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Outline of Doctoral Studies for Full-Time Students
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Transportation Engineering Environmental Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering Structural Engineering
This document outlines the major milestones of the PhD program in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE) at Rensselaer. It describes general requirements of the program and provides guidance in meeting such requirements, including suggested timelines. This document complements (but is not intended to replace) the policies or requirements outlined in the Rensselaer Catalog, and supplements them where CEE department-specific policies are warranted. The policies and requirements set out in the Rensselaer catalog are available on-line at http://gradoffice.rpi.edu/setup.do.
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PREFACE
This PhD document is intended to serve as a guide for anyone involved in the appointment of a graduate student pursuing their PhD degree in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. This manual was reviewed and updated during fall semester, 2012. The faculty of the departmental graduate committee assisted in the development of this document. Questions about the policies and procedures outlined in this document should be directed to the Department Head. Future changes to policies and procedures as announced by the Institute will be incorporated to this document on as needed basis. Those who work with graduate students will also want to periodically check the Rensselaer Catalog and the Graduate School web page (http://gradoffice.rpi.edu/setup.do). Departmental Graduate Committee
June 16, 2016
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INTRODUCTION
This document is developed to give current, new and prospective graduate student as well their advisors useful information about graduate student procedures and policies for obtaining a PhD degree in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. This document is intended to be a guideline and may be updated by the department, school or institute as needed. The content of this document is subject to change as a result of action by the Trustees of Rensselaer, the administration of the Institute, or the CEE department. Detailed information and examples of forms can be found in the Appendices in this document. Additional information can be found on the Rensselaer web page (www.rpi.edu). All graduate students of Rensselaer are advised to seek and obtain answers to questions and concerns through advisor(s) and Department Head. The need to solve issues outside the department is rare and should be referred to the Office of Graduate School. Student’s rights and responsibilities are outlined in the Rensselaer Handbook. An important issue to be considered is plagiarism as well as other forms of cheating, which are serious violations of the trust between student and advisor, and among students. Penalties for such violations are severe, and are detailed in the Rensselaer Handbook.
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DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
Transportation Engineering Environmental Engineering
Geotechnical Engineering Structural Engineering
Outline of Doctoral Studies for Full-Time Students
I. Identification of an Advisor
The identification of a suitable advisor is one of the most important aspects of the doctoral program. This is due to the large amount of time the student and advisor will be working together, and the very nature of doctoral research that is, in essence, a unique kind of apprenticeship involving the student and advisor. Since the amount of time, effort and financial resources spent in this process is considerable, it is extremely important that both the student and advisor do their best to make this process work in the best way possible. Therefore, upon admission every PhD student admitted to Rensselaer will be assigned either a temporary (academic only) or permanent (academic and research) faculty advisor. As explained below, the temporary or permanent nature of the advisor will depend on whether the student is recruited by a research group or an individual faculty member, and how the student is funded.
a) Research Assistant (RA):
A graduate student may be recruited by a faculty member to conduct research on a specific project. If the student agrees to work on the project, the student will be supported by the faculty member as an RA and the faculty member will serve as the permanent advisor.
b) Teaching Assistant (TA):
Some students will be recruited without a specific research project in mind and will commence studies as a TA. A student may be funded as a TA for a maximum of 2 years during this period the student will have a temporary (academic) department advisor. Subsequently, a faculty member may recruit the student for a RA and the permanent advisor will be the faculty member who has agreed to fund the student by an RA position after completion of the TA assignment. More information on guidelines for teaching assistant appointments can be found in Appendix 1. Some students may be recruited by a research area and be funded by a TA position (currently there a four research groups in the department found in the bulleted list above). In this case, one or more faculty members have expressed a willingness to work with the student. In some cases the student has not been assigned to work on a specific project or to work with a specific faculty member. Such students will be assigned a temporary (academic) advisor who will assist the student in course selection, and will help identify potential research opportunities and a permanent research advisor. This process will normally be completed during the student’s first semester at Rensselaer.
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Note that in all of the above scenarios, by Rensselaer policy, no doctoral student may be funded using institutional funds for more than two years.
