CEE-PHD - Civil and Environmental Engineering (PhD)
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Program Overview
The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at Stanford conducts fundamental and applied research to advance the civil and environmental engineering professions, educate future academic and industry leaders, and prepare students for careers in professional practice. Civil and environmental engineers work to protect and sustain the natural environment while creating and maintaining a resilient, sustainably built environment. Civil and environmental engineers are essential to providing the necessities of human life, including water, air, shelter, infrastructure, and energy, in increasingly more efficient and renewable ways. Combining rigorous coursework with novel research mentored by Stanford faculty, the PhD program enables students to develop as independent intellectual leaders working at the interfaces between engineering and sustainability.
Admissions Information
Applications require online submission of the application form and statement of purpose, followed by three letters of recommendation and transcripts of all courses taken at colleges and universities. See https://gradadmissions.stanford.edu/. Further details for each of the programs in the department are available on the department website. See: https://cee.stanford.edu/.
All PhD students in CEE who are in good standing relative to their PhD program requirements are funded to the department’s PhD standard. This funding is at least equivalent to Stanford’s 20-hour-RA salary plus tuition to cover the department’s required enrollment (summer enrollment requirements vary by department. It is 3 units over summer for CEE PhDs). Arranging for this funding is the responsibility of the department and the faculty PhD advisor, and can include fellowships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships.
Often, our PhD students apply for and may receive individual fellowships which can reduce the department’s or advisor’s cost of funding. In these cases, the guarantee of funding to the student will include the fellowship award and additional support from the department/advisor to reach the department-standard level. For educational purposes, departments and advisors may encourage their students to apply for such fellowships and provide resources to strengthen their applications; however, no department or faculty member may require students to obtain external individual funding or to “self-fund” as a condition of admission, entry to or continuation in the Ph.D.
Applying for the PhD Program as a Current MS or Engineer Degree Student
If you are a current MS or Engineer student at Stanford and wish to continue study for the PhD, you must submit a new application for the program through the Stanford application system in the fall quarter, which will be considered alongside all other applications. Details for how to apply can be found on the Civil & Environmental Engineering website.
Minimum Units in the Program
Minimum University Units
The PhD program requires a total of 135 units of graduate study. At least 90 of those units must be taken at Stanford. The minimum 90 units of graduate study must be beyond the Master’s degree. Up to 45 units of the 135 units may be satisfied by a Stanford MS degree. PhD students who arrive at Stanford with a Master’s degree that did not provide adequate background in their area of specialization may be required to take additional units beyond this minimum as part of their PhD studies. Students who are directly admitted to the PhD without a Master’s degree are required to take a total of 135 units of graduate study.
The department requires CEE PhD students arriving without a Master’s degree to take sufficient coursework each quarter, until the GQE is completed, to satisfy the requirements for a CEE Master’s degree by the end of their 6th non-summer quarter of PhD studies. Once the GQE is completed, steady progress towards the MS is no longer required. PhD candidates should develop individually tailored study plans and expected-progress timetables in consultation with their thesis advisors.
Up to 45 units of graduate study can be satisfied by the MS program as described above. Additionally, up to 45 units of graduate study can be satisfied by the Engineer (ENG) program if both the MS and ENG units were all completed at Stanford. Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 in post-M.S. coursework. The CEE Department Graduate Handbook contains further information on PhD requirements and policies.
The program of study is arranged via consultation between the prospective candidate and their dissertation research advisor. This program of study considers the interests of the student and the background needed for their thesis topic within the framework of the requirements of the department and the university.
Requests for Deviation
Requests for deviation from the requirements for granting of the PhD degree must be submitted in writing to both your primary advisor and the CEE Department at least one quarter prior to the planned deviation. Deviations must be approved by both your primary advisor and the CEE Department Associate Chair.
45 units that can be satisfied by an MS degree or its equivalent
For an MS degree from Stanford, the MS units are credited automatically.
To receive up to 45 units of credit for an MS degree from outside of Stanford, the student must fill out and submit a Graduate Residency Transfer Credit Application.
A PhD student admitted with no MS degree must take sufficient coursework each quarter, until the General Qualifying Exam (GQE) is completed, to satisfy the requirements for a CEE MS degree by the end of the 6th non-Summer quarter of their PhD studies.
At least 12 post-MS units of lecture- or laboratory-style classes
All units must be 200+ level.
These courses must be taken for a letter grade.
Independent study (INS), activity (ACT), or research (RES, RSC) classes may not count.
