265A - Advanced Materials Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics 
  • MSE 265B - Advanced Kinetics of Materials and Phase Transformations 
  • MSE 298 - Department Seminar (three quarters) 

     

M.S. students will need to complete a total of four electives. Ph.D. students will need to complete a total of six electives. All electives must be 200-level or above and must be approved by the graduate advisor. 

All courses must be completed with a grade of “B” or higher. All students must be enrolled in 16 units each quarter, unless a part-time M.S. student or on Filing Fee. 

Pre-Approved Electives 

Fall 2020

  • MSE 201A
  • MSE 262
  • CBE 276
  • CBE 282
  • CBE 288
  • ENGRMAE 220
  • ENGRMAE 253
  • ENGRMAE 254
  • ENGRMAE 256
  • ENGRCEE 250
  • ENGRCEE 242
  • Physics 215A
  • Physics 238A

Winter 2021

  • MSE 241
  • MSE 259
  • CBE 220A
  • CBE 249
  • CBE 250
  • CBE 263
  • CBE 266
  • EECS 230
  • ENGR 280
  • ENGR 290
  • ENGRMAE 212
  • ENGRMAE 214A
  • ENGRMAE 218
  • ENGRMAE 221
  • ENGRMAE 224
  • ENGRMAE 252
  • ENGRMAE 258
  • ENGRCEE 240
  • ENGRCEE 252
  • CHEM 225
  • CHEM 232A
  • CHEM 263
  • CHEM 273

Spring 2021 

  • MSE 249
  • MSE 249
  • MSE 254
  • MSE 255A
  • MSE 256B
  • CBE 220B
  • EECS 203A
  • EECS 278
  • EECS 279
  • EECS 285C
  • ENGR 265
  • ENGRMAE 205
  • ENGRMAE 247
  • ENGRMAE 249
  • ENGRMAE 255

Fall 2021 

  • MSE 201A
  • CBE 200
  • CBE 249
  • CBE 276
  • CBE 288
  • ENGRMAE 220
  • ENGRMAE 253
  • ENGRMAE 254
  • ENGRCEE 240
  • ENGRCEE 242
  • ENGRCEE 250
  • Chemistry 248
  • Chemistry 254
  • Physics 215A
  • Physics 238A

Winter 2022

  • MSE 262
  • MSE 276
  • BME 238
  • CBE 249
  • CBE 272
  • CEE 298 
  • ENGRMAE 212
  • ENGRMAE 214A
  • ENGRMAE 214C
  • ENGRMAE 218
  • ENGRMAE 227
  • ENGRMAE 258
  • ENGRCEE 252
  • CHEM 263
  • CHEM/Phys 273

Spring 2022

  • MSE 201B
  • MSE 259
  • MSE 273
  • CBE 249
  • CBE 249
  • EECS 203A
  • EECS 278
  • EECS 285C
  • ENGRMAE 228
  • ENGRMAE 247
  • ENGRMAE 255
  • ENGRMAE 295

Fall 2022

  • MSE 271 
  • CBE 200 
  • CBE 249 
  • CBE 276 
  • CBE 282 
  • ENGRCEE 240 
  • ENGRCEE 242 
  • ENGRCEE 250 
  • ENGRMAE 249 
  • ENGRMAE 254 
  • Chemistry 248 
  • Chemistry 250 
  • Physics 215A 
  • Physics 238A 

Winter 2023

  • MSE 259
  • MSE 201A
  • CBE 272
  • CBE 280 
  • ENGRMAE 214A
  • ENGRMAE 220
  • ENGRMAE 224
  • ENGRMAE 227
  • ENGRMAE 258
  • ENGRCEE 252
  • CHEM 225
  • CHEM 239
  • CHEM 263

Spring 2023

  • MSE 241
  • MSE 249 (Comp Model of Materials)
  • MSE 249 (Materials Recycling)
  • MSE 255A
  • MSE 264
  • MSE 201B
  • CBE 249 (Electrochemical Energy)
  • CBE 249 (Electrochemical Kinetics)
  • EECS 203A
  • EECS 278
  • ENGRMAE 227
  • ENGRMAE 247
  • ENGRMAE 295 (Intro to Finite Elements)
  • ENGRMAE 295 (Failure/Fracture)
  • CHEM 264
  • CHEM 267

Fall 2023

  • MSE 249 (Comp Modeling of Materials)
  • MSE 256B (Fracture of Engr Materials)
  • CBE 200 (Advanced Engr Math I)
  • CBE 249 (Soft Hybrid Biomaterials)
  • CBE 249 (Catalysis)
  • CBE 276 (Nuclear & Radiochemistry)
  • CBE 280 (Advanced Polymer Sci & Engr)
  • ENGRMAE 249 (Microsensors & Actuators)
  • ENGRMAE 254 (Mechanics of Solids)
  • ENGRCEE 240 (High Performance Materials)
  • ENGRCEE 242 (Advanced Strength of Materials)
  • ENGRCEE 250 (Finite Element Methods for Engr)
  • CHEM 239 (Machine Learning)
  • CHEM 248 (Electrochemistry)
  • CHEM 250 (Computational Chemistry)
  • Physics 215A (Quantum Mechanics) 
  • Physics 238A (Condensed Matter Physics)