(c) Self-supported students/Students with Fellowships:
Students in this category will be assigned a temporary (academic) advisor upon admittance to Rensselaer. The temporary advisor will assist the student in course selection and will help identify potential research opportunities and a permanent research advisor. This process should normally be completed during the student’s first semester at Rensselaer. Each self-funded student shall submit his/her research preference to the Department Head. During this time, the self-funded student shall interview faculty members and submit his/her preference to the Department.
II. Plan of Study
With the consultation of the research advisor, each student must file a Plan of Study. This outlines the student’s planned academic program toward the Ph.D. degree, including both research and coursework. This should be done in the first semester on campus, but may be revised at any point during the student’s tenure at Rensselaer. The required number of credits for a PhD degree is currently 72 at Rensselaer. The required credits are 72 (i.e., a maximum of 30 dissertation credit hours and a minimum of 42 course credit hours) and 48 (e.g., a maximum of 30 dissertation credit hours and minimum of 18 course credit hours) if the student enters the Ph.D. program without and with an MS degree, respectively. A Plan of Study form is enclosed (see Appendix 2.1).
Students entering without a Masters degree, or with a Masters degree in another field, whose credits are not applied to the total required for the PhD degree, need to complete all degree requirements within a seven-year time frame. Students entering with a Masters degree, whose credits are applied to the total required for the PhD degree, are expected to complete all degree requirements within a five-year time frame as per Rensselaer policy (see http://gradoffice.rpi.edu/setup.do).
During the first few semesters at Rensselaer, each graduate student should complete sufficient recommended courses as outlined by each research area, as well as any courses that must be taken on a remedial basis to meet prerequisite requirements (see Appendix 2.2 and Section III entitled “Core Curriculum”). The Rensselaer catalog provides information about courses provided by Rensselaer.
III. Core Curriculum
Courses. During the first four (4) semesters, each graduate student is recommended to complete the recommended courses outlined by each research area (see Appendix 2.2), as well as any courses that must be taken on a remedial basis to meet prerequisite requirements and to prepare the student for the candidacy exam (see Section VI).
Seminar. A 1 credit seminar course is required for graduation with a Ph.D. degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering degree. A Ph.D. student is required to present a seminar on a technical topic of his/her choosing once during the student’s study at Rensselaer as a part of the departmental seminar course. If the student received an MS degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering from Rensselaer and has already taken the seminar course, the student is not required to repeat the course while obtaining his/her Ph.D. degree from the department.
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IV. Qualifying Examination
The advisor and the student are responsible for identifying appropriate courses (see Appendix 2.2 for more information about the suggested core courses) in order to prepare for the expectations of the Qualifying Exam (QE). The QE is intended to serve as a diagnostic tool to assess each student’s strengths and weaknesses. The QE provides invaluable information to the process of defining an appropriate Plan of Study (see Appendix 2.3 for QE form).
The timing of the QE depends on the students’ current degree:
a) Students with a MS degree counting for Ph.D. degree requirement: The QE should be taken at the end of the student’s second semester (see Fig. 1).
b) Students without a MS degree counting for degree requirement: The QE should be taken at the end of the student’s fourth semester (see Fig. 2).
Each research area will determine the structure of this examination. In general the QE may have both written and oral components designed to evaluate:
student’s knowledge of the recommended graduate curriculum as defined by each area and competency in basic engineering, science and math;
student’s ability to integrate knowledge and develop approaches for solving complex problems; and,
the ability of students to present and defend their ideas orally.
The QE committee will be chaired by the student’s research advisor. Members of the committee may be selected from the four research areas within the department, at the discretion of the research advisor. The examination committee will decide on whether both written and oral components are required, and in which order the examination will be taken.
Possible outcomes of the exam are:
a) Pass: This is reserved for students that have demonstrated a high level of competence in their area of expertise.
b) Pass with Conditions: This is for students who have shown competence in some parts of the QE but have exhibited weaknesses in other parts of the QE that can likely be remedied by taking additional courses.
c) Retake: This is for students who fail the QE but may retake the exam after taking additional coursework and/or exam preparation. The retake must occur the next time the QE is offered.
d) Fail: This is for a student who failed the QE and for whom additional courses and/or additional exam preparation is unlikely to remedy the situation.
