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Aerospace engineering covers the design and maintenance of both aircraft and spacecraft and involves concepts of temperature, pressure, and the dynamics of flight.
University of Alabama (Mostly Online)
University of Alabama offers a primarily online PhD program in aerospace engineering and mechanics providing students with the opportunity to become thought-leaders in the field of engineering. Testing may require live, in-person proctors to complete exams. The dissertation proposal and dissertation defense will take place in person in Tuscaloosa.
Specifically designed for engineering professionals with five or more years of experience within the field, this program allows students to propose, complete, and defend an approved dissertation on a research topic that contributes to the aerospace engineering field or engineering science and mechanics.
A total of 60 credits are required for this research-based PhD. The curriculum includes courses such as orbital mechanics; space systems; airfoil and wing theory; intermediate fluid mechanics; and advanced dynamics of flight.
Applicants to the program must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited university with a minimum GPA of 3.0 for the last 60 hours completed.
Although architectural work often involves working with architects, architectural engineers are strictly referred to as engineers. Architecture is an engineering discipline that deals with the technological aspects and multi-disciplinary approach to planning, designing, operation, and construction of buildings, such as analysis and integrated design of environmental systems.
Drexel University (On-campus)
Drexel University offers an on-campus architectural engineering doctoral program that prepares graduates for taking on emerging topics in today’s engineered systems and building designs. Students in this program will address the important implications of community development, urban planning, sustainability and energy efficiency, and building health and indoor air quality.
Both in curriculum and in research, this PhD program emphasizes a combination of fundamentals with topical specialization and interdisciplinary training. A total of 90 credits are required for this degree and students will choose a doctoral thesis topic after consultation with the faculty. An oral thesis presentation and defense are scheduled after the thesis work.
Students entering the program with a prior MS degree will be required to complete 45 credits, while students entering the PhD program with a BS degree (without a master’s degree) will be required to complete 90 credits of graduate courses.
The curriculum includes courses such as intelligent buildings; building envelope systems; indoor air quality; building energy systems; and applied engineering analytical methods.
Automotive engineering designs, tests, and produces automobiles and automobile systems through a combination of mechanical, electrical, software, and safety engineering.
University of Michigan (On-campus)
University of Michigan offers a doctor of engineering (DEng) program in automotive systems and mobility that centers on problem-solving skills, innovation, and engineering practice and application preparing graduates for technical leadership roles in the mobility and automotive industry.
Encourages doctoral students to conduct cutting-edge research using emerging technologies in the broad areas of automotive engineering and mobility, this multidisciplinary program features core research in areas such as advanced simulation; automotive cybersecurity; connected and autonomous vehicles; human factors & transportation systems safety; electrified vehicles; dynamics, control & vehicle safety; shared mobility; materials, manufacturing, & design; data analytics in automotive & mobility; and thermal-fluid & combustion.
Geared toward working professionals, this program accepts students with prior professional experience in mobility and the automotive industry for part-time or full-time study. Students will be expected to maintain their employment status during the program and the topic of the dissertation research is expected to be related to the applicant’s area of expertise.
Applicants to the program must have a master’s degree in engineering or computer science from an accredited program, a bachelor’s GPA of 3.0, a master’s GPA of 3.2, at least two years of full-time equivalent research and development experience in industry, a current resume, a statement of purpose, and TOEFL or IELTS test scores for non-native English speakers.
The program requires students to complete a minimum of 36 credits including six credits of coursework, six credits of directed study and pre-candidate research courses, and 24 credits of dissertation research.
Biomedical engineering uses an engineering ethos to design innovative medical technologies like prostheses, implants, pharmaceutical drugs, diagnostic tools, and more.
University of North Dakota (Online, On-campus)
The University of North Dakota offers a PhD program in biomedical engineering that can be completed online or on campus. Online candidates will have a minimum of three campus visits to the UND campus in Grand Forks, and they’ll need to make a presentation during each visit.
Graduates through this program will gain the skill set to be a part of a team that creates medical devices that increase safety and survival rates for patients all around the world. Students will be able to individualize their program and choose from several biomedical research groups (BRG) including biomaterials, biomechanics, multi-scale, bio-instrumentation, bio-signals, and bio-simulation and modeling.
The program includes courses such as intelligent decision systems; digital image processing; digital signal processing; and special laboratory problems.
Chemical engineering involves the production, transportation, distribution, and usage of chemicals, often those related to materials and energy.
University of North Dakota (Online)
The University of North Dakota offers an online PhD program in chemical engineering that requires students to complete research work in person, or possibly at research facilities at their location, which will depend on the project, thesis topic, and faculty advisor.
