The Ph.D. is aimed at training the graduate student in research within a chosen topic. In each area, mathematics, fundamental sciences, and engineering sciences are combined to provide a personalized program of study and research. All graduate students work in close cooperation with the faculty. Although it is possible for students to study toward a Ph.D. directly upon entering graduate school, most students choose to obtain the MCE or MAS first.

Residency Requirement — The student must meet a campus residency requirement of at least one continuous academic year. If a student has earned a master's degree at the University of Delaware, this can be used to fulfill the residency requirement.

Completion of a doctoral degree usually proceeds in two distinct stages: preparation for the qualifying exam, involving 48 credits of coursework, and preparation of the doctoral dissertation, involving an additional 24 credits.

Preparation for the Qualifying Exam

The qualifying exam is usually taken near the completion of 48 credits of course work beyond the bachelor's degree. A student's doctoral program is planned around a central objective in applied science and mathematics. If a student who already holds a master's degree in the specific field of study is accepted directly into the Ph.D. program, the course work from the master's degree will be taken into account in the design of the doctoral program. All courses in the program are selected with the approval of the student's dissertation advisor. In general, introductory graduate program courses include requirements in mathematics and engineering sciences. To these are added courses in a specific field of study. To insure breadth in the doctoral program, at least 12 of the 48 course credits should be taken outside of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering.

Introductory Graduate Program Courses:
Mathematics & Engineering Sciences

Introductory courses include selected courses in mathematics and engineering sciences, which are chosen with the advice of the student's advisor to insure that the advanced degree recipient has the basic skills that constitute the "fundamental language" of civil and environmental engineering. The purpose of the introductory courses is to provide an adequate basis for original work in the field of study and, within the limits of available time, to extend the student's knowledge outside that field. At least one course must be taken from each group: (1) Mathematics and (2) Engineering Sciences. Students emphasizing environmental engineering are required to include CIEG 632, 634, and 636 in the 48 credits. Students emphasizing ocean engineering are required to include CIEG 639 and 672, and MEEG863. Examples of introductory graduate courses are listed below.

(1) Mathematics

(a) Deterministic

• MEEG 863 Engineering Analysis I
• MEEG 864 Engineering Analysis II
• MATH 610 Partial Differential Equations with Applications
• MATH 616 Intro. to Applied Math I
• MATH 617 Intro. to Applied Math II

  (b) Probabilistic

• MATH 630 Mathematical Probability and Applications
• MATH 631 Introduction to Stochastic Processes
• MATH 632 Topics in Applied Probability
• STAT 601 Intro. to Probability Theory
• STAT 602 Mathematical Statistics
• STAT 650 Statistics for the Engineering and Physical Sciences
• STAT 656 Statistics for Biological Sciences
• STAT 657 Statistics for Earth Sciences
• CHEM 623 Chemometrics

(2) Engineering Sciences

(a) Fluids

• CIEG 639 Hydromechanics
• CIEG 672 Water Wave Mechanics
• CIEG 891 Mechanics of Fluids in Porous Media

  (b) Systems

• CISC 681 Artificial Intelligence
• CISC 689 Expert Systems
• ORES 801 Operation Research Principles
• ORES 802 Operation Research Applications

  (c) Environmental

• CIEG 632 Chemical Aspects of Environmental Eng.
• CIEG 634 Physical Aspects of Environmental Eng.
• CIEG 636 Biological Aspects of Environmental Eng.

  (d) Structures

• CIEG 601 Introduction to Finite Element Method
• CIEG 605 Matrix Structural Analysis
• CIEG 801 Advanced Topics in Finite Element Analysis
• CIEG 817 Stability of Structures

Field of Study

The chosen area should be primarily within the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department, but in more interdisciplinary fields may include significant components from other departments. Examples of courses in the fields of study are given below (consult the UD Graduate Catalog for a full listing of available courses).

(1) Environmental & Water Resources Engineering

• CIEG 631 Water Quality and Pollution Control
• CIEG 635 Air Pollution and Its Control
• CIEG 637 Analysis of Environmental Contaminants
• CIEG 691 Groundwater Hydrology
• CIEG 831 Theory of Water Treatment
• CIEG 832 Theory of Wastewater Treatment
• CIEG 833 Fate of Pollutants in the Environment
• CIEG 842 Design of Water and Wastewater Treatment Systems
• CIEG 867 Sludge Management
• CIEG 891 Mechanics of Fluids in Porous Media

(2) Coastal & Ocean Engineering

• CIEG 678 Transport and Mixing Processes
• CIEG 679 Sediment Transport Mechanics
• CIEG 680 Littoral Processes
• CIEG 681 Water Wave Spectra
• CIEG 682 Nearshore Hydrodynamics
• CIEG 870 Offshore Design
• CIEG 872 Advanced Water Wave Mechanics

(3) Structural & Geotechnical Engineering

• CIEG 604 Prestressed Concrete Design
• CIEG 606 Structural Materials
• CIEG 611 Structural Dynamics Design
• CIEG 615 Reliability Design in Civil Eng.
• CIEG 616 Random Vibrations
• CIEG 617 Advanced Structural Analyses
• CIEG 618 Continuously Supported Structures
• CIEG 620 Soil Mechanics II
• CIEG 621 Foundation Engineering
• CIEG 622 Earth Structures Eng.
• CIEG 623 Soil Mechanics Lab
• CIEG 624 Soil Dynamics CIEG
• 659 Railroad Engineering
• CIEG 802 Advanced Steel Design
• CIEG 803 Advanced Concrete Design
• CIEG 811 Advanced Structural Dynamics Design
• CIEG 816 Analytical Structural Dynamics
• CIEG 820 Inelastic Behavior of Geomaterials

