Engineering, PhD
Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering
The proposal to establish a doctoral program in what was at the time the College of Engineering was approved by the Board of Trustees of The University of Akron and the Ohio Board of Regents in 1967-68. For this interdisciplinary program, students identify a home department for their studies from among the five engineering departments of the College, but may engage in research that spans the disciplines covered by the College of Engineering and Polymer Science.
Admission Requirements
Applicants for the Doctor of Philosophy in Engineering must hold a bachelor’s degree from a program that is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology at the time of graduation, or provide satisfactory evidence of an equivalent academic background to the Dean of the College of Engineering and Polymer Science.
Applicants with a Master of Science degree must provide satisfactory evidence of an equivalent engineering baccalaureate background to the Dean of the College of Engineering and Polymer Science.
In addition to the materials required by the Graduate School, applicants must three letters of recommendation, a statement of purpose, and a resume. Personal statements or descriptions of post-baccalaureate experience that provide a rationale for proposed graduate study may also be submitted.
Applicants with only a bachelor’s degree are expected to have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.0/4.0.
Applicants with a master’s degree are expected to have a cumulative graduate grade point average of at least 3.0/4.0.
Bridge-up Requirements
Applicants with a bachelor’s degree in a discipline other than engineering shall have completed undergraduate coursework in calculus, differential equations, and have one year of classical physics at a minimum. A student’s chosen home department sets additional course requirements as shown below. Students may need to take undergraduate and / or graduate bridge-up courses depending on their background; if they need significant bridge-up coursework they will start at UA as undergraduate guest students. An applicant’s bridge-up coursework is determined by the home department’s graduate admissions committee.
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Doctoral students are expected to have engineering undergraduate coursework as follows: one year of chemistry; engineering statics; thermodynamics; and at least four of the following five topics: materials science, transport phenomena, electrical circuits, solid mechanics, measurement and analysis of signals. Students typically bridge from undergraduate programs in biology, chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, physics, and medicine.
Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering
Doctoral students are expected to have undergraduate coursework in material and energy balances or equivalent, and at least one of the following courses: equilibrium thermodynamics, transport phenomena, chemical reaction engineering, mass transfer operations, or fluids & thermal operations. Students can bridge from undergraduate programs in chemistry, math, statistics, physics, or related STEM fields.
Department of Civil Engineering
Doctoral students are expected to have engineering undergraduate coursework in engineering statics, dynamics, solid mechanics, and fluid mechanics; and advanced engineering coursework in at least one of the following areas: theory and design of structures, hydraulics and soil mechanics, steel and reinforced concrete design, transportation engineering, water supply and environmental engineering. Students typically bridge from undergraduate programs in construction and other areas of engineering.
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Doctoral students are expected to have engineering undergraduate coursework in circuits and electronics including engineering analysis and design of electronics, active circuits and/or power electronics; systems analysis and design based on differential equations and linear system theory for communications and/or digital controls; and advanced engineering coursework in at least two of the following areas: energy conversion, electromagnetics, embedded systems, digital hardware, control systems, electric motor drives, integrated circuit design. Students typically bridge from undergraduate programs in physics, mathematics, computer science, and other areas of engineering.
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Doctoral students are expected to have engineering undergraduate coursework in statics, dynamics, solid mechanics, fluid mechanics and thermodynamics; and advanced engineering coursework in at least one of the following areas: thermodynamics and heat transfer; analysis and design of mechanical components; systems dynamics and control system design; materials science and engineering. Students typically bridge from undergraduate programs in physics, mathematics, and other areas of engineering.
Students in this program must meet all of the University's academic requirements for doctoral programs as outlined in the Graduate Bulletin, as well as the following program-specific requirements.
Doctoral Student’s Responsibilities
Doctoral students are responsible for all aspects of their graduate education. Specifically, these responsibilities include:
- Understanding, adhering to, and implementing the procedures of the Graduate School, as described in The University of Akron Graduate Bulletin, and the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Procedures of the College of Engineering and Polymer Science.
- Selecting an interdisciplinary program, Dissertation Director, and Interdisciplinary Doctoral Committee.
