Through the Materials Science Institute, graduate students can pursue an exciting array of interdisciplinary research experiences, many of which incorporate internships at local companies or in academic settings.
The Materials Science Institute believes that the preparation for post-degree employment is a vital part of graduate education. Central to this preparation are internships which motivate students to acquire the skills they will need, and help them decide where to concentrate their efforts. The Institute offers a wide variety of internships designed to meet the career goals of each student: research or manufacturing at materials-based companies, teaching at four-year colleges, research at national laboratories, or even teaching in an elementary school classroom. Internships are available to all students whether they are seeking a doctoral or master’s degree.
Ph.D. students
Students who are pursuing a traditional research Ph.D. must be admitted to either the Chemistry or Physics departments. As a member of a research group, Ph.D. students are encouraged to participate in educational activities that will compliment their graduate research. Links to the Chemistry and Physics department graduate studies application pages are below:
Master’s Degree Programs
The traditional master’s degree programs, leading to a M.A. or M.S. in chemistry or applied physics, consist primarily of course work and require one to two years to complete. Students interest in a Master’s Degree must be admitted to either the Chemistry or Physics department.
Knight Campus Graduate Internship Program
The Knight Campus Graduate Internship Program (KCGIP) serves as a powerful demonstration of innovative projects created by the MSI faculty. Masters candidates in the graduate internship program gain real world knowledge working in industrial research laboratories. Opportunities are available at dozens of companies, including A VI Biopharma, FEI Company Intel, Hewlett-Packard, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), IBM, Fairchild Semiconductor, Nike to name a few. MSI members created a novel path to a Ph.D. degree in chemistry that builds off the Master’s experience, which has significantly increased the diversity of the graduate program.
The MSI has built strong partnerships with both the ONAMI and the Engineering Technology Industry Council (ETIC). Targeted funding from these partners have enhanced growth of the Graduate Internship Program, provided matching funds for equipment and center proposals, and assisted in the development of MSI outreach programs.
Interdisciplinary Applied Sciences Program
Flagship universities of the future will combine rigorous traditional liberal education with interdisciplinary research, innovation/translational activities, and professional development to educate the next generation of leaders. The MSI is part of the UO’s efforts to explore a bold vision to establish a radically integrated program of Interdisciplinary Applied Science (lAS), creating a new world-class research and education institution that maximally engages government-university-industry-community partnerships while maintaining a commitment to traditional basic science research and teaching. lAS efforts are in close alignment with the UO Academic plan goals, and led to the vision and creation of the Phil and Penny Knight Campus for Accelerating Scientific Impact.
Professors of Practice: The MSI has dedicated seed funds to appoint up to 10 MSI “Professors of Practice” (selected from industrial/national-lab partners) to teach short courses on their research topics. The project will also allow UO sponsoring faculty to visit their industrial/national-lab partner once per year.
In June 2014, the UO selected the MSI project “A Faculty Cluster in Chemistry and Physics to Amplify Excellence in Energy and Sustainable Materials” as one of its cluster hiring initiatives, and UO has designated materials as one of four Presidential Science Initiatives.