Graduate Bulletin

Engineering, Ph.D.

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING

Admission Requirements and Deadlines

Application Deadline:

Fall: July 1                                     [December 15 for international applicants]

Spring: November 1                             [August 1 for international applicants]

Applications are processed as they are received throughout the year.

Letters of Reference:

Number Required: 3

From Whom: Letters of recommendation should be obtained from college/university faculty members familiar with the applicant's academic competence and research background.

Coursework Required for Admission Consideration:

Students not adequately prepared for advanced courses may be required to take a number of prerequisites.  The department offering the courses in the area of specialization will identify these on a case-by-case basis.

Master's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline:

Not required, but preferred.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline:

Not required, but preferred.

Statement of Goals:

The Statement of Goals should include the applicant's research and future career goals; academic and research achievements; professional experience, if any; and reason for interest in Temple's program. The applicant should also include an outline of a proposed area of research for the dissertation.  The Statement of Goals should be approximately 1-2 pages in length.

Standardized Test Scores:

The GRE is required.

Minimum TOEFL score or range of scores needed to be accepted: 600 paper-based, 250 computer-based, or 100 internet-based.

Interview:

Applicants are required to communicate with a research faculty member from the College of Engineering and discuss their plans for research leading to a doctoral dissertation. This may be done in person, by email, or by phone. Approval of the applicant's research plan by a research faculty is required for admission.

Resume:

A resume is required.

Other:

Prospective students must submit samples of their journal articles, conference papers, or course project reports supporting their technical writing abilities and research background. A student can also submit a copy of his/her master's thesis.

Program Requirements

General Program Requirements:

Number of Didactic Credits Required Beyond the Master's: 30

Students are admitted to one of the three departments within the College of Engineering.  It is then considered the student's "home department." The student must complete any core course requirements (or the equivalent) at the master's level within the home department. The preliminary exam and its content are guided by the policies of the student's home department. In general, students are allowed to take courses from any one of the three departments of the College, or with the approval of the Graduate Director and the student's academic advisor, from any science or mathematics department at Temple University. After elevation to candidacy, all students are required to complete 6 s.h. of ENGR 999: Dissertation Research. Courses in the 400 level are not counted toward the requirements for the Ph.D.

Required Courses:

ENGR 799: Preliminary Exam Preparation

ENGR 899: Pre-dissertation Research

ENGR 999: Dissertation Research

Internship: No internship is required.

Language Examination: No language examination is required.

Additional Requirements:

Study Plan:

In the first or second semester of the Ph.D. program, the student must submit a study plan.  Approval is required by the student's academic advisor, the Graduate Director of the department, and the Director of Graduate Studies of the college.

Peer-Reviewed Publications:

A Ph.D. student will be required to, at least twice, publish technical articles on his/her dissertation research in a refereed journal or present at a refereed conference. Paper writing and/or presentations at conferences constitute an integral part of the student's training. Also, an indication of the quality and uniqueness of the student's research is provided, in part, by peer review.

Qualifying Examination:

All students in the Ph.D. program are required to take a qualifying examination within 12 months of matriculation. The student is given a topic, related to his/her research interests, which require a literature search, scholarly investigation, and information synthesis. The student submits a written report within four weeks and presents an open seminar on the topic. The student's written, oral, investigative, and information synthesis performance, as well as technical content and insight, are considered by the advisory committee. The committee will then decide whether or not the student passes.

Culminating Events:

Preliminary Examination:

The purpose of the preliminary exam is to ensure that the student has both a broad background in the relevant engineering field as well as in-depth knowledge of the student's specialty area. It is expected that students are already knowledgeable in the specialty area so that they are ready to start their doctoral research. The preliminary examination should be completed no later than 24 months after the date of matriculation. The preliminary exam is usually held during the months of January and August. Students interested in taking the preliminary exam should contact the department's Graduate Director at least one semester prior to the exam.

The members of the student's Dissertation Advisory Committee and all graduate faculty members within the student's home department will be invited to submit questions for the preliminary examination. There must be at least three graduate faculty members who will contribute questions for the preliminary exam. The general composition of the various parts of the preliminary exam is specific to each of the three departments. Details of the coverage of the exams as well as book references can be obtained from each department's Graduate Director.

The Graduate Director within the student's home department will be in charge of conducting the preliminary exam and will compile the grades submitted by the contributing faculty. In order to earn a pass, a student must score at least 70% in each of the three parts of the exam. The Dissertation Advisory Committee will determine pass/fail for the exam.

If a student passes all three parts of the preliminary exam by scoring 70% or above, an 'unconditional pass' is declared. Any student who passes only one of the three parts is required to retake all three parts of the exam after one year. Failure to pass the preliminary exam on the second attempt results in dismissal of the student from the Ph.D. program. Any student who passes any two parts and fails the third part is allowed to take the failed part after one year. An unconditional pass must be earned by the student in order to continue in the program.

Dissertation:

The doctoral dissertation is a document describing original research that makes a significant contribution to the existing body of knowledge in the field of engineering and its applications. It also demonstrates the student's mastery of the primary area of interest and ability to present research findings in writing. A dissertation is a creative contribution by the student that is considered novel and advanced in the field of engineering.

The Ph.D. student must assemble a Dissertation Advisory Committee no later than the second semester after matriculation.  The committee reviews the student's progress until graduation. It shall have at least four members, including: 1) the major advisor or co-advisor, who is a graduate faculty member within the department; 2) at least one faculty member within the department of the student's major area of research; 3) a faculty member from another department in the College of Engineering or in the College of Science and Technology; and 4) a member selected by the Graduate Director or the student's academic advisor. Formation of the committee must be reported to the Director of Graduate Studies and the Dean of the Graduate School no later than the second semester after matriculation. If a student needs to change a member of the committee, the new member must be approved by the department's graduate committee and registered with the Graduate Director and the Graduate School.

