Civil and Environmental Engineering - PhD

College of Engineering

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

The Civil and Environmental Engineering PhD degree prepares students for professional engineering careers. The PhD degree represents high scholarly achievement demonstrated by independent research and competence in an area of specialization approved by the student’s supervisory committee. For the PhD program, each student plans an individualized course of study with the assistance of their supervisory committee. The degree requires the successful completion of a comprehensive examination, as well as a proposed written dissertation, and final oral defense. Doctoral candidates in Civil and Environmental Engineering can specialize in a variety of emphasis areas.

Graduate students in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering seeking the degrees of ME, MS, or PhD are able to select an emphasis that corresponds to the program in which they are studying. These include Environmental Engineering, Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulic Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Structural Engineering and Mechanics, Water Resource Engineering and Hydrology.  Additionally, the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers an MS or PhD degree with specialization of Climate and Adaptation Science.

School of Graduate Studies Requirements

• A bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university or a similarly recognized international university is required for admission to and completion of a graduate program.
• Graduate students are required to maintain at least a 3.0 GPA for degree-program courses. Grades of C- or lower will not be accepted for a graduate degree.
• The Program of Study for a doctoral degree must include at least 15 semester credits at the level of 6000 or above.
• A doctorate must be completed within eight years of entering the degree program. Additional time may be requested by the student’s committee and submitted to the Vice Provost of Graduate Studies for review.
• Coursework over eight years old at the time of degree completion may not be used for a graduate degree unless it is revalidated.
• At least 33 semester credits for a doctoral (Ph.D.) degree must be taken from Utah State University and be part of an approved Program of Study. At least three semesters, two of which must be consecutive, of full-time registration in residence at Utah State University, is required.

Program Requirements

• 12-22 credits of technical and scientific coursework is required, a minimum of 18 credits of dissertation research, as well as two semesters of seminar credit for a total of 42 credits.
• Approval of academic forms required for doctoral students by the School of Graduate Studies
• List of specific forms required:
  • Supervisory Committee
  • Program of Study
  • Application for Candidacy
  • Appointment for Examination
  • Record of Examination
  • SGS and library review and approval
• The PhD degree requires students to pass a comprehensive exam, the preparation of a dissertation as well as the successful defense and submission of the dissertation to the library.