MATSC-PHD - Materials Science and Engineering (PhD)

See Graduate Residency Transfer Credit for University policies.

At least 90 units must be taken in residence at Stanford. Students entering with an MS degree in Materials Science from another university may request to transfer up to 45 units of equivalent work toward the total of 135 PhD degree requirement units, after completing their first enrolled quarter of graduate work at Stanford. All transfers are subject to approval by the Director of Graduate Studies and Office of Student Services.

See Graduate Advising for a statement of university policy on graduate advising. 

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering is committed to providing academic advising in support of graduate student scholarly and professional development. When most effective, this advising relationship entails collaborative and sustained engagement by the advisor and the advisee. Students are expected to meet with their PhD dissertation advisor at least once per year. As a best practice, advising expectations should be periodically discussed and reviewed to ensure mutual understanding. Both the advisor and the advisee are expected to maintain professionalism and integrity. They should also be responsive to one another promptly.

Faculty advisors guide students in critical areas such as selecting courses, designing and conducting research, developing teaching pedagogy, navigating policies and degree requirements, and exploring academic opportunities and professional pathways. The MATSCI Graduate Handbook provides information and suggested timelines for advising meetings in the different stages of the doctoral program. This timeline is also reviewed in the MATSCI Orientation held at the start of a student’s doctoral program.

The department provides initial advising support through a PhD advising team, commonly comprised of 3-4 faculty members and the department chair. During their first two-quarters of study, incoming PhD students can connect with any member of the PhD advising team. These faculty members provide initial guidance in course selection, assist students in exploring academic opportunities and professional pathways, and aid in identifying doctoral research opportunities. MATSCI does not require formal lab rotations, but students are strongly encouraged to explore research activities in two to three labs during their first academic year. Identifying and declaring a dissertation research advisor through rotations, shadowing, or other means is an essential marker of degree progress in the first year. MATSCI faculty and staff have established a required, one-unit seminar (MATSCI 231) in autumn quarter of the first year. This course is intended to structure the search, help students identify an advisor, and initiate their new advising/mentoring relationship.

Students identify their doctoral research advisor by February of the winter quarter of their first year of study. The research supervisor assumes primary responsibility for the student’s future direction, taking on the roles previously filled by the program advisor and ultimately directing the student’s dissertation. Most students find an advisor from the department’s primary faculty members. However, the research advisor may be a faculty member from another Stanford department familiar with supervising doctoral students and can provide research advising and funding for the duration of the doctoral program. When the research advisor is from outside the department, the student must also identify a MATSCI Co-Advisor from the department’s primary faculty to guide departmental requirements, core coursework, and opportunities.

The faculty director of graduate studies (DGS) meets with all the doctoral students during the MATSCI Orientation at the start of the first year and is available during the academic year by email and/or appointment. The DGS or research advisor/co-advisor may initiate a meeting at any time with any student they feel could be in academic or research distress.

The MATSCI Student Services team plays an essential role in doctoral advising. They inform students and advisors about university and department requirements, procedures, and opportunities, and they maintain the official records of advising assignments and approvals. They oversee the qualifying exam, candidacy, and oral defense exams, academic progress warnings and concerns, degree conferrals, and the final dissertation submission process. Students are encouraged to talk with the DGS and Student Services Director as they consider advisor selection or for guidance in working with their advisor(s). Student Services can discuss how a student can change program/research advisor(s), declare their dissertation reading committee/oral exam committee, and the processes for filing any necessary paperwork.

Graduate students are expected to be active contributors to the advising relationship, proactively seeking academic and professional guidance and taking responsibility for informing themselves of policies and degree requirements for their graduate program. As such, the department expects students to read the MATSCI Graduate Handbook and other communications that provide deadlines, web links, and other valuable information on graduate degree progress.