phd topics in structural engineering

Structural Engineering

Aerospace ∙ Biological ∙ Civil ∙ Geotechnical ∙ Mechanical

Doctoral Studies SE75

Se ph.d. degree overview:.

The Ph.D. program is intended to prepare students for a variety of careers in research, teaching and advanced professional practice in the broad sense of structural engineering, encompassing civil and aerospace structures, earthquake and geotechnical engineering, composites, and engineering mechanics. Depending on the student's background and ability, research is initiated as soon as possible.

All students, in consultation with their Faculty Advisors, develop course programs that will prepare them for the Departmental Qualifying Examination and for their dissertation research. However, these programs of study and research must be planned to meet the time limits established to advance to candidacy and to complete the requirements for the degree.

The department also offers a seminar course each quarter dealing with current research topics in Structural Engineering (SE 290). Ph.D. students must complete three quarters of SE 290 prior to the DQE to meet graduation requirements, and it is strongly recommended to take it for at least one quarter in every subsequent year.

Download Academic Planning Form

Doctoral Examinations:

A Structural Engineering Ph.D. student is required to pass three examinations.

Download the Department Qualifying Exam Guide

The Department Qualifying Examination (DQE) which should be taken within three to six quarters of full-time graduate study (1st year-2nd year), requires a 3.5 GPA. This examination is intended to determine the student’s ability to successfully pursue a research project at a level appropriate for the doctoral degree.

It is administered by one faculty member for each focus sequence, two of whom must be in Structural Engineering.

The student is responsible for material pertaining to four focus areas. One focus area can be satisfied by course work, provided that all courses in that area have been taken at UCSD, the grade in each course is B or better, and the overall GPA in that area is at least 3.5. It consists of 12 courses (48 units). 

In order to insure appropriate breadth, the focus areas should consist of the following:

(a) two focus areas within Structural Engineering which are closely related to the student's research interests (3 courses for each focus area)

(b) one focus area within Structural Engineering that is not directly related to the student’s area of research (3 courses)

(c) one minor focus area outside the Department of Structural Engineering. Minor areas too closely related to the major areas will not be approved by the SE Graduate Affairs Committee (3 courses). The Solid Mechanics Focus Sequence, which is jointly taught by the Department of Structural Engineering and the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, cannot be used to satisfy the outside Structural Engineering requirement.

Sample courses: 

SE Focus Area 1: 3 courses

SE Focus Area 2: 3 courses 

Breadth Focus Area: 3 courses

Non-SE Focus Area: 3 courses

An update list of focus areas for Ph.D. students is available in the Structural Engineering Graduate Handbook . Students intending to specialize in the emerging areas of structural health monitoring, damage prognosis, and validated simulations are advised to take courses in the focus areas of Advanced Structural Behavior and elective courses MAE 283, MAE 261, ECE 251AN, ECE 251BN, ECE 254, and CSE 291 which can be used to satisfy the outside Structural Engineering requirement.

Since the examination areas must be approved by the Structural Engineering Graduate Affairs Committee, students are advised to seek such approval well before their expected examination date, preferably while planning their graduate studies. Although students are not required to take particular courses in preparation for the Departmental Qualifying Examination, the scope of the examination in each area is associated with a set of three graduate courses, generally in focus areas offered or approved by the department. A candidate can develop a sense of the level of knowledge expected to be demonstrated during the examination by studying the appropriate syllabi and/or discussing the course content with faculty experienced in teaching the courses involved. The Departmental Qualifying Examination may be a written or an oral examination, at the discretion of the committee.

Doctoral students who have passed the Departmental Qualifying Examination may take any course for an S/U grade, with the exception of any course that the student's Departmental Qualifying or Ph.D. Candidacy Examination Committee stipulates must be taken in order to remove a deficiency. It is strongly recommended that all Structural Engineering graduate students take a minimum of two courses (other than research) per academic year after passing the Departmental Qualifying Examination.

Download the Advancement to Candidacy Exam Guide

The Advancement to Candidacy Senate Examination is the second examination required of Structural Engineering doctoral students. In preparation for the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination, students must have completed the Departmental Qualifying Examination and the Departmental Teaching Experience requirement, obtained a faculty research advisor, have identified a topic for their dissertation research, and have made initial progress in that research.

Mentorship and Teaching Experience is required of all Structural Engineering Ph.D. students prior to the Dissertation Defense. The Mentorship and Teaching experience can be satisfied by lecturing one hour per week in either a problem-solving section or laboratory session, for one quarter in an undergraduate course, as designated by the Department. The requirement can be fulfilled by Teaching Assistant service or by undertaking a structured teaching training program for academic credit (through SE 501 and in consultation with the course instructor that quarter). This requirement can also be satisfied by serving as a research mentor to a team of undergraduate or graduate students in a structured, 10-week, environment. Students must contact the Graduate Student Affairs Office in the Department to plan and obtain approval for completion of this requirement.

The committee members should be selected by the student and their faculty advisor.

The committee must consist of 4 members composed of the following:                            

Example 1 SE Faculty Advisor (Committee Chair) SE Faculty Outside SE Faculty (within UCSD) Outside SE Faculty (within UCSD) (At least one of the committee members must be tenured or emeritus)

Example 2 SE Faculty Advisor (Committee Chair) SE Faculty SE Faculty Outside SE Faculty (within UCSD) (At least one of the committee members must be tenured or emeritus)

The committee must include at least one tenured or emeritus member and at least one member from outside the student's major department. For questions concerning the committee, email the Graduate Academic Advisor or see the Graduate Division website for  Appointment of the Doctoral Committee .

If the committee does not issue a unanimous report on the examination, the Dean of Graduate Division shall be called upon to review and present the case for resolution to the Graduate Council, which shall determine appropriate action.

The committee conducts the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination in an oral examination, during which students must demonstrate the ability to engage in dissertation research. This involves the presentation of a plan for the dissertation research project. A short written document, such as an abstract, describing the research plan must be submitted to each member of the committee at least two weeks before the Ph.D. Candidacy Examination. This requirement can also be met by meeting with the doctoral committee members to discuss the nature of the student’s dissertation research. The committee may ask questions directly or indirectly related to the research project and general questions that it determines to be relevant. Upon successful completion of this examination, students are advanced to candidacy and are awarded the Candidate in the Doctor of Philosophy designation.  

The preferred means to conduct the qualifying exam is when all committee members are physically present. Graduate Council, however, has determined that a doctoral committee member can participate in one of three ways: 1) physically present (meaning they are in the room), 2) telepresent (meaning they participate by live video teleconference), or 3) in advance (if they must be absent on the exam date, it is permissible to examine the candidate in advance of the exam date).

More than half of the doctoral committee must be physically present. No more than two members may be telepresent. The committee chair, or one co-chair, must be physically present. The outside tenured member must be physically present or telepresent. If an emergency situation arises that affects the number of committee members present, the committee chair (or co-chairs) may decide how to proceed. There must be sufficient expertise among present members (either physically or telepresent) to examine the student.

Download the PhD Final Defense Exam Guide

The Dissertation Final Defense is the final Ph.D. examination.  Please visit the Preparing to Graduate website. Upon completion of the dissertation research project, the student writes a dissertation that must then be successfully defended in an oral examination and public presentation conducted by the doctoral committee. A complete copy of the student's dissertation must be submitted to each member of the doctoral committee at least three weeks before the defense. While the copy of the dissertation handed to the committee is expected to be complete and in final form, it should be noted that students are expected to make changes in the text per direction of the committee as a result of the defense. The form of the final draft must conform to procedures outlined in the publication. Instructions for the  Preparation and Submission of the Doctoral Dissertation  are located at the provided link. 

Note: There should be  3 quarters between the Advancement to Senate Exam and the Final Defense.  

3 quarters total, which includes the quarter the student officially advances and the quarter they file for graduation. Summer is not included, just the regular academic year.  Just for clarification, if you defend in Winter 2022 then the soonest you would be able to defend is Fall 2022. Again, the earliest would be Fall 2022, as long as you are registered in all three quarters.

The final defense/degree paperwork must be signed by ALL Committee members with a "wet signature." It cannot be scanned. 

The student must make an  appointment  with the Graduate Division Office. The appointment will need to be scheduled prior to defending and will cover formatting of the dissertation and forms required to graduate. 

More information about the Exam Policies can be found on the  Graduate Division Website .

Upon approval by the Dean of Graduate Division, file the dissertation with the university archivist, who accepts it on behalf of the Graduate Council. Acceptance of the dissertation by the archivist, with a subsequent second approval by the Dean of Graduate Division, represents the final step in the completion by the candidate of all requirements for the doctor of philosophy degree. 

Ph.D. Time Limit Policy:

Time limits are set at the end of a Ph.D. student's first year. 

Pre-Candidacy Time Limit  (PCTL) :  Maximum registered time in which a student must advance to doctoral candidacy.  SE Pre-candidacy status is limited to four years. Support Time Limit  (SUTL) : Maximum time during which a doctoral student is eligible for financial support. SE Doctoral students are eligible for university support for six years. Total Registered Time Limit  (TRTL) : Maximum registered time in which a student must complete all doctoral requirements. The defense and submission of the SE doctoral dissertation must be within seven years.​​​​​

More information regarding Time Limits can be found here .

Spring Evaluations:

In the Spring quarter of each year, department faculty members are required to evaluate their doctoral student's overall performance in coursework, research, and prospects for financial support for future years. A written assessment is given to the student after the evaluation. If a student's work is found to be inadequate, the Faculty Advisor may determine that the student cannot continue in the graduate program. 

Faculty Advisor:

Ph.D. students are placed with a Faculty Advisor (also known as research advisor/faculty advisor/PI) when they are admitted into the Ph.D. program. A Faculty Advisor is the academic, research, and program guide for Ph.D. students. Additionally, the Faculty Advisor is the funding PI for their assigned PhD students. The student’s research and academic performance are evaluated on a quarterly basis via an S/U grade in SE 299. Students who receive an ‘U’ in SE 299 will be placed in Probationary Status in the following quarter. The student must communicate with the Faculty Advisor to address any deficiencies and formulate a plan to address issues and deficiencies. Receiving two or more ‘U’s in SE 299 are grounds for dismissal from the student’s research group and/or termination of the Ph.D. program. If Ph.D. students need to change their Faculty Advisor at any time, they have 1 quarter to find a new Faculty Advisor. Upon finding a Faculty Advisor, the Ph.D. students must fill out the Change of Advisor form provided by the Graduate Academic Advisor. There is a Guaranteed Transition Support Program for Ph.D. students in the Jacobs School of Engineering.  The goal of the Guaranteed Transitional Support Program is to support Ph.D. students who find themselves needing a new advisor.  This tool will help Ph.D. students transition to a new advisor in order to successfully continue and complete their degree.

• Research Areas
• Structural Engineering and Mechanics

Doctoral Programs

Structural Engineering Ph.D.

The Structures PhD Field contains subject matter for dissertation research in the areas of structures, structural engineering, and structural mechanics. The student is responsible for the knowledge contained in required core material and additional subject matter approved by the PhD Structures Field Committee.

