Admissions

Admission Requirements

Undergraduate preparation for the materials M.S./Ph.D. includes a degree in engineering, physical sciences, or mathematics, with a minimum GPA of 3.2 and strong letters of recommendation from individuals who can evaluate the applicant’s potential for graduate education and research.

Upper-division courses in several of the following topics are expected:

  1. Mathematics - 24 units in advanced calculus, ordinary differential equations, special functions and complex variable theory,
  2. Engineering thermodynamics - 9 units,
  3. Solid state physics - 9 units,
  4. Physical chemistry - 12 units,
  5. Materials science - 12 units in mechanical properties, electronic properties, structure, processing,
  6. Electronics - 12 units,
  7. Mechanics - 9 units in advanced strength of materials, elasticity, and structures.

Incoming students are not expected to meet all upper-division requirements, but must satisfy the requirements in mathematics and at least two other areas representing about one full year of undergraduate study. The areas that should be covered will depend on the student's chosen graduate field of study within Materials. Some deficiencies can be satisfied during the first year of graduate study by taking upper-division undergraduate courses in the new area of specialization.

Students with a B.S. degree (having a 3.2 minimum grade-point average) are eligible to be admitted to M.S./Ph.D. status and those with an M.S. degree (having a 3.5 minimum grade-point average) are eligible to be admitted to Ph.D. status. The department gives priority for admission to students who are interested in academics and high quality research. Satisfactory performance in all sections of the Graduate Record Examination is required.

Applicants whose native language is not English must receive a score of at least 600 (250 on the computer-based test) on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) prior to admission to UCSB. Requests for exceptions to this requirement will be considered for those students who have completed an undergraduate or graduate education at an institution whose primary language of instruction is English.

Proof of financial support is required before the university can authorize issuance of the certificate of eligibility to receive a visa for international students. Refer to the current Graduate Division Announcement for further information.

In addition to departmental requirements, program applicants and candidates for graduate degrees must fulfill University requirements described in the section Graduate Education at UCSB.

Application Deadlines and Requirements

An electronic application for admission into the Materials graduate program is available at the UCSB Graduate Division website. Applications for the Fall quarter must be submitted by the end of the first week of January in the same calendar year (January 5 for 2008). All applications received by the deadline will receive full consideration for admission and financial support for the Fall quarter. Applications received after this deadline may be considered for admission and departmental support but not for the centrally administered University fellowships. The deadline for Winter admission is November 1 and the deadline for Spring admission is January 1. Very few positions are typically available for Winter and Spring quarters.

The application must specify the quarter, year, and degree program (Ph.D., M.S., M.S./Ph.D.) for which you are applying. You must also specify the area of emphasis (electronic/photonic, inorganic, macromolecular/biomolecular, or structural) which you would like to pursue as your major. (You may also indicate a second option.) Students are generally admitted into specific areas based on the number of research openings available and the suitability of the student's background. Therefore, your input here is very important. The areas of emphasis are described in the Research section of this site and details of the academic programs are in the Graduate Program section. If you need further clarification, contact the Graduate Program Assistant (see below) or one of the faculty in your area of interest.

Applications must be accompanied by the following documents and fees:

  1. A statement of purpose that addresses your research interests and your long-term goals, with only a brief summary of your past academic work.
  2. Two official copies of transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate schools you have attended. Foreign transcripts must be translated into English.
  3. Official scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) in the verbal, quantitative and analytical areas.
  4. Three letters of recommendation.
  5. Foreign students also need a financial statement and official minimum TOEFL score of 250.
  6. A $60.00 application fee, payable online using Visa or Mastercard. Credit Card payment must be made online. Applicants cannot phone in their credit card number nor will credit card payments be processed if an applicant mails in the credit card number. The information will be destroyed if received.

For additional information, contact the Materials Department Graduate Program Assistant at:

Graduate Program Assistant
Materials Department, College of Engineering
University of California, Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5050 USA
Telephone: (805) 893-4601
Fax: (805) 893-8486
E-Mail: matrls-grad-advisor@engineering.ucsb.edu
Web Address: www.materials.ucsb.edu

General Catalog

Information on all UCSB courses, course descriptions, instructor designations, curricular and degree requirements, deadlines, and fees is provided in the UCSB General Catalog, available on the UCSB website. To obtain a hard copy of the catalog, contact the UCSB Bookstore, and make checks payable to:

UCSB Bookstore
P.O. Box 13400-University Center
University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-6090

Price on Campus: $6.46
Domestic Mail: $9.81
Airmail International: $15.00
For more information, please call: (805) 893-2961