While pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in civil engineering, the student will take graduate-level courses and conduct research with a faculty advisor and observe how these studies will lead to key engineering innovations and societal impacts in the field of civil engineering. Equipped with complementary and state-of-the-art computational and experimental facilities, the Civil, Construction and Environmental Engineering (CCEE) Department has active research programs in the following four disciplinary groups; Construction Engineering and Management, Structural Engineering and Materials, Environmental and Water Resources, and Transportation Systems Engineering. Faculty teach graduate-level courses and conduct research in these areas. Graduate courses in these same areas, in addition to the general core graduate courses, provide the foundation for earning a PhD degree in civil engineering. Additionally, the student demonstrates mastery of the selected study area through qualifying exams, the proposal of a research topic, and the defense of a research-based dissertation.
Many full-time PhD students seek some form of financial assistance in the form of a graduate assistantship or fellowship. Assistantships generally include a monthly stipend, tuition, and health insurance. Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) are awarded by individual professors with funded research. Applicants should communicate directly with a faculty member in the applicant’s area of study interest concerning the availability of GRA positions and a potential match. The CCEE Department offers Graduate Teaching Assistantships (GTAs) for students assisting faculty members with undergraduate courses and laboratories. GTA awards are determined by the CCEE Graduate Coordinator, with preference being given to PhD students. There are a very limited number of GTA positions each semester. There are also both internal and external fellowship opportunities available to applicants including, but not limited to, the Graduate Council Fellowships (GCF)
Qualified students in the Department’s undergraduate programs at The University of Alabama are eligible for early admission into the PhD program through the Accelerated Masters Program (AMP). This program allows students to double-count up to 9 hours of graduate credit toward their undergraduate degree.