Prerequisite Preparation for the Major Field

The following topics, normally completed at the undergraduate level, are considered prerequisite material for this field of study; principles of equilibrium, compatibility and force-displacement relationships for structural elements and systems; work and energy principles, mechanical properties of materials, constitutive equations, elementary theories of vibration and stability, basic concepts of design of steel and reinforced concrete structures. (Courses C&EE 130, 135B, 137, 141 or 142. References: P.1, P.2, P.3, P.4,P.5, P.6, P.7)

Topical Outline of the Structures Major Field

I.   static analysis.

A. (Required) Application to One-Dimensional Structures. Rods, beams, trusses and frames. Fundamental principles: equilibrium, compatibility, force-deflection properties, virtual work, strain energy and complementary strain energy. Matrix methods of analysis. (Course C&EE 235A. References: I.6)

B. Finite Element Analysis of Structures. Systematic formulation of element properties using variational principles. Displacement method, force method and hybrid methods. Interpolation functions and computation aspects. Application of one, two and three dimensional finite elements to beams, membranes, plates and solids. (Course C&EE 235B. References: I.1, I.3, I.5, I.13)

C. Elastic Theory and Two-Dimensional Structures (Plates and Shells). Equations of l linear isotropic elastostatics; two- and three-dimensional problems; torsion and bending. Fundamental principles of plate theory; Kirchoff-Love hypothesis; constitutive equations, equilibrium, compatibility, boundary conditions, boundary value problems; approximate methods, membrane theory of shells, thermoelastic problems; bending theory of cylinders. (Courses: C&EEM 230, 232. References: I.2, I.4, I.7, I.8, I.9, I.10, I.11, I.12)

II.   Dynamic Analysis

A. (Required) Dynamics of Structures. Hamilton’s principle, variational methods. Lagrange;s equations. Free vibration problem, normal modes in discrete and continuous systems. The structural dynamics eigenvalue problem and its solution. application of beam finite elements in structural dynamics. Approximate methods, Rayleight-Ritz, Galerkin and collocation methods. Proportional damping. Normal mode and frequency response methods, response spectra. (Course: C&EE 237A. References: II.2, II.4, II.5, II.7, II.8)

B. Advanced Dynamics of Structures. Nonproportional damping. Structural dynamics of two- and three-dimensional structures using approximate and finite element methods. Computational aspects of the structural dynamics eigenvalue problem. Vibrations of Timoshenko beams. Numerical integration schemes for response calculations. Dynamic modelling using substructures and component mode synthesis. (Course: MAE 269B. References: II.5, II.6)

III.   Design

A. Design of steel structures in accord with AISC specifications. Design of reinforced concrete according to ACI requirements. Design for vertical and lateral loads. Load paths and modes of failure in structures. (Courses: C&EE 141, 142, 143, 144, 147, 241, 242, 244. References: III.3, III.4, III.5, III.7, III.8, III.10)

B. Optimum Structural Design. Formulation of structural optimization problems. Fundamentals of solution techniques: linear and nonlinear mathematical programming; numerical implementation. Application to design of components, trusses, frames. Plastic design. Supplementary or alternate methods of structural optimization: approximation concepts; dual methods and optimality criteria. (Courses: C&EEM 140, M240. References: III.1, III.2, III.6, III.9)

IV.   Earthquake Engineering

A. Response of Structures to Ground Motions. Single and multiple degree of freedom idealizations; numerical methods for solving problems; nonlinear response of singe and multi-degree of freedom systems; earthquake response spectra; reconciliation of measured spectra and building code spectra; combining modal responses with spectra inputs; earthquake response calculations with computer programs. (Courses (C&EE 221 and 246. References: IV.1, IV.3, IV.5, IV.6)

B. Engineering Seismology. Epicenter and fault plane location, source mechanics and fracture mechanics, attenuation, dispersion and diffraction, soil dynamics, and analysis of strong motion data. (Courses: MAE M257B, C&EE 222 and 245. References: IV.2, II.3, IV.4)

V.   Experimental Analysis

A. Experimental methods for determining position, displacement, velocity, stress and strain in structures. Analysis of the limit condition of structures, particularly emphases on fracture mechanics and plasticity. Modal analysis of the structural response of systems to deterministic and nondeterministic loading histories. Computer based testing techniques and analysis, including computer control and computer interactive experiments. (Courses: C&EE 130F, 130L, 137L. 238. References: V.1, V.2, V.3, V.4)

VI.   Stability and Nonlinear Analysis

A. Stability of Structures. Bucking of bars, frames, and trusses. Fundamental concept of buckling, beam-column effects. Buckling as an eigenvalue problem. Energy concepts in stability analysis. The Rayleigh-Ritz method, geometric stiffness matrix. Coupled lateral and torsional buckling effects. Inelastic buckling. Introduction to plate buckling. (Course: C&EE 236. References: VI.4, VI.5)

B. Nonlinear Structural Analysis. Large strain-displacement relations, elasto-plastic behavior of metals and geologic materials, finite element representation of nonlinear solid and structural systems. Numerical solution of nonlinear algebraic equations, implicit and explicit time integration techniques, stability and accuracy of nonlinear solution algorithms. Discrete element systems.(Courses: C&EE 231, 235C. References: VI.1, I.1, VI.2, VI.3)

VII.   Mechanics of Structural Materials

A. Mechanical Behavior of Metals and Polymers. Constitutive relation, deformation maps. Failure criteria, fatigue, corrosion. Fracture mechanics. Viscoelasticity, temperature-time-moisture equivalence. (Courses: C&EE 234 and MAE 256F. References: V.1, V.3)

B. Mechanical Behavior of Frictional materials. Stress-strain and strength behavior of frictional materials such as soils, rock, concrete, and ceramics; effective stress principle; volume change and pore pressure developments as functions of void ratio and confining pressure; compositional and environmental factors affecting the behavior of frictional materials; critical state concepts; three-dimensional behavior. Constitutive modeling, elasto-plastic material models, nonassociated flow, work-hardening plasticity theory, failure criteria, stability and instability of frictional materials. (Courses: C&EE 220 and 229. References: miscellaneous technical reports and papers)

Major Field Requirements

Each student who selected Structures as his or her major field is expected to have a background equivalent to the material contained in the courses listed under prerequisite preparation for the major field. The student is also required to acquire proficiency in the subject matter listed in paragraphs IA and IIA, and in elective subject matter covered in at least xix additional graduate courses listed in this syllabus. The student is expected to acquire this knowledge in at least four of the seven topics contained in the syllabus. Each student must submit to the Departmental Graduate Advisor, a Proposal of Fields of Study for the Ph.D. Degree containing a list of the required subject matter.

Each student in this major field will be required to pass a closed book written examination based on the subject matter contained in the prerequisite courses, C&EE 235A, C&EE 237A, and any three elective graduate courses from her os his major field. The format of the examination is contained in the Appendix. Additional detail are available from the Chair of the Structures Ph.D. Field Committee.

Breadth Requirements

Each student selecting Structures as his/her major field will be held responsible for the body of knowledge contained in two independent PH.D. Minor Fields which complement the Structures Ph.D. Major Field. Each Minor Field is defined by a body of knowledge contained in three courses, at least two of which are at the graduate level. (Fields other than established Minor Fields in the School of Engineering and Applied Science are subject to the approval of the Structures Ph.D. Field Committee.) One of these Minor Fields may be selected from one of the seven topics contained in this Syllabus, provided the selected topical area is clearly distinct from the subject matter specified in the major field. The breadth requirement is satisfied by earning a 3.25 GPA in the courses listed in each of the Minor Fields. The student may petition the Structures Ph.D. Field Committee for permission to show proficiency in a body of knowledge which differs from the above recommended norm.

Minor Field Requirements

A student selecting Structures as his/her Minor Field will be held responsible for the body of knowledge contained in C&EE 235A and C&EE 237A and any other course listed in this Syllabus (including prerequisite courses). Students who select any of the courses listed in the Syllabus to satisfy requirements of a field other than Structures may not use that course as part of the Structures Minor Field. Students who wish to satisfy the Minor Field written examination requirement by grades in courses must achieve at least a 3.25 GPS in the courses used to satisfy Minor Field requirements. Students may petition the Structures PhD Field Committee for permission to show proficiency in a body of knowledge which differs from the above recommended norm.

List of References

Prerequisites.

P.1 Beer, F.P., and Johnston, E.R., Vector Mechanics for Engineers Statics and Dynamics, McGraw-Hill, 1972. P.2 Popov, E.P., Engineering Mechanics of Solids, McGraw-Hill, 1990. P.3 Ferguson, P., Breen, J., and Jirsa, J., Reinforced Concrete Fundamentals,5th Ed, Wiley, 1988. P.4 Norris, C.H., Wilbur, J.B., and Utku, S., Elementary Structural Analysis, McGraw-Hill, 1976. P.5 Salmon, C.G. and Johnson, J.E., Steel Structures: Design and Behavior, Intext Education Publisher, Current Edition. P.6 Timoshenko, S.P., Young, D.H., and Weaver, W., Jr., Vibration Problems in Engineering, Wiley, 1974. P.7 Ugural, A.C. and Fenster, S.K., Advanced Strength and Applied Elasticity, Elsevier, 1981.

I.1 Bathe, K-J. and Wilson, E.L., Numerical Methods in Finite Element Analysis, Prentice Hall, 1976. I.2 Boley, B.O. and Weiner, J.G., Theory of Thermal Stresses, R. E. Krieger, 1985. I.3 Cook, R., Concepts and Applications of Finite Element Analysis, 1974. I.4 Flugge, W., Stresses in Shells, Springer Verlag, 1960. I.5 Gallagher, R., Finite Element Analysis, Prentice Hall, 1975. I.6 Ghali, A. and Neville, A.M., Structural Analysis, Third Edition, Chapmand and Hall, 1980. I.7 Gladwell, G.M.L., Contact Problems in Classical Theory of Elasticity, 1981. I.8 Kraus, W., Thin Elastic Shells, 1967. I.9 Mura, T., Micromechanics of Defects in Solids, 2nd Ed. 1987. I.10 Szilard, R., Theory and Analysis of Plates, Prentice Hall, 1974. I.11 Timoshenko, S.P. and Woinowsky-Krieger, S., Theory of Plates & Shells, McGraw-Hill, 1959 I.12 Zienkiewicz, OC., The Finite Element Method, Third Edition, McGraw-Hills, 1977.

II.1 Achenbach, J.D., Wave Propagation in Elastic Solids, North Holland, Amsterdam, 1973. II.2 Clough, R. and Penzien, J., Dynamics of Structures, McGraw-Hills, 1975. II.3 Ewing, W.M., Jardetzky, W.S., and Press, F., Elastic Waves in Layered Media, McGraw-Hills, 1957. II.4 Hurty, W.C. and Rubinstein, M.F., Dynamics of Structures, Prentice Hall, 1964. II.5 Meirovitch, L., Analytical Methods in Vibrations, MacMillan Co., 1967 II.6 Meirovitch, L., Computational Methods in Structural Dynamics, Sijhoff & Noordhoff, 1980. II.7 Thompson, W.T., Vibration Theory and Applications, Prentice Hall, 1975. II.8 Berg, G.V., Elements of Structural Dynamics, Prentice Hall, 1989.