Seminar-style classes may not count. These are often (but not always) under the class type SEM or COL; the course title or description may feature words like seminar or colloquium. The CEE department defines a class as seminar-style if >50% of the class meeting time is devoted to guest speakers and/or student presentations. ENGR103 is the only exception.
PE, MUSIC, or EFSLANG units may not count.
No 1-unit courses may count.
Additional graduate coursework needed to reach a total of 135 completed units
All courses must be 100+ level.
Thesis units (CEE399 or 400) may be included.
Courses of all class types may be counted (including SEM, COL, INS, ACT, RES).
Additional CR/NC units may be counted.
Any units for a PhD minor not counted previously may be counted.
EFSLANG courses, if required or strongly recommended on the English assessment form, may be counted here, and must be completed before going TGR (or defending thesis).
Additionally, it is a general university policy that PhD students must complete 1 course of at least 3 units from each of 4 different Stanford Academic Council faculty members. These units can be counted toward any of the three subgroups above.
This one-unit seminar course, offered every Autumn quarter, will include faculty research presentations; presentations and discussion on career development; discussion on how to successfully conduct research during rotations; and the GQE requirements for all PhD students. Completion of this seminar course is required for all PhD students in Autumn quarter of Year 1 of their PhD.
It is recommended to apply for TGR status as soon as you are eligible to reduce your tuition fees. To be eligible for TGR status as a Doctoral Degree student you must have:
Entered Candidacy by passing the department General Qualifying Examination
Satisfactorily completed all courses on the Application for Candidacy for Doctoral Degree Form; if the program has changed a new candidacy form must be approved by your advisor and submitted to the CEE Assistant Director of Degree Progress.
Completed 135 units of residency prior to TGR start quarter and completed residency requirement for all active and completed degree programs
Submitted the Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee form to the CEE Assistant Director of Degree Progress.
Completed the PhD educational requirements (CEE200; CEE 200A, B or C taken concurrently with TAing a class; the university’s TA Orientation offered by CTL; and CEE379)
When you have fulfilled all preliminary requirements, complete a Request for TGR Status. Submit this request at least two weeks in advance of the posted deadline for your first quarter as TGR status. After obtaining your principal advisor’s signature, email the form to the CEE Assistant Director of Degree Progress.
Students with TGR status should enroll in CEE 802 Thesis Project using the section number assigned to their principal advisor and should continue to enroll in CEE 802 every quarter, including the graduation quarter, until conferral of the degree.
Each quarter, your principal advisor will evaluate your thesis work as a measure of continued academic progress, and you will receive a grade of either:
N or S indicating satisfactory progress prior to the final quarter of TGR status and graduation.
N- indicating unsatisfactory progress prior to the final quarter of TGR status and graduation. In the final quarter of TGR, in order to graduate, a grade of S should be given.
If you receive an N- or I grade for any quarter, you should meet with your advisor and agree on a satisfactory plan for completing degree requirements. Subsequent N- or I grades may be grounds for dismissal.
Requirements for Remaining in Good Academic Standing in CEE
PhD students must meet the minimum academic performance standards outlined in the general information section of this handbook.
PhD students are expected to conduct research supervised by a faculty member each quarter. Before aligning with a permanent dissertation advisor, this supervising faculty member must be appointed in CEE. An initial research advisor is specified in the admission letter to the PhD program. By mutual agreement, students may choose to continue research with the same faculty member or to work with a different CEE faculty member in subsequent quarters until aligning with a permanent advisor.
By the end of the fourth quarter in the PhD program (generally the Summer quarter, for those who begin in the Autumn), students must reach a mutual agreement with a CEE faculty member to serve as a permanent dissertation advisor, and submit paperwork to CEE Student Services documenting this agreement.
By the end of the Winter quarter of year 2, students must complete and submit the General Qualifying Exam (GQE) form, scheduling the General Qualifying Exam (GQE). The deadline for passing the GQE is the end of the Spring quarter in year 2. Per university policy, leaves of absence, except for pregnancy and parental leaves and mandatory military leave, do not extend this deadline.
If a PhD student does not already have a Master’s degree, the student must take sufficient coursework each quarter, until completing the GQE, to satisfy the requirements for a CEE Master’s degree by the end of the 6th non-Summer quarter of PhD studies. This coursework may be either within a CEE MS program or for a general CEE MS (see next bullet). The student may fill out paperwork to have an MS degree conferred, but this is not required if they prefer not to obtain an MS. Units taken beyond these 45 may count towards the post-MS requirements (described above).
