Listed below are some tips on how to register for classes within the Texas A&M University Department of Materials Science & Engineering’s graduate program.
Required Background Knowledge
- Leveling Course Work: MSEN 601 (Fundamentals of Materials Science & Engineering) and MSEN 603 (Introduction Soft and Biomaterials).
- Students who have earned a previous degree in Materials Science & Engineering are automatically "waived" and not required to take leveling course work. Instead, they have the flexibility to take any Free Elective (400+ level Engineering or Science Course).
- Students who have not earned a previous degree in Materials Science & Engineering are required to take leveling coursework which will be used toward fulfilling the Free Elective (400+ level Engineering or Science Course) requirement.
Recommended Math Knowledge
MSEN graduate program Core Courses (MSEN 602, MSEN 620 and MSEN 640) require a basic level of math knowledge in the following topics to excel in these courses. Incoming students are encouraged to refresh their undergraduate math knowledge in these topics and take their required math course as early in their M.S. or Ph.D. programs to improve their math background to be successful in MSEN Core Courses.
- Vector and Matrix Algebra
- Integral and differential calculus (with introduction to complex variables)
- Solutions to Ordinary Differential Equations (including power series solutions and special functions)
- Fourier Analysis, Fourier Transforms
- Partial Differential Equations
- Data analysis, probability and statistics
Before Registering for Classes
- Review Academic Holds via Howdy - ensuring all holds impacting registration are resolved
- The holds will state the origin (with contact info) and services impacted
- Visit the Office of the Registrar’s webpage for instructions to find registration tutorial videos and guides.
- Prerequisites listed for MSEN graduate coursework are given to inform students of the knowledge they are expected to have to be successful in the graduate course. While the department does not block registration based on prerequisites for graduate courses, students are still responsible for ensuring they are prepared to meet course prerequisites. If students have concerns regarding preparation for a particular class, they should contact the instructor of the graduate course for more information regarding expectations.
How to Update Your Location and Accept Terms in Howdy
Must be completed every semester before you can register.
- Go into Howdy.
- Click on My Dashboard.
- Click on My Record.
- Go to Registration Readiness.
- Registration Status.
- Under Action Items, you will find the location and terms to accept.
- Note: Make sure you select the correct semester from the dropdown box.
How to Register Using the Aggie Schedule Builder:
- Go to your Howdy Portal and click Registration.
- Click on the hyperlink Aggie Schedule Builder (Class Search and Registration).
- Select the term and institution you want to register for example “Fall 2023-College Station”.
- Go to Courses and click on the maroon button that says “+ Add Course”.
- Search and add course based on either subject, section attributes, instructor or CRN.
- Once you have added all your desired courses, go back to the “Build Schedule” page, and scroll down to “Generate Schedules”.
- Note: The system will automatically generate a list of all available schedules for you. If you wish to narrow down the search, click on sections (right of gear symbol) and select only the sections you wish to schedule.
- View the generated schedules, pick the one you want and press "View".
- At the very top, press “Send to Shopping Cart” and it will send you to the checkout page where you will register by clicking the maroon “Register” button at the top right corner.
Changing Number of Credit Hours
How to change the number of credit hours for materials science and computer engineering (MSEN) 691:
- Go into Aggie Scheduler.
- Click on Current Schedule.
- Click on the edit/delete icon (a pencil).
- Any course that will allow you to edit the credit hours will have a dropdown box in the hour section.
- Pick the number of credit hours you would like to change the course to from the dropdown box.
- Press the save button.
- Then confirm.
General Registration Information "Recommendations"
Students are recommended to take most of their coursework as early as possible so that in final years they concentrate solely on research, publications, and defense. All Ph.D. students should take the Qualifying Exam (QE) during their third semester.
- Full-Time Enrollment: 9cr (Fall/Spring) and 6cr (Summer)
- International Students are required to enroll full-time
- Students who have an assistantship or fellowship are required to enroll full-time
- Consistent Course Offering(s) Schedule:
- Fall: MSEN 601: Fund. MSEN, MSEN 603: Intro Soft Bio Materials, and MSEN 640: Thermodynamics
- Spring: MSEN 601: Fundamentals, MSEN 602: Physics Materials, and MSEN 620: Kinetics
- Ph.D. QE Eligibility:
- Complete or “Waive” 3 courses: MSEN 601, MSEN 603, MSEN 602, MSEN 620, or MSEN 640
- Maintain 3.0 GPA: Overall and Degree Plan