V. Ph.D. Committee
The purpose of this committee is to direct the student’s academic program, and to evaluate the dissertation proposal and the dissertation. With the assistance of the research advisor, each student must form a Ph.D. committee (see Appendix 2.4). This should be done during the semester after completion of the Qualifying Examination, and prior to the Candidacy Examination. This committee is formally appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School on the recommendation of the Department Head. The Ph.D. committee must include at least four full-time tenure-track
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faculty. The committee Chair must be the research advisor. At least one member of the committee must be from outside the CEE department. If any of the committee members is not Rensselaer faculty, a CV or Bio Sketch must accompany the paperwork in order for the Graduate School to approve the request. A Ph.D. committee nomination form is enclosed (see Appendix 2.4).
VI. Candidacy Examination
All PhD students are required to successfully pass a research-oriented Candidacy Examination. A record of Candidacy Exam form is attached in Appendix 2.5. This examination will be an oral examination based on a thesis proposal. The Candidacy Examination will be administered by the student’s Ph.D. Committee, and the document must be submitted to the committee at least two weeks prior to the examination. The candidacy exam is designed to test the student’s ability to 1) identify a significant research problem; 2) identify the state-of-the-art related to the research problem and demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of the pertinent principles and literature; 3) structure hypotheses; 4) design experiments to test the stated hypotheses; and 5) propose appropriate analyses, including statistical analyses, and/or modeling (see Appendix 2). The format of the document to be produced by the student will be decided by the examining committee. Furthermore, the document shall serve as a preliminary draft of the student’s thesis. Sample forms are provided in Appendix 2.5, including the Candidacy Exam Form.
While it is recognized that every student will develop their research at a different rate, and research progress can be difficult to predict or control, it is recommended that all students plan to complete the candidacy examination before the end of their sixth semester at Rensselaer. All students must complete the requirements for the Ph.D. within three years of admission to candidacy, or request a waiver from the Office of Graduate Education.
VII. Dissemination of Research
Dissemination of each student’s research in the form of presentations at professional meetings and publication in peer-reviewed journals and proceedings is strongly encouraged. Dissemination of research is important for the student’s career and for Rensselaer, and is often the ultimate academic product required by many funding agencies. Therefore, doctoral degree students are strongly encouraged to publish at least two peer-reviewed journal papers or provide at the discretion of the thesis advisor, read two manuscripts suitable for publication prior to defending the dissertation. Note that individual areas may have additional requirements; furthermore, students planning an academic career should be aware that a strong publication record is essential for success.
VIII. Dissertation Defense
The final examination for the Ph.D. degree is an oral defense of the dissertation, administered by the student’s Ph.D. Committee. The committee will assess whether the dissertation meets the standards of Rensselaer to obtain a Ph.D. degree. The outcomes are pass or fail. The student will be responsible for incorporating comments and suggestions from the committee into the dissertation prior to submitting the final document to the Office of Graduate Education (see Appendix 2 and more specifically Appendices 2.6, 2.7, 2.8, and 2.9).
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Possible outcomes of the disseration defense are:
a) Pass: This is reserved for a student that has demonstrated a high level of competence in their area of expertise and demonstrated a high level of technical writing ability. In very unusual cases is a dissertation approved without any corrections, additional data analysis or collection of additional data.
b) Pass with Conditions: This is for a student who has shown competence in both research and technical writing. Often, the student’s doctoral committee will give additional tasks to the student in form of, for example, reanalyzing data, rewriting parts of the thesis and/or collecting additional data. Most of the students will be placed in this category.
c) Fail: This is for a student who failed the dissertation defense, and collection of data, data analysis etc. This situation is very rare.
IX. Satisfactory Progress
It is imperative that students make satisfactory progress toward the Ph.D. degree on a continuous basis during their tenure at Rensselaer. Continued financial support is contingent upon such progress, which includes: 1) completing coursework with a B average or better; 2) satisfactory completion of assigned duties, including teaching assistance; and, 3) progress toward identifying and meeting research goals. Making satisfactory progress in research means working toward making a significant contribution to the engineering and science literature. This requires an extraordinary level of dedication, commitment, effort and focus. Significant outside obligations, including part-time employment, are likely to prevent satisfactory progress, and are strongly discouraged. Student progress will be evaluated yearly by the student’s advisor as required by the Office of Graduate Education. Evaluation forms and student transcripts will be provided to the advisors who will assess the students’ progress and will then recommend to the Department Head and Office of Graduate Education whether continuing support is warranted and/or whether appropriate corrective actions should be taken. In addition, the student needs to fill out the Checklist (see Appendix 2.9) and the Graduate Student Survey (see Appendix 2.10) before graduation.
