Dr. Wendy Hinton, Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC)
whinton@nsu
(757) 823-2275
The Ph.D. Program in Materials Science and Engineering (PhD-MSE) is an interdisciplinary academic program under the administrative oversight of the Department of Physics with research facilities and funded research project activities housed and supported mainly in the Center for Materials Research (CMR). Persons holding baccalaureate or Master of Science degrees in chemistry, biology, physics, materials science, electrical engineering, chemical engineering, optical engineering, or related STEM disciplines, are eligible for admission.
The PhD-MSE program addresses the critical needs of industry, academia, and government laboratories in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the nation for scientific and engineering leadership in the area of advanced materials and device engineering. The program will prepare highly trained technical professionals for next generation photonics, electronics, magnetic and quantum materials and devices, biotechnology and related biomedical engineering, and for renewable and clean energy generation and storage.
The PhD-MSE program transitions students from fundamental physical sciences, engineering and related fields into the interdisciplinary field of advanced materials science and engineering. The dissertation research component of the program is typically conducted within the Center for Materials Research (CMR). However, research may also be conducted on campus at other departments or off campus through special collaborative or joint projects at other academic or research organizations or at federal research facilities (such as NASA Langley Research Center, Department of Energy National Labs, etc).
Center for Materials Research (CMR) was established in 1992 in order to coordinate the ongoing interdisciplinary materials science related research activities conducted by faculty members at several departments/programs at NSU. The NSU’s proximity to the NASA Langley Research Center and to Thomas Jefferson National Accelerator Facility (Jefferson Lab) has led to the development of a number of collaborative research projects at CMR. The CMR also addresses research interests of a number of federal agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Institute of Health (NIH), the Department of Energy (DOE), and the Department of Defense (DOD).
CMR-associated faculty members typically hold appointments in the Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Engineering Departments in the College of Science, Engineering and Technology (CSET). The collaborative research interests and areas of the CMR currently include: novel materials design and computational modeling, synthesis or preparations, processing, fabrication, characterization, and spectroscopy studies of inorganic, organic, polymeric, hybrid, and bio-related advanced materials, fabrication of those materials into devices for a range of applications including electronic, photonic, optoelectronic, plasmonic, magnetic, quantum materials and devices, biotechnology and biomedical engineering, solar energy conversion, storage and related device applications. The CMR and related research labs are currently housed in the Marie V. McDemmond Center for Applied Research on the NSU Campus, where the following research laboratories are located: Materials Research Laboratories (including research instruments such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), surface analysis system: LEED, XPS, and AES, X-ray diffraction and fluorescence, IR and UV-Vis spectrometers, ellipsometry, e-beam lithography), Laser Laboratories for spectroscopy and high speed dynamics, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopies, Organic/Polymer Synthesis and Characterization Laboratory, Spectroscopy Laboratory, Crystal Physics and Quantum Electronics Lab, Neural Engineering and Nanoelectronics Lab, Thin Film and the Device Fabrication Laboratories, as well as a MiNaC class 100/1000 Clean Room (6,000-sqft).
The PhD-MSE program is designed to provide students with fundamental knowledge, analytical skills, and research experience necessary to contribute significantly to public and private sectors in the forefront of Advanced Materials Science and Engineering. Therefore, the program curriculum includes an overview of advanced MSE topics and its current research areas, and offers an in-depth study of advanced materials characterizations and macroscopic/microscopic physical properties, theoretical and computational modeling, and device engineering.
The curriculum of the PhD-MSE program features technical core courses, professional development courses, elective courses, research, PhD qualifying/candidacy exam, and a dissertation. The technical core courses establish baseline knowledge that brings students with diverse undergraduate backgrounds to a fundamental understanding of the MSE discipline. These courses impart a set of fundamental knowledge and skills to students with baccalaureate degrees in chemistry, biology, physics, engineering and related disciplines; consequently, they provide a new intellectual identity to those involved in the study and preparation of advanced materials and devices. Students may also take a range of advanced electives to prepare for the interdisciplinary needs of their thesis research. The professional development courses grant unique preparation to strengthen communication skills, and involve post-graduation planning and career-oriented training.
The curricula example for students entering with a B.S. degree consists of 9 credit hours of technical core courses, 3 hours of professional development courses, 18 hours electives, at least 36 credit hours of research, a PhD qualifying/candidacy exam, and finally 9 credit hours for preparation and oral defense of a PhD dissertation. A minimum of 75 credit hours must be taken at NSU. See the sample curriculum on following sections.