This doctoral program is focused on helping students gain advanced experience and knowledge needed for embarking or furthering their research career in industry, government, and academia; using proven chemical engineering principles to develop material and energy resources; and elevating their skills to include a very wide range of chemical engineering processes, applications, and materials.
The curriculum includes courses such as advanced transport phenomena; advanced chemical engineering thermodynamics; metallic corrosion and polymer degradation; design of engineering experiments; advanced chemical engineering kinetics; and combustion theory and modeling.
Civil engineering involves the design, construction, and maintenance of buildings, bridges, roads, and other elements of an interconnected civil society.
Michigan Technological University (On-campus)
Michigan Technological University offers a PhD program in civil engineering which is a terminal research degree designed for the pursuit of advanced studies in civil engineering. Students in this program may pursue their studies in one of six current areas of education and research: civil engineering materials; geotechnical engineering; construction engineering and management; transportation engineering; structural engineering; geospatial engineering; and water resource engineering.
To complete this program students must complete all research and coursework credits, pass the research proposal examination, pass the qualifying examination, pass the final oral defense, and prepare and submit an approved dissertation.
Master’s degree holders will complete 30 credits, while those with bachelor’s degrees will complete 60 credits.
Environmental engineering applies engineering concepts to the study of how the environment is affected by humans, and vice-versa, with applications in pollution reduction and public health.
University of North Dakota (Online)
Offered through the University of North Dakota’s Institute for Energy Studies (IES), this online PhD in environmental engineering allows students to develop energy technologies that are economically competitive, sustainable, reliable, and politically and environmentally acceptable.
As PhD candidates, students will present an annual progress report outlining their research, defend a dissertation, and complete an oral exam.
The program’s 90-credit curriculum includes courses such as air pollution control; advanced transport phenomena; water sampling & analysis; environmental engineering; and surface hydrology.
Structural engineering is a sub-field of civil engineering. This sub-discipline focuses on the durability, strength, and stability of airplanes, buildings, bridges, and several other structures.
University of Delaware’s PhD program in civil engineering is offered in the major areas of coastal engineering, civil infrastructure systems, structural engineering, environmental engineering, transportation engineering, water resources engineering, and geotechnical engineering.
The program comprises 72 credits beyond the bachelor’s degree which includes a doctoral dissertation. Students who already hold a master’s degree in the specific field of study are accepted directly into the program and the coursework from the master’s degree will be taken into account.
The program includes 36 graduate program credits, nine dissertation credits, nine credits of research, and 18 additional research or course credits.
Water systems engineering, also referred to as hydraulic engineering, deals with the movements of fluids like water and sewage, and has applications in creating and managing dams, levees, and other water systems.
Texas A&M Engineering (On-campus)
Texas A&M Engineering’s Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers a PhD in civil engineering with a specialization in water resources engineering preparing students for careers in education, engineering practice, research, and leadership.
This research-oriented degree requires the performance of independent research. The final basis for granting this degree shall be the candidate’s grasp of the subject matter of a broad field of study and a demonstrated ability to do independent research.
Computer engineering involves the design, development, and testing of both software and hardware, including microprocessors, circuit boards, operating systems, and other components.
Florida Atlantic University (Online)
Florida Atlantic University offers an online PhD program with a major in computer engineering preparing students for careers such as research scientists at research labs and high-tech companies, and senior positions in computer engineering-related fields. Topics include network communications; robotics and autonomous systems; the Internet of Things; vehicle technology; hardware security; computer systems, VLSI, and more.
A minimum of 72 credits are required beyond a bachelor’s degree and 18 credits of coursework is required beyond a master’s degree. Doctoral students, in addition to meeting the course requirement, must pass the qualifying examination, pass the oral dissertation examination, and complete the dissertation under the supervision of the student’s advisor and dissertation committee.
Computer science includes the theory, development, and design of algorithms that store, process, and represent information.
National University (Online)
National University offers an online doctor of philosophy in computer science program preparing students for computer science positions within several technology, data, service, and manufacturing sectors. Through an in-depth examination of real-world computational issues and analysis of advanced computing problems, students will expand their expertise in artificial intelligence, software engineering, cybersecurity, and data mining.
This 60-credit program includes courses such as principles of computer science; programming languages & algorithms; computer networks & mobile computing; distributed algorithms and parallel computing; databases & business intelligence; data curation; managing risk, security, & privacy in information systems; and software engineering.
For admission, students must have a conferred master’s degree from a regionally accredited academic institution.
Cybersecurity is the proactive protection of data and networks from outside attack, theft, and corruption.