X. Safety
Laboratory, electrical, computer, field trip, and outside data collection safety is a priority for the department. A primary aim of the department is to reduce chances of any accidents to an absolute minimum by establishing procedures and conditions in our laboratories and courses that emphasize the safe performance of research and instruction. An additional aim is to minimize the consequence of any accident that may occur by ensuring awareness of proper responses among all students and faculty. All students must take the responsibility for both of these aims of safety to be allowed to work in the laboratories within the department. Anybody who is not prepared to commit to the safety of him/her and others is a hazard to everybody and has no place in a laboratory. Eye protection is required in all laboratories where chemicals are involved and no exception will be made to this Institute wide rule. Each entering student is required to take one safety course during their stay at Rensselaer. This course will be typically offered during the week of Orientation.
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Figure 1. Schematic of a flow chart for a PhD student entering the program with an M.S. degree.
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Figure 2. Schematic of a flow chart for a PhD student entering the program without an M.S. degree.
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APPENDIX 1:
GUIDELINES FOR TEACHING ASSISTANT APPOINTMENTS
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GUIDELINES FOR TEACHING ASSISTANT APPOINTMENTS Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
The purpose of this document is to describe the guidelines, rights, and responsibilities of graduate students, faculty and departments with regards to graduate student teaching at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. The goals of these guidelines are to ensure that teaching assistants are adequately prepared, given appropriate teaching assignments and workloads, and that there is appropriate oversight and mentoring by the department and faculty. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute recognizes that the primary objective of a teaching assistant is to make steady progress toward an advanced degree. Teaching assistant employment status is dependent upon student status. The primary responsibility for all courses taught at the Institute rests with the faculty. Definitions Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) is a registered full-time graduate student chosen as a result of excellent scholarship and promise as a teacher. The GTA minimally holds a baccalaureate degree in a field that is closely related to the one in which he/she will be teaching. Under faculty supervision, the duties of a GTA may include providing lectures on a limited basis; conducting discussions, recitation, laboratory or quiz sections; holding office conferences with students; preparing materials for faculty-guided classroom or laboratory instruction; assisting professors in designing a course; assisting in designing/preparing tests; proctoring examinations; and grading students’ papers and examinations to faculty guided standards. TA’s are not responsible for the intellectual or instructional content of a course, for the selection of student assignments, for planning examinations and/or defining policies that determine final course grades. The GTA is not to be assigned responsibility for instructing the entire enrollment of a course or for providing the entire instruction of a group of students in a course for a prolonged period. The GTA serves as an instructional apprentice under the supervision of a faculty member. Responsibilities Students holding a teaching assistantship share a responsibility for promoting the scholarly and educational objectives of the department in which they work. Graduate teaching assistants, like faculty, should treat students with respect, do their best to get to know the students assigned to their class, and to have a genuine interest in their academic progress. Graduate Teaching Assistants are subject to policies and procedures of their departments and of the Institute and should respect and conform to the rules and procedures of the department or laboratory/center to which they are assigned. Graduate Teaching Assistants are not permitted to hold appointments that require an average of more than 20 hours per week; therefore the GTA responsibilities should be consistent with this rule. Each semester, departments are expected to provide all appointees with timely notification of specific assignments clearly outlining their duties and responsibilities for that term. A reasonable effort should be made to take into consideration the competencies and preferences of the graduate teaching assistant, as well as try to accommodate her/his course schedule when determining assignments. The department is expected to carry out a review of the graduate assistant’s performance each term. This review will be conducted jointly by the faculty instructor(s) to whom the GTA is assigned and the appropriate department chairperson. Also, it is expected that adequate work space and access to needed equipment be provided, as well has a place for receiving mail. Each department is responsible for providing orientation, training, and supervision for all graduate teaching assistants. All GTA’s are required to attend scheduled orientations; failure to do so can result in termination of the appointment. At least one faculty member needs to be assigned to work closely with each graduate assistant to assist him/her in carrying out his or her assignments and to help facilitate professional development. The faculty member and the graduate assistant should meet on a regular basis throughout the term. If the GTA is instructing a laboratory or recitation section for the first time, the faculty member should arrange to observe the instruction several times. In the event of a GTA’s serious illness or physical incapacitation, the department chair or his/her designee will arrange for completion of the teaching assignments. In this event, the GTA shall receive salary and health benefits for the remainder of the academic term.
