Ph.D. in Civil Engineering
This is a program for superior students with master’s degrees in civil engineering or allied fields who wish to do advanced research in an area of civil engineering.
John A. Reif, Jr. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Admission Requirements
A minimum master’s GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, or equivalent, is normally required for admission. The GRE (general section) is optional but recommended of all applicants with a minimum 155 in the quantitative section. All international students must also achieve a minimum TOEFL score 79 for the Internet-based exam with a minimum 19 on reading and 18 on listening and writing.
In exceptional circumstances, highly qualified students with bachelor’s degrees in civil engineering may be accepted directly into the doctoral program.
Degree Requirements
The department approves specific degree requirements and dissertation topics on an individual basis. Students must attain a minimum overall GPA of 3.0. Students must conduct independent original research in a specific area of civil engineering. Students must select an advisor willing to supervise dissertation work.
For students entering with only a baccalaureate degree, 36 credits of 600-700 level course work is required. A minimum of 12 credits of this requirement must be 700 level courses. For students entering with a master’s degree, 12 credits of 700 level course work is required. No more than 3 credits may be received for CE 725 (Independent Study) and no more than 3 credits may be received for CE 726 (Independent Study). 700-level courses may be substituted by 600-level courses if the academic advisor appeals on behalf of the student to the Office of Graduate Studies and receives approval. A Ph.D. student’s dissertation committee may ask the student to take additional courses above the aforementioned minimum requirements.
Ph.D. students who pass the Qualifying Examination (QE) must register for 3 credits of pre-doctoral research (CE 792 Pre-Doctoral Research) per semester until they defend successfully the dissertation proposal.
Ph.D. students who defend the dissertation proposal successfully must then register for the 1-credit dissertation course (CE 790 Doct Dissertation & Res) each semester until they complete all degree requirements.
Seminar: The CE 791 Graduate Seminar is required of all doctoral students every semester.
Preliminary Qualifying Examination
Full-time students typically take the preliminary qualifying exam for the first time within one year of beginning active study. Exceptional students having only bachelor’s degrees who are admitted directly into the doctoral program typically take the preliminary qualifying examination within one and one-half years of admission. All students must complete the qualifying exam by the fourth semester of study. All students are permitted to take the examination only twice.
Additional qualifying examination information.
Dissertation Committee
After passing the preliminary qualifying examination, each student, in consultation with the advisor, develops a list of five faculty members who have agreed to serve on an advisory committee. The committee consists of a minimum of five members, one of whom is external to the Ph.D. program or to NJIT. The majority of the committee members are NJIT Graduate Faculty from the student's program or department having research experience or developing research interests related to the dissertation research. The dissertation committee chairperson typically is the doctoral candidate's dissertation advisor. This chairperson must be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member in the program. Two committee members, including an external member, may serve as co-advisors. The advisor, or at least one of the co-advisors, must be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member from the program. The other members of the dissertation committee, except for an external member from outside the university, must be members of NJIT’s Graduate Faculty. Former students of any committee member, who are less than four years beyond doctoral completion, are specifically excluded from membership. The external members should either have appropriate faculty rank elsewhere or have sufficient research expertise.
Research Proposal
Doctoral students must prepare a written research proposal and make an oral presentation for approval by their dissertation committee. The proposal must be presented after formation of the committee but by the end of the student’s sixth semester of study. Research is expected to investigate or develop a unique contribution to science and technology.
Dissertation Defense
An oral defense of the dissertation is required after submission of the final document to the department for approval. Signatures of all members of the dissertation committee must be received for final approval to be granted.