- Arranging, through the Dissertation Director, all Interdisciplinary Doctoral Committee meetings.
- Tracking of all milestones to program completion, and initiating, through the Dissertation Director, the forms that monitor progress toward the doctoral degree.
Milestones to Doctoral Program Completion
At the time of joining the program, students must identify a home department for their studies from among the engineering departments: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering, Department of Civil Engineering, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, or Department of Mechanical Engineering. Students complete the following milestones in the course of their program.
M1. Doctoral Qualifying Exam - before completion of 18 credits of coursework or at end of first year
The Doctoral Qualifying Examination, if required by the home department, is set and administered by the home department. It may be based on undergraduate material appropriate to the discipline and any graduate courses completed to that point. The Doctoral Qualifying Examination is taken before the student has completed 18 credits of coursework.
Students who do not pass the Doctoral Qualifying Examination must retake the examination within one year. A second failure of the Doctoral Qualifying Examination results in dismissal from the program. A student must have special permission of their Committee and the Dean’s designee in order to enroll in coursework past completion of 18 credits without having successfully completed their Doctoral Qualifying Examination. The student shall not register for doctoral dissertation credits until they have passed the Doctoral Qualifying Examination.
M2. Doctoral Committee Formation - within first three semesters
The student’s Interdisciplinary Doctoral Committee (IDC) should be formed before forming a Doctoral Plan of Study and within the first three semesters of study. The IDC must meet all Graduate School rules for doctoral committee composition. The committee consists of:
- A dissertation director / committee chair who is of Category III and has a primary or joint appointment in the student's home department.
- At least one other member who has a primary appointment in the student's home department.
- At least one member who has a primary appointment outside the student's home department (may also be outside the College of Engineering and Polymer Science). Students are highly encouraged to include a member whose expertise is outside of engineering.
- At least three members from the College of Engineering and Polymer Science.
- At least five members, with a majority of committee members of Category III. Members from outside UA must have Ad-Hoc Temporary Status and may serve as full voting members.
All appointments and changes to IDCs are subject to the approval of the Dean of the College of Engineering and Polymer Science or designee and the Dean of the Graduate School or designee.
M3. Approval of Doctoral Plan of Study - within first three semesters
The Interdisciplinary Doctoral Committee (IDC) is responsible for development and approval of a Plan of Study that meets the minimum number of required course credits and requirements set by the student’s home department. The Plan of Study should be completed and approved within the first three semesters of study / before completion of the first 18 course credits and/or immediately after successful completion of the qualifying examination (if required by the home department). Courses are chosen to prepare the student in the intended area of doctoral research.
When a University of Akron student earns a master’s degree at UA, all graduate course credits for the master’s degree that are appropriate to the doctoral area of study can be also used towards the PhD, subject to any restrictions the home department places on the composition of the Doctoral Plan of Study. Appropriateness of courses is determined through approval of the Plan of Study by the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Committee.
M4. Doctoral Candidacy Exam - before end of third year
A Doctoral Candidacy Examination shall be administered by the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Committee (IDC) after the student has completed the graduate coursework for the Doctoral Plan of Study and by the end of the third year. It shall be the student’s responsibility to request such an examination before embarking on any extensive dissertation work. In some departments, the Candidacy Exam and the Doctoral Dissertation Research Proposal Defense may be conducted simultaneously.
The Doctoral Candidacy Examination is set by the home department and shall consist of a minimum of an oral and/or written section.The examination provides the student the opportunity to demonstrate the breadth and depth of knowledge in their chosen field of study necessary to conduct independent research.
Passing the Doctoral Candidacy Examination qualifies the student as a doctoral candidate. The Doctoral Candidacy Examination is successful if all members of Interdisciplinary Doctoral Committee vote to pass the student (no "fail" votes). When a student fails to pass the Doctoral Candidacy Examination, the IDC may either recommend dismissal from the program or approve a re-examination petition. A student failing to pass the Doctoral Candidacy Examination a second time will be recommended for dismissal. Recommendations are forwarded to the Dean of the College of Engineering and Polymer Science and the Dean of the Graduate School for approval.