III.1 Atrek, E., Gallagher, R.H., Ragsdell, K.M., and Zienkiewicz, O.C., (Editors), New Directions in Optimum Structural Design, John Wiley, NY, 1984 III.2 Haftka, R.T., Gurdal, Z., and Kamat, M.P., Elements of Structural Optimization, Second Edition, Kluwar Academic Publishers, Boston, 1990. III.3 Lin, T.Y., Design of Prestressed Concrete Structures, Wiley, 1963. III.4 MacGregor, J.G., Reinforced Concrete, Prentice Hall, 1988 III.5 McCormac, J.C., Structural Steel Design (LRFD Method, Harper & Row, 1989 III.6 Morris, A.J., (Ed.), Foundations of Structural Optimization: A Unified Approach, John Wiley, NY, 1982. III.7 Park, R. and Paulay, T., Reinforced Concrete Structures, Wiley, 1974. III.8 Seismological Committee of the Structural Engineers Association of California, Recommended Lateral Force Requirements and Commentary, Current Edition. III.9 Vanderplaats, G.N.,Numerical Optimization Techniques for Engineering Design with Applications, MacGraw-Hills, NY, 1984. III.10 Wang, C.K. and Salmon, C.G., Reinforced Concrete Design, 4th Edition, Harper & Row, 1979.

IV.1 Englekirk, R.E. and Hart, G.C., Earthquake Response of Structures, Prentice Hall 1982. IV.2 Dobrin, M.B., Introduction to Geophysical Prespecting, McGraw-Hill, 1974. IV.3 Hart, G.C., Uncertainty Analysis, Loads, and Safety in Structural Engineering, Prentice Hall, 1982. IV.4 Jacobs, J.A., Russell, R.D., and Wilson, J. T., Physics and Geology, McGraw-Hill, 1974 IV.5 Newmark, N.M. and Rosenbleuth,E., Fundamentals of Earthquake Engineering, Prentice Hall, 1971.

V.1 Barsom, J.M. and Rolfe, S.T., Fracture and Fatigue Control in Structures: Applications of Fracture Mechanics 2nd Edition, Prentice Hall, 1977. V.2 Dally, J.W. and Riley, W.F.,Experimental Stress Analysis, 2nd Ed., McGraw-Hill, 1971. V.3 Hellan, K., Introduction to Fracture Mechanics, McGraw-Hill, 1984 V.4 Holman, J.P., Experimental Methods for Engineers, McGraw-Hills, 1971.

VI.1 Bathe, K.J., Ozdemir, H., and Wilson, E.L., Static and Dynamic Geometric and Material Nonlinear Analysis, University of California, Berkeley, Structural Engineering Lab, Report No. UCSESM 74-4, 1974. VI.2 Kachanov, L.M., Foundations of the Theory of Plasticity, MIR Publishers, 1974. VI.3 Lin, T.H., Theory of Inelastic Structures, Wiley, 1968. VI.4 Simiteses, G.J., An Introduction to the Elastic Stability of Structures, Prentice Hall, 1976. VI.5 Timoshenko, S.P. and Gere, T., Theory of Elastic Stability, McGraw-Hill, 1976. VI.6 Bazant, Z.P. and Cedolin, L., Stability of Structures, Oxford University Press, 1991.

Professional Journals:

ASCE Journal of Structures ASCE Journal of Engineering Mechanics Bulletin of the Seismological Society of American EERI Monograph Series Journal of Earthquake Engineering and Structural Dynamics Journal of Geophysics Proceedings of World Conferences on Earthquake Engineering Earthquake Spectra International Journal of Solids and Structures Journal of Applied Mechanics AIAA Journal Journal of The Masonry Society International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering

Example Programs

Major Field

C&EE 235 (I. Static Analysis), C&EE 237A (II. Dynamic Analysis) and six (6) courses C&EE 235B (I. Static Analysis) C&EE 235C (VI. Stability and Nonlinear Analysis) C&EE M240 (III. Design) C&EE 241 (III. Design) C&EE 242 (III. Design) C&EE 244 (III. Design) Note: The four specialized areas are I, II, III, and IV.

(1) Geotechnical Engineering C&EE 220 C&EE 221 C&EE 223 (2) Earthquake Engineering (Specialized Area IV) C&EE 222 C&EE 245 C&EE 246

C&EE 235 (I. Static Analysis) C&EE 237A (II. Dynamic Analysis) and six (6) courses C&EE 232 (I. Static Analysis) C&EE 235B (I. Static Analysis) C&EE 235C (VI. Stability and Nonlinear Analysis) C&EE 236 (VI. Stability and Nonlinear Analysis) C&EE 240 (III. Design) MAE 269B (II. Dynamic Analysis Note: The fours areas of specialization are I, II, III, and VI.

(1) Mechanics of StructuralMaterials (Specialized Area VII) C&EE 233 C&EE 234 MSE 250A (2) Any Appropriate Established Ph.D.Minor Field; e.g., Operations Research Applied Dynamic Systems Dynamics

Format for Written Preliminary Ph.D. Major Field Examination in the Field of Structures. The written Preliminary Ph.D. Exam in the field of Structures is a closed-book exam, given in two parts on separate days.

Part I is a five hour exam consisting of at least five questions covering the prerequisite subject matter contained in courses C&EE 130, C&EE 135B, C&EE 137, and C&EE 141 or C&EE 142.

Part II is a five hour examination covering the subject matter contained in courses C&EE 235A and C&EE 237A plus subject matter contained in at least three additional courses from each student’s study llist.

Prior to the examination, each student will be asked to specify three elective courses from his/her study list for inclusion of related subject matter on the examination; the Sstructures Ph.D. Field Committee will prepare an examination covering subject matter in the specified subject areas.

Each student will submit answers to a total of five questions from Part I and five questions from Part II. Two of the five questions answered in Part II must be those related to the subject matter in courses C&EE 235A and C&EE 237A.

In order to pass the examination a student must receive a passing grade on a total of seven questions, with not less than three passing grads in each Part.

Students may elect to take the Written Preliminary Ph.D. Major Field Examination to satisfy the comprehensive examination requirement in the program leading to the Master of Science in Civil Engineering (Plan II).

Studentsare permitted only two (2) attempts at passing the Written Preliminary Ph.D. Major Field Examination, including any attempts made to satisfy the M.S. comprehensive examination requirements using this examination.

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Structural Engineering

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PhD Program

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PhD in Civil Engineering with Concentration in Structural Engineering and Structural Mechanics

The Graduate Handbook for the Department describes official degree requirements, residency, rules on transfer of courses, etc. In addition to the general information provided here, please refer to sections of the Graduate Handbook for the Structures Program available in PDF format at the CEE Handbooks web page.

• High-end consulting firms
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• Government research organizations, regulatory agencies
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• Growing Demand Over Next 10 Years for Professors
• 25-50% of Domestic PhD Students Enter Academia
• Substantial Salary Increase Compared to MS Degree
• Typically Requires 3 Years Additional Study Beyond MS Degree

PhD Road Map

• 8 graded courses total beyond MS
• Only 2 of the 8 units may be taken from the MS core of CEE (470, 462, 463, 472, 471, 570)
• 4 of the 8 units must be at the 500 level
• Students often enroll in a variety of courses in other departments (CS, MATH, MATSE, MIE, STAT)
• Students must enroll in CEE 595S (seminar) every semester
• Start working on dissertation research
• Take Qualifying Exam (see details below)
• Complete remainder of coursework
• Preliminary Exam to approve dissertation plan
• Continue research full-time, attend conferences, write technical papers, complete dissertation
• Take Final Examination on dissertation research

Qualifying Examination

• Students must pass a written Qualifying Exam for admission to PhD Candidacy in the structures program
• Analysis of truss and frame structures
• Structural dynamics
• Structural mechanics
• Concrete structures
• Steel Structures
• A password protected archive of prior QE sample problems may be downloaded  here  (the password may be obtained from the faculty member who is administering the QE examination)
• Structural engineering PhD students must pass an offering of the Structures Qualifying Exam taken within 16 months of starting their post-MS graduate work
• The Qualifying Exam is offered in the Fall semester and the Spring semester each academic year
• Details of the Exam are given at the start of each semester

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Doctor of Philosophy in Structural Engineering

The Doctor of Philosophy degree is a research-oriented degree requiring a minimum of 64 semester credit hours of approved courses and research beyond the Master of Science or Master of Engineering degree in an approved and related program [96 credit hours beyond the Bachelor of Science degree.

A complete discussion of all university requirements is found in the current Texas A&M University Graduate Catalog . For example, university requirements include a preliminary examination, a final examination and submission of a dissertation to the university.

Structural Engineering Faculty Members

• Dr. Luciana Barroso
• Dr. Anna Birely
• Dr. Joseph Bracci
• Dr. Mary Beth Hueste
• Dr. Stefan Hurlebaus
• Dr. Peter Keating
• Dr. Maria Koliou
• Dr. Lee Lowery
• Dr. John Mander
• Dr. John Niedzwecki
• Dr. Arash Noshadravan
• Dr. Stephanie Paal
• Dr. Petros Sideris
• Dr. Kinsey Skillen

Advising Committee

The student must select an Advisory Committee Chair, who will serve as their graduate advisor, from the department’s structural engineering graduate faculty. A student can have a co-chair from a faculty member that does not have an appointment with the department’s structural engineering group. A committee must have either one chair or one chair and one co-chair.

The chair and the student collaborate in selecting the remainder of the Advisory Committee. The advising committee for the Doctor of Philosophy in structural engineering must have a minimum of four members from the Texas A&M graduate faculty (the chair counts as a member). There must be at least one member from outside the civil and environmental engineering department and there must be a majority from within the department, with at least two members being from the structural engineering faculty (the chair counts as one of these members).

Departmental Requirements

In addition to fulfilling the University requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy degree, a student enrolled in the civil and environmental engineering graduate program in the area of Structural Engineering must satisfy the following department requirements.

• For the 64 credit hours Doctor of Philosophy program beyond the S. degree, a minimum of 24 credit hours of graduate level coursework is required provided the student already has taken at least another 24 credit hours of graduate course work for the Master of Science or Master of Engineering degree.
• For the 96 credit hours Doctor of Philosophy program beyond the S. degree, a minimum of 48 credit hours of graduate level coursework is required.
• For both PhD programs, a maximum of 3 semester credit hours of CVEN 685 Directed Studies can be applied toward this

Structural Engineering Requirements

The student must also satisfy the following area requirements and/or recommendations described below:

• Seminar: 0 or 1 semester credit hours
• Qualifying Exam: A Qualifying Examination will be scheduled with members of the structural engineering The exam should be taken prior to the student’s second semester (fall or spring) of study.
• Degree Plan: An advisory committee must be formed that includes at least two structural engineering faculty members, and a Degree Plan must be submitted and approved by the advisory committee after passing the Qualifying Exam and early during their second semester (fall or spring) of The degree plan must be filed before the course registration for the third semester of study.
• Written Preliminary Exam: After completion of a majority of the coursework listed on the Degree Plan (with the exception of CVEN 691 Research), but ideally no later than the end of the fourth semester (fall or spring) of study, a Written Preliminary Examination will be scheduled with members of the advisory
• Oral Preliminary Exam: After passing the Written Preliminary Exam, but ideally no later than the end of the fourth semester (fall or spring) of study, an Oral Preliminary Examination will be scheduled with members of the advisory
• Research Proposal: As soon as the research project can be outlined in reasonable detail, but ideally no later than the end of the fifth semester (fall or spring) of study, the dissertation research proposal should be
• Completion of Dissertation: Upon approval of the Dissertation by the advisory committee chair, the Dissertation will be submitted to the other members of the advisory
• Final Defense: A Final Defense consisting of an oral examination will be scheduled with all of the advisory committee members.

