PH.D. PROGRAMS

The Ph.D. offers an intensive, individually tailored research program suitable for the preparation of students for an academic or similar research-oriented career. The Ph.D. degree programs require that students have already completed a master’s degree in civil or environmental engineering or a closely related discipline before they can be accepted into one of the Ph.D. programs.

Qualified students who are interested in pursuing a Ph.D. degree are encouraged to contact a faculty member whose research expertise matches the students area of interest.

PH.D. PROGRAMS REQUIREMENTS

The Ph.D. degree is a research-oriented degree that requires some coursework combined with intensive research. The program is flexible in content, depending on the student and the advisor. However, certain University, College, and Department rules must be met. Other requirements are listed below. A program of study must be developed by the student and advisor and the dissertation committee and must meet with departmental approval. It is usually developed near the beginning of the Ph.D. program, at which time transfer credit will be evaluated on a course-by-course basis. It can be amended as the research progresses.

  • Minimum hours required for Ph.D. – 72 past the bachelor’s degree
  • Hours transferred in from Master’s – 30 (maximum) containing a maximum of 6 thesis hours in either case
  • Hours that must be taken in formal courses at UCF – 15 credit hours minimum
  • Dissertation (XXX 7980) – 18 credit hours
  • Doctoral Research hours (XXX 7919) – 9 maximum (more than 9 research hours can be taken, but up to 9 hours only can be counted towards the program of study).
  • Independent Study (XXX 6908) – 6 maximum (more than 6 independent study hours can be taken, but up to 6 hours can be counted toward a program of study).
  • Not more than a total of 12 hours of Doctoral research plus Independent study.
  • Directed Research (XXX 6918) is not permitted in Ph.D. program of study.
  • The student must pass a Qualifying Examination in one of the departmental disciplines. This examination must be taken within the first year of study beyond the master’s degree.
  • The student must pass a Candidacy Examination prepared by the student’s committee. The Candidacy Examination is normally taken near the end of the course work and consists of a written portion (which may be the written research proposal and/or additional written questions), and an oral presentation of the research proposal. A copy of the written examination will be kept as part of the student’s official record. The student cannot register for dissertation hours until the Candidacy Exam has been passed.
  • The student must pass a Dissertation Defense Examination, which is the oral defense of the written dissertation.
  • International students have to meet Graduate Studies and ISS rules to remain in legal standing as a full-time student throughout their tenure at UCF.

DOCTORAL DISSERTATION COMMITTEE

  • The dissertation committee will consist of a minimum of four members. All committee members should hold a doctoral degree and be in fields related to the research. At least three members must be department faculty (one to serve as chair). Off-campus experts, joint faculty members, adjunct faculty, and other university faculty members may serve as the third and fourth person in the committee. There must be at least one member of the committee from outside the department.
  • In unusual cases, with approval from the Department Chair, two professors may chair the committee jointly. Joint faculty members may serve as committee chairs, but off-campus experts and adjunct faculty may not serve as committee chairs.
  • All members vote on acceptance or rejection of the dissertation proposal and the final dissertation, and approval requires a majority of the advisory committee.

APPROXIMATE TIMETABLE FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS AT UCF

The following listing is intended as a guide and reminder to students and faculty as to the approximate timing of events for graduate students. It is intentionally somewhat vague to account for different starting semesters, different research project needs, and different levels of student capabilities. PhD students should, prior to entering UCF, coordinate with the advisor and discuss plan for courses in the first semester.

  • Semester 1: Meet with the advisor. Enter and begin classes.
  • Semester 2: Schedule Qualifying Exam to be taken before, during or immediately after the second semester. Continue to take classes. Begin research planning.
  • Semester 3: After passing Qualifier, work with Advisor to form a committee. Prepare a Program of Study, and file it with the Graduate Coordinator. Prepare a formal plan for research, and a research proposal.
  • Semester 4: Finish classes and/or take research hours. Take the Candidacy Exam as prepared by the Committee.
  • Semesters 5 – ??: Conduct Research. Register for Dissertation hours, and work on Dissertation.
    Last Semester: File intent to graduate. Defend dissertation.

The Civil Engineering PhD program includes courses and research in structural analysis and design, geotechnical engineering and foundations, transportation planning and operations, traffic engineering, construction engineering, and water resources engineering. This will prepare students for roles in consulting firms, construction and construction-related industries and academic institutions as well as in city, county, state and federal government agencies.

Elective Courses: 54 Credit Hours Minimum

  • To be approved by a faculty adviser and the graduate coordinator.
  • At least 27 credit hours of formal course work is required, exclusive of research and independent study. For students entering the program with a completed master’s degree, at least 15 of the 27 credit hours (exclusive of independent study and research) must be taken at UCF after the master’s program from approved formal courses. For students entering the program without a master’s degree in Civil Engineering or a closely related discipline, at least 45 credit hours of formal course work are required.
  • Doctoral Research (XXX 7919) – 9 credit hours maximum (more than 9 research credit hours can be taken, but only a maximum of 9 credit hours will be counted toward the program of study).
  • Independent Study (XXX 6908) – 3 credit hours maximum
  • No more than a total of 12 credit hours of doctoral research plus independent study will be included in a program of study.
  • Directed Research (XXX 6918) is not permitted in a PhD program of study.

Students can choose among the following courses with the consent of the academic adviser. Students that have no MS degree should complete the core courses for the MS degree in the respective focus area. These focus areas are: Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Transportation Systems Engineering, Water Resources Engineering and Construction Engineering. For each one of these areas there is a suggested list of core courses.

