Doctor of Philosophy in Civil - Florida Interna

Florida International University's Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering is a research-oriented program with three concentrations: Structural, Environmental, and Transportation Engineering. Students develop advanced knowledge and skills in civil engineering through coursework, qualifying exams, proposal defense, and dissertation defense. The program emphasizes original research and aims to prepare students for careers in academia or industry.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Florida International University offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering degree.

Objectives:

The program aims to equip students with advanced knowledge and skills in civil engineering, enabling them to conduct original research and contribute to the field.

Description:

The program focuses on three main areas of concentration:
Structural, Construction, and Geotechnical Engineering
Environmental and Water Resources Engineering
Transportation Engineering
Students must complete a minimum of 75 semester credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree (including 54 hours of coursework and 15 hours of dissertation) or 60 semester credit hours beyond the M.S.
A maximum of 30 transferred semester credit hours may be granted to students with a Master’s degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering or a closely related field.

Assessment:

Qualifying Exam:
Students must pass a written exam covering materials from core courses determined by the supervisory committee.
The exam consists of 8 problems and students are given 8 hours to complete it.
The exam is open-book.
Students can retake the exam once if they fail.
Proposal Defense:
Must be completed at least one year before the expected graduation date.
Students must prepare a detailed proposal (including background information, problem statement, objectives, literature review, methodology, work plan, and schedule).
The proposal is submitted to committee members two weeks before the defense date.
The defense takes the form of a graduate seminar open to all faculty, students, and visitors.
Students can retake the proposal defense twice.
Dissertation Defense:
A draft dissertation must be submitted to committee members six weeks prior to the defense date.
The defense takes the form of a graduate seminar open to all faculty, students, and visitors.
Students can fail the dissertation defense once.

Other:

Students must contact the department and be accepted by a faculty member to guide their dissertation research within 15 months of admission.
The maximum length of study is 7 years for students admitted with a B.S.
Students should become familiar with the University Graduate School’s regulations and deadlines available online at http://gradschool.fiu.edu.
Residency requirements: The Ph.D. student should spend at least one academic year in full residency after successfully passing their Comprehensive Examination.