Civil Engineering PH.D

The degree is comprised of four separate concentration areas:

• Environmental & Water Resources Engineering

  • Environmental engineering is about the scientific principles and engineering solutions for environmental challenges that impact the health and well-being of society and the environment. The technical skills environmental engineers learn are used to develop strategies and technologies to treat and protect the quality of air, water and earth. Environmental engineers apply their broad understanding of engineering and the sciences, such as chemistry, biology, soil science and more, to improve human and ecological health through impactful engineering applications.
  • Water Resources engineering is a vast field focused on managing available water resources in terms of both water quantity and water quality to meet the water needs of human and natural environments on the local, regional, and global scales. Water resources engineers should have a fundamental knowledge of hydrological processes such as evaporation, transpiration, runoff, and infiltration which are used by nature and human society to move water globally. 

• Geotechnical Engineering

  Geotechnical engineering is an area of civil engineering that focuses on the engineering behavior of earth materials. This subdiscipline is relatively young and therefore uses knowledge from other fields such as geology, hydrology, and mechanics. Geotechnical engineers use the fundamental principles of soil and rock mechanics to investigate subsurface conditions for the design of earthworks, foundations, slopes, earth retaining structures, dams, tunnels, and other structures interacting with subsoil and water. 

• Structural & Materials Engineering

  • Structural engineering is a sub-discipline of civil engineering in which structural engineers are trained to analyze and design the 'bones and joints' that create the form and shape of human-made structures. It is the field of engineering particularly concerned with the analysis and design of load-bearing structures. Structural engineers need to design structures so that the structures do not collapse or behave in undesirable ways while serving their useful functions.
  • Materials engineering applies materials science to engineer improved construction materials to build our infrastructure. These materials traditionally include asphalt concrete, Portland cement concrete, steel and fiber reinforced concrete, fiber reinforced polymer composites, unbound and chemically bound aggregates, and chemically treated and stabilized soils. The materials engineering in civil engineering deals with the scientific concepts and practical considerations underlying the selection, specification, and quality control of civil engineering materials. 

• Transportation Engineering

  Transportation engineering primarily involves planning, design, construction, operations, and management of transportation facilities. It is the application of modern technology and scientific principles to the design, development and maintenance of transportation systems. Transportation engineers develop faster, safer and more efficient means of transportation.