Doctor of Philosophy - Civil and Environmental Engineering

Program Overview

The Ph.D. in Civil Engineering offers two tracks: a Post-Master's Track for students with a Master's in Civil Engineering and a Post-Bachelor's Track for students with a Bachelor's in Civil Engineering. Both tracks require a minimum GPA and completion of coursework and dissertation research. Graduates are prepared for careers as university professors, researchers, or advanced design engineers in various civil engineering fields.

Program Outline

Outline:

• Post-Master's Track:
• Requires a regionally accredited Master of Science in Engineering degree or equivalent with a major in civil engineering or a closely allied field.
• A minimum post-baccalaureate GPA of 3.20 on a 4.00 scale (4.00=A) or equivalent is required for admission.
• Students must complete 42 credits, including 24 credits of advisor-approved elective courses and 18 credits of dissertation research.
• Post-Bachelor's Track:
• Requires a regionally accredited Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree or equivalent with a major in civil engineering or a closely allied field.
• A minimum baccalaureate overall GPA of 3.20 on a 4.00 scale (4.00=A) and GPA of 3.5 for the last 60 credits is required for admission.
• Students must complete 60 credits, including 39 credits of advisor-approved elective courses and 18 credits of dissertation research.

Assessment:

• Students must maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.00.
• A course, in which a grade of less than C was earned, will not be considered for use toward the degree.
• Students must take a doctoral qualifying exam including a written component prepared by the student's Doctoral Advisory committee.
• Students who have not passed the qualifying exam by their second attempt will be terminated from the Ph.D. program.
• After passing the qualifying exam, the doctoral student must pass a preliminary exam consisting of the preparation of a written proposal for the dissertation research followed by an oral defense of the proposal.
The proposal must be approved by the student's Doctoral Advisory Committee.

Careers:

• The Ph.D. in Civil Engineering prepares the students to become university professors, Ph.D. level researchers in public or private research institutions, or advanced design engineers in the areas of construction, geotechnical, structural, transportation, or water resource/environmental engineering.