The curricula example for students who enter the program with a M.S. in Materials Science from NSU or any other accredited physical science or engineering program, consists of a minimum of 3 hours of professional development courses, 15 hours core or elective courses, 27 credit hours of Ph.D. research, a PhD qualifying/candidacy exam, and finally a 9 credit hours for preparation and oral defense of the dissertation. Up to 21 credit hours credits may be transferred from students master degree programs or a minimum of 54 credit hours must be taken at NSU.
All general policies and procedures of the Norfolk State University are in effect and shall be followed. The PhD-MSE program are governed mainly by CMR/PhD-MSE program faculty committees. Between the faculty committee meetings or decisions, the program is administered by the CMR Director (mainly on fiscal/staff/faculty matters), the Graduate Program Coordinator (mainly on academic/student matters) and the Graduate Program Administrator (mainly on executing and documenting student paperwork).
Academic Standards
In order to graduate, students must complete the curriculum posted with a minimum 3.0 grade point average on a 4.0 scale. Each student’s progress is monitored by the Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC), with input from the student’s research advisor.
The system of grading is as follows:
Grading
| Grade |
Grade Points |
Interpretation |
| A |
4.0 |
Excellent |
| A- |
3.70 |
Excellent |
| B+ |
3.30 |
Good |
| B |
3.00 |
Satisfactory |
* Course must be repeated to fulfill graduation requirement.
Students with a GPA of 3.00 or higher are considered to be in good academic standing. In order to receive graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs), students must generally be in good academic standing, and be making normal progress toward degree completion.
Failure to maintain the required 3.0 GPA may result in probationary status or suspension from the program as outlined below.
Students on probationary status generally do not receive renewals of graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs) and may not be eligible for university tuition grants. Students who were admitted on a provisional basis will not be changed to regular status unless the required 3.0 GPA is obtained.
Students placed on suspension may not be permitted to enroll in additional courses in the program until reinstatement is granted by the appropriate MSE program committee. The request for reinstatement should include explanation of mitigating circumstances surrounding past academic performance and/or justification for predicting future success in the program if reinstatement is granted. The MSE program committee will review the request and may interview the suspended student prior to making a final recommendation. The committee may require successful completion of relevant undergraduate courses as a precondition for reinstatement.
Center for Materials Research
CMR was established in 1992 to coordinate the ongoing interdisciplinary polymeric, bio and photonic materials and films, fabrication of those materials into devices for a range of applications including biomedical engineering, electronic/photonic/magnetic devices, clean and renewable energy conversion and storage devices. The CMR is housed in the Marie V. McDemmond Center for Applied Research on the NSU Campus, where the following research laboratories are located: Micro-and Nanotechnology Center (6,000-sqft cleanroom), Materials Characterization Laboratories (electron transmission, scanning, and atomic force microscopes, scanning probe microscope, surface analysis system: LEED, XPS,and AES, X-ray diffraction and fluorescence, IR and UV- Vis), Laser Laboratories for spectroscopy and high speed dynamics, Nuclear Magnetic and Electron Spin Resonance (NMR and ESR) Laboratories , Organic/Polymer Synthesis and Characterization Laboratories, Neural Engineering and Nanoelectronic labs, Crystal Physics and Quantum Electronic Labs, Biomaterials and Toxicology Labs, Thin Film Processing and the Device Fabrication Labs.
Curriculum
Minimum Degree Requirements
All students are required to complete a minimum total of 75 credit hours, including 36 hours of research and 9 hours of dissertation credits as described in the curricula.
This requirement includes the following 12 semester hours of core courses:
Course List
| Code |
Title |
Credits |
| MSE 600 | Materials Science/Engineering Seminar I | 1 |
| MSE 601 | Materials Science & Engineer Seminar II | 1 |
| MSE 605 | Ethics of Research | 1 |
| MSE 530 | Materials Science | 3 |
| MSE 533 | Polymers/Composites | 3 |
| MSE 535 | Electronic and Optic Material | 3 |
| 9 |
| Mathematical Method | |
| Quantum Mechanics for Material Science | |
| Basic Instrumentation for Material Sci | |
| Materials for Nanotechnology | |
| Optical Materials | |
| Organic Optoelectronic Materials/Devices | |
| Thin Film Phenomena | |
| 9 |
| Molecular Dynamics | |
| Atomic/ Molecular Spectroscopy | |
| Semiconductor Processing Technology | |
| Solid State Devices | |
| Advanced Organic Synthesis | |
| Intro to Computational Materials Science | |
| Materials Devices for Energy Conversion | |
| Solid State Physics | |
| Electricity and Magnetism | |
| MSE 697 | Research I | 3 |
| MSE 698 | Research II | 3 |
| MSE 699 | Research III | 3 |
| MSE 897 | Research I | 9 |
| MSE 898 | Research II | 9 |
| MSE 899 | Research III | 9 |
| MSE 770 | Materials Science Doctoral Qualifiers | 0 |
| MSE 900 | Dissertation | 9 |
| Total Credits | 75 |
After completing three technical core courses and at least three hours of research courses (MSE-69X), students can be enrolled in a zero credit PhD qualifying/candidacy exam course, MSE-770, before or when being registered in the doctoral dissertation course MSE-900.
