Materials Science and Engineering

(Discipline Code: 0805)

I. Discipline Overview

Relying on the College of Materials Science and Engineering, the Institute for Advanced Materials, the College of Physical and Mathematical Science, and the Key Laboratory for Light-weight Materials, the first-level discipline of Materials Science and Engineering has five secondary disciplines: Materials Physics and Chemistry, Materials Science, Materials Processing Engineering, Optoelectronic Functional and Information Materials, and Physical Properties and Devices of Magneto-optical Materials and Devices. Mainly based on natural disciplines such as physics and chemistry, this discipline researches the four basic elements of material composition and structure, preparation and processing, properties and service performance and their interrelationships and constraint law, as well as the production and preparation technology and processing technology of materials and components, and the impact and protection of materials on and for the environment.

The discipline dates back around 100 years to the Department of Chemical Engineering of the National Central University(1928-1949), and has the first silicate speciality in China. It is an advantageous discipline of colleges and universities in Jiangsu, a cultivation and construction point of national first-level key disciplines in Jiangsu, a first-level key discipline of Jiangsu Province, a key discipline in materials physics and chemistry and materials science of Jiangsu, a pilot unit for comprehensive reform of full-time professional degree postgraduate education of the Ministry of Education in materials engineering, and an important supporting discipline of State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering and the Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials. The discipline has a number of discipline leaders and young backbone including academicians, Cheung Kong Scholar, national outstanding youth, national high-level talents, as well as strong faculty and advanced equipment.

II. Cultivation Goals

Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the discipline comprehensively implements the CPC's education policy, takes establishing moral values and educating people as the fundamental, and the all-round moral, intellectual, physical and aesthetic development as the main line, and cultivates high-level talents with firm political stance, noble ideological character, rigorous academic attitude and innovative spirit.

Knowledge structure:Expertly master the basic theories and expertise in terms of materials synthesis, materials structural properties, materials preparation and processing, materials modification and application, etc. Ability structure: Master solid experimental skills and computational techniques, be familiar with the current situation and development trend of domestic and international research in the direction of materials science and engineering and its intersection with other disciplines such as physics, chemistry, environment, energy, chemical industry and biology, have a broad range of knowledge and international vision, be proficient in a foreign language, have good writing skills, international academic exchange and other practical applications, have the ability to apply the principles of materials synthesis, materials structural properties, materials preparation and processing, materials modification and application to solve practical problems, and have the ability to pursue a doctoral degree in this discipline, or have the ability to engage in scientific research, technology development, teaching and management in materials science and engineering in higher education institutions, research institutes, large enterprises and relevant government departments. Quality structure: Have a firm political stance, correct outlook on life and values, systematic scientific and cultural knowledge and skills, robust physical fitness and strong willpower, noble sentiments and correct aesthetics, correct labor concepts and good labor habits, a rigorous academic attitude and a pioneering and innovative spirit.

III. Cultivation Direction

The cultivation direction of master's degree program for the first-level discipline of materials science and engineering: 1. materials physics and chemistry; 2. materials science; 3. materials processing engineering; 4. physical properties and devices of magneto-optical materials; 5. optoelectronic functional and information materials. Specifically: Basic theory of materials physics and chemistry, microstructure analysis and physicochemical properties of materials, physical chemistry of functional materials, inorganic non-metallic materials, polymer materials, composite materials, metallic materials, material forming theory, new technology for thermal processing of materials, advanced manufacturing of materials, computer simulation and digital design of engineering, organic spintronics, energy storage materials and devices, semiconductor photoelectric technology, organic photoelectric materials, bio-optical electronics, functional nanomaterials, photoelectric conversion materials, organic and inorganic hybrid materials, flexible electronics, space materials, etc.

IV. Study Period and Credits

The study period for academic master students is generally 3 years, which is not more than 5 years at the most.

The minimum total credits required for academic master students is 28 credits, including 24 credits for courses (10 credits for public degree courses, 6 credits for professional degree courses, 4 credits for professional elective courses and 4 credits for public elective courses), 2 credits for attending academic lectures/reports and 2 credits for academic practice.