George Washington University (Online)
George Washington University offers an online doctor of engineering (DEng) program in cybersecurity analytics granting students extensive knowledge of cutting-edge cybersecurity tools, techniques, and their real-world applications. Graduates will be well-equipped to lead cybersecurity teams and projects in various industries and conduct research.
Students will be required to complete eight graduate-level courses and a minimum of 24 credits of praxis research. During the research phase, students write and defend a research praxis on a cybersecurity analytics-related topic.
Courses include cyber forensics; challenges in cybersecurity; security data analysis & visualization; analytical tools for cyber analytics; applied cryptography and data protection; praxis development for cybersecurity; and praxis research for a doctor of engineering in cyber analytics.
Data science involves the processing, management, and interpretation of massive quantities of data, and sits at the intersection of statistics, computer science, and machine learning.
National University (Online)
National University offers an online doctor of philosophy in data science program preparing students to conduct research in data science by exploring every stage of the data science life cycle from both an applied and theoretical perspective. Students will explore a wide range of related topics such as big data integration, data mining, data visualization, business intelligence, strategic data management, and critical analysis.
The program requires a minimum of 60 credits and additional credits may be allowed as needed to complete the dissertation research. Courses include principles of data science; dissertation proposal; exploratory data analysis; statistical modeling; multivariate analysis; research design for data scientists; advanced research design for data scientists; databases & business intelligence.
Software engineering involves the design, development, and maintenance of software applications.
University of Arizona (Online)
The University of Arizona offers an online software engineering PhD degree that helps students develop the mindsets and skills to be leaders in computing, software development, automation and connectivity, machine learning, data science, network sciences, and human and intelligent systems.
Graduates will be able to develop, design, integrate, evaluate, and test software applications, products, or systems in diverse engineering and computing domains. They will also be able to critically review and analyze published research results and other literature related to their area of study. They will also be able to demonstrate their ability to articulate all aspects of the research in their software engineering specialization area, defend the significance of their work, explain their research methodologies, and summarize their findings.
Students who do not hold a degree equivalent to the University of Arizona’s BS degree in a computing-related program may be admitted into this program but may be required to complete additional graduate-level pre-requisite courses before enrolling in some graduate courses.
Courses include software devSecOps; software project management; software requirements analysis & test; software architecture & design; distributed computing; foundations of software engineering; cloud computing principles and practices; and cloud-native software engineering.
Involving electronics, electromagnetism, and electricity, electrical engineering houses subfields such as telecommunications, microwave engineering, signal processing, and control systems.
Columbia University (Online)
Columbia University offers a partially online doctor of engineering science (DES) degree in electrical engineering where students will be required to perform research on campus with a faculty advisor. Applicants to the program must already possess a master’s degree in a related field. The program includes in-depth research and instruction in an electrical engineering specialty and prepares graduates to contribute scholarly work in the field.
Requiring coursework beyond the master’s degree, the program includes research and a final dissertation. After completing the coursework, candidates pursue research requirements. A total of 72 credits is needed which includes 30 credits from previously obtained master’s degree, 30 credits of DES coursework, and a minimum of 12 credits of research.
Electrical and computer engineering (ECE) involves the interplay between computers and machines and has applications in power generation, robotics, motors, lasers, and medical devices.
Mississippi State University (Online)
Mississippi State University offers an online doctor of philosophy program in electrical and computer engineering. All students enrolled in this doctoral program are required to pass a written qualifying examination. They will also be required to orally defend his or her dissertation.
Comprising 48 to 66 credits, the program includes courses such as signal and systems; electromagnetics; energy systems; intermediate electronic circuits; advanced electronics circuits; digital devices; microprocessors; solid-state electronics; data structures and analysis of algorithms; and discrete structures.
Engineering management applies business and leadership skills like organization, administration, and problem-solving to the field of engineering.
National University (Online)
National University offers an online PhD in engineering management program where students will be able to learn a wide variety of tools vital to protecting an organization’s intellectual property, bringing new ideas to fruition, and assessing the potential of innovative ideas.
Upon graduation, graduates will be able to use the skills and knowledge they have gained to lead information systems and engineering initiatives in any organization, whether for business, nonprofit, or government.
The program comprises 60 credits and has no residency requirements.
A complex field of engineering, construction management requires a thorough understanding of a wide variety of topics encompassing the industry’s legal, business, and technical aspects.
Michigan State University (On-campus)
Michigan State University offers a doctor of philosophy program in planning, design, and construction with a concentration in construction management that focuses on scholarly research and combines the managerial and technical aspects of construction projects.