Appointment Guidelines The following guidelines must be used in appointing Graduate Teaching Assistants. Exceptions to these requirements must be made individually and in writing to the Dean of Graduate Education. A Graduate Teaching Assistant must:
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Be a full-time, degree seeking graduate student at Rensselaer without existing registration problems imposed by the Registrar, Dean of Students, or Dean of Graduate Education.
Have a GPA of at least 3.3 in previous academic work and have a demonstrated background in the course that they will be assisting.
Have no more than one grade of I (Incomplete).
Be under the mentorship of a faculty member who has responsibility for course content.
A teaching assistant must register for at least 9 credits per semester.
The GTA must receive a letter that states the general conditions of the appointment and that specifies the salary, general duties, duration, any fringe benefits, and other pertinent terms of appointment. A copy of this document should be included with the letter. The appointment letter is sent in duplicate to the student. To accept the appointment, the student signs the copy and returns it to the designated authority. The student should retain the original. GTA positions are not assigned to individual faculty, nor are they assigned for research work, but rather are to support the teaching function in an assigned course or courses. However, part of the TA's assigned responsibility will be to conform to departmental policies and guidelines for graduate study. When a student accepts an appointment in writing, that appointment shall be binding and in accordance with the University’s graduate tuition policies. However, a GTA, after accepting an appointment for the semester, may resign in writing four (4) weeks before the beginning of a semester. A department may, during the term of appointment, transfer a student, with the student’s consent, from a teaching assignment to another assignment as a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) or to another appropriate assignment, which provides for essentially equal financial benefits and professional opportunities. Duration of Appointment Appointment dates for GTA’s shall be consistent with academic year of the Institute. For those given a two semester assignment at the beginning of the academic year, the term will be consistent with faculty academic year appointments (August 15 to May 16). For those given fall semester only appointments, their terms shall begin with the start of the academic year appointments (August 15) and be completed two days after the last day of final exams at the end of the fall term. For those given spring semester only appointments, their terms shall begin one week before the start of classes and end two days after the last day of final exams at the end of the spring term. These dates can be modified by the department for special cases where responsibilities may extend beyond these dates (e.g. Distance courses). A student will be supported on a teaching assistantship for a maximum of two years for PhD students and one year for Masters students, (except for March students for which a different policy will pertain). Immigration and ESL Requirements Immigration laws require employers to verify that a job applicant is authorized to be employed in the United States. Each new GTA is required to verify that he/she is either a U.S. citizen or authorized to be employed in this country. All international GTA’s who are involved in student contact must possess adequate English language fluency for effective communication with students. GTA’s who are non-native speakers of English must be evaluated by the Institute ESL specialist and possess the recommended level of English fluency consistent with their teaching assignment. Any GTA’s not meeting the recommended levels of fluency must enroll in language enhancement courses. If a GTA does not obtain a satisfactory score by the time of reappointment, it is sufficient cause for non-renewal. Termination A GTA appointment can be terminated for non-performance. Termination proceedings can only be initiated if the GTA has been evaluated on a regular basis and has received appropriate written warning of his/her performance, or has violated one or more Institute policies. The GTA must be informed in writing by the dean of school in which they are enrolled of the reasons for the termination, and the appeals procedure. Grievance Situations Any GTA who believes that they are being treated unfairly according to the guidelines set forth here should first discuss the problem with the course supervisor, and then, if resolution cannot be achieved, with the appropriate department chairperson. If resolution cannot be reached at the department level, the grievance can be presented to the Dean of the GTA’s school for further evaluation, adjudication, and advice on additional grievance procedures.
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Appeals must be submitted within one week of notice to the Dean of Graduate Education. The Dean of Graduate Education can decide to convene an appeals panel of two faculty, or handle the appeal by him/herself. Final determination of the appeal should occur within 21 days of receipt of the formal appeal.
