Materials Science

**There are two application paths available for certain doctoral programs. Depending on your objectives, you may apply directly to the Materials Science program or you may apply via the Biological and Biomedical Sciences application umbrella. Please visit program websites to determine the best fit for your objectives.

Programs Degrees Major Codes Admissions
Term Deadline
Doctoral PhD MTSC Spring October 11, 2022
Doctoral PhD MTSC Fall May 9, 2023 *
Fall Graduate School Fellowships December 13, 2022  (Recommended)
Director of Graduate Admissions Rene Lopez (rln@email.unc.edu)
Graduate Coordinator Melissa Gammon (mkgammon@email.unc.edu)
Address Department of Applied Physical Sciences
1129 Murray Hall, CB 3050
Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3050
Website https://aps.unc.edu/graduate-program-overview/
Phone 919-445-4748
Test Requirements
GRE not required
Letters of Recommendation 3
International Applicants Only TOEFL or IELTS score (no more than two years old)
Other Requirements In addition to the University’s required application materials, applicants should review the information below for additional expectations or application requirements.

  • Areas of Interest: Please indicate up to three areas of interest within the application.  The following research areas are offered by the Applied Physical Sciences department:
    • Energy & Water
    • Soft Matter & Living Systems
    • Materials Science & Engineering
    • Instrumentation & Light-matter Interactions
    • Translational Engineering
    • Computation
  • Faculty Interest:  Please list at least one, and up to five, faculty members with whom you are interested in conducting research.  For a list of Applied Sciences faculty, please visit and review the faculty listing website via https://aps.unc.edu/faculty_full/.
  • Statement of Purpose:  Please upload a statement describing your research interests and career goals.
  • Essay:  Please upload an additional essay describing your research and employment experience (e.g., research courses, individual projects, honors theses, internships, and employment).  Also, please describe relevant experience not reported elsewhere, such as special coursework or experiences.

*Materials Science PhD applications will be considered up until May  9,2023. However, it is strongly recommended to submit the application prior to February 8, 2023. Applicants who would like to be considered for fellowships should submit an application before December. 13, 2022