Winter 2024

  • ALL MSE 200-299 elective courses
  • CBE 272 (Applied Spectroscopy)
  • ENGRMAE 214A (Fuel Cell Fundamentals & Technology)
  • ENGRMAE 227 (Thermal Resistance Analysis in Microdevices & Nanomaterials)
  • ENGRMAE 247 (Micro-System Design)
  • ENGRMAE 258 (Mechanical Behavior of Solids - Continuum Theories)
  • ENGRMAE 295 (Nanoscale Fabrication & Characterization)
  • ENGRCEE 252 (Multiscale Modeling of Materials & Structures)
  • EECS 278 (Micro-System Design)
  • EECS 285C (Nano Imaging)
  • CHEM 225 (Polymer Chemistry)
  • CHEM 263 (Materials Chemistry)

Spring 2024

  • ALL MSE 200-299 elective courses
  • MSE 201B: Critical Analysis and Technical Communication II (should only be taken if you were enrolled in MSE 201A, and can then use the combination as satisfying one elective course requirement)
  • MSE 241 (Nano-Scale Materials and Applications)
  • MSE 287 (Essential Skills in Engineering)
  • CBE 249 (Electrochemical Energy)
  • CBE 249 (Electrochemical Kinetics)
  • CBE 280 (Advanced Polymer Science and Engineering)
  • EECS 203A (Digital Image Processing)
  • ENGRMAE 224 (Advanced Transport Phenomena)
  • ENGRMAE 228 (Nano Phase Transport)
  • ENGRMAE 249 (Micro-Sensors and Actuators)

Fall 2024

  • ALL MSE 200-299 elective courses
  • MSE 249 (Computational Modeling of Materials)
  • MSE 256B (Fracture of Engineering Materials)
  • CBE 200 (Applied Engineering Mathematics I)
  • CBE 249 (Soft Hybrid Biomaterials)
  • CBE 249 (Catalysis)
  • CBE 276 (Nuclear and Radiochemistry)
  • ENGRMAE 220 (Conduction Heat Transfer)
  • ENGRMAE 249 (Micro-Sensors and Actuators)
  • ENGRMAE 254 (Mechanics of Solids)
  • ENGRCEE 242 (Advanced Strength of Materials)
  • ENGRCEE 250 (Finite Element Methods for Engineering)
  • Chemistry 239 (Machine Learning)
  • Physics 215A (Quantum Mechanics)
  • Physics 238A (Condensed Matter Physics)

 

Graduate Studies Timelines

M.S. Students Complete all core courses within the first year and complete the comprehensive exam in spring quarter if using the comprehensive exam option. Submit the Advancement to Candidacy Form the quarter prior to when you expect to confer your degree. If using the thesis option, submit the M.S. Thesis Signature Page to confer the degree. Please contact the Student Services Advisor to initiate any forms on your behalf.

M.S. students are expected to complete their degree within two years. 

Ph.D. Students Complete all core courses within the first year and complete the preliminary exam at the end of summer quarter. Core coursework must be completed with a "B" or higher to be eligible to take the preliminary exam. The preliminary exam can be used in lieu of the comprehensive exam to confer the M.S. degree. Submit the Advancement to Candidacy Form the quarter prior to when you expect to confer your M.S. degree. Ph.D. students are expected to confer the M.S. in MSE along the way if they do not enter the Ph.D. program with an MSE M.S. degree.

The Ph.D. qualifying exam is to be completed by the end of the third year. Submit the Notification of Qualifying Exam Committee at least two weeks prior to exam date. Submit the Ph.D. Form I to advance to candidacy for the Ph.D.
The Ph.D. dissertation and defense is to be completed no more than nine quarters after advancing to candidacy. Once the defense date has been confirmed, send the time/location information and abstract to the department for announcement. Submit the Ph.D. Form II to confer the degree. 

Ph.D. students are expected to complete their degree within five years, with a maximum of seven years. 

Please visit the Graduate Division website https://grad.uci.edu/current-students/student-forms/ under "Graduate Enrolled Form Policy" for information on necessary forms. Please contact the Student Services Advisor, Desiree Rios, when ready to submit any forms as the form must be initated within DocuSign by the department. 


Employment/Funding

Ph.D. students are employed as either Graduate Student Researchers (GSRs) in their faculty advisor’s lab or as Teaching Assistants (TAs). 

GSR pay grades, or steps, are determined by the student’s employment experience. The steps within Engineering are:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
For more information on GSRs, please visit the Graduate Division website at: https://grad.uci.edu/funding/employment/. 

For information and criteria for TAs, please visit the Graduate Division website at: https://grad.uci.edu/funding/employment/. The department accepts online applications yearly (in the summer) for academic year TAs. All interested students should submit an application to https://mseuci.wufoo.com/forms/md1u8tj04oaw56/ for consideration.

Students are also highly encouraged to apply for additional fellowships. Please visit the Graduate Division website https://grad.uci.edu/funding/current-fellowships/ for fellowships available at UCI. 


Campus Resources