APPENDIX 2: FORMS AND OTHER INFORMATION
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Appendix 2.1: Plan of Study
Graduate Plan of Study For instructions, see next page
Name Email
RIN ID Phone
Advisor Expected Graduation Date
Degree M.S. M. Eng. M.B.A. M. Arch. M.F.A. Ph.D. D. Eng.
Curriculum Dual Degree
Plan Status New plan Revised plan Date of previous plan
* F=Fall, S=Spring, U=Summer
Course subject
Course number
Course Title Credit Hours
Semester Check where appropriate
Year F S U* Required Elective Transfer Waived
Total credit hours
Signatures
Student’s Date
Advisor’s Date
Department’s Date
Submit Original to Registrar Copies to Office of Graduate Education Student Department Advisor
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INSTITUTE INSTRUCTIONS
PLEASE NOTE Awarding of the degree is based on satisfactory completion of institute requirements
and on satisfactory completion of all courses listed and the registrar’s approval of any transfer
credits.
GENERAL You must submit the Plan of Study during your first academic year in an RPI graduate program. In the top portion of the form, indicate your degree, curriculum, advisor, and expected graduation date. Also list any previous graduate level degrees that you have received. Dual degree students, please list both degrees. You must list all courses that will be applied toward the degree. For every course you list, indicate:
Course subject;
Course number;
Course title;
Credit hours received for the course;
Semester in which the course has or will be completed; and
Whether the course is required, elective, transfer or waived.
TRANSFER CREDITS If a course is listed as a transfer, the transfer credits must be approved by the Registrar’s Office before they can be applied toward the degree. You should verify that the Transfer Credit Approval Form and an official transcript showing the completion of the course are on file with the Registrar’s Office. Because the residence requirement for the master’s degree is 24 credit hours, not more than six credits may be transferred toward the master’s degree. A student may not transfer more than 45 credit hours toward the doctoral degree program of 90 credit hours.
WAIVERS If a course is listed as waived, it must be replaced by another course to total the appropriate number of credits required for the degree. This does not apply for the part-time MBA degree in Management where up to 12 credits are allowed to be waived.
DUAL MASTER’S DEGREES If you’re receiving a dual degree, please list your other degree in the “Dual Degree” field. A Plan of Study must be filed simultaneously for both degrees. Please be aware that not more than six credit hours used for a master’s degree in one area can be applied to a second master’s degree.
DOCTORAL DEGREES The Plan of Study must contain a minimum of 90 credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree or 60 credits beyond the master’s degree with satisfactory grades.* At least two-thirds of the total credit hours, excluding thesis, must contain the suffix numbers 600-699, with the further limitation that no more than 21 credit hours of 400-499 courses are to be allowed. The degree must be completed within ten years. Please be aware that 200 level courses cannot be applied towards a doctoral degree.
MASTER’S DEGREES The Plan of Study must contain at least 30 credit hours (60 for the MBA and MFA) beyond the bachelor’s degree with satisfactory grades.* At least half of the total credit hours presented toward the degree must have the suffix numbers 600-699. The master’s degree must be completed within five years. Please be aware that 200 level courses cannot be applied towards a master’s degree.
NOTE In addition to meeting the institute requirements, the plan must adhere to all departmental regulations. After you complete the plan, sign it and meet with your adviser for his/her signed approval. After your adviser approves the plan, forward it to the appropriate person in your department for approval. When the plan receives departmental approval, submit the original to the Registrar. Send photocopies to the Office of Graduate Education, the department, the student, and the advisor.
*SATISFACTORY GRADES The minimum average of all grades used for credit toward an advanced degree must be B.
