PhD Requirements

The School of Engineering offers a PhD in Engineering with an emphasis in Civil Engineering. It requires a minimum of 48 credits of course work. Generally an MS degree completed at another university counts for a maximum of 30 credits of course work. At least 24 credits must be taken at UNM and at least 18 credits must be completed after admission to the PhD program in Civil Engineering. In addition, 18 credits must be earned at UNM in courses numbered 500 or above. PhD students must complete the MS core course requirements established in their area of concentration. In addition, students must take 2 hours of the Graduate Seminar, CE 691.

The areas of emphasis are:

  • Construction Engineering and Management
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Geotechnical Engineering
  • Hydraulics and Water Resources Engineering
  • Structures Engineering
  • Transportation and Traffic Engineering

A PhD student must pass a Qualifying Examination during the first or second semester as a PhD student. This exam consists of both written and oral components and is intended to examine the student’s preparedness for graduate work at the advanced level. After the qualifying exam is passed, the student should form a Committee-on-Studies which, in most cases, becomes the Dissertation Committee.

After approximately the first year in the doctoral program, the student will take the Doctoral Comprehensive Examination. When this exam is passed, the student should complete the Application for Candidacy, which lists the coursework that will be included in the student’s doctoral degree program, and the Appointment of Dissertation Committee form. At this time students can register for dissertation credits. When the student has finished work on the dissertation, the Dissertation Defense should be scheduled. Any revisions to the dissertation must be approved by the Dissertation Committee.

Ph.D. candidates have five years to complete all degree requirements from the date that they are formally advanced to candidacy by OGS (passing of the Comprehensive Examination and approval of the Application for Candidacy and the Dissertation Committee forms).

For more detailed information, please refer to the CCEE Graduate Student Manual, the Office of Graduate Studies, and the UNM Catalog.