Applicants to the program must have a master’s degree in a related field with a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5, and GRE scores no lower than 301 in combined verbal and quantitative.
Students must complete nine credits of core courses, a minimum of four additional courses related to the area of concentration, pass both a written and oral comprehensive examination, complete 24 credits of planning, design, and construction, and complete and successfully defend a dissertation in an area related to the area of concentration. Concentration areas include environmental design, urban and regional planning, or construction management.
Graduates will possess the skills and knowledge necessary to conduct scholarly research and understand the effects of regulations, plans, materials, design, construction systems, and project management techniques on the environmental, social, and economic concerns of society and stakeholders.
Geographic information systems are a type of technology that is useful for modern civil engineers. Engineers can use GIS for collecting and evaluating geographic data.
Arizona State University (On-campus)
Arizona State University offers a PhD program in geographic information science providing students with theoretical, analytical, technical, and computational knowledge in transdisciplinary geospatial sciences. Students at ASU will have the opportunity to conduct research at the Spatial Analysis Research Center alongside world-renowned faculty members specializing in earth observation and remote sensing, geoinformatics, GIS, spatial-temporal analysis, and spatial statistics.
The program’s 84-credit curriculum includes courses such as geographic research design and proposal writing; GIScience issues and debates; geographic information science programming; and spatial statistics for geography and planning.
In addition to 12 credits of required courses, the program includes 55 credits of electives or research, three credits of remote sensing, 12 credits of dissertation, and a two-credit seminar in geography colloquium.
Applicants to the program must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in geology, geography, computer programming, earth science, environmental science, GIS, geomatics, or a related field from a regionally accredited institution.
Industrial engineering is focused on optimizing production in manufacturing and other fields.
University of Tennessee (Online)
The online industrial engineering PhD program at the University of Tennessee offers two concentration options in energy science and engineering, and engineering management. The program is ideal for working professionals interested in learning and performing research in any of the broad areas of industrial engineering.
The faculty members do research in the areas of deep learning, operations research, and analytics and have a broad array of application areas such as power systems, healthcare, supply chain, manufacturing, and others.
Students with a master’s degree complete 48 credits, while those with a bachelor’s degree complete 72 credits. Some of the courses include optimization methods in industrial engineering; applied data science; introduction to proofs-real and convex analysis; and research methods in ISE.
Often referred to as IT, Information Technology is the application of technology to solve organizational and business problems. This engineering field uses computers, networks, storage, and other technical infrastructure for dealing with and manipulating information or data.
University of the Cumberlands (Online)
University of the Cumberlands offers an online PhD program in information technology providing students with deep knowledge of how machine learning solves business problems, using analytics to plan for growing IT needs, responding to evolving cyber security threats, and much more.
The program comprises 60 required credits which include professional research courses, content specialty courses, and a dissertation. Focusing on predictive analytics, the program’s fully online curriculum helps students in enhancing their credentials giving them the tools they need to be their company’s IT expert in big data, smart technology, and cybercrime security.
Students complete 18 credits of core courses, 24 credits of professional research, and 18 credits of content specialty area. Specialty areas include blockchain, artificial intelligence, data science, cyber engineering, information systems security, digital forensics, and information technology.
The core curriculum includes courses such as information technology importance in strategic planning; information technology in a global economy; information governance; emerging threats and countermeasures; enterprise risk management; and data science and big data analytics.
Materials engineering involves the discovery, design, and manipulation of materials, in particular solids (metals, minerals) and synthetics (plastics).
Clarkson University (On-campus)
Clarkson University offers a campus-based PhD program in materials science and engineering focusing on advanced materials and their application across the full spectrum of technical challenges around the world. Students will receive a deep and broad understanding of materials science and engineering and will be prepared for a wide range of career paths, including in national laboratories, academia, government, nonprofits, or industry.
The program comprises 90 credits of coursework, seminars, and project work. The curriculum includes courses in advanced characterization of materials; advanced materials science and engineering; additive manufacturing; functional polymer systems; polymer materials; and bioelectronics and bionanotechnology.
All students must complete the candidacy procedure within two years after admission and a dissertation must be submitted and defended orally before a committee of five faculty members.
A branch of applied mathematics, engineering mathematics concerns mathematical methods and techniques that are typically used in engineering and industry. Applied mathematics is the application of mathematical methods by different fields such as physics, engineering, medicine, biology, finance, business, industry, and computer science. Applied mathematics is therefore a combination of mathematical science and specialized knowledge.
