PhD Civil Engineering at Illinois Institute of Technology

Programme overview

The doctoral recipient will be capable of continuing efforts toward the advancement of knowledge and continuing achievement in research and other scholarly activities. This program is appropriate for students with master's degrees in civil engineering who are interested in pursuing an academic or industrial research career.

Faculty: School of Engineering, Applied Science, and Health | Department: Civil, Architectural, and Environmental Engineering | Study mode: full-time | Location: Chicago, IL, United States

What you will study

As part of the Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering program, research will be conducted under the supervision of a full-time faculty member and students should work to involve all members of their research committee. The preliminary thesis draft and thesis defense must meet the approval of all members of the research committee.

Career pathways

Our Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering degree program will prepare you for academic or industrial research careers, such as: Senior structural analysis engineer; Research & development reliability engineer; Senior R&D engineer.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

To be admitted to candidacy, students must pass a qualifying examination, which involves an oral presentation of two research papers selected by the student's adviser. The qualifying examination is administered by a research committee approved by the chairperson. The results of the exam will determine the student's potential for success in the doctoral program. We Hit the Ground Running Bridge Rating Engineer, CN Railway Faeze Khademi never forgot her goal of becoming one of the top experts in her field—hard work and dedication contributed to her completing a doctoral degree in less than three years. Faeze Khademi (M.S. Civil Engineering ’15, Ph.D. Civil Engineering ’17) Bridge Rating Engineer, CN Railway Faeze Khademi never forgot her goal of becoming one of the top experts in her field—hard work and dedication contributed to her completing a doctoral degree in less than three years.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Entry terms: Fall and Spring.

Fall term: regular deadline January 31. Spring term: October 1, extended to October 15. GRE is required for PhD applicants.

Chicago-Kent J.D.: no application fee for 2026 J.D. applicants; first-year entry is Fall, with transfer entry in Fall or Spring.

Apply through the official page: https://www.iit.edu/admissions-aid/apply

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