Program Structure and Requirements (with MSc Degree)
Overall Program Structure
The PhD ENGR consists of a minimum 60 credit hours, distributed as follows: 3 credit hours of Program Core courses, 21 credit hours of Program Technical Elective courses, 36 credit hours of Dissertation research and two zero credit PhD Research Seminar courses. The technical background of the student will be assessed by a Written Qualifying Examination (WQE), followed by a Research Proposal Examination (RPE) which the student must successfully complete in order to progress further in the program. The components of the PhD program are summarized in the table below.
| Program Component |
Credit Hours |
| Research Methods in Engineering |
3 |
| PhD Research Seminar I |
0 |
| PhD Research Seminar II |
0 |
| Written Qualifying Examination (WQE) |
0 |
| Research Proposal Examination (RPE) |
0 |
| Program Electives |
21 |
| PhD Research Dissertation |
36 |
| Total |
60 |
Program Requirements
Students seeking the degree of PhD in Engineering must successfully complete a minimum 60 credit hours as specified in the program requirements detailed below, with a minimum CGPA of 3.0. Course selection should be made in consultation with the student’s Main Advisor and must be aligned to the chosen area(s) of research. All courses have a credit rating of three credits each, except the PhD Research Seminar, Written Qualifying Exam, Research Proposal Exam, and the PhD Dissertation.
Program Core (3 credit hours)
Students must complete the core courses listed below.
Core Courses
Program Electives and Concentrations (21 credit hours)
Students must complete a minimum of seven technical elective courses from the list below. At least two of these electives (6 credit hours) must be PhD level courses with a substantial mathematical component, as outlined in the ‘Mathematics Requirements’ section above.
Subject to the approval of the dissertation Main Advisor, up to two elective courses (6 credit hours) can be taken from relevant MSc programs in the College of Engineering at KU to help the student bridge a knowledge gap that will support his/her research. The student must not have taken the same or similar MSc level courses to satisfy the requirements of his/her Master’s degree. A copy of the student’s MSc transcript must be provided when a request is made to take MSc level courses.
Students wishing to complete a PhD in Engineering with a concentration in a given area, must select at least four (12 credit hours) of the seven technical elective courses from one of the groups listed below. All selected concentration courses must be at PhD level. The concentration will be noted on the student’s diploma and official transcript provided that the student fulfills the following requirements:
- Complete a minimum of four PhD level courses (12 credit hours) from the same concentration; and
- Complete a PhD research dissertation within the domain of the concentration.
The PhD elective courses are listed below under the various engineering concentration fields supported by the program. Students must take into account the above points when choosing their electives.
Aerospace Engineering
Concentration Field Courses
| AERO 701 | Nonlinear Structural Dynamics | 4 |
| AERO 702 | Advanced Composite Materials and Structures | 3 |
| AERO 703 | Numerical Methods in Aerofluids | 4 |
| AERO 711 | Fracture Mechanics and Fatigue | 3 |
| AERO 712 | Damage Mechanics of Solids and Structures | 3 |
| AERO 723 | Advanced Combustion | 3 |
| AERO 761 | Advanced Process Dynamics and Control | 3 |
| AERO 764 | Optimal Control | 3 |
| AERO 765 | Advanced Orbit Design for Planetary Missions | 3 |
| AERO 794 | Selected Topics in Aerospace Engineering | 4 |
Biomedical Engineering
Concentration Field Courses
| BMED 711 | Biomolecular and Cellular Engineering | 3 |
| BMED 712 | Rehabilitation and Augmentation of Human Movement | 3 |
| BMED 713 | Advanced Physiological Systems | 3 |
| BMED 716 | Medical Device Innovation | 3 |
| BMED 720 | Biophysical Engineering of Cellular Systems | 3 |
| BMED 725 | Computational Systems Biology of Cancer | 3 |
| BMED 794 | Selected Topics in Biomedical Engineering | 4 |
Chemical Engineering
Concentration Field Courses
| CHEG 700 | Sustainable Desalination Processes | 3 |
| CHEG 703 | Applied nanotechnology | 3 |
| CHEG 705 | Membrane Technology | 3 |
| CHEG 708 | Phase Equilibria | 3 |
| CHEG 710 | Kinetics and Mechanisms | 3 |