For master students enrolled at the university with equivalent academic attainments or from another discipline, they must make up the main courses (not less than 2) of the undergraduate program of their current discipline, and the make-up courses will only be recorded with grades, not credits, but should be included in their personal cultivation plan.

V. Curriculum Setting

VI. Compulsory Links Management

1. Academic Lectures/Reports (2 credits)

Academic master students are required to participate in experimental safety training, academic seminars and labor education activities during their studies. They are only allowed to enter the laboratory to carry out experiments after passing the experimental safety training; they must attend at least 15 academic seminars on and off campus (at least 5 academic seminars organized by the university and at least 2 lectures on the quality of humanities and aesthetics), and they must also participate in the sunshine run on campus, sports meeting, voluntary work and public welfare activities in order to obtain 2 credits for academic lectures/reports.

2. Academic Practice (2 credits)

During the study period, academic master students must participate in one of the academic practice activities, such as postgraduate science and technology forum, postgraduate summer school, postgraduate academic innovation forum, postgraduate research innovation practice competition, high-level international and domestic academic conferences or overseas exchange visits in order to obtain 2 credits for academic practice.

VII. Thesis

1. Basic requirements for thesis

The thesis work aims to provide graduate students with systematic basic training in terms of scientific research or engineering design, engineering development, operation and management, and to cultivate their ability to engage in scientific research or take up specialized technical work independently.

(1) Normative requirements

The master's thesis should conform to both the regulations of the Presentation of Theses and Dissertations (GB/T 7713.1-2006) and the relevant regulations of the degree granting unit. In addition, master's thesis in materials science and engineering disciplines should meet the following specifications:

1. It must indicate the specific chemical composition of the materials used, the state of the samples, etc.; and for the standard samples used in the material analysis and test, it must indicate the quality level of the standard samples;

2. It must describe the model of instrumentation used for material testing, the principle of the measurement method, the test conditions, etc.;

3. For the material preparation or test completed according to national standards or an industry standard, it must indicate the number of the standard as the basis.

4. It must indicate the source and purity of raw materials and chemical reagents used in the preparation and processing of materials.

5. The analytical data used must be retained to the lowest valid digit of the detection limit of the analytical method or instrument , and the analytical results are expressed as the positive and negative standard deviation of the mean value;

6. The abbreviations in the text must be given their full names when they first appear, except for those customarily used in the first-level disciplines; the full abbreviations should be listed separately, either before the text or after the references.

7. Each chapter of the thesis should be equipped with a number of diagrams, and the diagrams must be accompanied by the titles and descriptions in English and Chinese.

8. Master's thesis should avoid a simple listing of experimental results. It should deeply analyze and discuss various results, refine or condense them appropriately and scientifically, illustrate the scientific significance or findings of the research results, explore problem-oriented or clue-based information for further research, and provide reference for others.

   (2) Quality requirements

   The thesis quality review is to comprehensively evaluate the five major items of the thesis: topic selection, literature review, basic theory and professional knowledge, scientific and technological achievements and innovation ability, and writing ability and credits.

   The topic chosen for the master's thesis should be of some practical significance and novelty. Basically master the domestic and international literature and the progress of relevant science and technology in the chosen field of the thesis. The master's thesis should have certain new insights, innovations or improvements in any aspect of theoretical analysis, testing techniques, data processing, instrumentation and process methods, etc. The thesis should reflect the theoretical knowledge and skills, the ability to analyze and solve problems, and the ability to relate theory to practice as required by the cultivation plan. The thesis should reflect the ability to engage in scientific research or independently undertake technical work, and the workload of the thesis, as well as the use of advanced technology, methods, equipment and information. The thesis format of textual expressions, units of measurement, diagrams, citations, etc., must conform to the specifications.

   The basic requirements for thesis are detailed in the Basic Requirements for Doctoral and Master's Degrees in First-Level Disciplines (published by Higher Education Press, edited by the Sixth Discipline Review Group of Academic Degrees Committee of the State Council).