If the student chooses the general CEE MS requirements, the following requirements must be met:
45 units of coursework in 100+ level classes 100+, with a coherent focus
Course of study must be planned in collaboration with, and with the approval of, your CEE PhD advisor
At least 36 units must be taken for a letter grade
At least 30 units must be graduate level (200+)
At least 27 units must be CEE courses
A maximum of 3 units may be seminars
A maximum of 6 units may be independent study or research courses
No remedial English language, physical education or language classes may count
None of these 45 units may be double-counted towards a PhD minor, or towards the post-MS requirements
All requirements for the PhD degree must be completed before candidacy expires. Candidacy is valid for five calendar years (through the end of the quarter in which candidacy expires), unless terminated by the department (for example, for unsatisfactory progress). The time limit is not extended by a student’s leave of absence, except for pregnancy and parental leaves and mandatory military leave.
Because pedagogy, teaching, and learning are important to the careers of PhD graduates, three required steps focused on these topics (one orientation and two 1-unit courses) are required for all PhD candidates.
Orientation: The first step in the required educational process before serving as a teaching assistant (TA) is completion of the university’s 3-hr TA Orientation, offered at the beginning of each quarter by the Center for Teaching and Learning (CTL).
CEE200: Seminar on Teaching for TAs
CEE200A or B or C: Teaching of Civil & Environmental Engineering
This one-unit seminar, offered every Autumn quarter, introduces students to effective teaching practices and engineering pedagogy for Teaching Assistants. This course is the 2nd step in the required TAing educational process for all PhD students, and should be completed by Autumn of year 2.
This one-unit class, offered Aut/Win/Spr, is the final step in this requirement. It should be taken concurrently with the first time serving as a teaching assistant at Stanford. PhD students cannot advance to TGR status until all 3 educational steps for TAing have been completed.
Entering Candidacy: General Qualifying Exam (GQE)
Admission to the PhD program confers on a student the status of being a PhD student but does not imply having been admitted to candidacy for the PhD degree. The designation of “PhD candidate” is reserved for students who have passed the department’s General Qualifying Exam and have submitted an approved program of PhD coursework on an Application for Candidacy for Doctoral Degree.
The general qualifying examination is designed to ensure that students have an in-depth understanding of the fundamental aspects of relevant graduate-level coursework, a thorough knowledge of the literature in their proposed area of research, a concrete research agenda, and the ability to communicate about their research effectively in both written and oral form. The GQE is an oral exam administered by a committee of at least three Academic Council faculty members lasting a total of no more than 180 minutes. It consists of a written literature review and research proposal that is presented to the GQE committee in private. This presentation is followed by a private questioning session from the GQE committee. Students must pass the GQE to advance to candidacy.
The key events leading to candidacy and granting of the PhD degree are:
Completing the Introduction to PhD Studies (CEE 379) seminar in the fall quarter of your 1st year as a PhD student
Obtaining approval from your identified primary advisor to sit for the GQE by filling out the General Qualifying Exam form, obtaining your advisor’s signature, and submitting the completed, signed form to the CEE Assistant Director of Degree Progress. The composition of the GQE committee must be approved by the CEE Department
Passing the GQE
Completing the TA educational requirements [previous section] and TAing at least 1 class
Scheduling the GQE
Stanford University expects PhD students to complete their GQE and advance to candidacy within 2 years of the start date for PhD studies. No extensions to this milestone are allowed by the university for leaves of absence, except for pregnancy and parental leaves and mandatory military leave. For most students, the GQE should be completed by the end of the student’s 6th non-Summer quarter as a PhD student at Stanford. Students should be aware that the GQE may be taken before these deadlines, and should consult with their advisor as to the most appropriate time for completing the GQE.
Paperwork needed for the GQE
As a PhD student, you are the person empowered to keep track of GQE deadlines, to anticipate what deliverables must be prepared, and to remind your advisor about scheduling your GQE.
At least one (1) quarter prior to the scheduled GQE examination date, you must submit to the CEE Assistant Director of Degree Progress through the CEE PhD Application for Candidacy (GQE) Portal:
The General Qualifying Exam form, with the top portion completed, listing your GQE exam date(s) and time(s), and the members of your GQE committee. Your principal advisor must have signed the signature line in the top half of the form to indicate their consent for you to sit for your exam. Your advisor will complete the rest of this form following the exam.
