Mar 28, 2024  
2018-2019 Graduate Catalog 
    
2018-2019 Graduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Civil and Environmental Engineering Ph.D.


Admission Requirements

Applicants are required to satisfy these requirements:

  1. An M.S. degree in civil engineering, environmental engineering or a closely related discipline in engineering or the physical sciences from a U.S. college or university accredited by a regional accrediting association, or completion of an international degree that is equivalent to a U.S. master’s degree from a college or university of recognized standing.
  2. Excellent academic performance in all completed coursework, with a minimum GPA of 3.000 on a 4.000 scale.
  3. Submission of a complete application, including a statement of purpose, official transcripts for all previous undergraduate and graduate studies, and payment of appropriate application fee.
  4. Official GRE graduate school admission test scores.
  5. Three letters of recommendation from individuals who can judge the applicant’s potential success as a doctoral student.
  6. Graduates from foreign countries are required to submit a notarized financial certification form. All international students whose native language is not English and who have not graduated from an American university must submit a minimum TOEFL English language proficiency score before being considered for admission:
  • 550 – paper-based examination.
  • 213 – computer-based examination.
  • 80 – Internet-based examination.

Degree Requirements


In addition to meeting the Lyle School of Engineering requirements for the Ph.D. degree, candidates are required to satisfy the following:

  1. At least 54 credit hours of coursework beyond the baccalaureate degree.
  2. A minor of at least 12 credit hours providing breadth and support to the doctoral program.
  3. Twenty-four credit hours of dissertation.
  4. Written and oral doctoral qualifying examinations.
  5. A written dissertation.
  6. Defense of the dissertation.

The major and minor courses comprising a degree plan for a doctoral student will be determined by the student’s advisory committee. These plans will vary among students depending on their background and dissertation research topic. Possible Ph.D. program focus areas include geotechnical engineering, structural engineering, transportation systems management, air pollution control and atmospheric science, or water and wastewater engineering.