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DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY: Civil Engineering
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY: CIVIL ENGINEERING
Overview
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) in Civil Engineering is a mentored opportunity to become an expert on a specific research topic and train for a career involving independent research. The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Civil Engineering at UVA requires successful completion of required coursework plus the three major milestones: Ph.D. Qualifying Exam, Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal, Ph.D. Dissertation Defense. These requirements as well as other requirements for the Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering at UVA are described below.
Overall Timeline
In our Ph.D. program, students have significant ownership over their academic journey and are responsible for actively progressing toward graduation. Therefore, it is incumbent on the Ph.D. student to regularly communicate with their advisor to make sure that their progression through the program is following a timeline that is suitable to and in accordance with the expectations of the Ph.D. advisor and the program.
Typically, it takes between 4 to 5 years to successfully complete all the requirements and the milestones of the Ph.D. program in CEE. Students who enter the program with a M.S. degree are typically able to complete required coursework and take the Ph.D. qualifying exam in year 1. It may take those students who enter the program with a bachelor’s degree longer to complete the required coursework. The Ph.D. qualifying exam must be taken by the end of the second year. There must be a minimum of two full semesters (counting summer or unenrolled semesters) between a student’s dissertation proposal and their final examination (dissertation defense). However, students are highly encouraged to complete this milestone by the end of year 3 of their program.
All requirements for a Ph.D. degree in Civil Engineering at UVA must be completed within seven years after matriculation to the program
Program Requirements
A candidate for the Ph.D. in Civil Engineering must fulfill the School of Engineering requirements for a Ph.D. degree, along with the requirements described below. The School of Engineering academic requirements for Ph.D. students and steps to graduation can be found on the Office of Graduate Programs website.
Coursework:
A minimum of 24 engineering, graduate-level credits are required for all Ph.D. students in Engineering School at UVA. Ph.D. students who have earned a master’s degree in a STEM field will receive an automatic bulk transfer of 24 graduate credits toward the Engineering School coursework credit requirement. Students who receive a bulk transfer of credits for 24 credits are required to enroll in two CEE courses (six credits) during their Ph.D. program at UVA.
Ph.D. students who have earned a master’s degree in a non-STEM field will receive an automatic bulk transfer of 12 graduate credits toward the Engineering School coursework credit requirement.
Students who receive a bulk transfer of credit may not transfer any additional credits toward the Ph.D. degree.
Students who earn an M.E. or M.S. degree at UVA enroute to a Ph.D. in CEE may use credits from their M.S./M.E. to satisfy the coursework requirement for Ph.D.
It is recommended that a plan of study be prepared under the guidance of the student’s faculty advisor at the beginning of the first semester of study. The plan of study may be revised, if necessary, at any time
Seminar:
As an essential component of the graduate program in CEE, Ph.D. students are required to enroll in CE 7001 (with zero credit hours), attend the CEE seminars, and receive a Satisfactory grade in their first year of the prgram.
Conference/Seminar Presentation:
Ph.D. students are expected to present their research at least once at a conference, CEE Seminar Series or other public venue approved by the Ph.D. Committee.
Publication:
Ph.D. students are expected to generate peer-reviewed publications from each technical chapter of their dissertation. Publications must be peer-reviewed, co-authored with advisor and with the student as first author. Typically, one or more first-authored peer-reviewed publications will have already been accepted by the time of the Ph.D. defense. Sufficiency of the publication record is determined by your Ph.D. Committee.
Ph.D. Qualifying Exam:
The Ph.D. Qualifying Exam (also referred to as the comprehensive exam or Ph.D. exam) is required by the Engineering School for all doctoral engineering students. The Ph.D. Qualifying Exam in CEE consists of two parts: written and oral in front of the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam Committee.
Students may elect to take the Qualifying Exam as early as completion of the required coursework. All students should take the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam no later than the end of their second year in the program. Delayed examination is subject to the approval of the student’s Ph.D. advisor and the Director of Graduate Studies.
