Civil and Environmental Engineering (Ph.D.)

Program Overview

The Civil and Environmental Engineering Ph.D. program equips students with advanced skills in solving complex engineering problems, fostering deep technical knowledge, and cultivating research abilities. The program emphasizes sustainable infrastructure projects, public health, and environmental preservation, preparing graduates for careers in design, construction, environmental protection, and research.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

Description:

The Civil and Environmental Engineering Ph.D. program trains students in the core foundations of civil and environmental engineering, emphasizing sustainable infrastructure projects designed with public health and safety in mind. The program develops students into professionals that improve the quality of life locally and globally by engineering safer bridges, highways, and dams, as well as preserving and maintaining water quality and ecological balance.

Objectives:

• Equip students with advanced mathematical, computational, design, and experimental skills to solve complex civil and environmental engineering problems.
• Foster deep technical knowledge in specialized areas of civil and environmental engineering.
• Cultivate advanced research abilities, from identifying research needs to executing and analyzing experiments to making interpretations.
• Train students to use existing research to form original research questions, plan projects, and create substantial contributions to the discipline.
• Enhance students' communication and presentation skills to convey technical ideas and research results effectively to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Develop research writing proficiency suitable for peer-reviewed journals or professional publications.
• Foster an understanding of the broader context of engineering, its connections outside academia, and its impact on global, social, economic, public policy, and environmental issues.
• Instill ethical and professional values to guide decision-making and consider the impacts of engineering solutions.

Outline:

Course Requirements:

• Minimum of 42 graded course credit hours beyond a bachelor's degree
• Up to 8 credits from accelerated master's program may be included
• Guidance committee may require additional coursework
• Optional minor of 9+ credits in a field outside civil engineering, approved by the guidance committee (optional)

Program Structure:

• Admission:
Guidance committee appointed upon admission.
• Qualifying Exam:
Pass required within 18 months for students with a master's degree, 30 months for students with a bachelor's degree.
• Doctoral Candidacy:
Advanced to doctoral candidate status upon passing qualifying exam.
• Doctoral Committee:
Established upon achieving candidacy, supervises research, dissertation, and final examination.
• Research Proposal:
Presented and defended within 6 months of achieving candidacy, not later than one year before dissertation defense.

Assessment:

• Qualifying exam administered by guidance committee with written and oral components.
• Dissertation proposal presentation and defense.
• Final dissertation defense and oral examination.

Careers:

Civil engineering encompasses various career opportunities, including:

• Designing and constructing infrastructure, from bridges and highways to skyscrapers and dams
• Planning and managing transportation systems
• Protecting and restoring water quality and the environment
• Developing sustainable energy solutions
• Consulting and project management
• Research and development