Admissions: Graduate Program

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering offers graduate programs leading to a Master of Science with a major in materials science and engineering and a Doctor of Philosophy with a major in materials science and engineering. Or students pursuing degrees in other disciplines can apply for a minor in materials science through the department office. The minor of materials science requires 12 hours of materials science related course work approved by the department graduate advisor. For more information on the application process and required documents and actions, view the information on this page.

For more information on the graduate degree plans, click here. Please note that degree plans must be obtained before graduation. Please see your advisor.

Please submit your official documents to the appropriate admissions office (see admission criteria section below). Submitting admissions documents directly to the department will significantly delay the admissions process.

Our Holistic Policy | Admission Criteria | Application Process | Contact Us | Resources

Our admissions focus is on seeking positive indication of potential success in the program. These indications include: 

1.    A personal statement describing the applicant’s laboratory, field, or applied interests, career plans, and discussion of how the program can serve to further these interests and plans will be examined for evidence of the appropriateness of the candidate to the program.  

2.    A detailed examination of the student’s transcript. Grade point average per se is not weighed heavily as most candidates for admission have grade point averages greater than 3.0. Accordingly, we examine the course-work on the student’s transcripts as evidence of his/her research interests. Positive indicants of potential success in our program include greater than average course work in the biological and physical sciences, mathematics, or fields of engineering.  Similarly, evidence of experimental research previously undertaken is viewed as a predictor of future research productivity.  For students interested in specialization at the Master’s level, appropriate coursework in relevant background areas is taken into consideration.

3.     Submission of Verbal and Mathematics GRE and Analytical scores is required. High GRE scores are viewed as positive indicants, whereas low GRE scores need not exclude a candidate who shows positive indicants in other areas. 

4.     Letters of reference in general have little impact except where they offer evidence of commitment to experimental research (as in letters from an undergraduate research sponsor). Evidence of success in relevant employment will be considered for the Master’s degree.

In summary, the department mission is to train students to be enthusiastic about conducting research.  Accordingly we seek students who show aptitude in as well as motivation for research. Students interested in the terminal MS program will have their records examined for indicants of potential to succeed in related settings. 

Our admission requirements are the same for M.Sc. and Ph.D. students. In order to apply for admission and financial support, we require the following documents*:

A.  GRE Scores (official scores are submitted via ETS)

1)  Verbal
2)  Quantitative
3)  Analytical

B.  Official Transcripts of all past degrees and currently enrolled programs (if applicable)

C.  Statement of purpose for graduate study in the department and after graduation written by the applicant

D.  Three recommendation letters indicating research and academic potential as well as ability to work in interdisciplinary teams. Recommenders should state whether they have recommended or are recommending other applicants to the department.

*Applicants with publications or other scholarly works are encouraged to include those as part of the package.

The official documents must be received before formal admission to the University can be granted. Domestic applicants must submit all official documents to the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies. International applicants must submit all official documents to the International Admissions office. All documents must be submitted through the appropriate admissions office before they are considered official by the department.

1.  Complete and submit the application form with application fees. GET STARTED HERE!

2.  Provide proof of english language proficiency.  TOEFL 213 computer or 550 paper or 79 internet.  If you are unable to take this prior to your application, you should write to the department graduate advisor, Dr. Jincheng Du (du[at]unt.edu), requesting permission to complete these requirements prior to registration in the semester that you are admitted for.

3.  Provide official or original academic transcripts (marksheet) and degree certificate from ALL colleges or universities attended.  Minimum credential is equivalent to a 4-year U.S. Bachelor degree. Official transcripts can be sent to the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies.

4.  Proof of financial support must be provided to the graduate school before an I-20 document can be issued.

Applications for admission to the University can be found here. We encourage you to read the frequently asked questions for US citizens and permanent residents and those for international students.

There is no formal application deadline. However, it is strongly recommended that requests for Teaching Assistantships and Research Assistantships for Fall are received by December 1.  We however do review applications throughout the year.

The student must apply for and be granted admission through the office of the dean of the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies; admission requirements applicable to all departments are found in the Admission section of this bulletin.

In all cases, keep in contact with the department during the process. Please feel free to contact us via e-mail at mtse[AT]unt.edu or by phone at (940) 565-3260 with any questions.

Graduate advisor: Jincheng Du

E-mail: mtse[at]unt.edu

Mailing address if using a government facility such as US postal service:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
1155 Union Circle #305310
Denton, TX 76203-5017

Mailing address if using a private company such as DHL, FedEx or UPS
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
North Texas Discovery Park
3940 North Elm. St.  - Suite E-132
Denton, TX  76207

Graduate Degree Plans

Erik R. Forney
MTSE Student Relations
E-mail: Erik.Forney[at]unt.edu
Phone: 940-565-3260
Fax: 940-565-4824

Graduate Admissions Office for US Citizens and Permanent Residents
International Admissions Office