Materials Science
Graduate program at Colorado School of Mines
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Select a program type below to learn more. What’s the difference? Read more about program types.
Materials Science Master’s Non-Thesis
The Master of Science degree requires a minimum of 24.0 credits of acceptable coursework and 6.0 additional credits of either a case study or a designated design course.
The non-thesis Master of Science degree has been designed for engineers or scientists who are working in industry. The thesis requirement is replaced with the requirement to complete a Case Study. The industrial student, who most likely has technical laboratory or manufacturing experience, may find this program more suited to their employment responsibilities.
Application Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- GRE: Not Required
- Letters of Recommendation (2 letters)
- Letters are not required for current Mines students
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Statement of Purpose
- Transcripts
- International students please review the English proficiency requirements
Materials Science Dual Master’s Non-Thesis
Dual Degree: Materials Science Non-Thesis and Physical Chemistry and Chemical Physics (PCCP)
The dual degree program offered through the Materials Science Program provides non-thesis students the opportunity to earn two master’s degrees over two years of study. After completing the program, students will have earned a Master of Science in Materials Science from Mines and a Master of Science in Physical Chemistry & Chemical Physics (PCCP) from the University of Bordeaux (UBx).
Students will earn the Mines diploma by completing 20 credit hours (60 ECTS) of coursework taken at the Colorado School of Mines in the first year of the program; six credit hours (18 ECTS) of coursework taken at the University of Bordeaux in the second year of the program; six credit hours (18 ECTS) earned through the “Case study / Master thesis project” executed through the University of Bordeaux in the second year of the program.
Students will earn the UBx diploma through completion of an extra 36 ECTS earned during the program’s second year in UBx. Students will earn the UBx diploma under completion of the 120 ECTS of the program.
Application Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- GRE: Not Required
- Letters of Recommendation (2 letters)
- Letters are not required for current Mines students
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Statement of Purpose
- Transcripts
- International students please review the English proficiency requirements
Materials Science Master’s Thesis
The Master of Science degree requires a minimum of 30.0 credits of acceptable coursework and thesis research credits. The student must also submit a thesis and pass the Defense of Thesis examination before the Thesis Committee.
Application Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- GRE: Not Required
- Letters of Recommendation (3 letters).
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Statement of Purpose
- Transcripts
- International students please review the English proficiency requirements
Materials Science Doctorate
The Doctor of Philosophy degree requires a minimum of 72 hours of coursework and research credit including the fulfillment of the three Materials Science core courses (9 credit hours), plus 5 more courses within the Materials Science program or a participating department, totaling 24 course credit hours. To achieve the required 72 credit hours, credits are acquired through a mix of courses and research credit hours, again tailored to the individual student’s needs. The 48 remaining credits will primarily be research credits.
Students in the PhD program must also complete a written qualifying examination in the specialty area, a thesis proposal, and prepare and submit a written thesis and pass a Defense of Thesis examination before the Thesis Committee.
Application Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree
- GRE: Not Required
- Letters of Recommendation (3 letters).
- Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Statement of Purpose
- Transcripts
- International students please review the English proficiency requirements
Materials Science Program
You’re an out-of-the-box thinker who wants to solve some of the biggest global challenges. You want a meaningful career that will allow you to design, study and manipulate materials for new applications.
The Materials Science graduate program at Mines will help you get there. In this unique, multidisciplinary program, you will learn under top-notch scientists and engineers to design, fabricate, characterize and measure materials from the atomic to the macro scale and use your understanding of structure-processing-property relationships to enable advancements across disciplines. With a Mines degree, your opportunities will be limitless.
A Top Tier University
Fellowships to enhance the Mines experience
Top-ranked university for best return on investment
18 Research centers affiliated with materials science
Credits and Deadlines
View the academic catalog to see the courses and credit requirements for this program.
Master's Thesis & Doctorate (PhD) Program Deadlines
Select a Term:
Spring Deadlines | Fall Deadlines
Spring Deadlines
Fall Deadlines
| Degree Program | Priority | International* | Domestic* | Online |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Advanced Energy Systems | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Applied Chemistry | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Applied Mathematics & Statistics | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Applied Physics | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Chemical Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Chemistry | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Civil & Environmental Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Computer Science | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Earth Resources Development Engineering | January 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Electrical Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Engineering & Technology Management | January 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Environmental Engineering Science | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Geochemistry | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Geological Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Geology | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Geophysical Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Geophysics | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Humanitarian Engineering & Science | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Hydrology | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Materials Science | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Mechanical Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Metallurgical and Materials Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Mineral & Energy Economics | January 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Mining Engineering | January 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Nuclear Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Operations Research with Engineering | January 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Petroleum Engineering | March 1 | March 1 | ||
| Physics | December 15 | March 1 | March 1 | |
| Quantitative Biosciences & Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Quantum Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Robotics | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 | |
| Space Resources | March 1 (International on-campus) | July 1 (Domestic on-campus) | August 1 | |
| Underground Construction & Tunnel Engineering | December 15 | March 1 | July 1 |
Residential (on-campus) Master's Non-Thesis & Graduate Certificates Deadlines
| Spring Deadlines | Fall Deadlines | |
|---|---|---|
| International Students* | October 1 | March 1 |
| Domestic U.S. Students | December 15 | August 1 |
| International students are not eligible to apply for residential certificate programs. We encourage you to check out our online certificate options | ||
Online Master's Non-Thesis & Graduate Certificates Deadlines
| The following deadlines apply to online master's non-thesis and graduate certificate programs for domestic U.S. and International students. | |
| Spring I & II (January 6 start) | January 2 |
| Spring III*** (March 11 start) | February 18 |
| Fall I & II (August 19 start) | August 1 |
| Fall III*** (October 22 start) | October 1 |
| **The Fall III deadline is only available for the following programs: Additive Manufacturing; Business Analytics; Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage; Chemical Engineering Processes in Energy Transitions; Data Science: Computer Science; Data Science: Earth Resources; Electrical Engineering (Professional Master and Certificate Only); Engineering and Technology Management; GIS & Geoinformatics; Mechanical Engineering; Underground Construction and Tunnel Engineering | |
| ***The Spring III deadline is only available for the following programs: Additive Manufacturing; Business Analytics; Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage; Electrical Engineering (Professional Master and Certificate Only); Engineering and Technology Management; GIS & Geoinformatics; Mechanical Engineering; Product Management (Offered for only session III in spring); Underground Construction and Tunnel Engineering | |
Get Connected
You don’t have to decide right now, but let’s get you connected so we can stay in touch and keep you up-to-date. Fill out the quick information form below to get started.
Program Director
Eric Toberer
Program Director, Materials Science
Professor, Department of Physics
Research Areas:
- Condensed matter physics
- Solid-state chemistry
- Energy materials
You Are Ready
Contact Us
(303) 273-3247
grad-admissions@mines.edu
Career Connections
At Mines, your career goals are the focus. You will connect with world-class faculty and industry experts in your field, all while enhancing your knowledge through hands-on learning and research.
Materials Science careers
- Design engineer
- Materials engineer
- Product/process development scientist
- Research scientist
- Biomedical engineer
- Geotechnical engineer
Visit the Mines Career Center website for additional career resources and information.
Where to find our alumni
- Institute of Molecular Science
- Special Aerospace Services
- Emerson
- EOS
- IM Flash Technologies
- Lockheed Martin
- University of California – Santa Barbara
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