When the doctoral program is ready to accept applicants, this page will be updated. Please contact the department chair for additional information on this program at paul.gremillion@nau.edu.
The objective of this degree program is to prepare students to be leaders in industry and academia within the field of Civil and Environmental Engineering. This is accomplished through a doctoral degree program which provides for close collaboration with faculty members in four emphasis areas of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Transportation, Water Resources, Structures, and Environmental. Faculty members within these areas are experts in transportation operations, transportation safety, bridge, pavement and structure design, pavement and structure sensing, rural water management, and air and water quality. Collaborations are encouraged with other advanced programs at NAU, including but not limited to Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, the School of Informatics, the Center for Bioengineering Innovation, the Center for Materials Interfaces in Research and Applications, the School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability, the Department of Geography, Planning, and Recreation, Biology, Business, and Social and Behavioral Sciences. Within this degree plan, students take a set of core Infrastructure courses, courses within their chosen emphasis area, and complete and original research project, culminating in a dissertation and oral defense.
The Doctor of Philosophy in Civil and Environmental Engineering provides students with advanced training in core areas of Civil and Environmental Engineering with a focus on Infrastructure Resilience. Through an integrated and collaborative approach of research and coursework, students develop the skills necessary for careers in academics, national and international research laboratories, and governmental agencies.
This is a terminal degree.
To receive a Doctor of Philosophy Degree (PhD) at Northern Arizona University, you must complete a planned group of courses, from one or more disciplines, ranging from at least 60 - 109 units of graduate-level courses. Most plans require research, a dissertation, and comprehensive exams. All plans have residency requirements regarding time spent on the Flagstaff campus engaged in full-time study.
The full policy can be viewed here.
In addition to University Requirements:
| Minimum Units for Completion | 60 |
| Additional Admission Requirements | Required |
| Dissertation | Dissertation is required. |
| Comprehensive Exam | Comprehensive Exam is required. |
| Oral Defense | Oral Defense is required. |
| Research | Individualized research is required. |
Purpose Statement
The PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering trains students to develop and solve high level, complex research problems under the umbrella of Infrastructure Resilience within a specific emphasis area of Civil and Environmental Engineering: Transportation, Water Resources, Structures, or Environmental. Students will learn the set of analytical, experimental and computational tools necessary to identify, elucidate, and propose and carry out solutions to problems within these emphasis areas focused on current topics related Integrated Infrastructure Systems, Smart Infrastructure Systems, Infrastructure Planning, Infrastructure Finance and Investment, Infrastructure Security, Infrastructure Management, and the impact of Infrastructure on the Environment.
The Transportation Emphasis will focus on safety, efficiency, and sustainability within the context of infrastructure resilience and smart system technologies. The Water Resources Emphasis will focus on the evaluation, planning, design, and rehabilitation of new and existing sustainable and resilient water resources infrastructure. The Environmental Emphasis will focus on the responsible use of resources to minimize human impacts on the natural environment and create a sustainable built environment. The Structures Emphasis will focus on robustness of infrastructure design and use within a wider operational context to address changing life-cycle costs due to security and climate fragility concerns.
Problems within Civil and Environmental Engineering and specifically Infrastructure are inherently interdisciplinary, and students will learn the skill set necessary to work with diverse groups to solve multifaceted problems which span multiple disciplines. This training will occur through close collaboration and mentoring with faculty who are experts within the various specialties and traditional graduate level coursework. Those graduating with a PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering have a broad range of employment opportunities, including traditional academic positions; research and development careers within industry (infrastructure technology, engineering consulting, and infrastructure management), and engineering and/or research positions in National Laboratories.
This program is designed for students with a strong preparation in the engineering sciences, including a Bachelor of Science in Civil or Environmental Engineering or related field, with research interests aligned with those identified above, who have the desire to excel within the fields of Infrastructure and Civil and Environmental Engineering.
Student Learning Outcomes
Core Civil and Environmental Engineering Outcomes
The NAU graduate online application is required for all programs. Admission to many graduate programs is on a competitive basis, and programs may have higher standards than those established by the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies.
Admission requirements include the following:
Visit the NAU Graduate Admissions website for additional information about graduate school application deadlines, eligibility for study, and admissions policies.
Ready to apply? Begin your application now.
International applicants have additional admission requirements. Please see the International Graduate Admissions Policy.
Individual program admission requirements over and above admission to NAU are required.
This Doctoral degree requires 60 units distributed as follows:
Take the following 60 units:
Infrastructure Foundations (15 units)
Individualized Focus (18 units)
Up to 30 units of Graduate-level coursework from an MS degree may be applied toward the degree requirements with the approval of the dissertation committee
Dissertation (15 units)
Milestones
Be aware that some courses may have prerequisites that you must also successfully complete. For prerequisite information, click on the course or see your advisor.