PhD Civil Engineering

Doctoral study provides the highest level of formal preparation before entering the engineering profession. It is both competitive and challenging and offers special opportunities for learning, research and application. Together with their professors and mentors, doctoral students comprise a true community of scholars. The student's advisory committee, which is responsible for overseeing the student's final achievement, is an integral part of such a community.

Doctoral study is normally completed in three to five years, depending on individual circumstances. In addition to the general requirements of the Graduate School as outlined in the Graduate School Catalog, each student must meet the minimum requirements of the program as well as complete and successfully defend a dissertation.

You can earn a PhD in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Applied Mechanics, Structural Engineering, or Transportation and Urban Engineering.

Applied Mechanics

Students pursuing a PhD in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Applied Mechanics will increase their knowledge by pursuing in-depth research along with faculty. The Structural Engineering and Applied Mechanics (STAM) group performs multi-disciplinary research in the areas of structural engineering, advanced design, and structural vibrations. The faculty has expertise in both structural engineering, involving the design of buildings, bridges and other structures, and applied mechanics, which forms the basis of all structural analysis and design. Faculty research areas include computational fracture, damage mechanics, and theoretical structural mechanics.

Structural Engineering

Students pursuing a PhD in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Structural Engineering will increase the breadth and depth of their understanding of the subject matter through in-depth research and advanced coursework in concrete or steel structures. Students will benefit from access to our Structures Laboratory, a high-bay facility whose in-house crane, actuator, and shake-table provide the capacity to conduct full-scale experiments on structural components. Faculty hold expertise in areas including multihazard resilient design, structural health monitoring, smart structures, and structural simulation techniques.

Transportation and Urban Engineering

Educational and research activities in Transportation and Urban Engineering focus on the planning, design and operation of transportation systems. Faculty research interests span a variety of areas of expertise, including transportation safety, highway crash prediction, geographic information science, sustainable transportation, urban design, and regional planning. The Transportation Systems Laboratory is currently used for teaching graduate courses, senior design collaborative space, research activities and partnering with academic and industry partners.The transportation research group works in conjunction with the Connecticut Transportation Institute.

UConn College of Engineering is a powerhouse for research and engineering education in the State of Connecticut and beyond. We are the #1 public engineering school in New England, and we provide 51 percent of the State’s engineering graduates. UConn is designated by the Carnegie Foundation as an “R1” research university. This is the highest classification given for research and a distinction held by only 3% of all U.S. institutions of higher education.

Our graduate programs emphasize experiential engineering to equip students with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to one day find innovative and socially just solutions to today’s most complex challenges. We work with local and national industries to address pressing technological challenges and strengthen our manufacturing base.

We value entrepreneurship and innovation and our students and faculty actively develop startups and innovative technologies in support of economic development. UConn strived to address the major challenges facing our society through research initiatives in human rights, brownfields, cybersecurity, and other current issues.

General Overview

UConn College of Engineering is a powerhouse for research and engineering education in the State of Connecticut and beyond. We are the #1 public engineering school in New England, and we provide 51 percent of the State’s engineering graduates. We work with local and national industries to address pressing technological challenges and strengthen our manufacturing base. We value entrepreneurship and innovation and our students and faculty actively develop startups and innovative technologies in support of economic development. UConn strived to address the major challenges facing our society through research initiatives in human rights, brownfields, cybersecurity, and other current issues.

UConn is designated by the Carnegie Foundation as an “R1” research university. This is the highest classification given for research and a distinction held by only 3% of all U.S. institutions of higher education. Our graduate programs emphasize experiential engineering to equip students with the knowledge and skills that will enable them to one day find innovative and socially just solutions to today’s most complex challenges.