Civil Engineering, Ph.D.
All programs of study must be approved by the student’s academic advisor and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering graduate director.
Learning Outcomes
- Graduates will be able to demonstrate expertise in a core subject area of civil and environmental engineering.
- Graduates will be able to demonstrate a working knowledge of various areas of CEE and related fields.
- Students will be able to describe and discuss sound research approaches and knowledge of advances in Civil and Environmental Engineering.
- Students will be able to demonstrate the ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering.
- Graduates will be able to identify pertinent research problems, to formulate and execute a research plan.
- Graduates will be able to describe and discuss advances of knowledge in civil and environmental engineering.
- Graduates will be able to generate and analyze original research results, and to communicate these results through oral presentations and written publications submitted to refereed archival journals.
- Graduates will demonstrate the basic skills needed for life-long learning and professional development.
Admissions
Students should have the equivalent of an M.E. or M.S. degree in civil engineering or closely related engineering field. Exceptional students may be eligible to enter directly the Ph.D. degree program with a B.S. degree in civil engineering or closely related engineering field. Applicants must generally exceed the minimum grade point average and test score requirements listed for the M.S. degree program. Outstanding students with non-engineering baccalaureate degrees may qualify for admission to the Ph.D. degree program, with the understanding that they must complete specified deficiency/prerequisite courses.
Degree Requirements (60 Post-Baccalaureate Hours)
Completion of the doctoral degree requires a minimum of 60 credits beyond the baccalaureate degree, of which 12 must be ECIV 899. Students having an earned M.S. or M.E. degree must complete a minimum of 30 credit hours beyond the master’s degree. At least half of the course work must be completed at the 700 level or higher. Prescribed core courses are required for each area of study (see “Core Courses” below).
For students pursuing a Ph.D. degree in the same program area as their M.S. or M.E. degree, a minimum of 18 credit hours of course work is required. Core courses may be satisfied during the M.S. or M.E. degree. For students pursuing a Ph.D. degree in a different program area from their M.S. or M.E. degree, a minimum of 24 credit hours of course work in the new area is required. “Program area” refers to environmental, geotechnical, structural, transportation or water resources engineering.
Credits earned in ECIV 798 do not count toward a student’s program of study.
The residency requirement for the Ph.D. degree ensures that students benefit from and contribute to the complete spectrum of educational and professional opportunities provided by the graduate faculty of a comprehensive university. The granting of a doctoral degree presupposes a minimum of three full years of graduate study following admission to the doctoral program. As such, the residency requirement may be fulfilled by enrollment in at least 18 graduate credit hours within a span of three consecutive semesters (excluding summers). Enrollment in a summer term is not required to maintain continuity, but credits earned during summer terms may be used to count toward residency. Enrollment through the APOGEE program does not satisfy the residency requirement for the Ph.D. degree.
Core Courses
Each area of study has a minimum core requirement for the M.S., M.E., and Ph.D. degrees. The core requirements in the different areas of study are as follows:
Environmental Engineering
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECIV 750 | Principles of Environmental Engineering Process | 3 |
| Select two of the following: | 6 | |
| Principles of Municipal Solid Waste Engineering | ||
| Air Pollution Control Engineering | ||
| Environmental Engineering Process Modeling | ||
| Water and Wastewater Treatment Theory I | ||
| Water and Wastewater Treatment Theory II | ||
| Unit Operations Laboratory for Water and Wastewater Treatment | ||
| Industrial Wastewater Treatment | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 9 | |
Geotechnical Engineering
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECIV 730 | Advanced Soil Mechanics | 3 |
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Slope Stabilty, Retaining Systems and Lateral Earth Pressure | ||
| Theoretical and Numerical Methods in Geomechanics | ||
| Physico-chemical Properties of Soils | ||
| Dynamics of Soils and Foundations | ||
| Ground Improvement Techniques | ||
| Advanced Foundation Design | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 12 | |
Structural Engineering
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ECIV 720 | Advanced Structural Mechanics and Analysis | 3 |
| Select three of the following: | 9 | |
| Theory and Design of Plates and Shells | ||
| Dynamics of Structures | ||
| Advanced Analysis and Design in Structural Metals | ||
| Repair and Retrofit of Structures | ||
| Advanced Analysis and Design of Reinforced Concrete | ||
| Prestressed Concrete Analysis and Design | ||
| Advanced Foundation Design | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 12 | |
Transportation Engineering
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one from each group: | 9 | |
Group One | ||
| Geotechnical Engineering in Transportation | ||
| Transportation Systems Planning | ||
| Highway Design | ||
Group Two | ||
| Traffic Engineering | ||
| Traffic Flow Theory | ||
Group Three | ||
| Deterministic Civil and Environmental Systems Engineering | ||
| Probabilistic Civil and Environmental Systems Engineering | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 9 | |
Water Resources Engineering
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Select one of the following options: | 9 | |
Option One | ||
Select two of the following: | ||
| Computational Hydraulics | ||
| Numerical Methods in Subsurface Hydrology | ||
| Advanced Hydrology | ||
| Unsaturated Flow Theory | ||
| Contaminant Transport | ||
| Erosion and Sediment Control | ||
| Fluid Transients | ||
| Sediment Transport and River Mechanics | ||
Select one of the following: | ||
| Open Channel Hydraulics | ||
| Engineering Hydrology | ||
| Subsurface Hydrology | ||
Option Two | ||
Select three of the following: | ||
| Computational Hydraulics | ||
| Numerical Methods in Subsurface Hydrology | ||
| Advanced Hydrology | ||
| Unsaturated Flow Theory | ||
| Contaminant Transport | ||
| Erosion and Sediment Control | ||
| Fluid Transients | ||
| Sediment Transport and River Mechanics | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 9 | |