Civil Engineering, Ph.D.

1. Admission to this program requires an MS in Civil Engineering or equivalent with a GPA of 3.5 or better (on a 0-4 scale).
2. GRE scores are required for all full-time Ph.D. applicants.
3. Foreign applicants must take the TOEFL examination and submit the results for consideration.

In criteria 1 and 2 above, the “equivalent" can be achieved in several ways. You may have an MS degree with a different title that covers substantially the same material. In more general terms, you must demonstrate that you have the equivalent of all undergraduate and masters-level coursework to be able to pursue doctoral-level work in the chosen major area, as well as in a minor area within the umbrella of civil engineering. Further, “equivalence” is evaluated based on the totality of your undergraduate and graduate record, not course-by-course. Thus, if you wish to pursue doctoral work in Environmental Engineering, for example, you must have the entire undergraduate and masters-level course background expected in Environmental Engineering, but you do not need to demonstrate such a background in structures.

Because admission to a Ph.D. program requires a relevant MS (or equivalent), applicants who have not yet achieved a master’s degree would normally be admitted as MS students. They are expected to earn an MS degree while completing their major and minor course requirements. In rare cases, an applicant with only a BS degree may be directly admitted into the Ph.D. program with the written approval of the department head.

Find out more about Admission Requirements.

If you are admitted to the Ph.D. program, you will be assigned an academic advisor, who you should meet with shortly after receiving your acceptance letter. During your meeting, you should establish your program of study, which will include a list of the fundamental and advanced topics that will comprise specific courses, the subject matter for your qualifying exam, and possible research areas. For additional information about your academic advisor and the Academic Advisory Committee that will help guide the completion of your qualifying examination, please refer to the Civil Engineering Ph.D. section of Tandon’s Bulletin beginning on page 149.

A maximum of 48 credits of approved graduate work may be transferred and applied to your degree requirements. They would be awarded on a course-by-course basis or by the transfer of an MS degree from another institution in satisfaction of 30 graduate credits. The latter requires a recommendation from the department’s Graduate Committee and the approval of the department head. Transfer credits must be approved by the academic adviser, the graduate coordinator, and the department head.

Please refer to Tandon’s Bulletin, Academic Department, Degree and Program Information, for a detailed description of Transfer Credits Requirements.

To earn a doctoral degree in Civil Engineering, you must meet the following requirements:

1. 54 credits of graduate coursework (not including the Ph.D. dissertation) in relevant major and minor areas of study beyond the bachelor’s degree, with an average grade of B or better (cumulative average of 3.0 or better on a 0-4 scale). Up to 6 credits of the 54 credits may be satisfied by individual guided studies, readings, projects, and theses.

2. Completion and successful defense of a 21-credit dissertation related to the major area of study. Dissertations must consist of original research that advances meaningfully the state of the art in the research subject area and should result in the publication of at least one paper in a strictly peer-reviewed technical journal related to the subject. A grade of B or better must be achieved for the dissertation. There are 2 types of dissertation credits:

• CE-GY 998X: Independent original investigation demonstrating creativity and scholarship worthy of publication in a recognized engineering journal. Registration for a maximum of 6 credits is allowed before registering for CE-GY 999X.
• CE-GY 999X: Independent original investigation demonstrating creativity and scholarship worthy of publication in a recognized engineering journal. Candidates must successfully defend dissertations orally. Registration for 3 to 6 credits per semester is permitted after successfully completing the doctoral qualifying examination, but a minimum of 12 credits must be completed before the defense. Registration must be continuous (excluding summer semesters), unless a formal leave of absence is requested and approved. Registration for 3-12 credits per semester is permitted. In the final semester of work, registration for credit is permitted with the approval of the department head. Prerequisites: Degree status, successful completion of doctoral qualifying examinations, and approval of the dissertation adviser.

3. Completion of 1 minor area of study, as follows:

• In or Out of Department Minor: Completion of 9 credits of graduate coursework in 1 technical areas of study.

Please refer to Tandon’s Bulletin, Academic Department, Degree and Program Information, for a detailed description of Transfer Credits Requirements.

4. Residency requirements for the Ph.D. (Civil Engineering) include the 21-credit dissertation, plus a minimum of 15 credits of applicable graduate course work taken at the School of Engineering.

5. In satisfying the 54-credit course requirement (Item 1), you must satisfy all requirements for the major and minor areas selected or their equivalent.

6. In satisfying these basic Ph.D. requirements, you also must satisfy 1 of the 2 following conditions:

• 48 credits of relevant graduate coursework, not including individual guided studies (readings, projects, theses, etc.) beyond the bachelor’s degree, with an average grade of B or better (cumulative average of 3.0 or better on a 0-4 scale).
  OR
• 24 credits of approved graduate coursework, not including individual guided studies (readings, projects and theses) beyond the master’s degree, with an average grade of B or better (cumulative average of 3.0 or better on a 0-4 scale). Satisfying condition 2 requires that the department accept the student’s MS degree without regard to its specific content. This acceptance requires a recommendation from the department’s Graduate Committee and department head approval.

7. Although publication is not required as a condition for graduation at this time, journal publication is strongly encouraged. Every Ph.D. candidate is expected to generate knowledge worthy of publication in 2 or more reputable journals.

Before becoming a candidate for the Ph.D., you must pass a qualifying examination. 

Immediately after you pass your qualifying exam, a Dissertation Committee will be formed. This panel of experts will guide your course of study and research work. You are required to submit and present a dissertation proposal. The culmination of your Ph.D. work will be the defense of the final draft of your dissertation. There are important requirements involved in the qualifying examination and dissertation processes.