Materials Science and Engineering

Materials science is innately an interdisciplinary field that owes its origin back to the age of enlightenment when scientists began to use the tools of analytical thinking from chemistry, physics, and engineering in their study of metallurgy and mineralogy.

In the modern era, the principal subjects of study for materials scientists and engineers has naturally expanded to include the materials of our present technological base—i.e., semiconductors, nanotechnology, and bio-materials—as well as looking to the materials of the future.

Tufts faculty have strengths in soft, structural, electronic, computational, and nano materials. From drug delivery to semiconductors to nano-enabled membranes for water treatment, materials science and engineering at Tufts offers graduate students a wide array of opportunities to study and develop materials that will change the world.

Materials Science and Engineering M.S. Program

• M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering

The master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering is an interdisciplinary program, with students pursuing classes across multiple departments to achieve mastery in the field. 

Master's degrees require a minimum of 30 SHUs and the fulfillment of at least 10 courses at the 100-level or above with grades of S (satisfactory) or at least a B-. Program requirements may vary.

Materials Science and Engineering Ph.D. Program

• Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering: Materials Science and Engineering
• Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering: Materials Science and Engineering
• Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering: Materials Science and Engineering
• Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering: Materials Science and Engineering
• Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering: Materials Science and Engineering

Students graduating from the doctoral program will receive a joint Ph.D., with a "home department" and Materials Science and Engineering; for example, a Joint-Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering.

Application Deadline

Spring: September 15
Fall: January 15

Applicants to the graduate program are expected to have a degree at the level of bachelor's or master's in engineering or basic/applied/health sciences. Students who do not meet all requirements may be admitted into the program pending the successful completion of courses aimed at the fulfillment of the requirements.

Five departments are associated with the joint materials science and engineering Ph.D. program: Biomedical Engineering, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Students apply to and enroll in the joint materials science and engineering Ph.D. program through one of these departments either as a prospective graduate student or as a current graduate student after they have been accepted by one of the departments (e.g., after they have already started their Ph.D.).

There is no separate admissions process for the materials science and engineering Ph.D. program. Select the home department with the materials science and engineering degree track (i.e. Biomedical Engineering: Materials Science and Engineering (Ph.D.) ). The program director will work with faculty responsible for admission in the home department to determine the applicant's eligibility. The director proposes candidates to the Steering Committee, who will vote on admissions. Note that this process will not conflict with the admissions process (or criteria) in the student's home department; only students that satisfy the admissions criteria of the home department can be considered for admission into the materials science and engineering Ph.D. program.

Current Tufts doctoral students in one of the affiliated departments can send the program director an informal petition to be admitted to the materials science and engineering Ph.D. program. As with prospective graduate students, the director proposes eligible candidates who meet the prerequisites for the materials science and engineering program to the Steering Committee which then approves admissions.

Application Requirements:

> Application Fee
> Resume/CV
> Personal Statement
> Official GRE scores

- GRE not required for current Tufts undergraduates applying to the M.S. degree program

- The GRE is waived for Tufts School of Engineering alumni applying to the School of Engineering master’s degree programs, who completed a bachelor’s degree with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.2/4.0 or greater.

- GRE scores may be waived for part-time students with five years of industry experience who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Visit go.tufts.edu/engmasters for complete details. If you believe you are eligible to have the GRE waived based on these requirements, please contact gradadmissions@tufts.edu with the subject line “Engineering part-time Master's GRE requirement"

> Official TOEFL or IELTS, if applicable
> Transcripts
> Three letters of Recommendation

For questions about this program, contact the materials science and engineering program at materialsscience@tufts.edu.