Within one year of passing the preliminary exam, the Ph.D. candidate must select a research topic and submit a written dissertation proposal. The dissertation proposal demonstrates the student's knowledge of the subject matter and ability to conduct the proposed research. The proposal should consist of the following: a) the context and background of the proposed research, b) an exhaustive survey and review of literature related to the problem, c) any preliminary results on the proposed research, and d) a detailed plan for investigating the problem. The dissertation must also be presented at an open seminar. The Dissertation Advisory Committee will evaluate the proposal for its originality, technical methodology, and timeline for completion. The student continues the research only after it is approved by the committee.

The Dissertation Examining Committee is responsible for evaluating the dissertation and its defense. This committee is comprised of the Dissertation Advisory Committee and at least one external examiner. The external examiner may be a faculty member at another university or a recognized specialist involved in research in an engineering corporation or government laboratory. Formation of the Dissertation Examining Committee must be reported to the Dean of the Graduate School no later than the beginning of the semester in which the student will defend the dissertation.  The committee will evaluate the primary findings of the research and their implications, technical accuracy, and originality. The committee will vote pass/fail on the dissertation and its defense. If the student must make revisions, those changes must be approved by the committee. All revisions must be completed within one month from the date of defense; failure to do so requires a new defense.

The draft of the dissertation must be submitted to the Dissertation Advisory Committee and the Director of Graduate Studies at least three weeks before the anticipated date of defense. Each member of the committee submits a written review report to the Director of Graduate Studies at least one week before the proposed defense date. These reports will also be communicated to the student and the student's academic advisor. If the majority of the reports are positive, then the Director of Graduate Studies, in consultation with the student and the committee members, will schedule the formal defense date and time. The Director of Graduate Studies or his appointee will be the moderator of the dissertation defense meeting. At least 10 days before the defense, a completed "Announcement of Dissertation Defense" form must be submitted to the Graduate School. The department will post flyers announcing the defense.

Contacts

Program Contact Information:

www.temple.edu/engineering

Department Information:

Office of Graduate Studies

College of Engineering

1947 North 12th Street

Philadelphia, PA 19122

gradengr@temple.edu

215-204-7800

Department Contacts:

Admissions:

Secretary of Graduate Studies

gradengr@temple.edu

215-204-7800

Program Coordinator:

Graduate Chairperson:

Chairperson:

About the Program

The College of Engineering offers a college-wide doctoral degree program. It is designed for students who have graduate-level training in engineering, physical sciences, biological sciences, or mathematics, and who wish to carry out doctoral-level research in engineering. Faculty members associated with the Ph.D. degree program are drawn from all departments in the college, representing a wide variety of technical backgrounds and interests. Because engineering research is an inherently interdisciplinary activity, graduates of the program will have acquired a background in diverse engineering approaches that will promote their careers in research, academia, or industry.

Time Limit for Degree Completion: 7 years

Campus Location:

Main, Fort Washington

Courses in Bioengineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering are currently only offered at the Main Campus. Students may take all courses in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the Fort Washington campus.

Full-Time/Part-Time Status:

Students are able to complete the didactic portion of the Ph.D. degree program through classes offered after 4:30 p.m.

Department Information:

Office of Graduate Studies

College of Engineering
1947 North 12th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19122
gradengr@temple.edu
215-204-7800

Interdisciplinary Study:

Engineering research is highly interdisciplinary and draws on collaboration with members of the faculty and students within all three departments of the College of Engineering, in the departments of mathematics and the physical sciences, and within the School of Medicine.

Affiliation(s):

Not applicable.

Study Abroad:

No.

Ranking:

Not applicable.

Accreditation:

Not applicable.

Areas of Specialization:

The Ph.D. in Engineering program is inherently interdisciplinary. The student is admitted to the program in one of the three departments and then conducts doctoral research within the home department. The areas of specialization are similar to those at the master's level: 1) Civil and Environmental Engineering, including Civil Engineering Systems and Environmental Engineering; 2) Electrical and Computer Engineering, including Computer Architectures and Microelectronics, Digital Signal Processing and Digital Data Communication, and Intelligent Systems and Control ; and 3) Mechanical Engineering, including Bioengineering and Advanced Materials, Fluidics and Energetics, and Dynamic Systems and Design.  Prospective students are strongly encouraged to communicate with members of the faculty about current areas of research.

Job Placement:

The program is primarily intended for individuals who wish to pursue careers in industry, government, and academia in a high-level creative environment. The program is dedicated to producing engineers who will contribute to advancements in technology. In the past, most of the graduates of the Ph.D. in Engineering program have been employed in high-tech industries in research and development positions.

Licensure:

Not applicable.

Non-Degree Student Policy:

Students may be permitted to take 9 s.h. of coursework before matriculation.

Financing Opportunities

The principal duties of a Teaching Assistant include assisting faculty in classroom and laboratory instruction, preparing apparatus or material for laboratory demonstration, conducting tutorials and discussion sections, and grading homework. TAs are expected to devote 20 hours per week to these or similar teaching-related activities. The number of Teaching Assistantships offered to doctoral students is limited. Research Assistants are expected to devote 20 hours per week to research obligations. RAs are assigned to a faculty member or principal investigator who is working on a specific research project. The appropriate subjects for research are determined by consultation between the student and the student's research and academic advisors. Both Teaching and Research Assistantships carry a stipend and tuition support for up to 9 credits per semester.

Updated 1.4.06