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List Of Winning Dissertation Topics In Structural Engineering

The study of structural engineering involves learning about building structures as well as non-building structures where structural integrity affects whether an object can function correctly and safely (e.g., vehicles, medical equipment, machinery, etc.). In working towards a graduate or doctoral degree in structural engineering you will have to complete a dissertation. Choosing a great topic is essential, so we’ve come up with this list of ideas to help get you started:

• Discussing the importance of structural engineering in today’s world. Engineers from different specialty areas must work together to create designs that function properly, efficiently, and safely. Why is communication so important in this field?
• The important of multi-disciplinary engineering work. Provide a case study for the Tower in Dubai as an example of multi-disciplinary cooperation and the accomplishments it is as a result of professionals from around the world working together.
• Describe the important function that structural engineering has on space exploration and why companies like SpaceX are at the forefront of the revitalization of this industry because of innovations in structural engineering.
• Examine techniques used for determining asphalt and road deterioration and provide an argument as to whether the techniques are outdated or if they still provide the necessary information for accurate analysis and evaluation.
• What role do structural engineers have in a lot of the low cost but mass produced development machinery being used in third world and poor countries from around the globe? Are these short term solutions or that will need replacing in a matter of years?
• How has the structural engineering discipline changed in the computer age? Are software and hardware that can provide more precise equations and solutions eventually replacing the need for humans to make evaluations on an object’s integrity?
• What role do structural engineers play in furthering medical technologies such as cross-country machines used for intricate and precise surgeries and procedures? Does this open up the door for an even greater need of engineers specializing in this field?
• The challenges of oversea investment: How have larger companies’ investment in oversea production affected the U.S. ability to retain structural engineers to work on local projects rather than those that generate greater revenue and a higher pay from companies?
• The networking principal in third-zone engineering: How is this recent technique for evaluating building structures revolutionizing the entire industry?
• Discuss the limitations of CAD principles being applied to today’s engineering projects and how it can be a recipe for economic and environmental troubles in the new century?

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Civil Engineering (Structural) MPhil, PhD

Newcastle University are developing internationally competitive research in advanced computational solid and applied analytical structural mechanics.

You are currently viewing course information for entry year:

Start date(s):

• September 2024
• January 2025

By pursuing structural civil engineering research you'll join a successful research group. Our mission is to foster, promote and conduct research of international quality. We attract high quality graduates and researchers and train them to international standards.

You'll have enthusiasm for research in the field of structural engineering. Our current research includes:

• non-linear structural optimisation
• non-linear analysis of conventional and non-conventional structures and materials
• structural integrity assessment
• seismic design and analysis
• resilience of complex infrastructure networks

Examples of MPhil and PhD supervision in our research areas include:

• analysis of concrete at elevated temperatures
• structural optimisation and reliability
• structural textiles and polymeric composites
• seismic engineering and extreme loadings
• the effects of transient loads on structures
• numerical methods
• computational mechanics
• analysis of lightweight fabric and pneumatic structures

Important information

We've highlighted important information about your course. Please take note of any deadlines.

Please rest assured we make all reasonable efforts to provide you with the programmes, services and facilities described. However, it may be necessary to make changes due to significant disruption, for example in response to Covid-19.

View our  Academic experience page , which gives information about your Newcastle University study experience for the academic year 2023-24.

See our  terms and conditions and student complaints information , which gives details of circumstances that may lead to changes to programmes, modules or University services.

Related courses

Qualifications explained.

Find out about the different qualification options for this course.

An MPhil is available in all subject areas. You receive research training and undertake original research leading to the completion of a 40,000 - 50,000 word thesis.

Find out about different types of postgraduate qualifications

A PhD is a doctorate or doctoral award. It involves original research that should make a significant contribution to the knowledge of a specific subject. To complete the PhD you will produce a substantial piece of work (80,000 – 100,000 words) in the form of a supervised thesis. A PhD usually takes three years full time.

How you'll learn

Off-campus study may be available in some circumstances. This may be particularly if you have industrial sponsorship. Our programme includes:

• intensive subject-specific supervision
• training in research methodologies
• core skills

You may also have an opportunity to:

• undertake paid laboratory demonstrations
• tutor, to gain teaching experience

Depending on your modules, you'll be assessed through a combination of:

We offer a wide range of projects for the thesis. These will either be provided by our academics, or you can propose your own topic.

Our mission is to help you:

• stay healthy, positive and feeling well
• overcome any challenges you may face during your degree – academic or personal
• get the most out of your postgraduate research experience
• carry out admin and activities essential to progressing through your degree
• understand postgraduate research processes, standards and rules

We can offer you tailored wellbeing support, courses and activities.

You can also access a broad range of workshops covering:

• research and professional skills
• careers support
• health and safety
• public engagement
• academic development

Find out more about our postgraduate research student support

The Geotechnical and Structural Engineering subject group page links to our specialist research areas. You'll be able to:

• explore possible research programmes
• find out more about staff working in these research areas
• identify a potential research supervisor

Your development

Placement opportunities.

We have extensive UK and international contacts. This enables research to be carried out in collaboration with industry and government agencies. Research projects are supervised by staff with a wide range of industrial and academic experience.

Faculty of Science, Agriculture and Engineering (SAgE) researcher development programme 

Each faculty offers a researcher development programme for its postgraduate research students. We have designed your programme to help you:

• perform better as a researcher
• boost your career prospects
• broaden your impact

Through workshops and activities, it will build your transferable skills and increase your confidence.

You’ll cover:

• techniques for effective research
• methods for better collaborative working
• essential professional standards and requirements

Your programme is flexible. You can adapt it to meet your changing needs as you progress through your doctorate.

Find out more about the SAgE researcher development programme

Doctoral training and partnerships

There are opportunities to undertake your PhD at Newcastle within a:

• Centre for Doctoral Training (CDT)
• Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP)

Being part of a CDT or DTP has many benefits:

• they combine research expertise and training of a number of leading universities, academic schools and academics.
• you’ll study alongside a cohort of other PhD students
• they’re often interdisciplinary
• your PhD may be funded

Find out more about doctoral training and partnerships

If there are currently opportunities available in your subject area you’ll find them when you search for funding in the fees and funding section on this course.

The following centres/partnerships below may have PhD opportunities available in your subject area in the future:

• EPSRC Aura Centre for Doctoral Training in Offshore Wind Energy and the Environment
• IAPETUS2 Doctoral Training Partnership

Your future

Our careers service.

Our award-winning Careers Service is one of the largest and best in the country, and we have strong links with employers. We provide an extensive range of opportunities to all students through our ncl+ initiative.

Visit our Careers Service website

Quality and ranking

All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body

From 1 January 2021 there is an update to the way professional qualifications are recognised by countries outside of the UK

Check the government’s website for more information .

The School of Engineering has an exceptional range of laboratories. They are equipped with a wide range of analytical instrumentation.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2024 entry (per year).

We are unable to give an exact fee, this is why the fee is shown as a range. This fee range takes into account your research topic and resource requirements.

Your research topic is unique so it will have unique resource requirements. Resources could include specialist equipment, such as laboratory/workshop access, or technical staff.

If your research involves accessing specialist resources then you're likely to pay a higher fee. You'll discuss the exact nature of your research project with your supervisor(s). You'll find out the fee in your offer letter.

Home fees for research degree students

For 2024-25 entry, we will be aligning our standard Home research fees with those set by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) . The standard fee will be confirmed in Spring 2024 by UKRI. The Home tuition fees for this course will be updated after this confirmation. 

If your studies last longer than one year, your tuition fee may increase in line with inflation.

Depending on your residency history, if you’re a student from the EU, other EEA or a Swiss national, with settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, you’ll normally pay the ‘Home’ tuition fee rate and may be eligible for Student Finance England support.

EU students without settled or pre-settled status will normally be charged fees at the ‘International’ rate and will not be eligible for Student Finance England support.

If you are unsure of your fee status, check out the latest guidance here .

Scholarships

We support our EU and international students by providing a generous range of Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships. See  our   searchable postgraduate funding page  for more information.  

What you're paying for

Tuition fees include the costs of:

• matriculation
• registration
• tuition (or supervision)
• library access
• examination
• re-examination

Find out more about:

• living costs
• tuition fees

If you are an international student or a student from the EU, EEA or Switzerland and you need a visa to study in the UK, you may have to pay a deposit.

You can check this in the How to apply section .

If you're applying for funding, always check the funding application deadline. This deadline may be earlier than the application deadline for your course.

For some funding schemes, you need to have received an offer of a place on a course before you can apply for the funding.

Search for funding

Find funding available for your course

Entry requirements

The entrance requirements below apply to 2024 entry.

Qualifications from outside the UK

English language requirements, admissions policy.

This policy applies to all undergraduate and postgraduate admissions at Newcastle University. It is intended to provide information about our admissions policies and procedures to applicants and potential applicants, to their advisors and family members, and to staff of the University.

Download our admissions policy (PDF: 201KB) Other policies related to admissions

Credit transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) can allow you to convert existing relevant university-level knowledge, skills and experience into credits towards a qualification. Find out more about the RPL policy which may apply to this course

• How to apply

Using the application portal

The application portal has instructions to guide you through your application. It will tell you what documents you need and how to upload them.

You can choose to start your application, save your details and come back to complete it later.

If you’re ready, you can select Apply Online and you’ll be taken directly to the application portal.

Alternatively you can find out more about applying on our applications and offers pages .

Open days and events

You'll have a number of opportunities to meet us throughout the year including:

• campus tours
• on-campus open days
• virtual open days

Find out about how you can visit Newcastle in person and virtually

Overseas events

We regularly travel overseas to meet with students interested in studying at Newcastle University.

Visit our events calendar for the latest events

• Get in touch

Questions about this course?

If you have specific questions about this course you can contact:

Postgraduate Research Administrator School of Engineering Email:  [email protected]   Telephone +44 (0) 191 208 6323

For more general enquiries you could also complete our online enquiry form.

Fill in our enquiry form

Our Ncl chatbot might be able to give you an answer straight away. If not, it’ll direct you to someone who can help.

You'll find our Ncl chatbot in the bottom right of this page.

Keep updated

We regularly send email updates and extra information about the University.

Receive regular updates by email

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Chat online with current students with our Unibuddy platform.

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Structural Engineering and Mechanics

UW CEE structural engineers perform innovative research across a wide range of topics using experimental, numerical and analytical techniques. The diverse expertise of the structural engineering research group provides unique opportunities for research. Current research projects are aimed at improving the resiliency of structures against earthquake, tsunami and wind hazards; creating more durable materials; modeling, evaluation and design of reinforced concrete, prestressed concrete, steel, timber and composite structures; improving the sustainability of structures and designs for rapidly constructed structures; enhanced structural systems for marine and aerospace environments; and developing computational mechanics tools for numerical modeling of complex physical phenomena, including the structural behavior of turbine blades as they interact with the surrounding fluid media. Faculty are closely engaged with the professional engineering community and their research is consequently implemented in practice.

The structural research laboratories   provide capabilities for multi-scale experimental studies of component or system response to complex loading scenarios. Advanced computing capabilities enable the development of state-of-the-art models of seismic structural response, large-scale fluid-structure and soil-structure interactions, and complex computational mechanics, among other topics.

