The PhD degree is awarded to students who have satisfactorily completed all of the requirements of a doctoral degree program in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The doctoral program involves taking coursework as well as conducting research of significant importance. The PhD degree program focus areas include Biofuels, Coastal Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Structural Engineering, Transportation Engineering, and Water Resources Engineering.
Program Highlights
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High-level jobs in engineering, faculty positions at universities, engineering consultants, leaders for governmental or non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and starting consulting enterprises or companies
Careers
Check out these ideas from ODU's Center for Career & Leadership Development and the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). A median salary is a midpoint of what people typically earn—half of those surveyed earned above the median salary, and half earned below.
Civil Engineers
Perform engineering duties in planning, designing, and overseeing construction and maintenance of building structures, and facilities, such as roads, railroads, airports, bridges, harbors, channels, dams, irrigation projects, pipelines, power plants, and water and sewage systems.
Engineering Teachers, Postsecondary
Teach courses pertaining to the application of physical laws and principles of engineering for the development of machines, materials, instruments, processes, and services. Includes teachers of subjects such as chemical, civil, electrical, industrial, mechanical, mineral, and petroleum engineering. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.
Requirements
A master’s degree or equivalent in engineering or a related field is required for admission to the Ph.D. program; however, exceptionally well qualified students can be directly admitted to the Ph.D. program directly without a master’s degree. Each applicant must submit an essay of 500 words or less describing personal and academic goals, professional objectives, preparation for graduate study, and how the chosen program will help the applicant achieve these goals and objectives. Two letters of recommendation are required. At least one of these must be submitted from former or current professors, and one could be from an employment supervisor. Regular admission to a Ph.D. program generally requires a GPA of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale in the master’s program. Applicants with a lower GPA may be considered for regular or provisional admission on the basis of successful engineering work experience or other credentials demonstrating potential for success in the Ph.D. program. Submission of GRE scores is required except for applicants who hold an engineering degree from an ABET-accredited engineering program. TOEFL (or IELTS) scores are required for all applicants whose native language is not English, unless they have earned a bachelor’s or master’s degree from institutions in USA or countries where English is the primary language of the people.
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Cost of Attendance
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Review the estimated tuition rates for the 2024-25 academic year (subject to change). Non-resident rates are charged for anyone who is not a current Virginia resident, including international students.
Ways to Fund Your Degree
There are a few ways for you to save on the cost of attending Old Dominion University, including scholarships, assistantships, and student loans. For more details about financial aid at Old Dominion, visit the Financial Aid Office page.
Teaching & Research Assistantships
Teaching and research assistantships may be available on a competitive basis. The Civil and Environmental Engineering Visiting Council also offers Graduate Enhancement Awards to provide supplemental financial support to some of the graduate students who receive an assistantship.
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