Clemson University will design an integrated, and graded, thermal barrier coating (TBC) system that can protect and be used in next generation gas turbines. This will be accomplished by tailoring the composition and the microstructure of a graded coating system to meet the multiple performance requirements on the coatings. A novel class of precursor derived ceramic matrix composites, with graded composition to manage thermal stresses, will be used for initial testing. The effect of stoichiometry and process parameters (e.g. temperature on the microstructure) on the thermal and environmental stability will then be investigated. The results of these experiments will then be used to create the graded coatings via cold spray followed by pyrolysis. The thermal and environmental stability of these new coatings will then be studied. After creating the suitable composition gradients, an industrial viable approach of atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) will be developed. The resulting novel APS coatings will then be evaluated by their thermal and environmental stability in a realistic turbine environment.