Graduate Coursework in Applied Sciences and Engineering

Spring 2022 Course Listing

APPL590: Design and Making for Researchers
3 Credits. Sample Syllabus.
Design thinking is a popular buzz term in this age of Kickstarter, instant turnaround, and short time-to-market.  But what is design thinking really all about?   In many ways, it is a process that most of us were quite familiar with in our preschool years.  Observe an opportunity.  Take an action.  Assess the results. Laugh at the failures. Repeat.  In this graduate-level course, we will parallel the discovery process taught in APPL110 – learning about human-centered design, needs identification, and the iterative design and prototyping process.  In addition, we will provide practical overviews on several technical areas common to many research laboratories such as hardware selection, gas and liquid management, material compatibilities, electronics and data acquisition, etc.  In addition to the BeAM makerspace focused skills development activities conducted in APPL110, students will work on a personal project related to their work in the laboratory or research topic.
Meeting time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 12:30- 1:45 p.m.

MTSC 711 — Materials Science First Year Seminar: Developing your Plan for Success
1 Credit.
This is a required course for first-year MTSC graduate students. Students gain knowledge and learn key skillsets outside of their technical course work needed for success in their PhD program and beyond. MTSC711 follows on the topics learned in MTSC710 to broaden the professional development of materials science PhD students. Students work to develop an Individual Development Plan, to understand the variety of career paths available for PhD-holders, and to practice research presentations.
Meeting time: Fridays, 12:20 – 1:35 p.m.

MTSC 718 — Seminar in Materials Science and Engineering
1 Credit.
This is a required course for all Materials Science students in fall and spring semesters of years 2-5 of their doctoral program. The course tracks attendance at the required APS departmental seminars. Attending departmental seminars is an important component of training for MTSC doctoral students. Engaging in the seminars will help students gain a working knowledge of a variety of research areas important to their doctoral research.

MTSC 765 — Electronic Materials and Devices – Organic and Inorganic
3 Credits.
The course introduces the electronic and optical processes in organic molecules and polymers that govern the behavior of practical organic optoelectronic devices. The course begins with an overview of fundamental science of electronic materials and devices. We then discuss their optoelectronic properties of organic molecules, including topics from photophysics, charge transport and injection. Emphasis will be equally placed on the use of both inorganic and organic electronic materials in organic electronic devices.
Meeting time: Mondays and Wednesdays, 1:25- 2:40 p.m.

MTSC 785 — Scientific Computing for Material Science
3 Credits.
This course covers the physical fundamentals of material science with in-depth development of the principles controlling the formation of the structure of engineering materials. Topics include crystal structures, defects, dislocation theory, thermodynamics and phase diagrams, diffusion, interfaces and microstructures, solidification and theory of phase transformation, and physical properties of hard and soft materials.
Meeting time: Tuesdays and Thursdays, 3:30- 4:45 p.m.