Qualifying Examination (Q Exam)

At the end of the first year of study, Ph.D. students in MS&E take the qualifying exam, or Q Exam, which covers the core elements of Materials Science and Engineering: Materials Chemistry, Mechanical Properties, Thermodynamics, Kinetics, Electronic Properties, and Structure. The Q exam requires knowledge of Materials Science and Engineering at the level of the Cornell undergraduate curriculum. It ensures that students from all academic backgrounds are fluent in a common language incorporating the concepts with which we describe structure, process, and property relations in materials.