Prospective Students

Most questions about the department and PhD program structure can be answered in the Materials Grad Handbook. For questions about applications, see the department's application FAQ (link).

FAQs

These FAQs are based on student panel questions and answers from previous admitted-student visit weekends. For more information about the materials program, we encourage you to visit the department website.

Academic FAQs

What's the typical 1st-year experience like?

Generally, professors offer positions in their groups after visit week, and students decide on a group when they commit to UCSB. Due to the state of academic funding, it is strongly encouraged that prospective students confirm an advisor before accepting their admission offer. An admission to the department does not guarantee a position in a lab. Please refer to the student handbook for more information. It is required to have an advisor by the end of the first quarter at the latest. Most students focus their first year (especially the first quarter) on taking classes. Research will likely pick up in subsequent quarters and years. If students TA their first year, it is often for one of the Materials department's classes offered to undergraduate students of different majors. Otherwise, most students TA for Materials graduate classes they have already taken.

What's the average graduation time, and what does the department do to prepare students for careers in and outside of academia?

5-5.5 years on average to graduate from the Materials program. Lots of opportunities through the "Beyond Academia" conference to explore non-academic career options. The MSA Professional Development committee also offers a number of seminars from local industry representatives and networking events, including career panels with industry representatives. Plenty of support for academic jobs as well, although this can depend on your advisor (and their network). 

What if my background isn't in Materials Science?

Many students come from other backgrounds. The first year is mostly about getting everyone on equal footing, and the department offers several primer courses (basic materials, quantum mechanics, etc.) to help students who didn't receive them in undergrad.

What is co-advising like at UCSB?

Co-advising is quite common in the materials department at UCSB. Some fellowships, like those through the Quantum Foundry, even require having two advisors. Co-advising can mean balancing two PI's groups and expectations, but also gives more resources and more flexibility in pursuing your research interests.

What's the lab/work environment like?

This can vary based on the group but overall the atmosphere is extremely collaborative. Professors don't seem to guard information from each other, but rather openly discuss opportunities to collaborate. This attitude is reflected in the regularity of co-advisement and in the department's interdisciplinary research groups (IRGs).

How do I find support/community on campus?

There are a lot of graduate student organizations around campus that informally support other grads, such as the Materials Scientist Association (MSA), Graduate Students for Diversity in Science (GSDS), Womxn in Science and Engineering at UCSB (WiSE), Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS), and the Black Graduate Student Association (BGSA). The Graduate Scholars Program provides more formal mentorship.

What opportunities are there for outreach and educational experience?

All students are required to TA at least once, and many graduate students mentor undergraduate interns from other departments, or formally through summer/semester internships (SULI, REUs, etc.). The MSA outreach committee helps organize opportunities for interested students. There are lots of outreach opportunities through the MRL, which you can join or even lead (talk to Dotti Pak or MSA outreach committee if you're interested in getting involved). there are also programs through CNSI, CSEP, and the Quantum Foundry (contact Wendy Ibsen for more info).

How are the research facilities?

Shared facilities (MRL, CNSI) are great and often have dedicated staff members who maintain the equipment and help out with experiments. Students may be involved in maintaining equipment they use heavily if they choose. The research environment tends to be very open, you can usually find a student in another group to help you out if you need!

Non-academic FAQs

What do people do for fun?

Plenty of rock climbing (indoor and outdoor), hiking/trail running, surfing/stand-up-paddle-boarding/kayaking, hanging out at the beach. Wine tasting is big here, and the downtown food/brewery/live-music scene is pretty fun. There are breweries locally in Goleta, like Captain Fatty's and Draughtsman. It's common for students to go to the downtown Santa Barbara areas near State street for bars, breweries and dancing. The GSA typically hosts bagel hours in their lounge on Wednesday mornings during the academic school year. The department hosts a spring retreat, which is hosted at the Faculty Club. The department also hosts a 5k in the fall, with catered breakfast, and during the summer there is an ice cream social at which faculty scoop you ice cream. Clubs can be found on UCSB Shoreline. Fall quarter begins with a few club rush events, where you can sign up for clubs and intramural sports.

What's the weather like?

Awesome! Generally in the 70s (Fahrenheit) though the mornings and evenings are often chilly due to ocean fog and it can get a bit windy. Santa Barbara has a couple of overcast months in early summer ("May Gray" and "June Gloom").

What's campus like?

For busy days when you don't pack a lunch, the Courtyard Cafe in the Eling's Hall courtyard is very convenient (has grab-n-go meals, chicken bowls, and tacos). There are several food options on campus near the library. IV is walkable/bikeable in a lunch hour, and has many popular and quick lunch spots, especially for burritos (Freebirds and Super Cucas). The Rec Center is quite nice, with multiple weight lifting rooms, many cardio options, two outdoor pools, indoor basketball courts, an indoor climbing wall, monkey bars, locker rooms, etc. Recreational and arts classes are offered year-round. More information and registration can be found at the Rec Cen website.

How is the food in the area?

There are many great locally-owned restaurants in both Goleta and downtown Santa Barbara. You can usually find any type of cuisine, with particular standouts being Mexican food and California-style seafood. Dinner in downtown Santa Barbara is delicious, but it can be pricy (upwards of $20-$30 for a single entree).

What are my housing options/what is the cost of living?

San Clemente graduate housing is typically guaranteed to all grad students for the first year. There are also special housing options for married couples or those in a domestic partnership and/or those with children. Many grad students live in more affordable neighborhoods in Goleta/Ellwood. Please see the Housing Resources tab for the most up-to-date information, as prices vary from year to year. 

What resources are available for international students?

Check out the UCSB Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS), which has a lot of information for international students for each point in the process of coming to UCSB. UCSB's Shoreline page has a list of every student group on campus and can help students connect to the group of international students from their home country. 

Will I need a car in Santa Barbara?

You don't need a car, although most students do have cars. Almost everyone who lives in the graduate apartments or family housing bikes or walks to work, and many people who live farther from campus commute by bus or still bike.

What is the department diversity like? How does the department support students of color?

The department has a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) committee which consists of a combination of faculty, staff, and students, and they host annual town halls and serve as leaders for diversity-related concerns. The DEI committee strives to increase diversity within the department (at the grad student, post doc, and faculty levels) through recruitment and retention of URM, improving departmental climate and mentoring, and increasing communication between faculty and students to bring pressing issues directly to the faculty's attention. Students can send feedback and suggestions to the Materials DEI committee through an anonymous google form. To report specific bias incidents, go to https://studentlife.sa.ucsb.edu/bias. The department fully endorses the College of Engineering statement that: "diversity is indispensable in the College of Engineering, where richly varied perspectives and lived experiences enhance creativity and innovation," and that "solutions that are more meaningful and have a greater positive impact, because they arise from a broader understanding of what constitutes the greater good and from an expanded awareness of who benefits from technological advances." Check out groups such as BGSA, NSBE, SACNAS, WiSE, QTGSU, IASB, APIGSA, and AIGSA!

What's the campus/department attitude towards mental health?

COVID necessitated more conversation around students' mental health, which has had a positive and lasting effect on attitudes in the department. Your advisor's attitude towards work/life balance, anxiety, etc. will of course vary (talk to students both in and outside of their group to try to gauge this!) but students are generally open to discussing mental health, and counseling/therapy/psychiatry are fully covered by our health insurance (UCSHIP), which is covered by the department.

What's the LGBTQ+ community like?

The Resource Center for Sexual and Gender Diversity puts on awesome events, has great resources, and support for students. Also check out the UCSB Chapter of oSTEM.