| CHEG 712 | Physical and Chemical Treatment of Waters | 3 |
| CHEG 715 | Biological Wastewater Treatment | 3 |
| CHEG 720 | Modelling and Engineering of Microbial Environmental Bioprocesses | 3 |
| CHEG 730 | Experimental Techniques and Instrumentation | 3 |
| CHEG 735 | Electrochemical Engineering | 3 |
| CHEG 745 | Multicomponent Mass Transfer | 3 |
| CHEG 750 | Molecular Thermodynamics | 3 |
| CHEG 760 | Non-Equilibrium Thermodynamics | 3 |
| CHEG 765 | Computational Fluid Dynamics for Chemical Engineers | 3 |
| CHEG 770 | Heterogeneous Catalysis | 3 |
| CHEG 790 | Dynamic Behavior of Process Systems | 3 |
| CHEG 794 | Selected Topics in Chemical Engineering | 3 |
Civil Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering
Concentration Field Courses
| CIVE 703 | Groundwater Hydrology | 3 |
| CIVE 707 | Environmental Remote Sensing and Satellite Image Processing | 3 |
| CIVE 712 | Remediation Engineering | 3 |
| CIVE 714 | Sustainable Desalination Processes | 3 |
| CIVE 717 | Membrane Technology | 3 |
| CIVE 718 | Advanced Topics in Applied Environmental Chemistry | 3 |
| CIVE 719 | Climate Dynamics | 3 |
| CIVE 720 | Nanotechnology in Water Purification | 3 |
| CIVE 721 | Aquatic Chemistry | 3 |
| CIVE 722 | Solid and Hazardous Waste Management | 3 |
| CIVE 730 | Public Transit Operations and Planning | 3 |
| CIVE 750 | Non-Linear Mechanics of Construction Materials | 3 |
| CIVE 751 | Non-Linear FE Analysis of Civil Engineering Structures | 3 |
| CIVE 755 | Geotechnical Natural Hazards Mitigation | 3 |
| CIVE 756 | Chemo-mechanical Modelling & Design of Flexible Pavements | 3 |
| CIVE 760 | Construction Procurement Management | 3 |
| CIVE 761 | Productivity Improvement in Construction | 3 |
| CIVE 762 | Advanced Building Information Modeling | 3 |
| CIVE 794 | Selected Topics in Civil Infrastructural and Environmental Engineering | 3 |
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Concentration Field Courses
| ECCE 701 | Power System Modelling and Control | 3 |
| ECCE 703 | Embedded Generation Operation and Control | 3 |
| ECCE 706 | Power Quality and FACTS Devices | 3 |
| ECCE 710 | Analysis of Power Systems Over-voltages and Transients | 3 |
| ECCE 711 | Advanced Power System Grounding and Safety | 3 |
| ECCE 714 | Application of Heuristic Optimization Techniques to Power Systems | 3 |
| ECCE 721 | Analog Mixed Signal Design Techniques | 3 |
| ECCE 722 | Numerical Simulation of Circuits and Systems | 3 |
| ECCE 723 | High Speed Communication Circuits | 3 |
| ECCE 730 | Advanced Deep Learning | 3 |
| ECCE 731 | Distributed Computing | 3 |
| ECCE 732 | Machine Learning and Applicatications | 3 |
| ECCE 733 | High Speed Computer Arithmetic | 3 |
| ECCE 734 | Advanced Computer Architecture | 3 |
| ECCE 735 | Advanced Computer Vision Paradigms | 3 |
| ECCE 736 | Advanced Topics LoT and Blockchain | 3 |
| ECCE 737 | Network and Information Security | 3 |
| ECCE 738 | High Performance Computing | 3 |
| ECCE 741 | Advanced Digital Communications | 3 |
| ECCE 742 | Advanced Concepts in Stochastic Processes, Detection, and Estimation Theory | 3 |
| ECCE 743 | Broadband Communication Systems | 3 |
| ECCE 744 | Optical Wireless Communication System | 3 |
| ECCE 751 | Discontinuous Control Systems | 3 |
| ECCE 752 | Nonlinear Control | 3 |
| ECCE 753 | Computational Prototyping of Dynamical Systems | 3 |
| ECCE 754 | Computational Prototyping of Partial Differential Equations | 3 |
| ECCE 755 | Cognitive Robotics | 4 |
| ECCE 756 | Robotic Perception | 4 |
| ECCE 762 | Voltage Source Converters | 3 |
| ECCE 771 | Advanced Integrated Circuits Technology | 3 |
| ECCE 772 | Advanced Microsystem Design | 3 |
| ECCE 773 | Photonic Materials and Metamaterials Design for Engineers | 3 |
| ECCE 774 | Advanced Photonic Integrated Circuits | 3 |
| ECCE 778 | Physics and Manufacturability of Advanced Micro and Nano Devices | 3 |
| ECCE 781 | The Physics of Solar Cells | 3 |
| ECCE 794 | Selected Topics in Electrical and Computer Engineering | 4 |
Engineering Systems and Management
Concentration Field Courses
| ESMA 701 | Advanced Systems Optimization | 3 |
| ESMA 710 | Times Series Analysis Modeling and Prediction | 3 |
| ESMA 711 | Advanced Business Analytics | 3 |
| ESMA 720 | Advanced Production and Operations Management | 3 |
| ESMA 721 | Stochastic Processes and Applications | 3 |
| ESMA 722 | Technology strategy | 3 |
| ESMA 730 | Complex Network Analysis | 3 |
