A student pursuing a research-based MS degree must complete 26 credits of taught courses and 2 credits of seminar. The program culminates in a research thesis, which is presented to an MS thesis committee. This degree typically takes around two years to complete as a full-time student.

Requirements for a Research MS:

1. Have a research advisor who is a member of the MSE graduate faculty.
2. Conduct a research project relevant to the MSE graduate program.
3. Complete a total of 2 seminar credits.
4. Complete 26 taught course credits.
5. Meet the English proficiency requirements.
6. Before the thesis defense, a student must complete at least one of the following:
• Present his work at a domestic conference twice.
• Present his work at an international conference once.
• Write the thesis in English.
• Submit a manuscript to an SCI journal for review.
7. Write and present an MS thesis to a thesis committee.

The 28-credit curriculum (26 taught + 2 seminar) is designed to be completed over a 24-month period.