Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Program Overview
The Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering aims to build the next generation of scholars and researchers exploring solutions to some of today's most pressing civil and environmental engineering issues, such as clean water access, traffic congestion, improving the crash-worthiness of cars and the design of highway bridges.
Students can expect to work closely with a faculty advisor in their chosen research area to create a curriculum plan and guidance for the doctoral dissertation. Students be also be expected to teach introductory-level courses to undergraduates, present conference papers and work with faculty on research grant applications.
Top research areas of the department:
- Environmental engineering
- Geoenvironmental engineering
- Mechanics and materials engineering
- Structural engineering
- Transportation engineering
- Water resources engineering
The Department collaborates with several entities throughout the greater D.C. metropolitan area for research, including:
- Center for Intelligence Systems Research (CISR)
- Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay Watershed
- National Crash Analysis Center
Faculty Advisor & Research Focus
We strongly recommend that prospective doctoral students determine a faculty member in the department with whom they would like to work, as well as the research area of interest.
Download Faculty and Research Factsheet (PDF)
Program Requirements
Please visit the GW Bulletin to see a description of the program requirements.
Admissions Requirements
- Bachelor's or master's degree in a relevant field from an accredited institution.
- If the applicant has obtained a master’s, a minimum grade point average of 3.4 (on a scale of 4.0) is required.
- If the applicant has only obtained a bachelor’s degree, the minimum grade point average must be a 3.3 (on a scale of 4.0).
- Demonstrated capacity for original research in the form of published research papers or conference papers.
- Successful submission of online application form, exam scores and other documents as outlined in the admissions requirements.