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Detailed Information

Programs of Study

The Edmund A. Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences offers programs leading to M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in biomedical engineering, chemical engineering, electrical and computer engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, and optics. The Institute of Optics provides the premier curriculum for graduate study in optical science and engineering. Each department’s M.S. degree requires a minimum of 30 semester hours of graduate credit and may be earned with or without a thesis. Thesis research can involve up to 12 hours of graduate credit. The M.S. option without a thesis may include up to 6 credits of independent study or project work and requires a comprehensive final examination. Programs are open to both full-time and part-time students. A special part-time master’s program designed to accelerate the time period required to earn the degree is available for selected employees in local industries. The Ph.D. degree is offered to prepare individuals for careers in research and teaching. The requirements include 90 semester hours of credit beyond the bachelor’s degree and at least one academic year of full-time study in residence. A typical academic program is divided between course work and research credits to provide Ph.D. candidates with a broad exposure to their fields of interest, the requisite training for mastery of their area of specialization, and experience in conducting scholarly research. Ph.D. students must pass a preliminary examination and an oral qualifying examination and must present and defend an original thesis that contributes to knowledge in the field.

Research Facilities

The academic departments of the School are located on the River Campus, the University’s main campus. Each department has extensive laboratories with modern equipment for research and instruction. Research centers within the academic units include the Center for Electronic Imaging Systems, the Center for Future Health, and the Rochester Center for Biomedical Ultrasound. Nearby facilities include the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, which houses one of the world’s most powerful laser systems and conducts controlled thermonuclear fusion and laser physics research.

The University’s library system contains more than 2.75 million volumes, and the Carlson Science and Engineering Library maintains complete collections in the research areas of the School. A campuswide network connects the extensive computing facilities.

Financial Aid

Research and teaching assistantships, department fellowships, and other fellowships and scholarships are available. Graduate assistantships provide a stipend of $13,000 to $20,000 per year plus a full-tuition scholarship. This support includes the summer months. University fellowships for outstanding candidates and special honors fellowships are also offered for up to $22,000 per year. Nearly all full-time graduate students receive financial aid.

Cost of Study

Tuition for 2009–10 is $1184 per credit. The mandatory health fee for 2009–10 is $576 per year.

Living and Housing Costs

University-owned apartments near the River Campus accommodate about 40 percent of the graduate students. This housing ranges from studio apartments to three-bedroom town houses, both furnished and unfurnished. Rents range from about $450 per month for a room adjoining the campus to approximately $770 per month for a furnished, two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment in an on-campus housing complex. Off-campus (private) housing is plentiful. Food and other living costs in Rochester are moderate.

Student Group

The University’s total enrollment is about 9,400, including 5,000 full-time undergraduates, 3,100 full-time graduate students, and 1,300 part-time students. There are approximately 450 full-time graduate students and 30 part-time graduate students in the Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

Student Outcomes

Students completing engineering graduate studies at the University of Rochester (UR) have many options available to them. Recent graduates have found positions in a wide range of the industrial and business sectors. Examples of companies where graduates work include Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, Allied Chemical, IBM, 3M, Corning, Fujitsu Corporation, Merck Pharmaceutical, General Electric, and new start-up companies. Some graduates have gone on to faculty positions in prestigious engineering departments and medical centers around the country. Opportunities for UR graduate students remain abundant.

Location

The greater Rochester metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1 million. Its economy is based primarily on high-technology industries. Eastman Kodak and Xerox are major employers. The area is unusually strong in the quality of its public institutions and cultural life and is the home of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Eastman School of Music, the Memorial Art Gallery, the Museum and Science Center, and the International Museum of Photography. Recreational opportunities include boating and fishing on Lake Ontario and the nearby Finger Lakes, skiing in the Bristol Hills, touring the Finger Lakes wineries, and camping and hiking in the Adirondacks (only a 4-hour drive from Rochester).

The University

Founded in 1850, the University of Rochester is an independent, nonsectarian, coeducational institution of higher learning and research. It is one of the nation’s smallest distinguished universities. Academic and research programs are conducted by seven schools and colleges on three campuses. Programs ranging from the undergraduate to the postdoctoral level are offered in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, and professional fields of business, education, engineering, medicine, music, and nursing.