   2. Thesis proposal

   According to the "Requirements of Nanjing Tech University on the Proposal Report of Graduate Students", graduate students can only make the proposal report after submitting the "Safety Risk Assessment Report of the Experiment for the Opening Assessment of Graduate Students in the College of Materials Science and Engineering". Generally, the proposal report should be made before the end of the third semester, and the time between the proposal report and the application for thesis defense is generally not less than 1.5 years. The number of words in the proposal report should be about 5,000; the number of main references should be more than 50, (and more than 100 for graduate students in the College of Materials Science and Engineering and the Institute of Advanced Materials), of which not less than 2/3 should be in foreign languages. The contents of the proposal report should include: (1) the research significance of the topic, the current situation at home and abroad; (2) the accumulation of work related to the topic and the existing research achievements; (3) the difficulties in the topic and the key problems to be solved; the proposed research methods, technical routes, experimental programs and their feasibility; (4) the planned progress and expected results.

   The proposal report conference should be openly conducted within the discipline or related ones, and the proposal report shall be evaluated by an assessment panel composed of three experts. Members of the review group are experts with senior titles in relevant disciplines, among which one to two enterprise experts (with senior titles) can be invited for major scientific research projects in cooperation with industrial and mining enterprises, and master tutors of relevant disciplines should be invited to participate in the selection of topics for interdisciplinary theses.

   For those who pass the assessment of proposal report, the revised proposal report and thesis work plan should be submitted to the college for record by the end of the third semester after being examined and approved by the head of the discipline; for those who fail to pass the assessment of proposal report, the proposal report can be made up within 3-6 months, and for those who still fail, the college will set up an expert group to help rectify the proposal report until they pass the assessment. After the proposal report is approved, it is generally not allowed to change the topic at will. If there is a major change in the topic of the thesis, the graduate student must write a written report and reorganize the proposal report conference after the supervisor agrees, so as to ensure the frontier and innovation of the topic.

   3. Mid-term assessment

   The mid-term assessment of academic master students is to check the progress of the thesis work of master students, discover problems and correct deviations in time, so as to ensure the smooth progress of the thesis work of master students.

   The mid-term assessment of the thesis is carried out in accordance with the Implementation Measures for Mid-term Assessment of Master Students of Nanjing Tech University.

   4. Thesis review and defense

   Academic master students can apply for defense after completing all the links and credits stipulated in the cultivation plan.

   (1) Detection of academic misconduct in thesis

   After completing the thesis, master students upload the version for blind review of the thesis to the graduate system within the specified time. The Graduate School will arrange the detection of academic misconduct in the thesis after the college has examined the credits and the supervisor has examined the thesis with a qualified result. For those pass the detection, the Graduate School will send two copies of the theses postponed and randomly selected for blind review to the external experts for review; for those not selected for blind review, the college will send one copy of the theses to the external experts for review and the supervisor will send one copy of the thesis to the internal experts for review. If there is academic misconduct as shown in the test results, serious treatment will be made according to the Implementation Measures for the Detection of Academic Misconduct in Theses of Graduate Students of Nanjing Tech University.

   (2) Methods for handling of thesis experts' review comments

   For details, please refer to the Regulations on Blind Review of Theses of Graduate Students of Nanjing Tech University.

   (3) Thesis defense

   The defense of the master's thesis is conducted publicly within the discipline. The defense committee should consist of five or more experts with the title of associate professor or above, and one of the members should be the chairman of the defense committee. The supervisors may attend the defense committee's meeting, but may not serve as a member of the defense committee. The defense committee should have a secretary.

   Secret-related theses are implemented with reference to the document "Regulations on the Management of Secret-related Graduate Students and Theses of Nanjing Tech University".

   Specific requirements for thesis review and defense are detailed in the Detailed Rules for the Master's Thesis Defense and Review and Degree Application of Nanjing Tech University.

   5. Academic achievement requirements

   The academic achievements should be consistent with the direction of the thesis, and the requirements are detailed in the Requirements for Scientific Research Achievements of Academic Degree Master's Candidates in Materials Science and Engineering.

   VIII. Criteria for Graduation and Degree Awarding

   The criteria forgraduation and degree awarding of academic master students are in accordance with the relevant regulations of the university.