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Department of Materials Science and Engineering
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Department of Materials Science and Engineering

Graduate Programs

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Pursuing next-generation technologies and robust solutions in areas such as energy, transportation, infrastructure, cyber-security, manufacturing, wearables, agriculture, nanomaterials, and medicine, graduate students work with with our interdisciplinary faculty to address some of the world’s most critical challenges and to explore exciting new opportunities for innovation.

  • MSE Graduate Students – Our students come from all over the world and from a wide variety of technical fields, including all engineering disciplines as well as physics, chemistry, biology, computer science, and mathematics. Their career paths are equally diverse, and many go on to become leaders and innovators in academics, research, industry, medicine, business, and public service.
  • MSE Advanced Degree Options – The Department of Materials Science and Engineering offers three advanced degree options, including Ph.D, M.S. and M. Eng. degrees. We also offer two concurrent enrollment options (BS/MS and BS/MEng), where qualified students can begin to pursue an advanced degree while working on the final stages of the MSE undergraduate program.
  • MSE Research Assistantships – Nearly all of our graduate students enrolled in a thesis-based program (M.S. or Ph.D.) complete their graduate studies under some form of Research Assistantship, helping to offset all or part of their tuition and living expenses while pursuing an advanced degree.

Advanced Degree Offerings

Academic Requirements

The Department of Materials Science and Engineering offers advanced degree options for a broad range of career goals. These include thesis-based Ph.D. and Master of Science programs, as well as a non-thesis Master of Engineering option. The academic requirements and student learning goals for the different degree programs are summarized below.

Student Learning Goals

Students successfully completing the M.Eng. program in MSE will develop and demonstrate:

  • a sound understanding of fundamental concepts in Materials Science and Engineering and their broad application in science and technology;
  • an awareness of contemporary critical issues in Materials Science and Engineering; and
  • an ability to work effectively in their field of interest through sound application of fundamental concepts, scientific methods, and engineering practices.

Students successfully completing the M.S. program in MSE will develop and demonstrate:

  • a sound understanding of fundamental concepts in Materials Science and Engineering and their broad application in science and technology;
  • a functional awareness and understanding of scholarly literature relevant to the specific area(s) of study, including both contemporary and foundational work; and
  • an ability to work effectively in their field of interest through sound application of fundamental concepts, scientific methods, and engineering practices.

Students successfully completing the Ph.D. program in MSE will develop and demonstrate:

  • a sound understanding of fundamental concepts in Materials Science and Engineering and their broad application in science and technology;
  • comprehensive knowledge and deep understanding of scholarly literature relevant to the specific area(s) of study, including both contemporary and foundational work; and
  • an ability to contribute substantially to their field of study through original research and sound application of fundamental concepts, scientific methods, and engineering practices.

Additional Information About MSE Graduate Programs

Concurrent Degree Programs

Qualified juniors and seniors in Materials Engineering can apply for concurrent enrollment in the Graduate College to simultaneously pursue a M.S. or M.Eng. degree while completing their B.S. program. BS/MS students are eligible for Graduate assistantships, contingent upon major professor sponsorship. Learn more about concurrent enrollment.

Minor Programs in MSE

Graduate students in other departments who wish to declare a formal minor in materials science and engineering will have at least one MSE faculty member serving on their advisory committee. Learn more about minor programs in MSE.

Assistantships – Get Paid to Learn

Research assistantships and teaching assistantships are available to qualified students to help offset the cost of graduate education. In addition, there are graduate scholarships and fellowships available to highly qualified students.

Apply Now

The MSE Department at Iowa State University invites you to complete our online application form. Use the following link to create an account and complete the application: https://www.iastate.edu/admission-and-aid/apply.

Should you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact us at gradmse@iastate.edu.

Admissions FAQs

Starting with entry term Spring 2026, the GRE general test is recommended but not required. Applications which do not include a GRE score will not be disadvantaged.

If you provide a GRE score, please upload an unofficial exam report with your application materials and request ETS to provide the official exam report to Iowa State University using school code 6306.

There is not a minimum requirement for the GRE score.

Our admission requirements can be found here.

For full funding consideration: January 15 for fall admission; September 1 for spring admission. Applications are accepted after these dates. For applicants who require a visa to study in the U.S., please do not initiate an application less than three months ahead of the selected entry term.

ISU Engineering undergraduates seeking a concurrent BS / Masters degree program: July 15 for fall admission; December 1 for spring admission.

While you are welcome to communicate directly with MSE faculty about your interest in their research, please understand that faculty have very full schedules and may not have time to respond to every prospective student.

You will receive an email from the department when your application has completed the review process. If you have not received the email, then your application is still under review. This process can take time. You can check the completion status of your application at the Admissions Application Portal.

Approximately 200 students apply to the MSE graduate program for Fall entry each year. The acceptance rate is 16%.

The statement of purpose needs to answer the following four questions (150 word limit on each question):
  • Why do you wish to pursue graduate studies in Materials Science and Engineering at ISU?
  • What are your career goals after completing your degree?
  • How have your background, education, and/or experiences prepared you for graduate study?
  • What are your research interests for a thesis or dissertation (for MS and PhD applicants only)?

Please read about financing graduate study on the Graduate College website.

Many of our offers of admission include a graduate assistantship position. Students with an RA position work 10-20 hours per week on a research project to earn a stipend, a reduced tuition rate, tuition and fee awards, and health insurance. Read more about graduate assistantship benefits.

All applications for graduate admission will receive consideration for funding opportunities. There is no separate application process for funding consideration. The department email announcing a student’s admission status will also include details about funding awards that may be available.

The Office of the Registrar provides the most current information on Tuition and Fee rates. Find more information on stipends and other financial information here.

This will depend on your major and courses you have taken. If you have an engineering degree, you will not need additional courses. Other degrees may require additional coursework.

The MSE Graduate Program Coordinator will email you with onboarding instructions, including course registration. Typically, we ask our first semester students to register for classes in the month prior to the start of the semester. Learn more about ISU’s academic calendar.

If you require a visa to study in the U.S., please do not register for courses until you arrive on campus.

The Office of Admissions will email the Form I-20 to you. This process could take 1-2 months and cannot be expedited. Please monitor the Admissions Application Portal for next steps or action items.

For on-campus housing, visit the Department of Residence. For off-campus housing, students commonly use websites such as Zillow or apartments.com. Rent Smart Ames is an informational resource for the renting process.

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Questions? We are here to help!

Want to learn more about graduate programs in our department? Just have a few questions you’d like to run by our professional staff?