PhD in Civil Engineering

Summary of Degree Requirements

Students admitted to a PhD in Civil Engineering program must earn a maximum of 18 course credits (beyond the master’s degree) and a minimum of 12 course credits. The total credit count is a minimum of 60 credits beyond a master’s degree. Additionally, students must pass: (a) a PhD Qualifying Examination, (b) a Preliminary Dissertation Examination, and (c) a Dissertation Oral Examination. 

• Students that complete the minimum of 12 course credits must complete a minimum of 48 dissertation credits with a minimum of 30 dissertation credits after completing the Preliminary Dissertation Examination.
• Students that complete 18 course credits must complete a minimum of 42 dissertation credits with a minimum of 30 dissertation credits after completing the Preliminary Dissertation Examination (in rare case a student completes 15 course credits, student must complete minimum of 45 dissertation credits).
• Students that complete more than 18 course credits must still complete a minimum of 42 dissertation credits. 

The decision to complete 12-18 course credits depends on either the student, program director and/or research advisor. If required by the program director or the research advisor, student must adhere. A Qualifying Examination as described herein is administered based on coursework taken at the university and courses that have been completed or are near completion. Faculty teaching a minimum of 4 courses (12 credits) must agree to serve on student’s Qualifying Exam committee, else, either more courses must be taken or student should select different courses. The program director must approve the courses that will serve as part of the Qualifying Examination. Reasons to take more than 12 course credits are summarize as follows:

• Student wishes to wait until 18 course credits are complete or near completion prior to taking Qualifying Examination. Student only has this choice independently if not receiving any form of funding from the university. Else, student’s research advisor must provide permission to exercise this option.
• The program director concludes that courses that are part of the first 12 credits are not adequate for the development of a Qualifying Examination for the student.
• With permission of research advisor, student wishes to gain additional knowledge in a subject related to student’s specialization or research interests that becomes available after the first 12 credits are completed.
• Research advisor requires student to take additional courses to support the research such as a course in research methods, mathematics or other courses that will assist the student’s research objectives.

Notes: if students do not pass Qualifying Examination in their first attempt, an additional six course credits may be required to bridge to the following semester when the exam will be retaken. These additional course credits are considered extra credits and do not influence the original planned credit count for the student; meaning if the qualifying examination was originally developed assuming the student were to complete 12 course credits, the student must now complete 18 course credits and 48 dissertation credits. 

Students admitted to the program are defined as PhD Applicants until they pass the PhD Qualifying Exam, at which time they are considered PhD Candidates. PhD Candidates must complete a one-year residency as part of the degree requirements, i.e., as a PhD candidate, the student must complete a minimum of one year (or equivalent) of research in the Lawrence Tech campus environment.

Course credits are subjected to the following limitations:

• A maximum of 9 credits from the 5000-level civil engineering courses
• A minimum of 6 credits from 6000-and higher-level courses
• A maximum of 6 credits from 6000-and higher-level courses from other departments
• A maximum of 6 credits from two Civil Engineering Independent Research courses (i.e., ECE 7993)
• A maximum of 3 credits of 5000- and higher-level courses in mathematics, probability, statistics or programming (students may only use this if completing more than 12 credits of coursework). 

Descriptions of all graduate courses offered by the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering are provided on BannerWeb. Students are required to consult the program director and/or research advisor in selecting courses not offered by the Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering. Students are not allowed to register for any dissertation credits until they have passed the PhD Qualifying Examination.

Credit Transfer Policy

Lawrence Tech allows the transfer of a maximum of six credits of qualified graduate level coursework from other institutions. Transfer courses must have been taken within the past five years and passed with a B grade or better. An applicant transferring from another institution with special circumstances will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. 

Research Specialization

Students admitted to the PhD in Civil Engineering program may select from one of the following civil engineering specializations:

• Construction Engineering and Management
• Environmental and Water Resources Engineering
• Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering
• Structural Engineering and Materials
• Transportation Engineering

The selection decision will also depend on the student’s coursework during his or her MS in Civil Engineering program. Those who have not been adequately exposed to the selected specialization are required to enroll in additional courses to bridge the gap. Depending on the specialization selected, students are assigned to an advisor who will guide them throughout the process.