The committee for Ph.D. Qualifying Exam must include at least four members, and meet the following requirements:
The outcome of the exam is determined collectively by the qualifying exam committee choosing from four options: pass with distinction, pass, pass with remediation, or fail. The committee weighs both parts of the exam (written and oral) at its discretion when determining the outcome. The committee chair is responsible for communicating the outcome of the exam and delivering feedback from the committee to the student after the exam.
Students who pass with remediation or fail must retake the examination within six months. If these students do not retake the exam within six months, or do not pass after the second attempt, they are dismissed from the Ph.D. program
Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal: This milestone allows the student’s committee to evaluate whether or not the proposed work, if completed, would constitute an acceptable basis for a doctoral dissertation.
Students can take their dissertation proposal as early as the semester following successful completion of their qualifying exams. There must be a minimum of two full semesters (counting summer or unenrolled semesters) between a student’s dissertation proposal and their final examination (dissertation defense). Students are highly encouraged to complete this milestone by the end of the third year of their program.
The Committee for the Dissertation Proposal The committee must include at least five members, and meet the following requirements:
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Committee members from outside UVA (i.e., external members) are allowed to serve as a voting member on the committee. Emeritus faculty are considered external members for the purpose of committees. A CV or biography is required for all committee members who are not UVA faculty and should be submitted to the Engineering Graduate Registrar with the form appointing the committee. The CV or biography should include the highest degree attained, the year and institution, and any relevant experience or research which would enable that member to provide expertise to the student and committee.
The committee chair will then communicate the committee’s decision to the student and their advisor. In some cases, the committee may request revisions to the proposal or ask for further clarification on specific questions before making a final decision.
If a candidate does not pass the defense, they must retake it within six months. The committee chair is responsible for determining an appropriate format and timeline for the second defense. Students who fail to pass on their second attempt will be dismissed from the Ph.D. program.
Ph.D. Final Examination (Defense):
The Final Examination (Defense) is the culminating step of the Ph.D. process. Ph.D. students are eligible to defend their dissertation once they have completed all other requirements of the PhD program.
The committee requirements for Ph.D. dissertation defense are similar to the requirements for the PhD dissertation proposal.To the extent possible, the Dissertation Proposal and Final Examination committees should be the same.
The committee chair will communicate the committee’s decision to the student and their advisor. In some cases, the committee may request revisions to the dissertation or ask for further clarification of specific questions before making a final decision. The committee chair is responsible for establishing a timeline for the student to submit the revised dissertation. If the student fails the dissertation defense, the possibility for re-examination is determined by the committee.
After successful completion of the final defense, the candidate must submit the dissertation via Libra. Paper-bound copies are no longer required. Students should discuss any copyright/embargo issues with their mentors and chairs prior to the upload.
Annual Academic Progress Review for CEE Ph.D. Students:
In CEE, we are committed to maintaining strong and nurturing graduate programs. Conducting annual reviews of Ph.D. students’ academic progress is a major step towards this goal. An annual review of academic progress will have several benefits. An annual review of academic progress helps the student progress successfully through the graduate program by allowing timely diagnosis of deficiencies, clarification of expectations for academic performance, and identification of opportunities for improvement. An annual review will also help the department see our programs from the perspectives of our doctoral students and can be used to evaluate the program’s quality and assess its progress towards its goals and missions. To this end, all CEE Ph.D. students—except those in their first semester of the program—are required to participate in the annual review process, which takes place at the beginning of the fall semester each year. Failure to participate in the Annual Review process will result in a “U” grade in the student’s research credit.
First Destination Survey:
After successful completion of the PhD dissertation defense and upload to Libra, all PhD students must complete the First Destination survey informing the school whether employed, continuing education, military service, volunteering, or still seeking employment.
Ph.D. Survey of Earned Doctoratea:
Following the successful completion of a Ph.D. Dissertation Defense, students are asked to complete the Survey of Earned Doctorate.
Information about the dissertation, committee composition, milestones, and administrative forms can be found on the Ph.D. in Civil Engineering webpage.
Students should consult “Transfer Credit” and “Time Limit” in the School of Engineering and Applied Science—Academic Rules section of the Record for policies that govern transferring credits and limits on the time that may be taken to earn a degree.