The River Campus, which includes the College (the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences as well as Arts and Sciences), is situated on the tree-lined bank of the Genesee River about 3 miles south of downtown Rochester. The Medical Center is adjacent to the River Campus; the Eastman School of Music is in the heart of the cultural district of downtown Rochester. The University offers excellent facilities for sports and recreation, including the multimillion-dollar Robert B. Goergen Athletic Center.

Applying

Admission to graduate study normally begins in the fall semester. Applicants seeking financial aid beginning in the fall semester should submit complete applications by the preceding January 15. Students not requesting financial aid should submit applications by August 1 for fall admission and December 1 for spring admission. There is no application fee for those who apply online at https://its-w2ks08.acs.rochester.edu/admgrad/. TOEFL scores are required for international students whose native language is not English. GRE scores are strongly recommended for all applicants. Direct contact with the department of interest is encouraged.

The Faculty and Their Research

• BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING: H. Awad, A. Berger, D. Borkholder, E. Brown, L. Carney, P. Chess, A. Clark, D. Dalecki, K. Davis, D. Dean, G. DeAngelis, L. DeLouise, P. M. Fauchet, B. M. Fenton, E. Freedman, R. D. Frisina, K. Fujiwara, G. Gdowski, S. Gracewski, D. C. Hocking, J. Houck, M. Jacobs, N. Kuzma, A. Lerner, A. Luebke, S. McAleavey, J. L. McGrath, B. Miller, D. T. Moore, J. G. Mottley, R. Ning, L. Novotny, W. G. O'Dell, G. D. Paige, K. J. Parker, R. Perucchio, D. Pinto, J. E. Puzas, W. Saad, I. H. Sarelius, M. Schell, E. Schwarz, S. Seidman, D. S. Ward, R. Waugh (Chair), D. R. Williams, A. Wismueller, J. H. D. Wu, G. Yoon, W. Zareba, J. Zavislan, J. Zhong. Research Areas: Molecular cell and tissue engineering: cellular mechanics and adhesion, especially of the vascular system; microvascular flow and its regulation; extracellular matrix interactions; nanoscale materials and biosensors. Biomedical imaging: computer-aided diagnostics, nuclear spin spectroscopy for cardiovascular diagnostics, applications and technological developments of ultrasound, imaging of growth and repair of musculoskeletal tissues, medical image processing and functional imaging, optical devices incorporating state-of-the-art optical technology, vision research, molecular imaging, computational radiology, magnetic resonance imaging. Neuroengineering: systems modeling and neurophysiological analysis; cell and molecular engineering applied to vestibular, auditory, and visual systems. Biomedical optics: multiphoton microscopy for tissue characterization, principles of physical optics and optics design for clinical applications, confocal microscopy for clinical diagnosis, spectroscopic analysis of biological fluids, advanced microscopy for cell and molecular measurements. Biomechanics: musculoskeletal tissue engineering, analysis of bone stresses during movement, analysis of gait, bone growth and development, mechanics of vascular cells.
• CHEMICAL ENGINEERING: M. L. Anthamatten, S. H. Chen (Chair), E. H. Chimowitz (Associate Chair), D. R. Harding, S. D. Jacobs, J. Jorné, L. J. Rothberg, C. W. Tang, Y. Shapir, J. H. D. Wu, H. Yang, M. Z. Yates. Research Areas: Biotechnology and bioengineering: bone marrow tissue engineering, genome approach to molecular and cellular modulation of hematopoiesis, adaptive cellular immunotherapy, molecular engineering of protein biocatalysts for biotechnological and biomaterial applications, genetic and protein engineering, molecular biology and biophysics, pulmonary physiology, biomedical applications of transport processes, interfacial phenomena, methods to study impacts of nanomaterials to human health. Inorganic materials: material synthesis in microemulsions, phase transition and critical behavior of fluids in disordered porous materials, supercritical fluid phenomena, statistical mechanics and molecular simulation, microelectronics, transport and reaction in porous media, complex reaction systems, chemical vapor deposition, membrane separations and