Research topics

• Reinforced and prestressed concrete structures Faculty involved: Paolo Calvi , Marc Eberhard , Dawn Lehman , Laura Lowes , Travis Thonstad
• Concrete engineering using advanced or recycled materials including use of 3D printing Faculty involved: Paolo Calvi , Dawn Lehman , John Stanton , Travis Thornstad
• Steel and composite structures Faculty involved: Jeff Berman , Dawn Lehman , Charles Roeder
• Earthquake engineering Faculty involved: Jeff Berman , Paolo Calvi , Marc Eberhard , Dawn Lehman , Laura Lowes , Charles Roeder , John Stanton , Travis Thonstad
• Tsunami engineering Faculty involved: Marc Eberhard , Dawn Lehman ,  Michael Motley
• Accelerated bridge construction Faculty involved: Paolo Calvi , Marc Eberhard , Dawn Lehman , Charles Roeder , John Stanton , Travis Thonstad
• Advanced numerical simulation and computational mechanics Faculty involved: Laura Lowes , Peter Mackenzie-Helnwein , Gregory Miller , Michael Motley , Richard Wiebe
• Aerospace structures Faculty involved: Richard Wiebe

Student research

Attaching light rail to a floating bridge.

Light rail will cross a floating bridge for the first time in the world when construction is completed on Sound Transit’s East Link Extension Project in 2023. The engineering feat is possible thanks to a team of researchers, including master’s student Kristina Tsvetanova (shown here), and former students Travis Thonstad and Matthew Sisley, who are collaborating with consultants to test various features of the system, which has never before been implemented. Since not a single hole is allowed on the bridge deck, engineers developed a solution to connect light rail tracks to the bridge without the use of traditional methods such as bolts. Tsvetanova is leading the team conducting tests on the final prototype, which consists of a complex “sandwich” of different materials to connect the rails to the bridge deck.

Sustainable Earthquake Resilient Buildings

Building high-rises that are both earthquake resilient and sustainable is the goal of a team of researchers from across the country, including master’s student Sarah Wichman. The researchers paired a new type of sustainable building material with a rocking wall system, which allows walls to rock back and forth during an earthquake. The rocking wall concept, now quite widely copied throughout the industry, was originally developed at the UW in the 1990s. During a large-scale test of the system, Wichman oversaw the installation and testing of the rocking walls. The researchers found no significant damage to a two-story prototype after 14 earthquake simulations. The research may one day inform the next generation of buildings constructed in earthquake zones.

Excellence in teaching

The Structural Engineering faculty members hold teaching to be an important part of their work, and have a long record of excellence in teaching. Two faculty hold University Distinguished Teaching Awards, another has won the Departmental Teaching Award more frequently than anyone else, and two more have recently achieved “perfect” teaching ratings from their classes.

Laboratories

The following laboratories feature equipment that structural engineers utilize to conduct research:

• Large-scale Structural Research Laboratory
• Structural Creep Laboratory
• Structural Vibrations Laboratory
• X-ray Computed Tomography Laboratory
• Construction Materials Laboratory

Centers headquarter research on specific themes and act as hubs connecting faculty and students with resources to support research, education and outreach activities. Researchers are affiliated with the following centers:

• NHERI RAPID Post-Disaster Rapid Response Research Facility  (led by UW CEE)
• Pacific Northwest Transportation Consortium (led by UW CEE)
• FHWA Accelerated Bridge Construction Center (led by Florida International University)

Degree programs

• Structural Engineering & Mechanics Master’s Program
• Structural Engineering & Mechanics Ph.D. Program 

Latest news

A timber triumph: seismically resilient and sustainable.

CEE researchers including Professor Jeffrey Berman and Ph.D. student Sarah Wichman test a sustainable and seismically resilient 10-story mass timber building designed to withstand Seattle earthquakes.

Capstone collaborations

Learn about a capstone project undertaken by CEE students to design an evacuation structure for lahar and tsunami events in the City of Fife.

Op-ed: Prepare wisely for earthquakes

Co-authors and professors Jeffrey Berman and Marc Eberhard point out that Seattle area faults are not unlike those in Turkey — and thousands of older buildings are still vulnerable. 

Experts discuss earthquake in Turkey and Syria

Three UW experts, including CEE Professor Dawn Lehman, have provided quotes in response to the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria on February 6.

Imperial College London Imperial College London

Latest news.

Voluntary corporate emissions targets not enough to create real climate action

Imperial and CNRS strengthen UK-France science with new partnerships

New AI startup accelerator led by Imperial opens for applications

• Research groups

Structural engineering

Broad aspects of Structural Engineering are being investigated using a variety of experimental, computational and theoretical techniques. The behaviour and design of various structural components are focused upon a range of deterministic and probabilistic loadings such as fire, blast, seismic and wind.

• Response to Dynamic and Extreme Loads Wide-ranging research is being undertaken on hazard mitigation and structural robustness under extreme loads including earthquake, blast, impact and fire.
• Steel and Composite Structures Research covers new and improved forms and components, including work on stainless steel components, elliptical hollow sections and prestressed members.
• Buildings and Bridges Work in this area includes the behaviour of concrete buildings, buried and water-resistant concrete structures and performance assessment of concrete bridges.

List of sub-topics within this research area

Behaviour and design of structural steel components.

• Development of the Eurocode for steel structures
• The Continuous Strength Method
• Steel elliptical hollow sections
• Cold-formed steelwork
• Behaviour of metallic tubular and shell structures

A sample of some recent projects:

• Strength of massive tubular members in bending
• Buckling of steel silos under eccentric discharge

Visit the  Steel Structures group website to find out more.

Behaviour and design of concrete structures

• Nonlinear numerical analysis for cracking and deformation
• Time and temperature dependent behaviour of concrete structures
• Design and analysis of prestressed concrete structures
• Design of beam-column joints
• Dynamics and stability of plates, shells and piles
• Reliability analysis of concrete structures
• Soil/structure interaction
• Use of blinding struts for cut and cover excavations
• Strut and tie modelling
• Blinding struts
• Design for punching shear
• Design of reinforced concrete regions using strut and tie models and nonlinear finite element modelling

Bridge engineering

• Under-deck and combined cable-stayed bridges
• Spatial arch bridges
• Innovative bridge types
• Structural response due to the accidental breakage of stay cables
• Footbridges
• Accidental and extreme loading in cable-stayed bridges
• Response of slender road bridges and footbridges under traffic loading

Earthquake engineering

• Seismic performance of steel and composite structures
• Seismic behaviour of concrete structures
• Fluid-structure interaction
• Response of buried pipelines
• Testing techniques for seismic performance evaluation
• Seismic vulnerability assessment and upgrading
• Procedures for assessment of earthquake losses
• Seismic Testing of Sustainable Composite Cane and Mortar Walls for Low-Cost Housing in Developing Countries
• Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis, Ground-motion Model Development & Accelerogram selection
• Earthquake loss assessment

Fire blast and extreme loading

• Analysis and design of multi-storey buildings under fire conditions
• Fire and blast behaviour of offshore structures
• Design of blastwalls for offshore topsides
• Performance of composite sandwich components
• Damage tolerance and residual strength of offshore structures
• Stainless steel in fire
• Fire resistance of steel-concrete composite buildings
• Structures subject to coupled blast/fire scenarios
• Robustness and progressive collapse of tall buildings
• Response of offshore structures to extreme static/dynamic loading
• Simplified modelling: SDOF blast models, buckling analysis, blast/fire resistance of beams and columns
• Forensic assessment of explosion damage at the Buncefield Oil Depot
• Investigating the Structural Performance and Frequency Filtering Effects in Protruded and Perforated Hybrid Metal to Composite Joints
• Improving Survivability of Structures to Impact and Blast Loading
• Behaviour of Beam-to-Tubular Column Connections under Extreme Loading Conditions

Steel and concrete composite construction

• Behaviour and design of composite steel/concrete buildings and bridges
• Static and fatigue behaviour of composite connections and members
• Performance of semi-rigid and partial strength connections
• Inelastic Displacement Demands in Steel Structures

Structural reliability and assessment

• Deterioration and lifetime assessment of structures
• Structural reliability of components and systems
• Risk and reliability assessment of highway bridges
• Risk assessment of structures under extreme loading
• Dynamic Demand Analysis of Bridge & Building Structures

• How it works

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Civil Engineering Dissertation Topics

Published by Carmen Troy at January 10th, 2023 , Revised On April 26, 2024

The importance of civil engineering works in the modern world cannot be understated, thanks to the growing public and commercial infrastructure requirement. The main focus of civil engineering is to develop a sustainable society where businesses can flourish.

Civil engineers in today’s world are keen to develop sustainable buildings, and therefore civil engineering students frequently research sustainable construction topics . 

To help you get started with brainstorming for civil engineering topic ideas, we have developed a list of the latest topics that can be used for writing your civil engineering dissertation project.

These topics have been developed by PhD-qualified writers on our team , so you can trust to use them topics for drafting your dissertation.

You may also want to start your dissertation by requesting  a brief research proposal  from our writers on any of these topics, which includes an  introduction  to the problem,  research question , aim and objectives,  literature review  along with the proposed  methodology  of research to be conducted.  Let us know  if you need a he environment, cause ny help in getting started.

Check our  example dissertation to get an idea of  how to structure your dissertation .

You can review step by step guide on how to write your dissertation  here.

Latest Civil Engineering Research Topics

Topic 1: building demolition- analyse the efficacy of destroying and ruining big city structures and their impact on the traffic..

Research Aim: Many big cities around the world have demolished a vast number of buildings that were functional with new structures. It not only has an economic impact but also results in the loss of urban culture, harms the environment, causes pollution, and worsens the traffic situation. This study will evaluate the merits of building demotion and will provide economic, technical, and environmental input.

Topic 2: Rural housing at low cost- Improving Water Diversion, Electricity Grids, and other Infrastructure to reduce the expenses.

Research Aim: Water, sanitation, wastewater systems, electricity, and rural infrastructure all impact human development outcomes. This study will examine rural housing at a low cost focusing on the improvement of water diversion, electricity grids and infrastructure services. It will also look into the policies made to avoid certain problems and help us understand how these things have influenced life in rural regions.

Topic 3: Examining the use of Activated Flash as a Binder in pavement adjustments to allow acceptable tension reinforcing stresses in order to Control Cracking in concrete.

Research Aim: This study will examine the use of activated flash as a binder in pavement adjustments to allow acceptable tension-reinforcing stresses to control cracking. Cracks usually emerge as a result of mechanical loads, adverse response, and environmental impact, and frequent cracking negatively impacts the performance of concrete. This study will focus on the appropriate measures that should be taken, as well as designs, materials, and construction practices to extend the life without any loss.

Topic 4: Strengthening an existing structure to allow it to withstand climate change - An analysis.

Research Aim: Buildings are dependent on environmental conditions. This study will analyse the strengthening of the existing structure to protect it from the effects of climate change. The focus is on the material used for the protection, sustainability, and strengthening of the building, as well as the adaptation of new construction standards. A milder temperature will lower the lifespan of building materials and impact the indoor climate of the building. More stormResearch Aim: The main goal of this study is to conduct a unique investigatios, snow or subsidence damage, water encroachment, and a bad indoor environment all contribute to a reduced building lifespan, raising the risk of collapse, worsening health, and significant loss of value in return.

Topic 5: An investigation of the use of Graphene-Fabricated nanoparticles for Water Purification- Comparison between Cost-Effectiveness and Benefits.