All students are required to complete a total of 45 credits of research and dissertation coursework. A student’s dissertation advisory committee, composed of the student’s advisor and four other members (see program student handbook for details), advises the students through his/her PhD qualifying and dissertation research work. The dissertation is defended in a public/open forum as the Final Dissertation Defense. After the delivery and approval of a finalized dissertation manuscript and satisfaction of all other academic/financial requirements, the Ph.D. degree documents will be issued/certified by the university registrar.
Admissions
Requirements
The general requirements for admission to the Ph.D. Program in Materials Science and Engineering are as follows:
1. Completion of a bachelor’s or a master’s degree program in biology, chemistry, engineering, materials science, physics, or a related field from an accredited institution, with a cumulative coursework grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. All applicants are expected to pass key undergraduate common STEM curricula such as university level general chemistry, physics, and math (as determined by the CMR/MSE graduate program admission committee).
2. Submission of an application package (online is preferred), including the following:
- Completed Application Form
- Application Fee
- Statement of Purpose (SOP) of at least 500 words explaining how the PhD-MES program may advance your career goals, including your brief background, your education and career goals, your research interests or plans, which of our PhD-MSE program faculty you wish to do research with and why, etc.
- Updated Resume
- At least three Letters of Recommendation from persons who are qualified to evaluate your academic and research experiences (letters preferred)
- Official Transcripts (NSU unofficial undergraduate records from EVAL may be used for conditional admission. For international transcripts, official translated and/or evaluated transcripts from an approved third party agencies such as the World Education Services (WES) or Educational Credential Evaluators (ECS) are generally required or as per university policy).
- All applicants whose native language is not English and have not earned degrees in an English language undergraduate or graduate programs must submit proof of English language proficiency satisfying criteria set by the NSU for international student admissions (e.g., a TOFEL score of at least 80 on internet based test, at least 550 on paper based test).
Admission to the PhD-MSE program may be regular, provisional, or conditional. The admission committee may adjust/waive certain requirements under or within the university or graduate school general policies depending on MSE graduate program specific needs and applicant availability and special qualifications.
Please visit (https://www.nsu.edu/applyonline) to submit an online application.
Official transcripts must be mailed to the following address:
The Graduate School, Norfolk State University
700 Park Avenue, Norfolk VA 23504
Telephone: (757) 823‐8015; Fax: (757) 823‐2849
Once an applicant’s application materials and documents are completed, the graduate school will review and forward the completed application package to the MSE Graduate Program. The MSE Program Admissions Committee will than review and make admission recommendations and the NSU graduate school will review and notify the applicant the final admission decision.
Non-degree Status
Non-degree status may be granted to a person who has a baccalaureate degree in an appropriate field and who wishes to take particular courses without pursuing a graduate degree. The courses may be taken on a credit or a non-credit basis. Generally, a maximum of nine credit hours with a 3.0 average or above may be applied toward degree requirements if the non-degree student is subsequently admitted to the Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering program. Non- degree students are ineligible for fellowships or assistantships administered by the Graduate Committee.
Transfer Credits
The program for students who enter the program after completion of a M.S. in Materials Science or related disciplines, from NSU or any other accredited physical science or engineering program, consists of a minimum of 3 hours of professional development courses, 6 hours of research and 9 hours in additional elective courses, 27 credit hours of Ph.D. research, and 9 credit hours for preparation and oral defense of the dissertation. A minimum of 54 credit hours must be taken at NSU. Transfer students should consult the Program Coordinator for further information regarding transfer credits.
Residence Requirements
Candidates for the Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering must be enrolled at Norfolk State University for a minimum of six semesters prior to graduation. Dissertation research must be conducted under the supervision of a regular or adjunct NSU faculty member approved by the appropriate Materials Science and Engineering Graduate Committee.
Re-Admission
A student planning to interrupt his/her approved plan of study should consult his/her advisor. In some cases, continuous registration may be required by the Graduate School, or the filing of a “continuous matriculation” form may be required. Re-admission to the program after an absence of a semester or longer is not automatic and requires the filing of an admission application.