pollution control, fuel storage and gas sensor technology, magnetorheology. Nanostructured materials: block copolymers, ordering transitions in nanostructured and mesostructured materials, nanoparticle synthesis, self-assembly and processing, monodispersed nanoparticles and their applications, dimensionality of nanostructured materials, nanoparticle/polymer composites, layer-by-layer deposition, multiple-component and functional nanoparticles, core-shell nanoparticles, mesoporous materials, magnetic nanoparticles, magnetic nanoparticle carriers, self-assembled monolayer in nanofabrication, fabrication of functional nanostructured materials, inorganic quantum dot solar cells, photonic and biophotonic components and devices. Particle technology: functionalization of particle surfaces, colloidal crystallization, electrostatic self-assembly, microencapsulation, environmentally friendly synthesis and processing using ionic liquids and supercritical fluids, morphological control, particles and particle assemblies for optoelectronics, drug delivery, membranes, biological labeling. Organic materials and devices: light-emitting diodes; solar cells; photoconductors; image sensors; photoreceptors; charge injection, transport, recombination, and luminescence properties; liquid crystals and liquid crystalline polymers; reversibility associating polymers; conjugated polymers; self-assembled organic thin films; vapor deposition polymerization; materials for flat-panel displays. Fuel cell technology: electrocatalysts, platinum alloy and intermetallic catalysts, low-platinum and high-active nanomaterial in catalyst electrodes, new materials and structures for proton exchange membranes, alignment in nanocomposites membranes, MEA assembly, small-molecule (hydrogen, methanol, and formic acid) fuel cells, water management.
• ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING: P. Ampadu, M. F. Bocko (Chair), J.-P. Couderc, D. Dalecki, L. DeLouise, V. Derefinko, H. Dery, M. Doyley, S. Dwarkadas, P. M. Fauchet, J. R. Fienup, E. G. Friedman, D. Headlam, W. Heinzelman, T. Y. Hsiang, M. Huang, Z. Ignjatovic, M. Jacob, T. B. Jones, S. McAleavey, J. G. Mottley, K. J. Parker, S.-A. Seyedi-Esfahani, G. Sharma, R. Sobolewski, E. L. Titlebaum, A. Vosoughi, R. C. Waag, H. Wu. Research Areas: Computer systems and microelectronics: computer architecture, computer organization, microprocessor design, high-speed adaptive architectures, multiprocessor systems, computer systems performance analysis, digital systems design, VLSI circuits and systems, CMOS circuits, synchronization, clock distribution, pipelining, signal integrity, speed/power/area tradeoffs, WSI, VLSI systems, routing and placement, CAD tools, analog IC design, analog to digital converters, CMOS image sensors, integrated sensors, fault-tolerant VLSI design, reliability of VLSI circuits, VLSI signal processing circuits, nanoscale integrated circuits, RF circuit design, microwave engineering, device modeling. Optoelectronics and nanoelectronics: optoelectronic and photonic materials and devices, light-emitting porous silicon, silicon nanodevices and nanotechnologies, biosensors, single-electron devices, femtosecond lasers, optical diagnostics, ultrafast phenomena, superconducting thin films and devices, nonequilibrium effects, high-temperature superconductors, optoelectronic switching, magnetic thin films, infrared detection, electronic noise, solid-state and quantum electronics, nonequilibrium and ultrafast phenomena in condensed matter, nanodevices and nanotechnologies, spintronics. Signal processing and biomedical imaging: digital image processing, genomic signal processing, multimedia data security, color reproduction, audio and music signal processing, ultrasonic scattering, biomedical ultrasound, bioelectric phenomena, interaction of acoustic and electric fields with biological materials, quantitative ultrasonic tissue and materials characterization, anisotropy of ultrasonic parameters, ultrasonic contrast agents, medical imaging, doppler imaging techniques, digital half-toning, 3-D/4-D medical imaging, tissue characterization, inverse problems, breast imaging, elastography, cardiovascular disease, molecular imaging, ultrasound, and