PhD in Civil Engineering

This program leads to a Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering at Carleton University, offered through the Ottawa-Carleton Institute for Civil Engineering, a joint program giving students access to professors, courses and facilities at Carleton and the University of Ottawa. It is thesis-based and covers six fields of specialization: Environmental Engineering, Fire Safety Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Structural Engineering, Transportation Engineering, and Water Resources Engineering, with research addressing topics such as self-driving cars, 3D printing of buildings, drone-based geotechnical and building assessment, the dynamic response of soils and foundations, explosion resistance of structures, multi-hazard earthquake and fire protection of structures, and computer modelling of historic buildings. Some graduate students conduct research off campus at facilities such as Environment Canada and Natural Resources Canada. Exceptional applicants with an undergraduate degree may be considered for direct entry into the PhD without first completing a master's degree. The program normally takes three to five years to complete on a full-time basis, with admission for the Fall, Winter or Summer term.