Montana Tech's chancellor says the college is close to establishing its first doctoral program.
    
Donald Blackketter says that plans for the program nearly complete and it could start enrolling students as early as the 2013-14 school year.
    
Tech would partner with the University of Montana and Montana State University to offer a doctorate in material science, with the schools sharing courses, facilities and faculty.
    
Each school would have a specialty. Montana Tech's would be extracted metallurgy.
    
The program would benefit from UM's programs in physics and chemistry, MSU's strengths in mechanical engineering and Tech's offerings in metallurgy and materials engineering.
    
Blackketter says a committee working on the project hopes to present the proposal it to the Board of Regents in March.