M5. Dissertation Research Proposal Defense and Doctoral Language Requirement - before end of third year
The Dissertation Research Proposal shall consist of comprehensive literature review, clear articulation of the motivation and focus of the doctoral investigation/research, an outline of the approach proposed, a timeline for completing remaining research, and some general expectations of the nature of the results. The research results of the student must justify their approach and expected results. The proposal format should be as specified by the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Committee (IDC).
The research proposal must be submitted to the committee at least two weeks ahead of the scheduled Dissertation Research Proposal Defense at which the research proposal will be presented to the IDC. Passing the Dissertation Research Proposal Defense qualifies the student to progress to completing and defending the dissertation.
There is no university-wide or College foreign language requirement for the doctoral degree. Students in this program typically met the Doctoral Language Requirement by demonstrating the technical skills required to complete their doctoral research as assessed at the time of the dissertation defense. The IDC may set additional language requirements if needed.
M6. Dissertation Defense - at least one year after Doctoral Research Proposal Defense
The student must carry out the proposed research activities and complete the writing of the dissertation no earlier than one year after the date of the Doctoral Research Proposal Defense. The completed dissertation must be submitted to the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Committee for evaluation at least two weeks ahead of the scheduled dissertation defense.
The dissertation defense shall start with a public presentation of the research. As a courtesy, the IDC may ask the audience if there are questions of the candidate. Questioning by the public audience is not meant to be an in-depth assessment in front of the candidate’s peers. After the general public has left, members of the IDC will pose in-depth questions to the candidate and may suggest additional work or modifications as required. A defense is successful all members of Interdisciplinary Doctoral Committee vote to pass the student (no "fail" votes).
M7. Dissertation Completion
Completion of the dissertation requires that the student complete corrections specified by the Committee at the time of the defense and obtain signatures of approval for the dissertation’s signature page.
M8. Exit Clearance - prior to degree conferral
Prior to conferral of the degree, students must complete any exit requirements set by their home department, such as properly handing off all data, storing equipment and laboratory supplies, and clearing office space.
Minimum Guidelines for the Doctoral Plan of Study
Guidelines for Plan of Study vary by home department. An Interdisciplinary Doctoral Committee may require more credits than the minimum specified by the guidelines and may require that the student complete specific courses. Minimum guidelines for the Plan of Study for each home department are shown below.
Department of Biomedical Engineering
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Requirements for the Doctoral Plan of Study 1,2,3,4 | ||
| The Plan of Study must have a minimum of 36 course credits approved by the research advisor and committee and meeting the following requirements. | ||
Biomedical Engineering Core | ||
| These 16 credits are required for all doctoral students in the Department of Biomedical Engineering. These core courses must be taken at the University of Akron. | ||
| BMEN 600 | BME Graduate Colloquium (taken six times) | 6 |
| BMEN 501 | Circuits and Signal Processing in Biomedical Engineering | 1 |
| BMEN 502 | Materials in Biomedical Engineering | 1 |
| BMEN 503 | Mechanics in Biomedical Engineering | 1 |
| BMEN 504 | Transport in Biomedical Engineering | 1 |
| BMEN 606 | Physiology for Biomedical Science and Engineering | 3 |
| BMEN 611 | Biometry | 3 |
Biomedical Engineering Electives | ||
| A Plan of Study must list eight additional credits from the biomedical engineering (BMEN) subject area. These courses must be taken at the University of Akron. | 8 | |
Other Electives | ||
| Twelve credits may come from disciplines other than biomedical engineering. | 12 | |
| Dissertation | 15 | |
| A minimum of 15 credits of doctoral dissertation are required. These credits are taken after the student has qualified to be a doctoral candidate. | ||
| Doctoral Dissertation | ||
| Remaining Credits | 45 | |
| Remaining credits needed to meet the minimum number of credits for the degree may be research or dissertation credits. Students previously in a related UA master’s program may apply master research and thesis credits to this requirement. Additional course credits beyond the minimum 36 credits may be used towards this requirement if the courses are part of an approved Plan of Study. | ||
| Masters Research | ||
| Masters Thesis in Biomedical Engineering | ||
| Preliminary Research | ||
| Doctoral Dissertation | ||
| Total Hours | 96 | |
- 1
No more than six credits of BMEN 600 BME Graduate Colloquium may be used towards the minimum of 36 credits of coursework on the Plan of Study.