MRI. Communications: wireless communication, wireless networking, protocol design, mobile ad hoc networking, sensor networks, mobile computing, code design, media access protocols, routing protocols, mobility management, error control, protocols to ensure quality of service, joint source coding, distributed data compression, transceiver design in wireless communications systems, multiple-access communications, radar, sonar, signal design and coding, psychoacoustics, echolocation. Electromechanics and electrostatics: electromechanics of particles, microfluidics, microelectromechanics, biological dielectrophoresis, industrial electrostatic hazards.
• MATERIALS SCIENCE: M. Anthamatten, M. Bocko, S. J. Burns, R. L. Clark, S. H. Chen, E. Chimowitz, J. Dinnocenzo, R. F. Eisenberg, P. M. Fauchet, P. Funkenbusch, Y. Gao, C. Guo, T. Y. Hsiang, S. D. Jacobs, T. B. Jones, J. Jorné, J. C. Lambropoulos (Director), J. C. M. Li, D. J. Quesnel, Y. Shapir, R. Sobolewski, C. W. Tang, G. W. Wicks, J. H. D. Wu, W. Wu, H. Yang, M. Z. Yates. Research Areas: Materials synthesis: new nonlinear optical crystals; glasses and polymers; liquid crystal polymers; organic and inorganic polymers made with transition-metal catalysts; block and conjugated copolymers; magneto-optical materials; polymer LEDs; fluorescent materials; nanocomposites; epitaxial semiconductors and optoelectronic devices; III–V and group IV compounds and semiconductors; fuel cell materials, membranes, and catalysts. Materials processing: chemical vapor deposition of ceramics; deterministic optical fabrication and manufacturing; microgrinding; mechanical and electrochemical polishing; high-intensity laser-matter interactions; piezoelectric materials; sputtering and thin-film deposition and processing; lithography; powder ceramics and metals; bulk and thin-film ceramic superconductors; electrohydrodynamic fabrication and electrospinning for biomedical, drug delivery, and engineered materials. Materials characterization: high-resolution X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, atomic-force microscopy, nanoindentation, near-field and Nomarski optical microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, extensive facilities for optical property measurements. Materials testing: nanoindentation and scratching, AFMs for indentation, impression creep, fatigue and recovery, acoustic and optical damping, laser damage testing, thermomechanical and fracture toughness facilities, fuel cell polarization measurements. Analytic and computational studies: deformation; dislocation mechanics; nucleation; phase transitions; cyclic and statistical thermodynamics of solids; adhesion; fluctuations, especially in superconductors; molecular dynamics; laser physics; fracture mechanics and failure analysis.
• MECHANICAL ENGINEERING: R. Betti, D. T. Blackstock, S. J. Burns, A. Becene, A. Clark, R. L. Clark, P. D. Funkenbusch, R. F. Gans, Z. J. Gao, V. N. Goncharov, V. L. Genberg, S. M. Gracewski, J. C. Lambropoulos (Chair), A. M. Lerner, J. C. M. Li, R. L. McCrory, A. Maximov, D. D. Meyerhofer, C. Muir, R. L. Perucchio, D. J. Quesnel, C. Ren, C. Ronald, J. H. Thomas, R. E. Waugh, Y. Wu. Research Areas (Solid mechanics and materials): Mechanics of materials: Mechanical properties of materials: fracture and fatigue, scratch resistance and impression creep, nanoscale contact, thermomechanical deformation of materials, indentation and adhesion, piezoelectric failures. Microstructure Characterization: atomic-force microscopy, nanoindentation, optical and scanning electron microscopy, surface profilometry, X-ray and electron diffraction. Materials processing: laser damage of materials; electrospinning; mechanics and material problems in deterministic microgrinding and optical manufacturing; processing of powder materials; thermal and deformation processing of metals and alloys, especially metal aluminides. Special materials: piezoelectrics, corrosion, biological and biomedical materials, nonlinear optical materials, adaptive structures. Applied dynamics: dynamic systems and controls, adaptive acoustic materials and structures, active structural and acoustic control, elastic waves in layered media, mechanics of bonded interfaces and whisker failures