PhD Materials Science & Engineering at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Programme overview

The Department of Materials Science & Engineering (MatSE) offers graduate programs leading to degrees of Master of Science and Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science & Engineering. The department is consistently ranked among the top programs in the nation (undergraduate and graduate) by U.S.

Faculty: The Grainger College of Engineering | Study mode: full-time | Location: Champaign, IL, United States

What you will study

Required courses listed include MSE 599 Thesis Research (min-max applied toward the degree); MSE 492 Lab Safety Fundamentals (credit does not apply toward the degree); MSE 595 Materials Colloquium.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Materials Science & Engineering Opportunity exists for specializing in computational science and engineering via the Computational Science & Engineering optional graduate concentration. Admission Requirements Students with bachelor's or master's degrees in the natural sciences or engineering will be considered for admission if they have a grade point average of at least 3.00 (A = 4.00) for the last two years of undergraduate study. The general test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is optional. Admission is possible for the spring semester under special circumstances, but most admissions are for the fall semester. Full details of admission requirements are on the department's graduate admissions website .

Domestic applicants: USD 21,272 a year (2026-27). Illinois resident rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Non-Illinois U.S. resident tuition for this programme: $40,444. Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insura Source

International applicants: USD 40,444 a year (2026-27). International rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insurance, housing and other expenses as the source states them separately Source

Not all graduate programmes offer admission in all terms; term availability is set by each programme of study.

Graduate applicants apply online through the Graduate College application; deadlines and term availability are set by each programme. Medicine, law and veterinary medicine applicants apply directly to their colleges.

Apply through the official page: https://matse.illinois.edu/admissions/graduate

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