- 2
No more than six credits at the 500 level may be used towards the minimum of 36 credits of coursework on the Plan of Study.
- 3
No more than twelve transfer credits may be used towards the minimum of 36 credits of coursework on the Plan of Study. Transfer credits may be used only in the Other Electives category.
- 4
Preliminary research, thesis, and dissertation credits may not be used towards the minimum of 36 credits of coursework on the Plan of Study.
Department of Chemical, Biomolecular, and Corrosion Engineering
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Requirements for the Doctoral Plan of Study 1,2,3,4 | 36 | |
| The Plan of Study must have a minimum of 36 course credits approved by the research advisor and committee. Course may be from the following subject areas: aerospace systems engineering (AESE), biomedical engineering (BMEN), chemical engineering (CHEE), civil engineering (CIVE), corrosion engineering (CORE), computer engineering (CPEN), computer science (CPSC), electrical engineering (ELEN), general engineering (GNEN), mathematics (MATH), mechanical engineering (MECE), polymer engineering (PLYE), polymer science (PLYS), and interdisciplinary polymer science and polymer engineering (PSPE). | ||
600-level course requirement | ||
At least 30 credits must be courses at the 600-level or higher. | ||
Remaining course requirement | ||
The remaining credits may be courses at the 500- or 600-level. | ||
| Dissertation | 15 | |
| A minimum of 15 credits of doctoral dissertation are required. These credits are taken after the student has qualified to be a doctoral candidate. | ||
| Doctoral Dissertation | ||
| Remaining Credits | 45 | |
| Remaining credits needed to meet the minimum number of credits for the degree may be research or dissertation credits. Students previously in a related UA master’s program may apply master research and thesis credits to this requirement. Additional course credits beyond the minimum 36 credits may be used towards this requirement if the courses are part of an approved Plan of Study. | ||
| Master's Thesis | ||
| Preliminary Research | ||
| Doctoral Dissertation | ||
| Total Hours | 96 | |
- 1
No more than six credits at the 500-level may be used towards the minimum of 36 credits of coursework for a Plan of Study.
- 2
No more than six credits of special topics and special projects classes may be used towards the minimum of 36 credits of coursework on the Plan of Study.
- 3
No more than 18 credits of transfer courses may be used towards the minimum of 36 credits of coursework on the Plan of Study.
- 4
Preliminary research, thesis, and dissertation credits may not be used towards the minimum of 36 credits of coursework on the Plan of Study.
Department of Civil Engineering
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Department of Civil Engineering Course Requirements for the Doctoral Plan of Study 1,2,3,4 | 36 | |
| The Plan of Study must have a minimum of 36 course credits approved by the research advisor and committee. | ||
Civil Engineering requirement | ||
At least 30 credits must be from the Civil Engineering (CIVE) subject area. | ||
Remaining course requirement | ||
The remaining six credits may be from any of the following subject areas: biomedical engineering (BMEN), chemical engineering (CHEE), civil engineering (CIVE), computer engineering (CPEN), computer science (CPSC), electrical engineering (ELEN), general engineering (GNEN), mathematics (MATH), mechanical engineering (MECE), | ||
| Dissertation | 15 | |
| A minimum of 15 credits of doctoral dissertation are required. These credits are taken after the student has qualified to be a doctoral candidate. | ||
| Doctoral Dissertation | ||
| Remaining Research Credits | 45 | |
| Remaining credits needed to meet the minimum number of credits for the degree may be research or dissertation credits. Students previously in a related UA master’s program may apply master research and thesis credits to this requirement. Additional course credits beyond the minimum 36 credits may be used towards this requirement if the courses are part of an approved Plan of Study. | ||
| Master's Research | ||
| Preliminary Research | ||
| Master's Thesis | ||
| Doctoral Dissertation | ||
| Total Hours | 96 | |
- 1
No more than ten credits at the 500-level may be used towards the minimum of 36 credits of coursework for a Plan of Study.
