Requirements
At or near the beginning of the student's work beyond the master's degree, the School of Engineering (all emphases) requires a preliminary examination to determine the student's qualifications to undertake a program leading to the doctorate and to assist the student's advisers in planning the program.
The Ph.D. in Engineering Science with an emphasis in aeroacoustics requires as a minimum 66 semester hours of graduate credit beyond the baccalaureate degree. The student's adviser must approve all course selections. At the adviser's discretion, a preliminary examination may be required at or near the beginning of the student's work beyond the master's degree. A comprehensive written examination must be passed before entering the dissertation process.
The Ph.D. in Engineering Science with an emphasis in chemical engineering requires no specific courses beyond those specified for the M.S. degree. A total of 90 credit hours are required, and specific course work is stipulated by the candidate's advisory committee. Each student is required to conduct a semester-long investigation of a research or design problem in an area other than his or her dissertation area. Before undertaking the dissertation, the student must pass three three-hour written comprehensives and an oral examination.
For the emphasis in civil engineering required courses include Finite Element Analysis I (ENGR 590), Continuum Mechanics (ENGR 617), and two approved mathematics courses (3 hours each). The remaining course work is determined by the student's advisory committee. A total of 60 semester hours beyond the baccalaureate is required, of which 18 must be dissertation hours. Before admission to candidacy, the student must pass written and oral comprehensive exams.
The concentration in computational hydroscience and engineering involves 48 credit hours of course work including core courses and electives, 12 hours of research topics, and 18 dissertation hours. Students may specialize in either hydroscience/engineering system modeling or computational methodologies applicable to hydro-systems modeling. Other requirements include the publication of at least two refereed papers (preferably one of them to be published in a professional journal); participation in research seminars; completing assigned research projects; and passing written and oral comprehensive exams.
For the Ph.D. in Engineering Science with an emphasis in computer science, the student must present a master's degree in the field or the equivalent and take additional classes adding up to 54 hours of course work beyond the bachelor's degree. This may include no course numbered lower than CSCI 510, and a minimum of 18 hours must be in computer science courses at the 600 level. The student may count up to three nonregular courses (9 hours), such as independent study, towards the degree. No more than 27 semester hours may be transferred from another university. The student must pass four written comprehensive exams: one each in systems, languages, and algorithms, and one selected from the following: artificial intelligence, graphics and visualization, data management and retrieval, software engineering, or another area approved by petition to the graduate committee.
The Ph.D. in Engineering Science with an emphasis in electrical engineering requires at least 48 hours of course work and at least 18 hours of dissertation credit. Of the 48 hours of course work, 12 hours must be in an approved minor area, at least 2 hours must be in seminar, and no more than 6 hours can come from research credit outside the dissertation. Course work must be approved by the student's advisory committee.
The Ph.D. in Engineering with an emphasis in electrical engineering (electromagnetics) requires 36 semester hours in the major field out of a total 48 semester hours of graded course work beyond the bachelor's degree. Included in these requirements are the following core courses: Advanced Electrodynamics (ENGR 621); Passive Microwave Circuits (ENGR 623); Advanced Microwave Measurements (ENGR 619); Special Projects-Numerical Methods in Electromagnetics (ENGR 597); Antennas (ENGR 625); and Seminar (ENGR 695). Other courses are to be taken in specific areas of electromagnetics including microwave circuits, antennas, electromagnetics, and computational electromagnetics. These related courses include ENGR 590, ENGR 593, ENGR 622, ENGR 624, ENGR 625, ENGR 627, ENGR 628, ENGR 655, ENGR 687, ENGR 691, ENGR 693 (no more than two semester hours), ENGR 699, ENGR 729, or other courses with approval. The candidate must take 12 semester hours of graded courses in a minor area (mathematics, physics, or another appropriate field with approval). A written comprehensive exam is taken during the first year of residency.
The Ph.D. in Engineering Science with an emphasis in both geology and geological engineering requires 54 semester hours of graduate credit beyond the bachelor's degree; selection of courses must be approved by the student's advisory committee. Successful completion of both written and oral comprehensive exams is required before undertaking the dissertation.
For the emphasis in hydrology, the student must complete 48 semester hours of course work beyond the bachelor's degree plus 18 hours of dissertation. The 48 hours of course work includes 13 hours of required courses [Hydrogeology (GEOL 505), Environmental Geochemistry (GE 503), Groundwater Mechanics (ENGR 636), and Contaminant Transport (ENGR 645)], and 6 hours from an approved list of electives (GE 518, CE 541, CE 542, CE 543, ChE 545, GEOL 615, ENGR 537, ENGR 616, ENGR 637, ENGR 648). Remaining credit hours will be fulfilled with courses approved by the student's committee. Up to 3 hours of ENGR 695 (seminar) may be used as part of the required hours provided that the seminar schedule includes critiqued presentations by the enrolled students. Students must pass a written and oral comprehensive exam before completing the dissertation research.
The Ph.D. in Engineering Science with an emphasis in materials science and engineering requires 30 semester hours of course work as specified and approved by the student's adviser committee, plus 12 hours of research and 18 dissertation hours. Comprehensive exams must be passed before entering the dissertation process.
The Ph.D. in Engineering Science with an emphasis in mechanical engineering requires 30 semester hours of course work as specified by the student's advisory committee, plus 12 hours of research and 18 dissertation hours. Comprehensive exams must be passed before entering the dissertation process.
