Person walks on LEGO-inspired smart concrete blocks

Civil Engineering Doctoral Program

Program Details

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy

Available

On campus

Contact

Graduate Admissions1-888.783.8367[email protected]
Apply Now

Develop the specialized civil engineering expertise you need to solve the major infrastructure and geotechnical challenges facing the world today.

Best Grad Schools U.S. News & World Report - Engineering 2025.Stevens’ civil engineering Ph.D. program emphasizes interdisciplinary research in a wide variety of testbeds and laboratories. Here, you’ll collaborate with renowned faculty and fellow scholars to develop innovations in many areas of civil engineering, including smart structural systems, sustainable and resilient construction materials, hazard mitigation, infrastructure rehabilitation and many more.

The Department of Civil, Environmental, and Ocean Engineering offers dynamic opportunities to explore leading-edge research within a close community of faculty mentors. You'll be able to study under a faculty mentor in the area that you find most exciting:

  • Advanced Construction Materials

  • Structural Health Monitoring

  • Structure Design and Analysis

  • Geotechnical Engineering

Concentrations

  • Structural Engineering

  • Construction Materials

  • Geotechnical Engineering


The Stevens Advantage: Widen Your Career Options

Faculty and students wearing safety vests working with building materials outdoors with the Empire State Building in the background.Our location in the heart of the New York City metropolitan area gives Ph.D. students unparalleled insight into the ways civil engineers play a role in shaping the world’s largest urban environments. Our doctoral graduates routinely receive job offers even before graduating, as their knowledge and experience are in high demand.

Learn more about what makes graduate education from Stevens a unique experience:

  • Graduate Cooperative Education Program: Available with two tracks, your co-op experience can serve as a starting point for a research project or augment your on-campus research with complimentary experience.

  • International Student Experience: Tap into our expanding worldwide network of research, academic and alumni partners and mentor with our expert faculty in a number of federally-designated STEM degree programs. Optional Practical Training (OPT) or Curricular Practical Training (CPT) is available to gain work experience in your major/field of study.

  • State-of-the-Art Research Labs and Facilities: Build, tinker and test your designs in Stevens' MakerCenter, Prototype and Object Fabrication Lab, or numerous other research facilities.

  • Research Opportunities: Renowned faculty, labs and research centers – as well as industry partnerships and funding from leading national agencies – support strategic and interdisciplinary research in engineering and science.

  • Assistantships and Fellowships: Stevens offers funding to select graduate students in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships and fellowships. Limited in number, these highly competitive opportunities are awarded to exceptional candidates based on merit.

  • Expanded Learning Options: The Schaefer School offers new opportunities for doctoral students to do coursework at universities in the New York City area – and around the world – through our growing list of academic partnerships with other prestigious universities. Learn more about our latest partnerships.

Civil Engineering Ph.D. student Mohamed Abdelkader offers five quick takes on Stevens, his studies and campus life.

Hands-On Civil, Environmental and Ocean Engineering Research

At Stevens, you have the ability to join research groups with students at a variety of levels of experience, and outstanding faculty so you can learn cutting-edge technology as a team, just like in the real-world. In our state-of-the-art research labs and facilities, you'll have the opportunity to engage in experiential learning.


Program Admission Requirements

Who Should Apply?

To be qualified to enter the civil engineering Ph.D. program, a student must have completed a master’s degree in civil engineering or a related field, of which up to 30 credits may be transferred. 

Requirements
  • Bachelor’s degree, with a minimum GPA of 3.0, from an accredited institution

  • Transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended

  • Two letters of recommendation (academic or professional only; Select Ph.D. programs require a third letter of recommendation)

  • Statement of Purpose

  • $60 non-refundable Application Fee

  • Proof of English language proficiency

  • A competitive GRE or GMAT score (optional)

  • Resume/CV

  • Writing sample(s). All applicants are encouraged to submit a lab report (preferable) or paper that they wrote, individually, for an engineering course. Applicants who have published a journal article are also encouraged to submit a copy of their article.

For more complete details, visit our General Admissions Requirements page.

Apply Online >

Curriculum Overview

View objectives, outcomes, and other Ph.D. curriculum details in the most recent academic catalog.

View Academic Catalog >


Each Ph.D. curriculum must also adhere to the institution wide standards listed in the doctoral handbook.

View Doctoral Handbook >


If you have existing graduate credits or experience in this area of study, contact [email protected] to discuss opportunities to include it in the curriculum.


Fellowships & Assistantships

Information about assistantships and fellowships can be found here.

STEM Designated Degree Programs

The four fields comprising STEM – science, technology, engineering and mathematics – offer a wide variety of professions that are classified as some of the highest-growing and highest-paying jobs right now and in the future.

And for international students, the demand for STEM-related professionals in the United States can open the door for an extended stay.

An ever-growing list of eligible programs across all levels is available here.


Related Programs

Chemical Engineering Doctoral Program

Advance independent research that addresses some of society’s biggest challenges in the entrepreneurial environment of Stevens’ chemical engineering Ph.D. program.

Computer Science Doctoral Program

Prepare to make an enduring impact in fields like machine learning, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity with a Ph.D. in computer science from Stevens.

Mechanical Engineering Doctoral Program

Gain industry-leading expertise in robotics, bioengineering, nanomaterials, sustainable energy systems and more with a Ph.D. from Stevens.