- 2
No more than six credits of special topics and special projects classes may be used towards the minimum of 36 credits of coursework on the Plan of Study.
- 3
No more than 18 credits of transfer courses may be used towards the minimum of 36 credits of coursework on the Plan of Study.
- 4
Preliminary research, thesis, and dissertation credits may not be used towards the minimum of 36 credits of coursework on the Plan of Study.
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Requirements for the Doctoral Plan of Study 1,2,3,4 | 36 | |
| The Plan of Study must have a minimum of 36 course credits approved by the research advisor and committee. Course may be from the following subject areas: aerospace systems engineering (AESE), biomedical engineering (BMEN), chemical engineering (CHEE), civil engineering (CIVE), corrosion engineering (CORE), computer engineering (CPEN), computer science (CPSC), electrical engineering (ELEN), general engineering (GNEN), mathematics (MATH), mechanical engineering (MECE), polymer engineering (PLYE), polymer science (PLYS), and interdisciplinary polymer science and polymer engineering (PSPE). | ||
600-level course requirement | ||
At least 24 credits must be courses at the 600-level. | ||
Remaining course requirement | ||
The remaining credits may be at the 500- or 600-level. | ||
| Dissertation | 15 | |
| A minimum of 15 credits of doctoral dissertation are required. These credits are taken after the student has qualified to be a doctoral candidate. | ||
| Doctoral Dissertation | ||
| Remaining Credits | 45 | |
| Remaining credits needed to meet the minimum number of credits for the degree may be research or dissertation credits. Students previously in a related UA master’s program may apply master research and thesis credits to this requirement. Additional course credits beyond the minimum 36 credits may be used towards this requirement if the courses are part of an approved Plan of Study. | ||
| Master's Research: Electrical Engineering | ||
| Master's Thesis | ||
| Preliminary Research | ||
| Doctoral Dissertation | ||
| Total Hours | 96 | |
- 1
No more than six credits at the 500-level may be used towards the minimum of 36 credits of coursework for a Plan of Study.
- 2
No more than six credits of special topics and special projects classes may be used towards the minimum of 36 credits of coursework on the Plan of Study.
- 3
No more than 18 credits of transfer courses may be used towards the minimum of 36 credits of coursework on the Plan of Study.
- 4
Preliminary research, thesis, and dissertation credits may not be used towards the minimum of 36 credits of coursework on the Plan of Study.
Department of Mechanical Engineering
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Course Requirements for the Doctoral Plan of Study 1,2,3,4 | 42 | |
| The Plan of Study must have a minimum of 42 course credits approved by the research advisor and committee. Course may be from the following subject areas: aerospace systems engineering (AESE), biomedical engineering (BMEN), chemical engineering (CHEE), civil engineering (CIVE), corrosion engineering (CORE), computer engineering (CPEN), computer science (CPSC), electrical engineering (ELEN), general engineering (GNEN), mathematics (MATH), mechanical engineering (MECE), polymer engineering (PLYE), polymer science (PLYS), and interdisciplinary polymer science and polymer engineering (PSPE). | ||
| Dissertation | 15 | |
| A minimum of 15 credits of doctoral dissertation are required. These credits are taken after the student has qualified to be a doctoral candidate. | ||
| Doctoral Dissertation | ||
| Remaining Credits | 39 | |
| Remaining credits needed to meet the minimum number of credits for the degree may be research, thesis or dissertation credits. Additional course credits beyond the minimum 42 credits may be used towards this requirement if the courses are part of an approved Plan of Study. | ||
| Master's Research: Mechanical Engineering | ||
| Master's Thesis | ||
| Preliminary Research | ||
| Doctoral Dissertation | ||
| Total Hours | 96 | |
- 1
All credits used towards the minimum of 42 credits of coursework for a Plan of Study must be at the 600-level or higher.
- 2
No more than 24 credits of transfer courses may be used towards the minimum of 42 credits of coursework on the Plan of Study.
- 3
Preliminary research, thesis, and dissertation credits may not be used towards the minimum of 42 credits of coursework on the Plan of Study.