A draft of your Application for Candidacy for Doctoral Degree (to allow your examiners to assess the adequacy of your proposed PhD coursework plan in supporting your proposed research). Prior to candidacy (that is, completion of the GQE), the University requires that at least 3 units of coursework must be completed with each of four Stanford Academic Council faculty members.
A copy of your Program Proposal for the Master’s Degree if you received your MS from a different department at Stanford.
Format for the GQE:
Written Proposal
The primary objectives of the written dissertation proposal are for the student to demonstrate a strong understanding of the field(s) relating to the potential focus of their thesis and the relationship between existing literature and the proposed research plan. Knowledge of the literature forms the basis for the work that the student proposes for the dissertation.
The written proposal portion of the GQE consists of a document outlining the proposed PhD research and a review of the relevant literature. The proposal is limited to a maximum of 15 pages of text (not including citations) that is similar in format to an NSF-style proposal. Details of the format should be discussed with the PhD advisor.
Although in many cases the candidate will have performed original research leading up to the dissertation proposal, it is not necessary to demonstrate this research in the proposal in its own section (i.e., a section on “Existing work”). If the student would like to present original research results to date, they should be discussed within the “proposed work” section of the proposal. In cases where the proposed research has already been published (or is awaiting publication), this research can be discussed in the literature review section. Work that has been submitted for publication should be included as an appendix to the proposal (and is not part of the 15-page limit).
Oral Presentation
During the oral presentation portion of the GQE, the student will present the written proposal to the GQE committee in private. The presentation is then followed by questioning from the GQE committee. The presentation and questioning must be done in-person. The total time of the exam may not exceed 180 minutes.
The examiners for the GQE will seek to ascertain that:
The content of the proposed research is relevant to an area of study approved by the advisor
The justification for the proposed research is adequate
The student has developed a suitable strategy for pursuing the subject
The student has a thorough knowledge of the relevant literature
The proposed research is original and will contribute to knowledge in the proposed area of study
In addition, the examiners may also ask the student to demonstrate their knowledge of coursework needed to pursue their proposed research.
During the GQE, the examiners may recommend adjustments to your proposed program of study, which should be discussed and incorporated into the final version of your application for candidacy.
Examiners for the GQE
The GQE must be administered by at least three members of the Academic Council. A faculty member from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering must serve as either the primary advisor or co-advisor, and must be one of the examiners. The committee should have sufficient expertise in your area of research to examine you, and therefore the composition of the committee must be approved by the primary advisor.
On occasion, the department may approve permission for one of the three members to be an individual who is not on the Academic Council if that person is particularly well-qualified to consult on the dissertation topic and holds a PhD or foreign equivalent. Such approval must be requested on the Petition for Non-Academic Council Doctoral Committee Member form. Guidelines for non-Academic Council committee members are listed at the top of this petition. Petitions are not required for emeritus Stanford Academic Council members.
Advancement to Candidacy
Students must pass the GQE to advance to candidacy. A decision on the outcome of the GQE will be given immediately upon completion of the private portion of the exam. The decision of passing or failing will be based upon all relevant information, including performance on the GQE and academic record to date as a PhD student. Passing the GQE signifies that a student may enter PhD candidacy and continue study toward the PhD degree. At the sole discretion of the committee, students who do not pass the exam may be permitted to retake it once. Regardless, the GQE must be successfully completed before the start of year 3, in accordance with university expectations.
To become an official candidate for a PhD degree, you must also complete and submit the final version of your Application for Candidacy for Doctoral Degree after passing the GQE. The proposed program of study must be typed or clearly printed using supplemental sheets as necessary. List only the 12 units of Post-MS course work. Do not list any of your anticipated thesis units (CEE300/CEE400) on this form. Be certain to indicate on the form the quarter in which you will complete your CEE 200A/B/C teaching requirement. Although it may change, an estimated date for completion of the PhD degree should also be given.
Changing your Academic Program
If your actual coursework changes after submitting the Application for Candidacy for Doctoral Degree, you must submit to the CEE Assistant Director of Degree Progress. a revised form approved and signed by your academic advisor. This form is typically submitted only once and it must be at least two weeks prior to either the Preliminary Study List Deadline/First Day of Instruction of your TGR start quarter (which is the university deadline for submitting your request for TGR status form) or your doctoral defense exam date. With approval from your advisor and the Department Chair, the revised list of courses becomes your official program of study for the Doctoral degree.
After obtaining your principal advisor’s signature, submit the form to the CEE Assistant Director of Degree Progress, for the department chairperson’s signature.