Research Aim: The main goal of this study is to conduct a unique investigation of the use of graphene-manufactured nanomaterials for water purification. The project intends to compare the benefits and cost-effectiveness of graphene processes. Furthermore, this study also intends to evaluate graphene nanomaterials’ impact on water treatment and analyse many future and emerging perspectives.

Topic 6: The Impact of Integrating IoT in Urban Development. An Exploration of Smart Cities Infrastructure.

Research Aim: The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of incorporating Internet of Things (IoT) technology in urban development, specifically focusing on its implications for smart city infrastructure. The study seeks to understand how IoT integration influences various aspects of urban living and city management.

Topic 7: Investigating the Use of Bamboo as a Construction Material.

Research Aim: The research aims to investigate the viability of bamboo as a construction material. Through empirical analysis and comparative studies, it seeks to evaluate the structural, environmental, and economic benefits of using bamboo in construction projects. The study further explores the bamboo’s mechanical properties and durability aspects by considering its availability, cost-effectiveness, and ecological impact. Furthermore, it aims to identify challenges and opportunities associated with bamboo use in construction.

Topic 8: An Analysis of the Lightning Protection Systems for Building Structures

Research Aim: The research analyses the design principles and practical implementation of lightning protection systems for building structures. The study focuses on ways to improve safety, avoid any risks and optimise the overall performance. 

Topic 9: Exploring the Importance of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in Construction

Research Aim: This study explores how Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) can help improve worker safety and minimise occupational hazards. The research further discusses the best practices for the selection and enforcement of PPE. 

COVID-19 Civil Engineering Research Topics

Topic 1: civil engineering after coronavirus: identify the consequences of covid-19 on civil engineering in the uk or any country of your choice..

Research Aim: This research will focus on identifying the impacts of coronavirus on civil engineering in the selected country.

Topic 2: Research to study the damage caused to the construction projects due to the lack of workers on site.

Research Aim: This study will focus on identifying the damage caused to construction projects as the workers are staying away from the sites. What measures are taken to complete these projects and recover the loss?

Topic 3: Contractors and Builders after COVID-19: business industry, tender opportunities, and planning to continue business

Research Aim: This research aims to identify the conditions faced by contractors and builders. What is their plan to deal with the COVID-19 crisis? How did it affect the business industry and tender opportunities?

Topic 4: Cite Operating Procedures: research the various safety measures for workers, contractors, and engineers working on construction sites.

Research Aim: This research is conducted to know about various safety measures taken by the government and private organisations for workers, contractors, and engineers working on construction sites.

Topic 5: Investigate how civil engineers are working from home: Identify whether remote working can be a long-lasting solution to recover the loss caused by COVID-19.

Research Aim: Remote working has emerged as a ray of hope for mechanical engineers amid this pandemic. This research will focus on the advantages and disadvantages of remote working and also answer the question of whether it is a long-lasting solution or not.

Topic 6: Research to study the economic and labour crisis as a result of Coronavirus

Research Aim: This research will focus on the financial loss and labour crisis caused by the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.

Topic 7: Research to study the disruption of the supply chain, shortage of contractors, workers, and material, cancellation of contracts due to COVID-19

Research Aim: This research will focus on identifying the disruption of the supply chain, shortage of contractors, workers, and materials, and cancellations of contracts as a result of COVID -19.

Topic 8: Research to throw the light on the future of the construction Industry after the Coronavirus pandemic.

Research Aim: This research will focus on predicting how the construction industry will transform after the COVID-19 pandemic. What challenges may it face, and what could be the possible ways to meet those challenges?

Topics in Civil Engineering and Construction

Topic 1: computational mechanics and modelling.

Research Aim: This research aims to study the role of computational mechanics and to model In civil engineering

Topic 2: Development in Rock Mechanics

Research Aim: This research aims to highlight the recent developments in Rock Mechanics

Topic 3: Assessment of the bridges with innovative ideas

Research Aim: This research aims to address the need to assess bridges and propose innovative ideas for bridge constructions and designs.

Topic 4: Efficiently managing the water resources

Research Aim: This research aims to focus on the effective management of water resources during construction.

Topic 5: Stability of high rise buildings

Research Aim: This research aims to address the issues of the instability of high-rise buildings and the stress of ensuring their stability by highlighting the gaps in the literature review and providing a strong recommendation for researchers.

Topic 6: Elope Erosion Control in the Construction Industry

Research Aim: The research investigates the significance of elope erosion control to prevent soil erosion and facilitate drainage.

Dissertation Topics in Structural Engineering and Environmental

Topic 1: reliability of foundation performance and implications for structural design.

Research Aim: The main purpose of the research will be to use a reliability-based approach to performance by using two complementary approaches; macroscopic and action-oriented approach and microscopic and analysis-oriented approach to evaluate major risks and strategies that can be used to implement in complicated structural systems and designs.

Find 100s of dissertation topics in your other academic subjects in our free topics database.

Topic 2: Behaviour of steelwork connection at large deflection in a fire

Research Aim: This research study will explore the behaviour of steelworks at large deflection in a fire. The researcher will use a unified computing model to simulate the behaviour of steelworks and their impacts on the deflection in the fire. Several other factors will also be identified in the study, such as limiting temperature criteria, loading and unloading effects, and explosion load ratios.

Topic 3: User-friendly model of degrading groundwater pollution plume

Research Aim: Groundwater pollution plumes consist of degradable compounds and materials, which results in declining the overall natural processes and their effectiveness on marine life. There have been studies that aimed to explore the slow degradation processes of pollution plumes in groundwater. However, this is particular research will aim to explore different factors that cause groundwater pollution plumes and contribute to its slow degradation process. Finally, the study will propose a user-friendly model to degrade the plume of groundwater pollution.

Topic 4: Examination of advanced solution strategies for non-linear FE analysis

Research Aim: This research aims to explore the role of advanced solution strategies that help engineers and builders carry out non-linear FE analysis. In this study, the researcher will demonstrate the static and dynamic problems related to the non-linear effects of solid structures and systems.

Topic 5: Strength, stiffness, non-linearity, and the volumetric response of concrete under triaxial compression

Research Aim: In this study, the researcher will demonstrate the behaviour of concrete under the situation of triaxial compression. The researcher aims to understand the stiffness, volumetric and compressive behaviour of concrete which may cause deformation when pressure is applied.

More Civil Engineering Dissertation Topics

• Research to Set up Remote Sensing Applications to Assist in the Development of Sustainable Enterprise
• Research to Study and Develop Water Treatment Processes
• Research to Studying Sustainable Construction Materials and Technologies
• Research to Study Sustainable Engineering: New Objectives for Construction Projects
• Research Regarding Micromechanics of Granular Materials.
• Research to Transform a Manufacturing Plant into a Sustainable Enterprise.
• Research to Study the Relationship Between Sustainability and Learning Organisation.
• Research to Study the Impact of Sustainability Concepts on Organisational Growth and Development.
• Research to Ensure Sustainable Heat Conservation Generated from Compressors within a Manufacturing Site.
• Research to Study and Develop Waste Reduction Strategies to Achieve Sustainable Concepts.
• Investigating the Impact of Ultra-high Performance Concrete (UHPC) in Civil Engineering. 
• Studying the Impact of Construction Technology on Safety.
• Research to Study Properties of Concrete to Achieve Sustainability.
• Research to Study the Relationship between Lean Manufacturing and Sustainable Manufacturing.
• Research to Study Sustainability and its Impact on Learning Organisation.
• Development of Sustainable Homes with the Help of Renewable Energy Sources.
• Seismic Design of Cold-Formed Steel Structures in Residential Applications
• Living Tree Buildings

Also Read:   Human Resource Management Dissertation Topics

• Application of Ultra High Strength Concrete in LNG Terminals
• Mechanical Behaviour of Bridge Bearings of Concrete Bridges
• Winter Damage of Porous Asphalt
• Human-Induced Lateral Vibration of Bridges
• The Optimization of Tripod Substructure and its Application to Two Different Topsides
• Traffic-Induced Bearing Loads and Movements of a Steel Plate-girder Bridge
• Snap Through of Large Shield-Driven Tunnels
• A Timber Bearing Structure for Concept House
• The Sustainable Refurbishment of BK City
• The Elevated Metro Structure in Concrete, UHPC, and Composite
• Covering A28 Highway at Amersfoort
• Numerical Modelling of Turbidity Currents in Submarine Channels
• Post-trenching with a Trailing Suction Hopper Dredge
• Morphological Impact of Coastal Structures
• Modeling Nearshore Currents Driven by Waves and Set-up Gradients
• Gaining New Insights Regarding Traffic Congestion, by Explicitly Considering the Variability in Traffic
• Dynamic Behaviour of Tunnel Elements 38 During the Immersion process
• Long-term Morphological M0delling of the Mouth of the Columbia River
• “Feasibility Study of a Climate Dike”
• Conditioning of Aggressive Water
• Swale Filter Drain System: The Inflow – Discharge Relation.
• Low-Cost Disdrometer
• Observing Tidal Slack in the Scheldt Estuary
• Clogging of Permeable Pavements 53 in Semi-arid Areas
• Analysing the Effects of Large-scale Green Roof Implementation in Singapore
• Accelerating the Introduction of Electric Bicycles
• A Critical Reappraisal of Some Problems in Engineering Seismology
• Systems and Sustainability: Sustainable development, Civil engineering and the Formation of the Civil Engineer
• Sustainable Engineering: The Future of Structural Design
• Environmentally Sustainable Construction Products and Materials – Assessment of release

Not Sure Which Dissertation Topic to Choose? Use Our  Topic Planning Service

Also Read:  Dissertation Topics in Engineering Management 

Important Notes:

As a civil engineering student looking to get good grades, it is essential to develop new ideas and experiment on existing civil engineering theories – i.e., to add value and interest in your research topic.

The field of civil engineering is vast and interrelated to so many other academic disciplines like  construction ,  law , engineering management , healthcare , mental health , artificial intelligence , tourism , physiotherapy , sociology , management , marketing and nursing . That is why it is imperative to create a project management dissertation topic that is particular, sound and actually solves a practical problem that may be rampant in the field.

We can’t stress how important it is to develop a logical research topic; it is the basis of your entire research. There are several significant downfalls to getting your topic wrong: your supervisor may not be interested in working on it, the topic has no academic creditability, the research may not make logical sense, and there is a possibility that the study is not viable.

This impacts your time and efforts in  writing your dissertation as you may end up in a cycle of rejection at the very initial stage of the dissertation. That is why we recommend reviewing existing research to develop a topic, taking advice from your supervisor, and even asking for help in this particular stage of your dissertation.

While developing a research topic, keeping our advice in mind will allow you to pick one of the best civil engineering dissertation topics that fulfils your requirement of writing a research paper and add to the body of knowledge.

Therefore, it is recommended that when finalizing your dissertation topic, you read recently published literature to identify gaps in the research that you may help fill.

Remember- dissertation topics need to be unique, solve an identified problem, be logical, and be practically implemented. Please take a look at some of our sample civil engineering dissertation topics to get an idea for your dissertation.

How to Structure Your Dissertation on Civil Engineering

A well-structured   dissertation can help students   to achieve a high overall academic grade.