Arizona State University (On-campus)
Arizona State University’s School of Mathematical and Statistical Sciences offers a PhD program in applied mathematics. This 84-credit program includes two qualifying examinations, a written comprehensive examination, and an oral dissertation prospectus defense. Courses include applied linear algebra; differential equations; applied analysis; applied probability and stochastic processes; and computational methods.
Applicants to the program must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in applied mathematics, mathematics, engineering, economics, or natural science from a regionally accredited institution.
Mechanical engineering designs and operates machines through the use of materials science, mechanics, electricity, and thermodynamics.
University of Alabama (Online)
The University of Alabama offers an online PhD program in mechanical engineering allowing students to propose, complete, and defend an approved dissertation on a research topic contributing to the field of mechanical engineering.
The PhD requires 48 credits of coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree, a comprehensive qualifying exam, and a proposal presentation, plus 24 credits of dissertation research and a committee-approved dissertation and dissertation defense. Students with a master’s degree receive credit for up to 24 credits of coursework.
Nuclear engineering involves the fission and fusion of atomic nuclei, with major applications in energy creation, radiation analysis, and medical devices.
Missouri University of Science and Technology (On-campus)
Missouri University of Science and Technology offers a PhD program in nuclear engineering which is open to students who have successfully completed their MS program or have enrolled in a direct PhD program.
Students in this program will work with faculty in research areas such as thermal-hydraulics, neutronics, nuclear materials, and medical applications of nuclear sciences.
Students will be required to complete a research project with a written dissertation of high caliber demonstrating their capacity to conduct independent and original research.
Courses include radiation shielding; plasma physics; advanced nuclear thermal hydraulics; effects of radiation on solids; nuclear reactor safety; linear transport theory; advanced reactor physics; and advanced nuclear forensics and radiochemistry.
Drawing from computer science, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering, robotics engineering designs and develops the various component systems in robots.
Worcester Polytechnic Institute (On-campus)
Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s PhD program in robotics engineering is one of the very few programs in the world where students can earn a doctorate in this field. Internationally recognized for its outstanding faculty members and advanced research projects, the program has a small student-to-faculty ratio meaning students get a chance to work side by side with world-class professors who are exploring everything from multi-robot systems and medical robotic devices to the ethical implications of human-robot interaction.
Coursework is focused on topics such as computer and electrical engineering, computer science, mechanical engineering, and mathematics. Applicants may enter with a BS or MS degree and will propose a plan of study and potential research leading up to dissertation studies.
The faculty research is supported through industry and federal funding. Some areas of faculty specialization include assistive and augmentative robotics; kinematics, dynamics, and control; human-robot interaction; manipulation; perception; medical and surgical robotics; and motion planning.
Related to engineering management, systems engineering addresses complex systems’ logistics, reliability, coordination, and optimization.
Colorado State University (Online)
Designed for top-level and senior management executives, Colorado State University offers an online PhD program in systems engineering which is ideal for working professionals. The program only accepts a handful of students each semester to maintain the quality and integrity of the student experience.
As PhD-level scientists in both industry and academia, students will contribute original research to the field throughout their coursework. The program’s faculty have decades of experience in Aerospace and Defense, Systems architecture and engineering, Technical management, manufacturing, production, lean engineering, life cycle management, and many more such topics.
Students will be required to complete a minimum of 72 credits. Applicants with an applicable master’s degree may have up to 30 credits, such that they take 42 credits at CSU for the PhD. The program requires students to complete a qualifying process, an oral preliminary examination, and an oral final examination in addition to the finished dissertation document. The dissertation does not require a campus visit.
Farheen Gani has researched a wide array of topics related to engineering since 2018. She has written about electrical and computer engineering programs, structural engineering programs, mechanical engineer salaries, environmental engineering programs, and many other subfields of engineering. She...
Lean Six Sigma is a blend of two manufacturing concepts focused on minimizing product defects and the wastage of resources. A number of universities offer certification programs in Lean Six Sigma, which can generally be completed in six to 12 weeks.
Upon completing a dual MBA and engineering degree program, students will hold master’s degrees in two of the most coveted fields. They may be eligible to take up leadership roles such as vice president of engineering, chief technical officer, and chief operating officer.
Operations management is an important cog in any business wheel. This role ensures that all products and services are produced and delivered on time; there is minimum wastage of resources; and quality is maintained across all units.
A master’s degree in data science trains students to expertly analyze data, as well as in other important disciplines such as machine learning, programming, database management, and data visualization. This degree is ideal for aspiring data scientists, data analysts, and pricing analysts.
Electrical engineering is a field where professionals research, develop, and design various electrical components and systems. An online master’s degree can be valuable to students who wish to take up advanced positions in their career.
