May 16, 2025  
Fall 2025 Graduate Catalog 
    
Catalog Navigation
  Catalog Home
  Graduate Education
  General Information


  The Graduate School
  School of Professional Development


  Master’s Programs
  Doctoral Programs
  Graduate Certificates
  Course Descriptions


  Academic Calendars
  Career and Program Explorer
  Financial Aid
  Tuition and Costs


  Bulletin Archives
HELP
Fall 2025 Graduate Catalog

Materials Science and Engineering, PhD

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Doctoral Programs

Materials Science and Chemical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Degrees Awarded: Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science and Engineering
 
 
Chairperson: Dilip Gersappe, Engineering Building 316
Graduate Program Director: Michael Dudley, Engineering Building 312
Department Administrator: Chandrani Roy, (631) 632-4174
Department Staff Assistant: Elaine Soto, (631) 632-8483
Graduate Program Coordinator: Vacant
 
Department Office: Engineering Building 314
Email: ESMandCME_GradInfo@stonybrook.edu  (Existing students must email here)
Admissions Email: ESMandCME_GradAdmissions@stonybrook.edu (Prospective students/applicants please email here)

 

The Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, offers a dynamic and interdisciplinary curriculum that prepares students to lead innovative research across a broad range of emerging fields. With strong foundations in both theoretical and experimental methods, the program is designed to train the next generation of materials scientists and engineers to tackle the complex technological and societal challenges of our time.

Our research-intensive graduate programs focus on cutting-edge areas such as energy storage and conversion, catalysis, hard and structural materials, computational materials science, microelectronics, nuclear materials, polymers and soft materials, sustainable engineering, and thermal spray technologies. From the molecular scale to real-world applications, students are immersed in collaborative research that spans disciplines and impacts diverse industries.

Since its inception, the department consistently secures significant external research funding and currently holds the highest per capita faculty research funding at Stony Brook University. In 2024, faculty research expenditures exceeded $12.5 million.

The department is home to several leading research centers, including the Energy Frontier Research Center (EFRC) for Energy Storage Technologies, the Center for Mesoscale Transport Properties, the Garcia Polymer Center, the Center for Thermal Spray Research, and the Institute for Gas Innovation and Technology. The department maintains strong collaborations with Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), offering students and faculty access to world-class research facilities such as the National Synchrotron Light Source (NSLS). These partnerships enable groundbreaking work in advanced materials characterization and imaging. Additionally, through the New York State Strategic Partnership for Industrial Resurgence (SPIR), the department engages in impactful joint research projects with industry, further extending the reach and application of its innovations.

A defining feature of our programs is the integration of research into the educational mission. Graduate students work closely with faculty, student researchers, and staff in an energetic and collaborative environment that fosters innovation and discovery. This commitment to experiential learning ensures that our students are not only advancing knowledge but are also equipped to make significant technological and societal contributions.

Consistent with Stony Brook University’s mission as a premier research institution, the graduate programs in the department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering stands as the cornerstone of our academic offerings-providing a rigorous, research-oriented path for those aspiring to lead in academia, national laboratories, and industry.

Industrial Cooperative Ph.D. Program in Materials Science and Engineering:

A special extramural Ph.D. degree program is offered by the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering for highly qualified individuals working in an industrial materials research area. Candidates for this program must have met the graduate coursework requirements for the Ph.D. typically by earning a master’s degree. Doctoral research is generally done at the student’s place of employment, rather than on the University campus. Contact the Department for further information.

Admission Requirements

Application Website

Application Deadlines

  1. A bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, or a closely related area from an accredited college or university; (or a closely related field).
  2. A grade point average of at least B (i.e., 3.0/4.0) in all mathematics, engineering, and science courses.
  3. 3 Recommendation Letters
  4. TOEFL 90, IELTS 6.5 (for international applicants) score is required. Please reference for minimum score requirements. Official scores sent directly to the graduate school via ETS-Institutional code: 2548; Departmental code 69.
  5. Graduate Record Examination (GRE) general test (Optional)
  6. Acceptance by both the Department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering and the Graduate School.

Degree Requirements

A. Plan of Work

Before completion of one year of full-time residency, the student must have selected a research advisor who agrees to serve in that capacity.The student will then prepare a plan of further coursework. This must receive the approval of the student’s advisor and of the Graduate Program Committee.

B. Course Requirements

  1. An average grade of B or higher is required for all courses and an overall grade point average of 3.0 out of 4.0 must be maintained.
  2. A minimum of 60 graduate credits are required to graduate with a Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering: 

C. Preliminary Examination

A preliminary examination must be taken during the student’s fifth semester as a Ph.D. student once all of the above requirements are completed. This is an oral examination designed to test the student’s ability to utilize his or her materials science and engineering background to carry out research in a chosen field of study, and to make clear written and oral presentations of research. At least ten days prior to the examination, the candidate should submit a research proposal (10-15 pages) to the examiners that places the research in context and outlines a scenario for its completion.      

The Preliminary examination committee must consist of a minimum of three (3) committee members, two (2) of whom must be core faculty members in the department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering 

D. Advancement to Candidacy

The preliminary examination committee approves the student upon completion of their written and oral presentation. Upon successful completion, the department processes the student’s Advancement to Candidacy, confirming their passing of the prelims.

Upon “Advancement to Candidacy” the student must complete at least 18 credits (two semesters) of ESM 699 - Dissertation Research on Campus , to fulfill the 60 credits minimum requirement to earn a Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering 

Note:

  • It is important to note, that a student must have no “I” or “U” grades for all courses that count towards the degree to advance to candidacy.
  • The student must have completed all coursework listed above for the PhD program prior to taking the Preliminary oral exam.
  • If a second examination is required, it must be completed by the student’s seventh semester as a Ph.D.  student in the program or else the student is unable to continue in the program 

E. Dissertation

The most critical aspect of the Ph.D. degree is the successful completion of a dissertation. This dissertation must entail an original scholarly investigation, making a significant contribution to the scientific literature. Its quality must meet the publication standards of respected scholarly journals. Furthermore, a minimum of two semesters should elapse between the preliminary exam and digital submission of the dissertation through Stony Brook University’s ProQuest/UMI ETD administrator site

F. Approval and Defense of Dissertation

The candidate shall defend the dissertation before an examining committee appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School upon recommendation of the student’s thesis advisor and the candidate must obtain approval of the dissertation from this committee to graduate. 

The committee must consist of a minimum of four members:

  • a chairperson of the defense-a core faculty member in the department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering;
  • the dissertation advisor(s) (at least one who is a faculty member in the department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering);
  • a member with no conflict of interest in relationship to the student (often, but not always, someone external to the program or university). 
  • one additional member - either external to the department or a core faculty member in the department of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering.

G. Residency Requirement

The student must complete two consecutive semesters of full-time graduate study. Full-time study is 9 credits minimum per semester.

H. Time Limit

All requirements for the Ph.D. degree must be completed within seven (7) years after completing 24 graduate course credits and other requirements as needed to complete the program.

Return to {$returnto_text} Return to: Doctoral Programs