• A Title Page
• Acknowledgements
• Declaration
• Abstract: A summary of the research completed
• Table of Contents
• Introduction : This chapter includes the project rationale, research background, key research aims and objectives, and the research problems to be addressed. An outline of the structure of a dissertation  can also be added to this chapter.
• Literature Review :  This chapter presents relevant theories and frameworks by analysing published and unpublished literature available on the chosen research topic, in light of  research questions  to be addressed. The purpose is to highlight and discuss the relative weaknesses and strengths of the selected research area whilst identifying any research gaps. Break down of the topic, and key terms can have a positive impact on your dissertation and your tutor.
• Methodology:  The  data collection  and  analysis methods and techniques employed by the researcher are presented in the Methodology chapter, which usually includes  research design, research philosophy, research limitations, code of conduct, ethical consideration, data collection methods, and  data analysis strategy .
• Findings and Analysis: The findings of the research are analysed in detail in the Findings and Analysis chapter. All key findings/results are outlined in this chapter without interpreting the data or drawing any conclusions. It can be useful to include  graphs , charts, and   tables in this chapter to identify meaningful trends and relationships.
• Discussion  and  Conclusion: The researcher presents his interpretation of results in this chapter and states whether the research hypothesis has been verified or not. An essential aspect of this section of the paper is to draw a linkage between the results and evidence from the literature. Recommendations with regard to the implications of the findings and directions for the future may also be provided. Finally, a summary of the overall research, along with final judgments, opinions, and comments, must be included in the form of suggestions for improvement.
• References: This should be completed in accordance with your University’s requirements
• Bibliography
• Appendices:  Any additional information, diagrams, graphs that were used to  complete the  dissertation  but not part of the dissertation should be included in the Appendices chapter. Essentially, the purpose is to expand the information/data.

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For further assistance with your dissertation, take a look at our full dissertation writing service .

Our team of writers is highly qualified. They are experts in their respective fields. They have been working in the industry for a long time, thus aware of its issues and trends.

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Frequently Asked Questions

How to find dissertation topics about civil engineering.

To discover civil engineering dissertation topics:

• Investigate emerging technologies.
• Analyze infrastructure challenges.
• Explore sustainability and green solutions.
• Review recent research in journals.
• Consider urban planning or construction innovations.
• Opt for a topic aligning with your passion and career aims.

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Structural Engineering

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STUDENT AFFAIRS 340 Structural and Materials Engineering Building http://structures.ucsd.edu

All courses, faculty listings, and curricular and degree requirements described herein are subject to change or deletion without notice.

The Department of Structural Engineering offers programs leading to the degrees of master of science (MS) and doctor of philosophy (PhD) in structural engineering (SE). In addition, an MS in structural engineering with specialization in structural health monitoring and nondestructive evaluation (MS SHM&NDE) and an MS in geotechnical engineering are offered. The graduate program is aimed at training highly skilled professionals in structural engineering with the academic and engineering credentials to assume leadership roles in industry, government, and academia.

The MS program is intended to provide students with additional fundamental knowledge as well as specialized advanced knowledge in selected structural engineering aspects over and above the undergraduate degree course work.

The doctor of philosophy (PhD) degree program is intended to prepare students for careers in teaching, research, or practice in their chosen professional specialties. The PhD program requires a departmental comprehensive examination, a PhD candidacy examination, a PhD dissertation based on new and unique research, and a dissertation defense.

Both degrees offer opportunities for training in one or more of the five primary research focus areas within the SE department:

• (1) Advanced Composites and Aerospace Structural Systems
• (2) Computational Mechanics
• (3) Earthquake Engineering
• (4) Geotechnical Engineering
• (5) Structural Health Monitoring, Prognosis, and Validated Simulations

Admission to the UC San Diego graduate program in structural engineering requires at least a BS in engineering, physical sciences, or mathematics with an overall upper-division GPA of 3.0. Applicants must provide three letters of recommendation. Recent GRE general test scores are required for the PhD program. International applicants whose native language is not English are required to demonstrate proficiency in English by taking the TOEFL test. The minimum TOEFL score required is 550 (paper-based) and 85 (internet-based test [iBt]). Based on the candidate’s choice, qualifications, and career objectives, admission to the program is in one of two categories: MS or PhD.

Applicants seeking enrollment in SE courses via UC Extension’s concurrent registration program are advised to refer to the “ Graduate Studies Transferring Credit ” section of the UC San Diego General Catalog for clarification.

Bachelor’s/Master’s Program

The department offers a bachelor’s/master’s (BS/MS) program to enable students to complete both the BS and MS in an accelerated timeframe. Undergraduate students in the Department of Structural Engineering who have at least 148 quarter units with a cumulative GPA of 3.25 or higher are eligible to apply. Admission to the bachelor’s/master’s degree program is not automatic. Student applications are reviewed, and the final decision is made by the Department of Structural Engineering. Acceptance into this program is an honor that carries with it practical benefits—the graduate application process is simplified and advanced students are given access to graduate level courses. Upon acceptance as an undergraduate into the program, a faculty member will be assigned who will serve as the student’s faculty mentor. Interested students should contact the Structural Engineering Student Affairs Office. Students must fulfill all requirements for the BS prior to being formally admitted to graduate status.

Master’s Degree Program

The MS program is intended to provide the student with additional fundamental knowledge as well as specialized advanced knowledge in selected structural engineering topics over and above the undergraduate degree course work. Two plans, the MS thesis plan and the MS comprehensive examination plan, are offered. The MS thesis plan is designed for those students with an interest in research prior to entering the structural engineering profession or prior to entering a doctoral degree program. The MS thesis plan involves course work leading to the completion and defense of a master’s thesis. The MS comprehensive examination plan involves course work and requires the completion of a written comprehensive examination covering multiple courses that the student has taken. The MS comprehensive examination will be comprehensive and cover two focus sequences and at least one additional technical elective that the student has taken. The examination must be completed no later than the end of the eighth week of the quarter the student intends to graduate.

MS comprehensive students will be required to complete two out of seven core course electives. The courses are SE 200, SE 201A, SE 202, SE 203, SE 241, SE 271, SE 233 (or SE 276)*. They can be counted toward a focus sequence or a technical elective.

*The student can count either SE 233 or SE 276A as a core course, but not both.

In the core courses, the instructor selects one problem on the midterm or final exam (could be a project/long HW) to be the comprehensive exam problem. A separate Pass/Fail score is assigned to this problem. (The problem may still count toward the total exam score.) The minimum passing score is 60/100. Any two courses from core electives may be selected for the MS comprehensive plan. A passing score must be obtained in both courses. If you are using a core course for a focus area too, then you need to list a fifth technical elective. It needs to be twelve courses total. If you use both core courses for two focus areas, then six technical electives are needed.

Technical electives can be any science, mathematics, or engineering graduate course or approved SE upper-division undergraduate courses.

MS students must complete forty-eight units of credit for graduation. For the MS comprehensive examination plan all forty-eight units of credit must consist of regular courses (twelve courses). For the MS thesis plan, thirty-six units (nine courses) from regular courses are required, in addition to twelve units of graduate research for the master’s thesis. For both MS plans, students are required to complete a minimum of two sequences from the following focus areas:

Advanced Composites

• Computational Mechanics

Earthquake Engineering

Geotechnical engineering.

• Solid Mechanics

Structural Analysis

Structural design.

• Structural Health Monitoring and Nondestructive Evaluation

Focus areas for the departmental qualifying examination are listed above. The department has opportunities to select students in these areas to participate in special seminars, reviews, and research at leading collaborating institutes and laboratories such as the Los Alamos National Laboratories. In special cases, according to necessity, the faculty adviser of a student may submit a written request to the GAC to form one new focus sequence, as a SE or breadth focus sequence; the new focus sequence must be within the general area of structural engineering and the request will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

A sequence is composed of three preapproved courses from the same focus area. The courses comprising the focus sequences are listed in the table in this section. To meet the specific needs of some students, other focus areas may be developed by a student in consultation with his or her adviser, but these must be preapproved by the SE Graduate Affairs Committee. To allow for greater flexibility in the program, the remaining credits required from courses may be earned by completing additional focus sequences, parts of focus sequences, or other appropriate courses. Students may elect to take other appropriate technical electives (with the approval of their adviser and the SE Graduate Affairs Committee). In special cases where an undergraduate course may be used, the arrangement must be preapproved by both the academic adviser and the Graduate Affairs Committee. Preapproved undergraduate technical electives for the structural engineering program can be found here: https://se.ucsd.edu/academics/graduate-program/preapproved-technical-electives . Units obtained in SE 290 and 298 may not be applied toward course work requirements. No more than four units of SE 296 may be applied toward course work requirements and only with prior approval of the SE Graduate Affairs Committee.

A student can never take one course and get credit for two courses even though the courses are cross-listed (listed under two different course numbers/titles/departments) or if there are both an undergraduate and graduate version of the course with different course numbers and/or course titles.

The department also offers a seminar course each quarter that emphasizes the latest research topics and industry practices in structural engineering (SE 290). MS students must complete three quarters of SE 290 to meet graduation requirements, but they do not have to be taken consecutively. Students are strongly recommended to take SE 290 every quarter. Students who cannot fulfill the SE 290 requirement in any quarter must be enrolled in an alternate structured seminar course/program, which must be approved by the SE Graduate Affairs Committee.

A faculty mentor will be assigned for each student during their first quarter. The names of the assigned faculty mentor will be shared before or at graduate orientation. The faculty mentor will assist students with their academic plans and any other questions they may have.

Focus Sequences

SE 201A. Advanced Structural Analysis

SE 201B. Nonlinear Structural Analysis

SE 202. Structural Stability

SE 203. Structural Dynamics

SE 204. Advanced Structural Dynamics

SE 205. Nonlinear Mechanical Vibrations

SE 206. Random Vibrations

SE 215. Cable Structures

SE 224. Structural Reliability and Risk Analysis

SE 233. Computational Techniques in Finite Elements

SE 151B. Design of Prestressed Concrete

SE 154. Design of Timer Structures

SE 211. Advanced Structural Concrete

SE 212. Advanced Structural Steel Design

SE 213. Bridge Design

SE 214. Masonry Structures

SE 220. Seismic Isolation and Energy Dissipation

SE 223. Advanced Seismic Design of Structures

SE 254. FRP in Civil Structures

Computational Mechanics and Finite Elements

SE 276A. Finite Element Methods in Solid Mechanics I

SE 276B. Finite Element Methods in Solid Mechanics II

SE 276C. Finite Element Methods in Solid Mechanics III

SE 277. Error Control in Finite Element Analysis

SE 279. Meshfree Methods for Linear and Nonlinear Mechanics

SE 280. Finite Element Computations in Solid Mechanics

SE 221. Earthquake Engineering

SE 222. Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering

SE 225. Probabilistic Seismic Hazard Analysis

SE 227. Seismic Design and Analysis of Nonstructural Components and Systems

SE 243. Soil-structure Interaction

SE 181. Geotechnical Engineering

SE 241. Advanced Soil Mechanics

SE 242. Advanced Foundation Engineering

SE 244. Numerical Methods in Geomechanics

SE 246. Unsaturated Soil Mechanics

SE 247. Ground Improvement

SE 248. Engineering Properties of Soils

SE 249. Rock Mechanics

SE 250. Stability of Earth Slopes and Retaining Walls

SE 251A. Processing of Polymers and Composites

SE 251B. Mechanical Behaviors of Polymers and Composites

SE 252. Experimental Mechanics and NDE

SE 253A. Mechanics of Laminated Composite Structures I

SE 253B. Mechanics of Laminated Composite Structures II

SE 253C. Mechanics of Laminated Anisotropy Plates and Shells

SE 260A. Aerospace Structural Mechanics I

SE 260B. Aerospace Structural Mechanics II

SE 261. Aerospace Engineering Design

SE 262. Aerospace Structures Repair

SE 266. Smart and Multifunctional Materials

SE 281. 3-D Printable Robotics

SE 285. Structural Optimization

SE 286. Design Optimization for Additive Manufacturing

Solid Mechanics*

SE 207. Constitutive Modeling of Metals

SE 234. Plates and Shells (or MAE equivalent)

SE 235. Wave Propagation in Elastic Media

SE 270. Fracture Mechanics

SE 271. Solid Mechanics for Structural and Aerospace Engineering

SE 272. Theory of Elasticity

SE 273. Inelasticity

Structural Health Monitoring and Nondestructive Evaluation

SE 224. Structural Reliability and Risk Analysis

SE 263. Nondestructive Evaluation

SE 264/164. Sensors/Data Acquisition for SE

SE 265. Structural Health Monitoring Principles

SE 266. Smart and Multifunctional Materials

SE 267. Signal Processing

SE 268. Structural System Testing and Model Correlation

SE 269. Validation and Verification of Computation Models I

SE 282. Diagnostic Imaging

*Students taking the solid mechanics focus sequence are required to take SE 271, SE 272, and one of these courses: SE 273, SE 252, or SE 235.

