Colorado State University

Curriculum Requirements

• A minimum of 72 credit hours of coursework and research beyond the bachelor’s degree is required, of which at least 18 credit hours must be in regular graduate-level CEE courses.
  • Regular graduate-level CEE courses include courses with a CIVE prefix that are numbered 5XX, 6XX, or 7XX and with the last two digits ranging from 00 through 82 (e.g., CIVE 655).
• A master’s degree may count for up to 30 credit hours, in which case a minimum of 42 credit hours of approved coursework and research beyond the master’s degree are required.
• A minimum of 24 credit hours of coursework must be earned at Colorado State University upon matriculation in the doctoral program.
• A minimum of 21 credit hours of coursework beyond the master’s degree or 37 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree must be earned in courses at the 500 or higher level.
• For students with a master’s degree and requiring 42 credit hours for the PhD, up to 6 credit hours of Independent Study (CIVE 695A-L) may be allowed. For students without a master’s degree and requiring 72 credit hours for the PhD, up to 9 credit hours of Independent Study (CIVE 695A-L) may be allowed.
• A maximum of 2 credit hours of seminar courses is allowed.
• A dissertation must be written and approved.
• 12-18 credit hours of dissertation research (CIVE 799A-L) are required for students with a master’s degree, or 18-24 credit hours of dissertation research (CIVE 799A-L) are required for students without a master’s degree.
• A Qualifying Examination must be passed (CEE Department requirement) during the first year of matriculation as a doctoral student.
• A Preliminary Examination must be passed.
• A Final Examination representing the dissertation defense must be passed.
• The research publication form must be signed by your PhD Advisor.
  • Candidates for the PhD degree must have had the results of their dissertation research submitted for publication to at least one refereed journal of international prominence. The paper(s) may be co-authored, but the Candidate must be the first (principal or senior) author of at least one paper.

Qualifying Examination

Purpose:

The purpose of the CEE Department-required Qualifying Examination (QE) is to determine a student’s preparation and qualifications to continue in the PhD degree program in the CEE Department.

QE Committee:

The QE Committee comprises a minimum of three tenured/tenure track faculty members from the CEE Department, typically in the student’s graduate program of study. For students in the joint PhD program in Construction Engineering and Management, the Committee comprises at least four faculty members with at least two of these faculty members being full-time tenured/tenure track faculty members in the CEE Department (i.e., they cannot be joint appointments).

The QE is a CEE Department requirement and not a Graduate School requirement. As a result, there is no need for a Committee member who is from another department. At the discretion of the student’s PhD Advisor, an additional member of the QE Committee from another department is allowed.

The QE Committee is selected by the student’s PhD Advisor, but the student’s Advisor shall not serve as the Chair of the QE Committee. The QE Committee does not need to be the same as the student’s PhD Committee, although members of the QE Committee also may serve on the student’s PhD Committee.

Scheduling:

A PhD student must successfully pass the QE before the beginning of the third week of the third academic semester of their matriculation as a doctoral student in the PhD program. The QE shall be administered twice per year during the three-week period ranging from one week prior to the beginning of a semester until two weeks after the beginning of the same semester. Each student has two opportunities to take and pass the examination as long as the student’s second opportunity occurs before the beginning of the third week of the third academic semester of their PhD program.

For PhD students who do not have an engineering degree, the Department’s QE policy will be extended by two semesters to allow the student sufficient time to take the required engineering background courses prior to taking the QE.

For PhD students who do not have a prior master’s degree requiring the need to complete 72 credit hours, the Department’s QE policy will be extended by two semesters to allow students to take additional coursework prior to the exam.

Procedure:

The QE comprises both written and oral components. The written component typically lasts four to eight hours, and rghe oral component typically lasts two to four hours. Both the written and the oral components must be completed within the three week examination period.

The QE covers material in a minimum of four subject areas within each student’s program of interest. The subject areas must be chosen by the student’s PhD Advisor and the QE Committee. The student’s Advisor will request written examination questions/problems from the other QE Committee members in the four subject areas. Prior to the oral component of the QE, the student’s Advisor will compile the written examination questions/problems, give these compiled questions/problems to the student in the form of the written examination component, and distribute the completed written examination component to the QE Committee members.

A qualifying examination that has been successfully passed at another academic institution prior to the student’s matriculation in the CEE Department’s PhD degree program at Colorado State University must be reviewed and approved by the student’s QE Committee at CSU in order to meet the CEE Department’s QE requirement.

Outcome of the QE:

Based on a majority vote, the QE Committee will indicate the outcome of the exam as passed, passed subject to conditions, or failed.

The outcome of the QE, including recommendations and/or requirements for the student’s PhD program, will be recorded using the Department’s official QE outcome form and submitted by the Chair of the QE Committee to the CEE Department’s Graduate Student Coordinator. Subsequently, the result will be reported to the CEE Department Head and placed in the student’s file maintained by the CEE Department. A student who passes the QE becomes a PhD Candidate.

Appointment of the PhD Committee

Students work with their PhD Advisor to determine a PhD Committee comprising at least four faculty. At least two PhD Committee members must be tenured or tenure-track faculty within the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The PhD Committee shall include the student’s PhD Advisor, who serves as Chair of the Committee, one or two members in the field of specialization, and at least one member from another department. The outside PhD Committee member is nominated by the PhD Advisor but represents the Graduate School and is appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School.