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Appendix 2.2: Courses by Research Area
Environmental Engineering Recommended
Course Number Course Title ENVE-4110 Aqueous Geochemistry ENVE-6110 Advanced Groundwater Hydrology ENVE-6230 or CHME-6610 Math Modeling in ENVE (ENVE) or Mathematical
Methods (CHME) ENVE-6200 Hazardous Waste Management CHME-4400 Chromatographic Separation Processes CHME-6410 Advanced Membrane Concepts
CIVL-6550 Advanced Geoenvironmental Engineering
CIVL-6530 Seepage, Drainage, and Groundwater
CIVL-4570 Analytic Methods in Civil Engineering Systems
DSES-4140 Statistical Analysis
ENGR-4100 Business Issues for Engineers and Scientists
ENGR-4760 Engineering Economics
ERTH-4190 Environmental Measurements
ERTH-4500 Global Environmental Change
ERTH-6960 Geographic Information Systems
BIOL-4680 Applied and Environmental Microbiology
BIOL-4700 Freshwater Ecology
Geotechnical Engineering
Recommended
Course Number Course Title
CIVL-6450 Structural Dynamics CIVL-6510 Advanced Soil Mechanics CIVL-6520 Advanced Foundations CIVL-6540 Dynamics of Soil CIVL-6550 Advanced Geoenvironmental Engineering Elective – Geotechnical Engineering
Course Number Course Title CIVL-6480 Designing with Geosynthetics CIVL-6530 Seepage, Drainage and Groundwater Elective - Civil Engineering CIVL-4240 Intro to Finite Elements (MANE4240) CIVL-4440 Advanced Structural Analysis CIVL-6170 Mechanics of Solids (MANE 6170) ^CIVL-6180 Mechanics of Composite Materials (MANE 6180) ^CIVL-6200 Plates and Shells (MANE 6200) ^CIVL-6210 Structural Stability (MANE 6210) ^CIVL-6310 Advances Concrete Structures CIVL-6320 Advanced Steel Design
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^CIVL-6460 Advanced Structural Dynamics (MANE 6460) +CIVL-6490 Earthquake Engineering CIVL-6660 Fundamentals of Finite Elements CIVL-6670 Nonlinear Finite Element Methods (MANE 6670) ^CIVL-6680 Finite Element Programming (MANE 6680) ^CIVL-6690 Adv. Finite Element Formulations (MANE6700) ^CIVL-6700 Finite Element Methods in Structural Dynamics
(MANE 6700) ^CIVL-6780 Numerical Modeling of Failure Processes in
Materials (MANE 6780) Elective – Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering
Course Number Course Title
MANE-4650 Fracture Mechanics
MANE-4670 Mechanical Behavior of Materials
MANE-6250 Continuum Mechanics
MANE-6260 Application in Linear Elasticity
MANE-6400 Analytical Dynamics
MANE-6430 Nonlinear Vibrations
MANE-6460 Fracture Mechanics and Fatigue of Materials
MANE-6490 Plasticity
Elective – Mathematics
Course Number Course Title
MATH-4100 Linear Algebra
MATH-4300 Introduction to Complex Variables
MATH-4400 Ordinary Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems
MATH-4600 Advanced Calculus
MATH-4700 Foundations of Applied Mathematics
MATH-4800 Numerical Computing
Elective- Engineering
ENGR-4100 Business Issues for Engineers and Scientists
ENGR-4760 Engineering Economics
Structural Engineering Recommended
Course Number Course Title
CIVL-6170 Mechanics of Solids
CIVL-6310 Advanced Concrete Structures
CIVL-6320 Advanced Steel Design
CIVL-6450 Structural Dynamics
CIVL-6490 Earthquake Engineering
CIVL-6961 Structural Reliability
CIVL-6390 Wind Engineering
Elective – Civil Engineering
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Course Number Course Title
CIVL-4020 Bedford Seminar: Advanced Building Structures
CIVL-4240 Intro to Finite Elements
CIVL-4440 Advance Structural Analysis
CIVL-4450 Conceptual Structural Systems
^CIVL-6180 Mechanics of Composite Materials
^CIVL-6200 Plates and Shells
^CIVL-6210 Structural Stability
CIVL-6340 Bedford Design Studio
^CIVL-6460 Advanced Structural Dynamics
CIVL-6520 Advanced Foundation and Earth Structures
CIVL-6540 Dynamics of Soils and Soil-Foundation Systems
CIVL-6660 Fundamentals of Finite Elements
CIVL-6670 Nonlinear Finite Element Methods
^CIVL-6680 Finite Element Programming
^CIVL-6690 Advanced Finite Element Formulations
^CIVL-6700 Finite Element Methods in Structural Dynamics
^CIVL-6780 Numerical Modeling of Failure Processes in Materials
Elective – Mechanical, Aerospace and Nuclear Engineering