Extension of Candidacy
If you are unable to complete the requirements of your PhD degree program of study within five years of admission to candidacy, you must complete an Application for Extension of Candidacy form. Be sure to review your situation with your advisor as soon as you realize that you will be unable to complete your PhD program within the specified time limits. You must submit this form before your candidacy expires. If you allow your candidacy to expire, your registration privileges will cease and you must apply for reinstatement to continue with your program.
The Application for Extension of Candidacy form may be used to extend the time limits for completion of your PhD degree program for up to one year. Extensions require a review of your academic progress and approval from the department chairperson.
After completing the form, which includes obtaining your advisor’s signature, submit it to the CEE Assistant Director of Degree Progress. The chairperson will then sign and CEE Student Services will enter the information in the university system.
The University Oral Exam
Passing a University Oral Examination is a requirement of the PhD program in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. The Oral Exam is a dissertation defense, presented either upon completion of a substantial portion of the dissertation work or upon completion of a pre-final draft of all dissertation work. The examination is intended to verify that the research represents your own original contribution to knowledge and to test your understanding of the research.
The candidate and the advisor prepare for the examination by identifying a committee chair and four examiners. In most instances, all five members are on the Academic Council (at minimum four of five). If the student will be receiving a PhD minor, one of these members must be from the student’s minor department. The participation of a single non-academic council member as an examiner may be approved by the department chair (Petition for Non-Academic Council Doctoral Committee Members) if that person contributes an important area of expertise not readily available from the department faculty.
The chair of a Stanford oral examination is appointed for this examination only to represent the interests of the university for a fair and rigorous process. The chair must be a member of the Stanford Academic Council and may be a Professor Emeritus. The chair of the examining committee may not have a full or joint appointment in the advisor's or student's department, but may have a courtesy appointment in the department. The chair can be from the same department as any other member(s) of the examination committee and can be from the student's minor department provided that the student's advisor does not have a full or joint appointment in the minor department.
Minimum CEE Faculty Participation
At least two of the four examiners must be CEE faculty members on the Academic Council, including the student’s advisor or co-advisor in CEE. Including more than a total of 4 examiners will require proportional representation of the CEE faculty.
Other Conditions for the Oral Examination
Candidacy must be valid and the student must be registered in the quarter in which the University Oral Examination is taken. At least two weeks prior to the exam date the candidate must email a University Oral Examination form to the CEE Assistant Director of Degree Progress.. Student Services will email the exam chair the university oral exam form and university guidelines for the exam.
The student must provide draft copies of the dissertation to members of the examination committee at least one week before the exam or at an agreed upon time between the student and the examination committee.
The examination normally begins with a presentation by the PhD candidate during which clarifying questions may be asked. This part of the examination is typically open to the public. After a brief recess, the examination continues in a private session, with only the candidate and members of the examining committee in attendance. The exam may not exceed three hours in length.
Dissertation Reading Committee
A dissertation reading committee consists of three members: your principal dissertation advisor and two additional readers. At least two of the three Reading Committee members must be Stanford Academic Council members. At least one member must be from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. A reader may not be a University Chair for the candidate’s oral exam committee.
All members of the reading committee must be faculty at Stanford or tenure-track faculty at another university. All members of the reading committee must approve the completed dissertation to complete this milestone.
As soon as your dissertation reading committee is established, complete a Doctoral Dissertation Reading Committee form and obtain each reading committee member’s signature. Submit the completed, signed form to the CEE Assistant Director of Degree Progress. The department chair will then review and sign the form after which CEE Student Services will process it in the university system.
Annual Dissertation Reading Committee Reviews
Upon advancing to candidacy, PhD students must continue to demonstrate satisfactory progress in their PhD research. It is strongly recommended that progress should be evaluated at least annually by meeting with the members of the dissertation reading committee, either individually or as a group. As the PhD student, you are the person empowered to initiate meetings with your reading committee members, either annually, or more often if desired, in consultation with your advisor.
Dissertation Submission
To prepare an electronic doctoral dissertation, please visit the Registrar's page on Preparing Dissertations for Submission. Please review the Format Requirements page.
If you have questions, please review resources available via Student Services or submit a help request.
When you are ready with a final draft of your dissertation, make an appointment to consult with a Graduate Degree Progress Officer at the Student Services Center at Tresidder Union (Second Floor) to review the completion of your PhD program and the strict formatting requirements for the dissertation.
Submit the final version of your dissertation to the Graduate Degree Progress Officer no later than the posted deadline for your degree to be conferred in the quarter you wish to graduate.