Master of Science in Materials Science Program Options
As a Master of Science Materials Science student at Oregon State, you will pursue one of the following program options
- Thesis option. The MS MatSci thesis option involves original materials science research or the novel application of existing materials science knowledge to a practical problem. Your research topic must be approved by your graduate committee and your work will be supervised and graded by your major professor. In addition, your research title must be registered with the Graduate School and your thesis must be reviewed and approved by the Graduate School.
- Project option. With the MS MatSci project option, you will fulfill the Graduate School’s research-in-lieu-of-thesis requirement by completing a project in which you apply materials science knowledge and methods to a practical problem. The project must be approved by your graduate committee and will be supervised and graded by your major professor. As with the thesis option, you will document your project with a final report, but project reports are not reviewed and approved by the Graduate School.
Master of Science in Materials Science Program Milestones
The major milestones in completing an MS in materials science at OSU are charted in the following table. Click on the links for details.
University-wide requirements for earning a master's degree at Oregon State are detailed on the OSU Graduate School Website.
| Milestone | Deadline | Reference links on these pages: |
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| Meet with the Mat Sci General Grad Advisor | Meeting should occur early in the student's first term of graduate school. | ||
| Identify/choose a major professor with whom to work | Prior to end of first term in graduate school. | ||
| Make a rough sketch of proposed graduate coursework | Prior to end of first term in graduate school. | ||
| Establish complete graduate committee | Prior to completing 18 graduate credits. | Information from OSU Grad School about graduate committees | |
| Finalize and submit program of study (POS) form |
Must be filed prior to completing 18 credits. Form should be signed by all committee members by submitting it to DocuSign using the Graduate School’s digital POS development tool.
|
Program of Study form Transferring credits |
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| Complete ethical research training | Can be completed at ANY time, but it MUST BE COMPLETED before program of study will be routed for final approval. |
Detailed instructions for how to find the correct training on the CITI site |
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| Complete all graduate coursework | Must be completed prior to the end of the term in which the final oral examination is taken. | ||
| Complete MS project or thesis | Must be completed prior to final oral examination. | ||
| Arrange a final defense date and time | PLAN AHEAD! Finding a time that works to get your three or four committee members and yourself together at the same time, in the same place, may be challenging. Communicate with them often and early about how your research and thesis writing is progressing so that your committee members can let you know if they have a conference or other commitment you need to work around. | ||
| Schedule final defense of your thesis or project (Final Oral Exam) | Occurs during the student’s final term at OSU and must be formally scheduled at least two weeks prior to the event using the graduate school’s online Exam Scheduling Form. | OSU Grad School exam scheduling form | |
Additional Notes
- Master of Science students may switch to the Master of Engineering program with the approval of their major professor and the Materials Science Program Director. The major professor must send an e-mail to the Mat Sci General Graduate Advisor confirming that they are in support of the change before the student submits a Change of Degree form.
- Master of Engineering students are not eligible to receive support in the form of graduate assistantships (GRAs or GTAs).