Course Number Course Title
MANE-4650 Fracture Mechanics
MANE-4670 Mechanical Behavior of Materials
MANE-6250 Continuum Mechanics
MANE-6260 Application in Linear Elasticity
MANE-6400 Analytical Dynamics
MANE-6430 Nonlinear Vibrations
MANE-6460 Fracture Mechanics and Fatigue of Materials
MANE-6490 Plasticity
Elective – Mathematics
Course Number Course Title
MATH-4100 Linear Algebra
MATH-4300 Introduction to Complex Variables
MATH-4400 Ordinary Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems
MATH-4600 Advanced Calculus
MATH-4700 Foundations of Applied Mathematics
MATH-4800 Numerical Computing
Transportation Engineering
Recommended Plan 1
CIVL-4660 Traffic Engineering
19
CIVL-6230 Transportation Economics
CIVL-6250 Transportation Systems Planning
CIVL-6270 Traffic Control and Simulation
CIVL-6961 Dynamic Traffic Models
CIVL-6961 Critical Issues in Transportation
Recommended Plan 2
CIVL-4570 Analytic Methods in Civil Engineering Systems
CIVL-4660 Traffic Engineering
CIVL-6240 Intelligent Transportation Systems
CIVL-6260 Transportation Algorithms
CIVL-6961 Freight Systems
CIVL-6961 Critical Issues in Transportation
Recommended Plan 3
Course Number Course Title
CIVL-4570 Analytical Methods in CE Systems
ECON-4570 Econometrics
CIVL-6230 Transportation Economics
CIVL-6961 Critical Issues in Transportation
CIVL-6962 Transportation Statistical Modeling
CIVL-6962 Advanced Transportation Modeling
Elective – Decision Sciences and Engineering Systems
Course Number Course Title
DSES-4140 Statistical Analysis
DSES-4210/6600 Design of Man. Systems Supply Chains
DSES-4610 Operations Research Methods I
DSES-4620 Operations Research Methods II
DSES-4760 Mathematical Statistics
DSES-4770 Mathematical Models of OR
DSES-4961 Optimization Algorithms
DSES-6100 Time Series Analysis
DSES-6530 Decision Support and Expert Systems
DSES-6610 Applied Operations Research
DSES-6620 Discrete-Event Simulation
DSES-6770 Linear Programming
DSES-6870 Introduction to Neural Networks
Elective – Management
Course Number Course Title
MGMT-4370 Risk Management
MGMT-6550 Market and Market Research
Elective – Economics
Course Number Course Title
ECON-4150 Economics of Govt. Regulation
ECON-4160 Public Finance
20
ECON-4210 Cost-Benefit Analysis
ECON-4570 Econometrics
ECON-6210 Advanced Cost-Benefit Analysis
ECON-6570 Advanced Econometrics
Elective – Applied Mathematics and Mathematics
Course Number Course Title
MATP-4600 Probability Theory and Applications
MATP-4820/6610 Computational Optimization
MATP-6600 Nonlinear Programming
MATP-6620 Comb. Opt. and Integer Programming
MATH-6790-01 Markov Chains & Monte Carlo
Elective – Computer Science
Course Number Course Title
CSCI-6963 Algorithmic Game Theory
^ = Offered on availability of instructor
+ = Course is offered on alternate years
21
Appendix 2.3: Record of Oral Qualifying Examination
DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL AND
ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING
RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
RECORD OF ORAL QUALIFYING EXAMINATION
PhD DEGREE
STUDENT______________________________________________________
Date of Exam____________________________________________________
Recommendation of Examining Committee:
Passed _________
Conditionally Passed __________ (See Comments Below)
Failed __________
Comments:
EXAMINING COMMITTEE
NAME SIGNATURE
_____________________________ ______________________________
_____________________________ ______________________________
_____________________________ ______________________________
_____________________________ ______________________________
_____________________________ ______________________________
22
Appendix 2.4 Nomination of Doctoral Committee, Provisional Thesis Title…
23
Appendix 2.5: Record of Candidacy Examination Appendix 2.5: Record of Candidacy Examination
24
Appendix 2.6: Record of Thesis Project Examination
25
Appendix 2.7: Thesis Project Dissertation Registration
26
Appendix 2.8: Degree Application
27
Appendix 2.9: Doctoral Thesis Checklist
28
Appendix 2.10: Graduate Student Survey
29
30
31
32
NOTES:
