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Interdisciplinary graduate programs provide opportunities for students and faculty to advance beyond a traditional program and work collaboratively across disciplines. These programs draw on expertise from diverse academic fields and allow students to explore specialized research and scholarship.

Interdisciplinary Programs

• Master of Science in Materials Science and Engineering

  The Master of Science (MS) program in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) is an interdisciplinary graduate program that brings together more than twenty ÀÏ°ÄÃÅ×ÊÁÏ faculty from Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering who all have research interests related to materials. The program is jointly administered by the College of Arts and Sciences and the College of Computing, Engineering, and Construction. Each graduate student in the program will complete a core curriculum and conduct significant original research under the guidance of a faculty mentor, culminating in the completion and defense of a master's thesis. The program is designed to prepare students for technical employment or for a doctoral program.

  Approved Curriculum

  Major Requirements (12 credits)
  The Materials Science and Engineering master's degree consists of 30 credits and requires a thesis.

  • EMA5104 Adv Materials Principles I (3 Credits)
  • EMA5114 Adv Materials Principles II (3 Credits)

  Prerequisite: EMA 5104 Advanced Materials Principles I

  • EMA5504 Materials Characterization (3 Credits)
  • EMA5814 Modeling & Sim of Materials (3 Credits)

  Experiential Learning (18 credits)
  Every Materials Science and Engineering master's student is required to complete a total of 17 credits of the variable-credit course Graduate Thesis Research as well as the one credit Graduate Thesis Defense. A thesis committee must be established and the thesis proposal must be approved by the committee before more than 6 credits of Graduate Thesis Research have been completed. Graduate Thesis Defense should be taken in the student's final term.

  • EMA6971 Graduate Thesis Research (1-9 Credits)
  • EMA6973 Graduate Thesis Defense (1 Credit)

  Additional Admission Criteria

  • Letter of intent
    • Should be one to two pages in length and discuss the applicant's academic background, research interests, and academic and professional goals. The letter of intent should also identify the planned research advisor; prior to applying, students are expected to have made arrangements with a member of the program faculty who has agreed to serve as their research advisor if admitted.
  • Three letters of recommendation
    • Must be from faculty members or professional references who are familiar with the applicant's academic and/or research potential

  Special Notes

  Admitted students will normally have completed a bachelor's degree in the natural sciences or engineering prior to beginning the MS program. Applicants with bachelor's degrees in other areas may be admitted based on an evaluation of their academic background by the Admissions Committee.

• Master of Arts in International Affairs

  The Master of Arts in International Affairs (MAIA) is an interdisciplinary graduate program offered jointly by ten departments across three colleges: Communication; Criminology and Criminal Justice; Economics and Geography; English; History; Languages, Literatures, and Cultures; Philosophy and Religious Studies; Political Science and Public Administration; Public Health; Sociology, Anthropology and Social Work.

  Approved Curriculum

  The MAIA program consists of a minimum of 36 credit hours. The eighteen (18) credit core requirements consist of fifteen (15) credits earned through an interdisciplinary common core of required courses and three (3) credits earned from among a selection of methods-based courses. The remaining eighteen (18) credits consist of fifteen (15) credits of major electives and three (3) credit hours obtained by completing a thesis or field experience in international affairs, the latter of which would involve an internationally oriented internship, study abroad program, or other approved international activity. Students will have to demonstrate intermediate-level foreign language proficiency either upon admission or graduation.

  Additional Admission Criteria

  • Resume
  • Application essay
    • Include your name and date of submission at the top;
    • Essay should be 1-2 pages long and double-spaced;
    • Describe your interest and/or experience in international affairs;
    • Explain how earning the MA in International Affairs would contribute to the achievement of your professional and personal goals.
  • Two letters of recommendation
    • At least one should be from an academic source
  • A GPA of 3.0 or higher overall on the undergraduate degree granting transcript