| ESMA 740 | Sustainable Development: Theory & Policy | 3 |
| ESMA 741 | Advanced Modeling for Energy Planning | 3 |
| ESMA 742 | Energy Economics, Finance and Policy | 3 |
| ESMA 743 | Engineering for Energy and Poverty Solutions | 3 |
| ESMA 780 | Advanced Urbanism: Urban Design Ideals and Action | 3 |
| ESMA 781 | Modeling Urban Systems Energy Flow | 3 |
| ESMA 794 | Selected Topics in Engineering Systems and Management | 3 |
Material Science and Engineering
Concentration Field Courses
| MSEN 701 | Electrochemical Processes and Devices | 3 |
| MSEN 710 | Advanced Solid State Physics | 3 |
| MSEN 712 | Imaging of Materials: Scanning Electron Microscopy and X-ray Microanalysis | 3 |
| MSEN 715 | Advanced Imaging of Materials: Transmission Electron Microscopy | 3 |
| MSEN 730 | Science and Engineering of Thin Films, Surfaces and Interfaces | 3 |
| MSEN 740 | Advances in Investigation of Intermolecular and Surface Forces | 3 |
| MSEN 750 | HighEfficiency Silicon Solar Cells: Designs and Technologies | 3 |
| MSEN 760 | Thin Film Solar Cells: From Design to Applications | 3 |
| MSEN 794 | Selected Topics in Materials Science and Engineering | 3 |
Mechanical Engineering
Concentration Field Courses
| MEEN 701/AERO 711 | Fracture Mechanics and Fatigue | 3 |
| MEEN 702 | Damage Mechanics of Solids and Structures | 3 |
| MEEN 703 | Linear and Nonlinear Finite Element Methods | 3 |
| MEEN 704 | Computational Inelasticity | 3 |
| MEEN 705/MSEN 705 | Micromechanics of Materials | 3 |
| MEEN 706 | Theory of Plasticity | 3 |
| MEEN 721 | Computational Fluid Mechanics | 3 |
| MEEN 722 | Non-Newtonian Fluid Dynamics | 3 |
| MEEN 723/AERO 723 | Advanced Combustion | 3 |
| MEEN 724 | Advanced Modeling of Cooling Systems | 3 |
| MEEN 725 | Multiphase Flow in Porous Media | 3 |
| MEEN 741 | Advanced Conduction and Radiation Heat Transfer | 3 |
| MEEN 742 | Advanced Convection Heat Transfer | 3 |
| MEEN 743 | Micro-Nano Energy Transport | 3 |
| MEEN 744 | Interfacial Transport and Phase Change Heat Transfer | 3 |
| MEEN 745 | Concentrated Solar Power and Thermal Energy Storage | 3 |
| MEEN 761 | Advanced Process Dynamics and Control | 3 |
| MEEN 762 | Analysis and Simulation of Mechatronics Systems | 3 |
| MEEN 764 | Optimal Control | 3 |
| MEEN 765 | Acoustics and Noise Control | 3 |
| MEEN 766 | MEMS Theory and Applications | 3 |
| MEEN 782 | Materials Characterization Techniques | 3 |
| MEEN 792 | Advanced Nanomaterials and Their Mechanical Applications | 3 |
| MEEN 794 | Selected Topics in Mechanical Engineering | 3 |
Nuclear Engineering
Concentration Field Courses
| NUCE 701 | Advanced Computational Methods of Particle Transport | 3 |
| NUCE 702 | Nuclear Systems and Materials/Accident analysis | 3 |
| NUCE 703 | Aging Management of Nuclear Materials | 3 |
| NUCE 704 | The Reactor Core Design Analysis for light water reactors | 3 |
| NUCE 705 | Nuclear Criticality Safety Assessment | 3 |
| NUCE 794 | Selected Topics in Nuclear Engineering | 3 |
Petroleum Engineering
Concentration Field Courses
| PEEG 723 | Stimulation of Conventional and Unconventional Reservoirs | 3 |
| PEEG 730 | Fluid Flow and Transport Processes in Porous Media | 3 |
| PEEG 732 | Hybrid Enhanced Oil Recovery | 3 |
| PEEG 733 | Miscible Gas Flooding | 3 |
| PEEG 746 | Emerging Well Construction Technology | 3 |
| PEEG 747 | Horizontal and Multilateral Drilling and Completion | 3 |
| PEEG 749 | Characterization and Modelling of Unconventional Reservoirs | 3 |
| PEEG 752 | Simulation of Naturally Fractured Reservoirs | 3 |
| PEEG 794 | Selected Topics in Petroleum Engineering | 3 |
Robotics
Concentration Field Courses
PhD Research Dissertation (minimum 36 credit hours)
Students must complete a PhD Research Dissertation that involves novel, creative, research-oriented work under the direct supervision of at least one full-time faculty advisor from the College of Engineering, and at least one other full-time faculty who acts as a co-advisor. The Main Advisor of a student who opts for a PhD with a concentration must be a faculty member in the Department offering that particular concentration. The outcome of research should demonstrate the synthesis of information into knowledge in a form that may be used by others. The research findings must be documented in a formal Dissertation and defended successfully in a viva voce examination. Furthermore, the research must lead to publishable quality scholarly journal articles.
Dissertation