(4) Transportation Engineering

• CIEG 650 Urban Transportation Systems
• CIEG 652 Transportation Facilities Design
• CIEG 654 Urban Transportation Planning
• CIEG 659 Railroad Engineering
• CIEG 667 Transportation Industry: Policy and Regulation
• CIEG 867 Traffic Flow Theory
• CIEG 867 Computational Traffic Analysis

Qualifying Exam and Preparation of the Dissertation

In addition to the required coursework, each student must successfully complete the following steps in order to obtain the Ph.D.:

• Prepare a resume and dissertation proposal
• Select a doctoral committee
• Pass the qualifying examination and advance to candidacy
• Defend the dissertation

Resume and Dissertation Proposal — A student who has completed about 40 credits of course work should consult the academic advisor for assistance in preparation of a resume, which is to include the dissertation proposal. The resume should provide information about the student's background: publications authored, the specialty area contemplated, and a proposal describing the doctoral research to be undertaken. The resume can enable the student to assess progress and plans for the future. It is also useful to both the advisor and student in determining the composition of the student's doctoral committee and the most appropriate character for the qualifying exam. The student will provide a copy of the resume to each committee member and the department chair for approval.

Doctoral Committee — Prospective members of the doctoral committee are discussed between the student and the advisor, who then forwards a recommendation for the composition of the doctoral committee via the department chair to the University Coordinator of Graduate Studies. At least three, but not more than five, members (in addition to the advisor) will be assigned to the committee by the department chair. At least two committee members, one of whom is the committee's chairperson, represent the major field of interest. At least one committee member shall be an external examiner from a different academic unit or from outside the University.

Changes in the composition of the committee to reflect the student's interests may be made following the same procedure (i.e., consultation with the faculty advisor, who forwards the recommendation via the department chair to the University Coordinator of Graduate Studies). It is the student's responsibility to consult each member of the doctoral committee at least six weeks before the qualifying exam for advice on any specific preparation which the committee members suggest. Any committee member who is not fully satisfied with a student's preparation for the formal exam will advise the doctoral committee chairperson promptly.

Qualifying Exam — After the resume has been prepared and a doctoral committee selected, an exam will be scheduled by the committee chairperson. The qualifying exam is a comprehensive written and oral exam. It is usually administered in two sections a week or so apart to test the student's preparation and the aptness of the proposed research. It is not open to the public. The advisor, as exam committee chairperson, administers the written exam and chairs the oral. Upon successful completion of the qualifying exam the student is certified as a candidate for the doctorate. The student must then register for each semester until the dissertation is completed.

At the conclusion of the qualifying exam, the committee members signify agreement by signing the appropriate Graduate Office form. The qualifying exam (written and oral) may result in one of the following actions for a student:

1. Passed; candidacy form signed
2. Passed but additional work required (self study or formal course); form signed. If the qualifying exam committee recommends passing but with additional study or course work, the committee chairperson will insure that the student meets these recommendations promptly.
3. Failed but to be offered a second complete exam after, in most cases, one semester of additional preparation; memo of record from advisor via the department chairperson to the Graduate Office. If unsuccessful a second time, the student will not be permitted a third attempt, and matriculation in the program will be ended.
4. Failed, no re-examination; form signed, and matriculation in the program will be ended.

Dissertation Defense — The procedure for departmental presentation of the Ph.D. dissertation is as follows:

After the student has obtained the approval of the advisor, the dissertation must be typed or printed with all figures and charts completed. (For more information about writing, formatting, and printing the dissertation, see Theses and Dissertations.) Copies of the dissertation are provided in binders to members of the doctoral committee. The committee members evaluate the dissertation (allow at least one week); if their decision is favorable, the dissertation advisor, who is chairperson of the doctoral committee, will schedule the public final oral examination. University policy requires, "All Ph.D. dissertation defenses be open and that an announcement of the time, place, subject, candidate's name, and the title of the dissertation be made available to the University community at least one week prior to the defense. A copy of the dissertation will be made available in the department office at the time the public announcement is made."

In The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the final oral examination is conducted as follows:

1. A presentation by the candidate of approximately 30 minutes on the dissertation research and findings.
2. An intensive questioning by the doctoral committee and all others present takes place after the presentation. The examination is not merely a defense by the student of the dissertation but may also include a review of the student's competence and comprehension in related fields. After the questioning is completed, the meeting is closed to everyone except the committee members, who render their vote.

Upon successful completion of this examination and compliance with any necessary revisions of the dissertation, the candidate will be certified by the doctoral committee for conferral of the degree by completion of the appropriate form.

In the case where the final oral examination is not passed by the student, the applicant will be allowed to appear for a second trial after the lapse of at least six months. If unsuccessful in a second trial, the student will not be permitted to take a further examination and will be terminated from the program.

A Ph.D. candidate wishing to submit his/her dissertation for the University Allan P. Colburn Award in mathematics and engineering may do so by providing three copies of the dissertation to the Civil and Environmental Engineering Graduate Committee chairperson by April 1st. The Graduate Committee then nominates one Ph.D. dissertation from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering for forwarding to the University Allan P. Colburn Dissertation Review Committee by approximately May 1.

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
University of Delaware | Newark, DE 19716-3120
phone: 302-831-2442 | e-mail CEE | fax: 302-831-3640