PhD in Civil Engineering

This doctorate involves intensive study and research, and it encourages students to cross traditional boundaries while settling on a specialty. Possible focus areas include structural, geotechnical and environmental engineering, as well as highway infrastructure and the management of construction projects. Each student works with a faculty mentor to design an individual plan of study. Modern equipment is available, including civil engineering laboratories and computer labs, many housed in the department's own building. Time is divided between research and classroom work, with specialized offerings in steel structure design, fire-conditions design, hazardous waste management and open channel hydraulics. Students also complete a minor field outside civil engineering, which three courses can establish. Materials, industrial engineering and manufacturing are popular choices. The research setting is interdisciplinary and touches sustainability, conservation of natural resources, design, construction, architecture and energy. Faculty are currently engaged in widely recognized studies of pavement engineering and highway materials, structural systems and smart structures, sustainable building design and construction, and treatment processes involving physical and chemical methods.