Doctoral Degrees: Eng.Sc.D. and Ph.D.

Two doctoral degrees in engineering are offered by the University: the Doctor of Engineering Science, administered by The Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science, and the Doctor of Philosophy, administered by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Both doctoral programs are subject to review by the Committee on Instruction of the School. Doctoral students may submit a petition to the Office of Engineering Student Affairs to change from the Eng.Sc.D. degree to the Ph.D. degree or from the Ph.D. degree to the Eng.Sc.D. degree. The petition must be submitted within the first year of enrollment in the doctoral program. Any petitions submitted after this period will not be considered. Doctoral degree status can be changed only once; students, therefore, must determine which doctoral degree program is most appropriate for their academic and professional endeavors.

Departmental requirements may include comprehensive written and oral qualifying examinations. A student must have a satisfactory grade-point average to be admitted to the doctoral qualifying examination. Thereafter, the student must write a dissertation embodying original research under the sponsorship of a member of their department and submit it to the department. If the department recommends the dissertation for defense, the student applies for final examination, which is held before an examining committee approved by the appropriate Dean’s Office. This application must be made at least three weeks before the date of the final examination.

The defense of the dissertation constitutes the final test of the candidate’s qualifications. It must be demonstrated that the candidate has made a contribution to knowledge in a chosen area. In content, the dissertation should, therefore, be a distinctly original contribution in the selected field of study. In form it must show the mastery of written English, which is expected of a university graduate.

For the Ph.D. Degree

A student must obtain the master’s degree (M.S.) before enrolling as a candidate for the Ph.D. degree. Application for admission as a doctoral candidate may be made while a student is enrolled as a master’s degree candidate. Candidates for the Ph.D. degree must register full time and complete six Residence Units. The minimum requirement in coursework for the doctoral degree is 60 points of credit beyond the bachelor’s degree. A master’s degree from an accredited institution may be accepted in the form of advanced standing as the equivalent of one year of residence (30 points of credit and two Residence Units). An application for advanced standing must be completed during the first semester of study. Ph.D. candidates will be required to complete a minimum of 30 additional points of credit in residence for a letter grade beyond the M.S.

Ph.D. candidates who have completed all six Residence Units can satisfy the continuous registration requirement and make use of various University facilities by registering for Matriculation & Facilities (M&F) for a maximum of two semesters if they are:

completing a degree requirement such as a language examination or qualifying examination;
preparing the dissertation proposal; or
writing or distributing the dissertation.

If a Ph.D. student is registered in courses or holds a university teaching or research appointment, the student must register for either a full Residence Unit or Extended Residence.

The term in which the dissertation distribution occurs is the last semester in which a Ph.D. student is permitted to register, even if the defense takes place in a subsequent term. Students should distribute final copies of the dissertation to defense committee members at least four weeks before the anticipated defense date to allow adequate time for committee members to review the dissertation thoroughly. The defense is expected to take place no later than two months after the distribution.

Ph.D. candidates should obtain a copy of the bulletin of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, in which are printed the requirements of the department of major interest.

For the Eng.Sc.D. Degree

A student must obtain the master’s degree (M.S.) before enrolling as a candidate for the Doctor of Engineering Science (DES) degree. The minimum requirement in coursework for the doctoral degree is 60 points of credit beyond the bachelor’s degree. Eng.Sc.D. candidates will be required to complete a minimum of 30 additional points of credit in residence beyond the M.S. for a letter grade. A master’s degree from an accredited institution may be accepted in the form of advanced standing as the equivalent of 30 points of credit. Candidates for the Eng.Sc.D. degree must, in addition to the 60-point requirement, accumulate 12 points of credit in the departmental course E9800: Doctoral research instruction (see below). The candidate for the degree of Doctor of Engineering Science must submit evidence that their dissertation has been filed in compliance with requirements set by the faculty of Engineering and Applied Science.

Doctoral Research Instruction

An Eng.Sc.D. candidate is required to complete 12 credits in the departmental course E9800: Doctoral research instruction in accordance with the following guidelines:

After obtaining a master’s degree or advanced standing, at which time the student begins doctoral research, the student is eligible to register for E9800 (3, 6, 9, or 12 points of credit per term).
Registration for E9800 at a time other than that prescribed above is not permitted, except by written permission of the Dean.
The 12 points of E9800 required for the Eng.Sc.D. degree do not count toward the minimum residence requirements, e.g., 30 points beyond the master’s degree or 60 points beyond the bachelor’s degree.
If a student is required to take coursework beyond the minimum residence requirements, the 12 points of doctoral research instruction must still be taken in addition to the required coursework.
A student must register continuously through the fall and the spring terms. This requirement does not include the summer session.

Completion of Requirements

The requirements for the Eng.Sc.D. degree must be completed in no more than seven years. The seven-year time period begins at the time of enrollment and extends to the date on which the dissertation defense is held.

Extension of the time allowed for completion of the degree may be granted on recommendation of the student’s sponsor and the department chair to the Dean when special circumstances warrant. Such extensions are initiated by submitting a statement of work in progress and a schedule for completion together with the sponsor’s recommendation to the department chair.

Please contact the Office of Engineering Student Affairs for more information.