in microelectronic solders, thermal and mechanical properties of thin films, expansion and collapse of bubbles. Biological applications:Mechanics of cardiac growth and development: elasticity, poroelasticity, material properties, nonlinear finite-element modeling of the developing heart. Biomedical ultrasound: imaging and lithotripsy, fracture mechanics and failure of kidney and gall stones. Bone growth and orthopedics: medical image-based modeling. Mechanical properties of fusion energy research: inertial and magnetic confinement fusion; hydrodynamic theory and simulations of inertial fusion implosions; experimental studies of laser driven implosions; hydrodynamic stability and nonlinear waves with both Rayleigh-Taylor and parametric instabilities; experimental studies of the scattering of radiation from laser-produced plasma; plasma diagnostics; the investigation of intense X-ray sources; experimental studies of the interaction of very short pulse, high-intensity lasers with matter; measurements of equation of state at ultrahigh pressures and densities; particle acceleration in plasmas; magnetohydrodynamic equilibrium and stability of tokamak plasmas; plasma dynamics, kinetic theory and wave-particle interaction. Fluid mechanics: Astrophysical fluid dynamics and magnetohydrodynamics: the physics of sunspots, dynamos in the Sun and other stars, the formation of planetary nebulae, hydrodynamic lubrication, non-Newtonian fluids, magneto-rheological fluids, numerical modeling (CFD).
• THE INSTITUTE OF OPTICS: G. P. Agrawal, M. A. Alonso, A. Berger, N. Bigelow, R. W. Boyd, T. G. Brown, J. H. Eberly, P. M. Fauchet, J. R. Fienup, T. H. Foster, N. George, C. Guo, S. D. Jacobs, W. H. Knox (Director), T. Krauss, J. Marciante, D. T. Moore, L. Novotny, W. D. Seka, C. R. Stroud, K. J. Teegarden, G. W. Wicks (Associate Director), D. R. Williams, E. Wolf, G. Yoon, J. M. Zavislan. Research Areas: Component technologies: diffractive optics, gradient-index optics, holographic optical elements. Guided-wave optics: fiber optics, integrated optics, optical waveguide phenomena, fiber gratings, fiber amplifiers. Image science: diffractive theory, electronic imaging, pattern recognition, Fourier optics, phase retrieval, wavefront sensing, image reconstruction and restoration, biological imaging. Lasers: solid-state lasers, semiconductor lasers, fiber lasers, laser instabilities, high-intensity lasers, laser fusion, ultrafast laser physics and engineering. Medical optics: human visual system, mechanisms of vision, laser-tissue interactions, Raman spectroscopy, spectroscopy of turbid systems, measurement of chemical concentrations in intact biological specimens, biological imaging. Nanoscale optics: optical interactions and devices involving structures with nanometer dimensions. Nonlinear optics: nonlinear interactions, phase conjugation, nonlinear optical materials. Optical materials: glasses, IIIˆV and group IV semiconductors, epitaxial growth, nonlinear materials, liquid crystals, materials processing, polishing science, optical thin-film coatings. Optical system design: design algorithms, novel optical systems, optical aberration theory, optical systems without symmetry, nonimaging optics, design using anisotropic optical materials. Photonics: optoelectronics, quantum electronics. Quantum optics: resonant interaction of light with matter, Rydberg atoms, electron and atomic wavepackets, multiphoton processes, ultrafast phenomena. Telecommunications: solitons, optical-fiber communications. Theoretical foundations: coherence theory, quantum and classical electrodynamics, propagation of light, statistical optics, radiation theory, mathematical models of wave propagation.

Correspondence and Information

University of Rochester
Edmund A. Hajim School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Box 270076
Rochester, New York 14627-0076
Telephone: 585-275-4151
Fax: 585-461-4735
Email: gradstudies@seas.rochester.edu (general information)
bme_gradinfo@seas.rochester.edu (biomedical engineering)
gradinfo@che.rochester.edu (chemical engineering)
gradinfo@me.rochester.edu (materials science)
gradinfo@me.rochester.edu (mechanical engineering)
gradinfo@optics.rochester.edu (The Institute of Optics)