Doctor of Philosophy Degree Information - Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, University of South Carolina

DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY (PH.D.) DEGREE

Admissions

Students should have the equivalent of an M.E. or M.S. degree in civil engineering or closely related engineering field. Exceptional students may be eligible to enter directly the Ph.D. degree program with a B.S. degree in civil engineering or closely related engineering field. Applicants must exceed the minimum grade and test score requirements for admission to the Master’s degree programs (refer to the M.S. and M.E. eligibility requirements listed above). Outstanding students with non-engineering baccalaureate degrees may qualify for admission to the Ph.D. degree program, with the understanding that they must complete specified deficiency/prerequisite courses.

Degree Requirements

The requirements for the Ph.D degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering conform to the regulations of the Graduate School. The student is responsible for satisfying both departmental and Graduate School requirements.

Completion of the doctoral degree requires a minimum of 60 credits beyond the baccalaureate degree, of which 12 credits must be Dissertation Preparation (ECIV 899). Students having an earned M.S. or M.E. degree must complete a minimum of 30 credits beyond the Masters degree. At least half of the coursework must be completed at the 700-level or above. Prescribed Core Courses are required for each area of study.

For students pursing a Ph.D. degree in the same program area as their M.S. or M.E. degree, a minimum of 18 credit hours of coursework is required. For students pursing a Ph.D. degree in a different program area from their M.S. or M.E. degree, a minimum of 24 credit hours of coursework is required. “Program area” refers to Environmental, Geotechnical, Structural, Transportation or Water Resources Engineering.

A maximum of 6 credits of ECIV 797 can be used toward the student’s program of study beyond the baccalaureate degree.

In addition to the abovementioned requirements, all students must enroll in Seminar in Civil and Environmental Engineering (ECIV 798) in each semester in which they are a full-time student. Credits earned in ECIV 798 do not count toward a student’s program of study.