PhD in Engineering Systems at Pennsylvania State University

The Ph.D. program in Engineering Systems offers an interdisciplinary research opportunity centered in engineering and focused on engineering systems. This program prepares students to meet the challenges, problems, and opportunities of the twenty-first century. An engineering system is defined as a set of engineering processes or devices functioning together as parts of a mechanism or an interconnected network. This program intends to provide a new pathway for interdisciplinary engineering education and research that focuses on the understanding and development of next-generation systems. As its defining characteristic, the program offers an interdisciplinary education that combines course work and doctoral research that cut across disciplines with a focus on engineering systems. More specifically, students may develop expertise in the traditional civil, environmental, electrical, mechanical engineering, and computational systems; however, they are expected to apply their doctoral research to engineering systems. Students in this program can complement their studies with courses and research that provides a broad view of engineering systems. Because of this approach, graduates of the program will be fully prepared to enter "Ph.D. required" positions in fields related to civil, environmental, electrical, mechanical engineering, and computing. The interdisciplinary nature of this program also prepares students to enter other exciting growth areas within academia, the public sector, and the larger economy. These areas include built environments, smart cities, transportation networks, artificial intelligence, medical systems, and many others. This Ph.D. program is the only interdisciplinary doctoral program of its kind in South Central Pennsylvania.

1. Students will demonstrate broad knowledge of the several varieties of engineering systems, including their inter-relationships, in their course work, qualifying examination, comprehensive examination, and dissertation.
2. Students will demonstrate specialized knowledge within the engineering fields (civil, environmental, electrical, mechanical, and computer engineering) in their course work, qualifying examination, comprehensive examination, and dissertation.
3. Students will exhibit mastery of the interdisciplinary mindset by applying the knowledge, theories, skills, and methods of two or more disciplines acquired during course work in their independent research.
4. Students will identify areas in their field of study in which they can contribute original research, create new knowledge, and develop solutions to real-world problems.
5. Having studied ethics in a required course, students will choose ethical courses of action in their research projects.
6. Students will develop oral and written communication skills by sharing their research findings in their dissertations, conference presentations, and papers published in academic journals and proceedings.
7. Students will demonstrate the ability to assist faculty in classroom instruction and laboratory exercises.
8. Graduates will exhibit their acquisition of critical thinking skills by independently analyzing and critiquing published scholarship and by assessing its implications in the world.
9. Graduates will become prepared to be leaders in society who are capable of overseeing projects and addressing problems in an effective and ethical way.