Civil and Environmental Engineering - 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.