Civil Engineering, Ph.D

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Requirements

Candidates will be required to complete satisfactorily the equivalent of at least two full courses in addition to the course requirement for an M.A.Sc. Degree, of which at least one must be from within the Department of Civil Engineering at McMaster University. Additional course work may be presented if deemed necessary by the candidate’s research supervisor. In addition to the above course requirements, all full-time Ph. D. candidates must attend and participate in the Department of Civil Engineering Graduate Student Seminar Day each year, for the first 12 terms (48 months) of study.

Candidate Evaluation

The Ph.D. candidate will be evaluated by the Ph.D. Supervisory Committee after two academic terms in the Ph.D. program. This will be based on an evaluation of the candidate’s ability to think, intellectual background, and general caliber as a doctoral student. The candidate must also pass a Comprehensive Examination which is normally taken in the second year of the doctoral program. The purpose of this examination is to test the candidate’s acquisition of knowledge and maturity of approach to problems in the major field of study, as well as in appropriately chosen cognate subject areas. The detailed regulations governing these examinations may be obtained from the Department.

Comprehensive Examination

The Ph.D. Comprehensive Examination will be in two parts. Part A is to test the candidate’s knowledge, both breadth and depth, of undergraduate material in the major field of student, with graduate level understanding and the ability to think independently. This portion is to be completed within 8 - 10 months, but not exceeding 12 months, of admission to the doctoral program. Part B is to test the candidate’s competence and ability to conduct research in a chosen specialty. This part must be completed within 12-18 months of admission to the doctoral program, subject to passing Part A. Both parts of this examination include a written and oral portion. For further details, please see the Department of Civil Engineering Graduate
Student Handbook.

Additional Information

Part-time doctoral studies are permissible. Graduate students will also be required to present seminars related to their research topics.