Program at a Glance
- Program
- Doctorate
- College(s)
- College of Engineering and Computer Science
- Department(s)
- Materials Sci & Engineering
If You Want to Take Your Education 鈥� and Your Career 鈥� Even Further, Earn Your Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering From UCF.
Innovate Your Education
Our doctoral degree can prepare you for a dynamic career in industry, academia, or government organizations.
Materials Science and Engineering at UCF
At the graduate level, UCF offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science and Engineering through the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. The program offers the opportunity, through both coursework and research, to meet the highest standards of academic achievement in the core areas of structures and properties of materials, metallurgical thermodynamics, materials kinetics, and physical metallurgy. You can also conduct research under our highly cited and industry-recognized faculty in the areas of nanomaterials, biomaterials, sensors, and much more. The doctoral degree is intended for students who have earned a master’s or bachelor’s in materials science and engineering or a related field.
Research Facilities
As a graduate student in materials science and engineering, you can find work in our faculty-led laboratories, where novel solutions to the problems of today are developed. You can also find opportunities to conduct research at the NanoScience Technology Center, a state-of-the-art facility where discoveries in green energy, quantum dynamics, bioimaging, nanoelectronics, and functional nanomaterials are made.
Where Do Graduates Work?
With a Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science and Engineering from UCF, you can prepare to work for a variety of engineering organizations including NASA, Siemens, and General Electric. Our graduates work for these organizations and more, including Kismet Technologies, the NASA Glenn Research Center, Orthomerica Products, and Soarce. Our master’s degree also prepares you for a doctoral degree in materials science and engineering.
Highlights
Application Deadlines
- Spring
- November 1
- Fall
- July 1
- Spring
- July 1
- Fall
- December 1
Application deadlines subject to change, see the for up-to-date deadlines.
Ready to get started?
Course Overview
Intermediate Structure and Properties of Materials
Discover the fundamentals of dislocation theory, metallurgical thermodynamics and diffusion, phase transformations, strengthening mechanisms, and fracture. Get an introduction to engineering polymers, ceramics, and composites.
Metallurgical Thermodynamics
Delve deeper into the laws of thermodynamics, phase equilibria, reactions between condensed and gaseous phases, reaction equilibria in condensed solution, and phase diagrams.
Materials Kinetics
Explore mass and thermal transport, phase transformations, and Arrhenius rate processes.
Colloids and Interface Engineering
Gain a deeper understanding of surface and interfacial tension of liquids, self-assembled monolayers, applications of scanning probe microscopes in interfaces, forces in colloidal systems, stability of macro emulsions, formation and properties of microemulsions, and self-assembly.
Skills You'll Learn
- Delve into thermodynamics and materials behavior analysis through coursework like Metallurgical Thermodynamics and Mechanical Behavior of Materials.
- Get a deeper understanding of structure-property relationships in materials, especially for students without a prior materials background, through Intermediate Structure and Properties of Materials.
- Explore materials processing and transformation knowledge from Materials Kinetics and Physical Metallurgy.
Career Opportunities
- College Professor
- Materials Scientist
- Postdoctoral Fellow
- Program or Skill Researcher
- Research and Development Scientist