Individuals who have special expertise but are not members of the CEE Department’s regular faculty may serve as nonvoting PhD Committee members and are appointed as additional PhD Committee members. The Graduate School has additional information on the PhD Advisor and PhD Committee composition.

The PhD Committee will advise the student, assist in preparing the program of study, generally supervise the research and thesis, and administer all required examinations.

Preliminary Examination

Purpose:

The purpose of the Preliminary Examination is to determine the PhD Candidate’s ability to conduct original and independent research. The student presents a proposal for doctoral research to their PhD Committee for consideration and approval.

The Preliminary Examination is taken by students who have successfully completed the QE. The student must schedule the Preliminary Examination no earlier than one term after the term in which the QE is successfully passed and no later than two terms prior to the expected date of the Final Examination.

Procedure:

All members of the student’s PhD Committee participate in the Preliminary Examination.

The student will present a written research proposal to each PhD Committee member at least two weeks prior to the date of the Preliminary Examination. The research proposal will be written in a scholarly manner and include a history of the problem, the proposed scope of the investigation, and a statement as to the original contribution(s) to be made.

The Preliminary Examination comprises a formal presentation by the PhD Candidate followed by questions from the PhD Committee. The PhD Committee determines if the Candidate (1) has sufficient ability and comprehensive knowledge to conduct the research, (2) has sufficiently reviewed the literature, and (3) has proposed research that has a reasonable scope and represents an original and acceptable research contribution.

Outcome:

The PhD Committee shall (1) unconditionally approve the proposed research, (2) approve the proposed research with revisions, (3) reject the proposed research based on specified reasons, or (4) terminate the student from the PhD program. Outcomes 1 and 2 constitute passage, whereas outcomes 3 and 4 constitute failure. Following outcome 3, a reexamination may be held in accordance with Graduate School policy and provisions.

The outcome of the Preliminary Examination is documented via the Report of Preliminary Examination (GS 16 form) that must be submitted to the Graduate School within 48 business hours after completion of the exam.

Completion of Coursework

Students in the PhD degree program work with their PhD Advisor to determine the courses to take.

Final Defense of Dissertation (Final Examination)

Purpose:

The PhD Candidate formally presents the results of their dissertation research in a forum open to members of the University community and the public at large, and defends their research and conclusions against any challenge.

Scheduling:

Students provide each PhD Committee member with a copy of the complete dissertation at least four weeks prior to the date desired for the final defense. The PhD Committee then convenes formally with the Candidate for the Dissertation Defense or Final Examination. Upon majority approval of the PhD Committee, the Candidate via their PhD Advisor may schedule the meeting for the Final Examination. Members of the PhD Committee may submit suggested or required editorial and technical changes to the submitted dissertation for consideration of the Candidate and PhD Advisor.

Students are responsible for working with their PhD Committee to find a mutually agreeable date and time. Since dissertation defenses are open to all members of the CSU community and the public at large, PhD Candidates are required to notify the CEE Office Manager and Graduate Advisor of their defense date at least one week prior to the date of the Final Examination. Students must provide the CEE Office Manager with details of the defense, including location and time, and an abstract.

The PhD Advisor has the prerogative to decide whether those in attendance (outside of the PhD Committee) are allowed to ask questions of the Candidate during an oral examination.

The PhD Advisor will inform the PhD Candidate on the specific procedures for the final defense and procure any PhD Committee input before the date of the Preliminary Examination.

Procedure:

The PhD Advisor introduces the PhD Candidate and outlines the Preliminary Examination procedures. The Candidate presents the results of their dissertation research to those in attendance. After the presentation, questions will be invited from all who are present.

As with the Preliminary Examination, all PhD Committee members must be in attendance.

Outcome:

After the open question-and-answer period, all of the attendees except the PhD Candidate and the PhD Committee members are asked to leave, and the examination continues in confidence between the PhD Candidate and the members of the PhD Committee. Upon completion of this phase of the Preliminary Examination, the PhD Candidate is asked to leave the meeting room temporarily while the PhD Committee members discuss their viewpoints on the dissertation and defense and vote whether or not to pass the PhD Candidate. Upon completion of the vote, the PhD Candidate reconvenes with the PhD Committee and is informed of the Committee’s vote and recommendation. The PhD Committee may recommend acceptance of the dissertation research and passage of the defense examination, rejection of the research, further examination, or any other course of action. In the event of failure, a second examination may be permitted. A second failure results in dismissal.

The outcome for the Final Examination in the form of the Report of Final Examination Results (GS 24 form) must be submitted to the Graduate School within 48 business hours upon completion of the Final Examination.

Completion of Publication Requirement

Candidates for the PhD degree must have had the results of their dissertation research submitted for publication to at least one refereed journal of international prominence. The paper(s) may be co-authored, but the Candidate must be the first (principal or senior) author of at least one paper.

Successful PhD students work with the Graduate School to submit their dissertation in ProQuest. The dissertation is submitted with the Thesis/Dissertation Submission form (GS 30 form) to the Graduate School.

The final major steps before completion of all graduation requirements include completion of the revised version of the edited dissertation, approval of the dissertation by the student’s PhD Committee in accordance with Graduate School requirements, submission of the final dissertation to the PhD Advisor and to the Graduate School, and submission of the Department’s publication requirement form signed by the PhD Advisor.