Suggested elective courses include:

Geotechnical Engineering

Structural Engineering

Transportation Systems Engineering

Water Resources Engineering

Construction Engineering and Management

Students are also allowed to take courses from other specialization areas. Students can take courses from Civil Engineering or Environmental Engineering and other departments, including but not limited to Statistics, Mathematics, and Industrial, Mechanical, and/or Electrical Engineering, and Computer Science, with the consent of the academic adviser.

Dissertation: 18 Credit Hours

  • XXX 7980 (where XXX can be CGN, CEG, CES, CWR, or TTE; 18 credit hours)

Examinations

The student must pass three examinations.

Qualifying Examination

The first is the PhD Qualifying Examination in one of the departmental disciplines. This written examination must be taken within the first year of admission into the PhD program. It may be attempted no more than twice.

Candidacy Examination

The student must pass a Candidacy Examination, normally taken near the end of the course work. It consists of a written and oral presentation of a research proposal, and may include additional written or oral questioning by the committee. A copy of the written examination will be kept as part of the student’s official record.

Admission to Candidacy

The following are required to be admitted to candidacy and enroll in dissertation hours. Evidence that items have been completed must be received by the College of Graduate Studies on the Friday before the first day of classes for those who wish to enroll in dissertation hours in that semester:

  • Completion of all but 6 hours or less of course work, except for dissertation hours.
  • Successful completion of the candidacy examination.
  • Successful defense of the written dissertation proposal.
  • The dissertation advisory committee is formed, consisting of approved graduate faculty and graduate faculty scholars.
  • Submittal of an approved program of study.

Dissertation Defense Examination

The Dissertation Defense Examination is an oral examination taken as defense of the written dissertation.

The College of Engineering and Computer Science requires that all dissertation defense announcements be approved by the student’s adviser and posted on the college’s website and on the College of Graduate Studies Events Calendar at least two weeks before the defense date.

The Environmental Engineering PhD program focuses on pollution control, pollution prevention, and the correction of pollution effects on natural and man-made environments preparing students for careers in environmental engineering with consulting firms; with industry; within federal, state, and local governments; and/or in higher education.

The Environmental Engineering PhD program focuses on pollution control, pollution prevention, and the correction of pollution effects on natural and man-made environments. The program is known for its strong faculty research interests. Areas of study include drinking water treatment, astute treatment, solid and hazardous waste management, atmospheric pollution control and modeling, environmental water resources, and stormwater management. The program’s mission is to prepare students for careers in environmental engineering with consulting firms; with industry; within federal, state, and local governments; and/or in higher education.

Required Courses: 12 Credit Hours

All students completing the PhD program must take one course each from 4 of the 5 technical areas listed below for a total of 12 credit hours.

Water Process Engineering

Wastewater Process Engineering

Waste Treatment/Water Treatment/Industrial Treatment

Air Quality Modeling/Air Pollution Control

Water Resources

Elective Courses: 42 Credit Hours

  • To be approved by a faculty adviser and the graduate coordinator
  • At least 27 credit hours of formal course work is required, exclusive of research and independent study. For students entering the program with a completed master’s degree, at least 15 of the 27 credit hours (exclusive of independent study and research) must be taken at UCF after the master’s program, from approved formal courses. For students entering the program without a master’s degree in Environmental Engineering or a closely related discipline, at least 45 credit hours of formal course work are required.
  • Doctoral Research (XXX 7919) – 9 credit hours maximum (more than 9 research credit hours can be taken, but only a maximum of 9 credit hours will be counted toward the program of study).
  • Independent Study (XXX 6908) – 3 credit hours maximum
  • No more than a total of 12 credit hours of doctoral research plus independent study will be included in a program of study.
  • Directed Research (XXX 6918) is not permitted in a PhD program of Study.

Students can chose among the following courses with the consent of the academic adviser. Students that have no MS degree should complete the core courses for the MS degree in Environmental Engineering or Environmental Engineering Sciences. In addition, all elective courses will be 5000 or 6000 level courses.

In addition, elective courses can be chosen from any of the following disciplines:

Engineering: any 5000 or 6000 level course from any Engineering discipline. Typical electives come from Environmental Engineering (ENV courses), Water Resources Engineering (CWR courses), Civil Engineering, Construction Engineering, and Industrial Engineering.

Non-Engineering: Statistics, Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, General or Inorganic Chemistry, Biology, Math, and Physics.

Suggested elective courses include:

Dissertation: 18 Credit Hours

  • ENV 7980  18 Credit Hours minimum

Examinations

Students must pass three examinations. The first is the PhD qualifying examination. This examination must be taken within the first year of admission into the PhD program. It may be attempted no more than twice. In addition to the qualifying examination, students must pass the candidacy examination and the dissertation defense examination. The candidacy examination is normally taken near the end of the course work and consists of a written and oral presentation of a research proposal, and may include additional written or oral questioning by the committee. A copy of the written examination will be kept as part of the student’s official record. The dissertation defense examination is an oral examination taken as defense of the written dissertation.

The College of Engineering and Computer Science requires that all dissertation defense announcements be approved by the student’s adviser and posted on the college’s website and on the College of Graduate Studies Events Calendar at least two weeks before the defense date.

Admission to Candidacy

The following are required to be admitted to candidacy and enroll in dissertation hours. Evidence of meeting these requirements must be received by the College of Graduate Studies by the day before the first day of classes for the semester in which a student wishes to enroll in dissertation hours.

  • Completion of all but 6 hours, or less, of course work, except for dissertation hours.
  • Successful completion of the candidacy examination.
  • A successful defense of the written dissertation proposal.
  • The dissertation advisory committee is formed, consisting of approved graduate faculty and graduate faculty scholars.
  • Submittal of an approved program of study.