Engineering, PhD

Program Description:

The College of Engineering and Computer Science offers a program of graduate study leading to the Doctor of Philosophy degree in engineering. The degree is awarded for demonstrated scholarly excellence in study and research that provides a significant contribution to specific areas in the field of engineering. In addition to faculty expertise, the program’s strength lies in its unique multidisciplinary approach and outstanding opportunities for collaborative research.

Admissions Requirements:

Students may be admitted to the Ph.D. in Engineering Program with a bachelor’s degree from an ABET-accredited program or a master’s degree from an engineering program; satisfaction of the admission requirements as set forth by the Graduate School; and a record (transcripts, statement of research interests, GRE scores, letters of recommendation, and, if applicable, TOEFL scores) that indicates potential for a career in engineering research as evaluated by the program’s admission committee. Students with previous degrees in fields other than engineering will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Facilities:

Modern laboratory facilities provide ample equipment for instructional support and research in a number of areas. The college manages and maintains a number of computer systems and laboratories that are available to students. These include Oracle servers, Linux servers, a Linux-based high performance computing cluster, a Linux-based supercomputer, and numerous networked Linux and Windows PC’s. Access is also available to the Ohio Supercomputer Center; the University’s OSC Campus Champion is one of the College’s systems administrators.

Computer labs (many open 24 hours, 7 days a week) provide access to not only desktop productivity applications, but also specialized software applications for the various disciplines in the College. Some of the labs also feature computer-connected hardware used for specific courses and projects, such as laser cutters, 3-D printers, oscilloscopes, and torsional testing equipment.

Faculty:

The program is a collaborative effort in the College of Engineering and Computer Science. Program faculty at Wright State reside in the departments of biomedical, industrial and human factors engineering; computer science and engineering; electrical engineering; and mechanical and materials engineering.

For additional information:

Program Requirements:

To obtain the Ph.D. in Engineering degree, the student must complete an approved program of study containing at least 90 semester graduate credit hours beyond the bachelor’s degree in engineering or equivalent degree, or 60 semester graduate credit hours beyond a master’s degree in engineering. The program must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 3.0.

The following requirements must be satisfied to complete the requirements of the Ph.D. in engineering degree:

Complete at least three courses from the following interdisciplinary core courses:

EGR 7010 - Linear Systems
EGR 7020 - Systems Engineering and Analysis
EGR 7030 - Computational Engineering Analysis
EGR 7040 - Design Optimization
EGR 7050 - Design and Analysis of Engineering Experiments

Complete the requirements of the Program Qualification. Students must complete the Ph.D. core courses satisfactorily and demonstrate satisfactory performance in basic engineering principles.
Complete courses in a major specialization area-at least 18 credit hours of 7000-level or above courses must be taken in electrical, mechanical, materials, biomedical or human factors engineering, or in a research focus area.
Complete courses in a breadth area-at least 6 credit hours of graduate credit must be taken in research focus areas that are outside the student’s major specialization area.
Complete at least 6 hours of graduate credits in mathematics (MTH) or statistics (STT).
Complete 3 credit hours of EGR 8910 seminar courses. Students may apply to earn up to one hour of seminar credit through a qualifying presentation at a national or international conference or a published article in a peer-reviewed journal.
Complete at least 9 credit hours of course work in the focus area selected for the dissertation research. Note: This requirement might not involve additional hours since these hours could be included in the major or breadth requirements.
Satisfactorily complete a Candidacy Exam and Research Proposal Defense as defined and judged by the student’s research focus area and/or dissertation committee. The dissertation research broadly falls into one of the seven focus areas below:
- Computational Design and Optimization
- Controls and Robotics
- Electronics, Microwave, VLSI, and Nanotechnology
- Industrial and Human Systems
- Materials and Nanotechnology
- Medical and Biological Systems
- Sensor Signal and Image Processing
Complete at least 30 credit hours of dissertation research and submit a doctoral dissertation. A maximum of 40 credit hours of dissertation research may be applied toward fulfilling the degree requirements.
Submit at least one substantial, original paper based on the dissertation research to a refereed, archival journal before approval is granted for the dissertation.
Present a one-hour dissertation seminar through the seminar course, EGR 8910 .
Successfully defend the doctoral dissertation as judged by the student’s dissertation committee.

Dept Core and Electives

At least 50 hours of coursework
At least 30 hours of research
Maximum of 30 hours from M.S.
3 core courses, 3 credits each
Major courses: 18 credit hours, 7000-level or above (6 courses, 3 credits each)
Breadth courses: 6 credit hours, 6000-level or above
Math courses: 6 credit hours, 6000-level or above, must be MTH or STT
EGR 8910 - PhD Seminar Credit Hour(s): 1 - 3 credit hours; up to 1 credit hour awarded for a qualifying conference presentation OR an approved, published, refereed journal article based on dissertation research
Maximum 3 credit hours of independent study

Total: 90 Hours

Research/Areas of Expertise:

The program supports research in seven focus areas: computational design and optimization; controls and robotics; electronics, microwave, VLSI, and nanotechnology; industrial and human systems; materials and nanotechnology; medical and biological systems; and sensor signal and image processing.

Recent and current sources of research support include federal agencies, military agencies, the Ohio Third Frontier, and local industries. Research at Wright State is not limited to on-campus facilities. Several industrial laboratories, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base laboratories, the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the laboratories of other local and regional universities are involved in joint research efforts with Wright State University.