Materials Engineering Professional Master’s Program (PMP)

General Program Questions

The programs differ in three primary ways.

1. Thesis Requirement: A traditional materials engineering M.S. program prepares students to perform research and complete a thesis-based M.S. degree. The MSE PMP Program is not a thesis-based M.S. program.

2. Career Focus: The PMP program serves those who are passionate for industry careers and are eager to acquire business-oriented skills. Therefore, another differentiating factor is our industry-focused, agile curriculum, designed to offer flexibility for students to craft their plan of study to meet their career development goals. This allows students to build depth in technical skills related to Material applications and develop complementary professional skills important for industry careers.

3. Funding and On-Campus Employment: PMP is a self-funded program. Students are allowed to work on campus for a maximum of 20 hrs./week. Employment as a Research Assistant (RA) or Teaching Assistant (TA) is not permitted.

All Materials Science Professional Master's students receive the MS MSE degree.

Yes. We consider applicants with a B.S. (or equivalent) from areas such as chemistry, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, chemical engineering or related disciplines.

Direct financial support from the MSE Professional Master's Program is not available. However, students can contact the Division of Financial Aid (DFA) to discuss federal loan programs and other lending opportunities. Students interested in financial assistance should call the DFA at (765) 494-5050, or submit a question directly to DFA at facontact@purdue.edu

Yes, students are allowed to defer admission once and up to 1 year from originally admitted term. You need to accept admission, pay the non-refundable enrollment deposit, and then send an email request to Dr. Inna Elsner to indicate which semester you'd like to start. Deferral request should be sent to us at least 1 month before your originally admitted semester starts.

Students enrolled in the Professional Master's Program in the Materials Science Engineering are not eligible to receive research, teaching, or project assistantships, or other University appointments that grant waivers of tuition and/or academic fees anywhere on campus. Accepting an assistantship or tuition waiver while enrolled in the program may lead to removal of the student from the program. Students may receive employer based or corporate tuition support as these forms of support are not included in these categories, nor are external funding sources.

No. This is a non-thesis program.

A student will complete the MSE PMP within three semesters (12 months if enrolled in the summer semester).

Yes. PMP students have the option to gain practical experience through internships or co-op opportunities. However, please be aware that completing an internship may extend your time to graduation. Internships are not mandatory or guaranteed. We encourage students to pro-actively utilize Purdue University extensive career development and networking resources, such as Purdue Center for Career Opportunities, Career Success Handbook, Industrial Roundtable and Spring Expo. Additionally, networking with fellow PMP and Graduate students is an excellent way to build valuable professional connections. Students are required to notify the MSE PMP Director, Dr. Inna Elsner (ielsner@purdue.edu), if they intend to pursue internship or co-op opportunity and when they obtain an offer.

Domestic students can go to work after one semester of study. International students must have 2 semesters of study prior to going to work for an internship (1 academic period of work). Summer does not count as one of these 2 semesters. For international students, if they are part of a co-op program, meaning their offer meets the criteria of grad co-op described here, they may work after one semester of study.

When you are participating in the co-op, you will need to register for MSE 69600, which is Graduate Professional Practice. This course does not have a tuition fee. If you choose to take a distance class during our co-op term, please ensure that you can also take the exams remotely. While we have had students do this in the past, you need to confirm with the instructor that they are comfortable with administering exams remotely.

Additional note: Co-op requires a student to work at least 2 terms with the same employer.

Yes. OPT is a benefit available to F-1 students to gain practical experience working off-campus in a job directly related to their major field of study. Graduates of the PMP are eligible for the standard 12-month OPT benefit, but they are also eligible for the STEM OPT extension. OPT opportunities assume the graduate meets the requirements for the benefit, as determined by International Students and Scholars. More information about OPT can be found on the ISS webpage.

OPT Website

OPT Timeline

*Note: This is applicable to International students only.

The costs for the program follows the standard tuition for Purdue Engineering Graduate Students and are published on the Tuition and Fees page of the Office of the Bursar.

Application Questions

All applicants to the PMP must satisfy the following requirements.

  • A minimum undergraduate grade-point average (GPA) of 3.00 on a 4.00 scale (or equivalent).
  • Two letters of recommendation
  • International applicants whose native language is not English are required to provide proof of English proficiency for admission to degree programs. The requirements established by our Graduate School may be found here.

You must also upload a copy of your official transcripts* to your application, as well as a statement of purpose, and a resume.

*Official transcripts bear the original signature of the registrar and/or the original seal of the issuing institution. An unofficial transcript printed from your current/previous institution(s) student system is not an acceptable document.

International applicants must also include original language copies and English language translations of their transcripts. You must also upload a copy of your degree or a provisional degree certificate, if you have not completed your degree.

Yes, all applicants must submit both documents. Detailed information about these statements may be found here.

Current application deadlines can be found here.

Complete applications for MSE PMP program are reviewed on a rolling basis. The deadlines for completing an application:

  • Fall semester: June 1
  • Spring semester: November 1
  • Summer admissions: No Entry

Follow this link and submit an official application through the Graduate School.

You may contact the Material Science Engineering Graduate Office via email at msepmp@purdue.edu.

We appreciate your interest in the program.