2003-2005 - Graduate School - The University of Alabama

422 The University of AlabamaMATERIALS SCIENCE (MTLS)Professor Chester Alexander, Campus CoordinatorOffi ce: 231 Bevill Bldg.The University of Alabama (UA), The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB),and The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) offer a joint interdisciplinary programleading to a doctor of phi los o phy degree in materials science. The Ph.D. program inmaterials science is co or di nat ed by the Tricampus Materials Sci ence Co or di nat ingCommittee. On each cam pus, the pro gram is administered by the Cam pus Ma te ri alsScience Program Com mit tee.For practical purposes, students will matriculate at a single campus. Once the studentchooses a campus, that campus becomes the home campus, and the stu dent’s recordswill be managed by the graduate school on that campus. However, once registered atone campus, a student is free to pursue, with minimum barriers, coursework or re searchopportunities at the other University of Al a bama System campuses.At all three universities, the in ter dis ci pli nary Ph.D. program in materials science drawson various academic divisions. At UA, the program is supported by de part ments in boththe College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Engineering. At UAB, the Schoolsof Medicine, Den tist ry, and Optometry are involved, as are the School of Engineeringand the School of Natural Science and Mathematics. At UAH, the College of Engineeringand the College of Science participate in the pro gram.A minimum of 48 credit hours of grad u ate coursework and 24 hours in activity relatedto the dissertation research are required. The degree awarded to each successful candidateis the Ph.D. degree in materials science.Admission RequirementsIn order to be regularly ad mit ted to the doctoral program, a student must have satisfi edthe following minimum re quire ments common to all three universities:1. A bachelor’s degree (or its equivalent) from an accredited college or uni ver si ty, inengineering or one of the phys i cal sciences2. “B”-level scholarship, either overall or for the last 60 semester hours of un der grad u ateand graduate credit3. A minimum score of 1000 on the Graduate Record Examination general test4. A TOEFL score greater than 550, for international students5. Letters of referenceAn applicant whose scholastic record re veals a defi ciency in one of the fi rst three categoriesabove may, upon rec om men da tion of the Campus Materials Science Pro gramCom mit tee chairperson (on the cam pus to which the student has applied) and with approvalof the respective grad u ate dean, be admitted on a provisional basis, as providedin graduate school reg u la tions at each campus. However, that stu dent must follow theappropriate graduate school’s policies in achieving regularly ad mit ted sta tus prior totaking Program Ex am i na tion I (the examination on core ma te ri al).Advisement. Students admitted to the program will be assisted in program plan ningand academic matters by a member of the Campus Materials Science Program Committee. This faculty member will serve as the student’s temporary faculty adviser. Duringthis early stage of the program, students are encouraged to enter dis cus sions with allfaculty members in the in tend ed area of specialization, as an aid in the de vel op ment ofappropriate programs of study and areas for dissertation re search.Also upon being accepted in the pro gram, each student will be assigned to one of theparticipating departments as the tem po rary home department. Each stu dent may applyfor an assistantship; if one is award ed, the teaching or research du ties would nor mal lybe assigned within the tem po rary home department, by the de part ment chair per son.A student may choose to pursue dissertation research in a par tic i pat ing de part mentother than the tem po rary home department. If the research project is ac cept able to theCampus Materials Science Program Committee, a per ma nent adviser (normally theresearch supervisor selected by the student) will be assigned.