Program Overview

Engineering, PhD: Industrial Engineering

The Doctor of Philosophy, the highest degree offered by the University, is conferred in recognition of marked scholarship in a broad field of knowledge as well as distinguished critical or creative achievement within a special area of the general field. The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in the College of Engineering & Applied Science (CEAS) is designed to meet the traditional high standards for such programs.

Overview of the Program

The PhD in Engineering is administered by the CEAS Graduate Program Subcommittee (GPSC). Some aspects of the program are delegated to the CEAS Graduate Office and to the various departments of the College. There are four major areas in the Engineering PhD program:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Industrial Engineering
• Materials Engineering There are also three standalone PhD programs in the college:
• Computer Science, PhD
• Electrical Engineering, PhD
• Mechanical Engineering, PhD

Admission Requirements

To be considered for admission to the program, an applicant must meet Graduate School requirements plus these College requirements:

1. A bachelor's or master's degree:
   • Applicants holding a BS or MS degree in engineering or computer science, depending on the major area selected, will generally be admitted without deficiencies.
   • Applicants holding BS or MS degrees from domains outside of engineering or computer science may be admitted with specific program-defined course deficiencies, provided that the deficiencies amount to no more than two courses.
2. A minimum grade point average of 3.0 on the basis of 4.0, in the highest degree granted.
3. All applicants are required to submit a brief statement describing their professional goals and at least two letters of reference.
4. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for all international and domestic applicants.
5. International students require proof of English language proficiency.

Credits and Courses

The minimum degree requirement is 66 graduate credits beyond the bachelor's degree. The minimum credit distribution of coursework to be undertaken must be as follows:

• Select 21 credits in the major area of concentration
• Select 9 credits in an approved minor area
• Select 6 credits in mathematics and/or quantitative methods
• Select 9 credits of approved electives
• Select 3 credits of CEAS Graduate Seminar
• Select 18 credits of Doctoral Thesis The 6-credit requirement in mathematics and/or quantitative methods may be met by satisfactorily completing certain courses specified by the GPSC or by taking the minor in mathematics.

Additional Requirements

• Major Professor as Advisor: The student must have a major professor to advise, supervise, and approve the program of study before registering for courses.
• Foreign Language: There is no foreign language requirement for the degree.
• Residence: The program residence requirement is satisfied either by completing 8 or more graduate credits in two consecutive semesters or by completing 6 or more graduate credits in each of three consecutive semesters.
• Qualifying Examination: Each student in the program must take and pass a Qualifying Examination to demonstrate that the student is qualified for doctoral-level work.
• Doctoral Program Committee: The Doctoral Program Committee is proposed by the major professor in consultation with the student and the department.
• Doctoral Preliminary Examination: A student is admitted to candidacy only after successful completion of the doctoral preliminary examination conducted by the Doctoral Program Committee.
• Dissertation and Dissertator Status: The student must carry out a creative effort in the major area under the supervision of the major professor and report the results in an acceptable dissertation.
• Dissertation Defense: The final examination, which is oral, consists of a defense of the dissertation project.
• Time Limit: All degree requirements must be completed within ten years from the date of initial enrollment in the doctoral program.