For the MS in structural engineering (SE75), SE 207, Topics in Structural Engineering, will be acceptable to use toward a focus sequence requirement pending petition and approval of the Graduate Affairs Committee (GAC).

The thesis defense is the final examination for students enrolled in the MS thesis plan and must be conducted after completion of all course work. Upon completion of the research project, the student writes a thesis that must be successfully defended in an oral examination and public presentation conducted by a committee composed of three faculty members. A complete copy of the student’s thesis must be submitted to each member of the MS thesis committee (comprised of a minimum of three faculty) at least two weeks before the defense.

MS in Structural Engineering with Specialization in Health Monitoring and Nondestructive Evaluation (SHM&NDE)

The master of science in structural engineering with specialization in structural health monitoring and nondestructive evaluation (SHM&NDE) provides highly interdisciplinary knowledge incorporating three broad technology areas: (1) sensing technology, (2) data interrogation, and (3) modeling and analysis. The intersections and integration of these technology areas are fundamental to supporting structural health monitoring and nondestructive evaluation, which may be defined as the process of making an uncertainty-quantified assessment, based on appropriate analyses of in situ measured data, about the current ability of a structural component or system to perform its intended design function(s) successfully. This discipline within structural, civil, mechanical, and aerospace engineering is a fundamental capability that supports “design-to-retirement” life cycle management of systems.

Two degree options in SHM&NDE will be offered: MS thesis option and MS comprehensive examination option. Students in both plans must complete thirty-six units of credit for graduation. For both options, students must complete two core courses, SE 263, Nondestructive Evaluation, and SE 265, Structural Health Monitoring Principles (eight total units). Additionally, the MS SHM&NDE thesis plan involves regular course work (twenty units) and graduate research (eight units) leading to the completion and defense of a master’s thesis. Correspondingly, the MS comprehensive examination plan involves regular course work (twenty-four units) and a mentored independent study (SE 296) capstone course. The deliverables will be given to the SE 296 faculty mentor, assessed by the faculty mentor, and both the deliverables and assessment will be submitted to the Graduate Affairs Committee for final approval. The comparative distribution of units for each of the two degree options is shown in the table below:

Many courses currently offered within the Jacobs School of Engineering may be grouped into the three focus areas comprising each technology area described above, as shown in the following list:

A. Sensing Technology (Focus Area 1)

SE 264. Sensors and Data Acquisition for Structural Engineering

CSE 237A. Introduction to Embedded Computing

ECE 257B. Principles of Wireless Networks

B. Data Interrogation (Focus Area 2)

SE 267. Signal Processing and Spectral Analysis

SE 268. Structural System Testing and Model Correlation

SE 282. Diagnostic Imaging

ECE 251A. Digital Signal Processing I

ECE 251B. Digital Signal Processing II

ECE 251C. Filter Banks and Wavelets

ECE 253. Fundamentals of Digital Image Processing

ECE 254. Detection Theory

MAE 283A. Parametric Identification: Theory and Methods

CSE 254. Statistical Learning

CSE 255. Data Mining and Predictive Analytics

CSE 250A. Principles of Artificial Intelligence: Probabilistic Reasoning and Learning

CSE 250B. Principles of Artificial Intelligence: Learning Algorithms

ECE 271A. Statistical Learning I

ECE 271B. Statistical Learning II

C. Modeling and Analysis (Focus Area 3)

SE 233. Computational Techniques in Finite Elements or SE 276A. Finite Elements in Solid Mechanics I

SE 235. Wave Propagation in Elastic Media or MAE 238. Stress Waves in Solids

SE 236. Wave Propagation in Continuous Structural Elements

SE 254. FRPs in Civil Structures

SE 260. Aerospace Structural Mechanics I

SE 269. Validation and Verification of Computational Models I

SE 270. Fracture Mechanics and Failure Mechanisms

Additionally, the technical elective course required for the comprehensive option may be chosen from any of the focus area lists above (provided it is not being counted as a focus area requirement), or from this additional preapproved list of courses:

SE 200. Applied Mathematics in Structural Engineering

SE 204. Advanced Structural Dynamics

SE 234. Plates and Shells

SE 276B. Finite Elements in Solid Mechanics II

MAE 208. Mathematics for Engineers

MAE 272. Imperfections in Solids

MAE 273A. Dynamic Behavior of Materials

ECE 250. Random Processes

ECE 251D. Array Processing

ECE 255A. Information Theory

ECE 272A. Stochastic Processes in Dynamic Systems

ECE 275A. Parameter Estimation

CSE 250C. Machine Learning Theory

For the MS thesis option, the eight-unit graduate research (SE 299) culminates with the preparation of a written research thesis. The thesis must be successfully defended in an oral examination and public presentation conducted by a committee composed of three faculty members. The committee will consist of three faculty members, one with expertise in each of the three focus areas. A complete copy of the student’s thesis must be submitted to each member of the MS thesis committee at least two weeks prior to the defense.

For the MS comprehensive option, the four-unit independent study (SE 296) must be conducted as a capstone experience project. This project is intended to provide a mentored project whereby students integrate knowledge learned from their technology areas into solving a problem from structural health monitoring/prognosis or nondestructive evaluation. The specific deliverables associated with the capstone project experience will be proposed by the student together with the SE 296 faculty mentor and will be approved by the director of the MS program by the end of the quarter preceding the one in which the student intends to register in SE 296. The deliverables will be delivered to the SE 296 mentor, assessed by the faculty mentor, and both the deliverables and assessment will be submitted to the director of the MS program for final approval.

Because of the inherent interdisciplinary nature of the MS SHM&NDE program, research within SE 296 or SE 299 may be conducted at outside locations (industry or government facilities). In this case a scientist or engineer on location, with an adjunct faculty appointment at UC San Diego, will be identified as the SE 296 faculty mentor or the SE 299 adviser and who will also be a member of the thesis committee.

All students in this degree program, for both degree options, must register in SE 290, Seminar, for any two quarters while enrolled in the program.

MS in Geotechnical Engineering

The MS program is intended to provide students with additional fundamental knowledge as well as specialized advanced knowledge in geotechnical engineering over and above that available in the BS in structural engineering at UC San Diego (SE 181, SE 182, and SE 184). Students seeking to pursue the MS program in geotechnical engineering should have an undergraduate degree in structural or civil engineering. Further, students are required to take SE 181 and SE 182, or their equivalents at another university, as a prerequisite to pursuing the MS degree in geotechnical engineering. Exceptions to this will not be granted, though SE 182 may be taken concurrently with other MS course work with instructor and adviser approval.

The MS program includes required core courses and technical elective courses. MS students must complete forty-eight units of graduate course credit for graduation (twelve courses). Students must obtain approval from their adviser and the SE Graduate Affairs Committee on proposed course work to complete the degree. Although there are no foreign language requirements with the MS program in geotechnical engineering, CCGA recognizes that foreign language competence may be an important element of graduate education of doctoral programs. Two MS plans are offered—the MS comprehensive examination plan and the MS thesis plan. All MS students will be assigned an adviser upon entering the MS program who can provide guidance on selecting between these plans. Students may switch advisers after the first quarter. Students must choose between the MS comprehensive examination plan and the MS thesis plan by the end of the second quarter of study.

In addition to the forty-eight units, students must complete three quarters of SE 290 to meet graduation requirements, but they do not have to be taken consecutively. Students are strongly recommended to take SE 290 every quarter.

The MS comprehensive examination plan requires forty-eight units (twelve courses) of regular course work and completion of a written comprehensive examination covering the course work. The comprehensive examination must be taken no later than the end of the eighth week of the quarter for which the student intends to graduate. In the core courses, the instructor selects one problem on the midterm or final exam (could be a project/long HW) to be the comprehensive exam problem. A separate Pass/Fail score is assigned to this problem. (The problem may still count toward the total exam score.) The minimum passing score is 60/100. A passing score must be obtained in all four courses.

The MS thesis plan is designed for students with an interest in research prior to entering a professional career or a doctoral degree program. For this plan, thirty-six units (nine courses) of regular course work are required, along with twelve units of graduate research (SE 299) for work on an MS thesis. The thesis defense is the final examination for students enrolled in the MS thesis plan and must be taken no later than the end of the eighth week of the quarter for which the student intends to graduate. The thesis must be defended in a public presentation with an oral examination conducted by a committee composed of three faculty members. A complete copy of the thesis must be submitted to the committee at least two weeks prior to the defense. In addition to the forty-eight units, students must take SE 290 every quarter in the first year for the MS thesis plan and are strongly recommended to take it for at least one quarter in the subsequent year.

Core Courses

MS students in geotechnical engineering must complete the following four core courses:

Geotechnical Technical Electives

Students must select with approval from the Graduate Affairs Committee at least four courses (MS comprehensive examination plan) or three courses (MS thesis plan) from the following list of geotechnical technical electives. Guidance on selection of the technical electives is provided later.

Other Technical Electives

Students may select with approval from the Graduate Affairs Committee any from the following list of other technical electives to meet the twelve required courses beyond the required core courses, geotechnical technical electives, and research graduate credits (if applicable). It should be noted that some of the technical electives have prerequisites that must be fulfilled as noted in the lists below. Guidance on selection of the technical electives is provided below.

Suggested Course Sequences

The following course sequences are included to provide guidance in selecting technical electives based on common themes among the technical electives. Although a maximum of eight technical electives (3–4 geotechnical technical electives and 4–5 other technical electives) are required beyond the four required core courses, more classes may be listed for each of the suggested focus sequences based on the common themes. It should be noted that some of the technical electives have prerequisites that must be fulfilled as noted in the lists below.

Geotechnical Engineering:

Students following this course sequence will gain an in-depth understanding of both geotechnical fundamentals and soil-structure interaction phenomena. Students following this course sequence may also choose technical electives to gain expertise in related topics in geology.

Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering:

Students following this course sequence will still gain an understanding of geotechnical fundamentals and soil-structure interaction but will also gain specialization in different aspects of geotechnical and structural earthquake engineering.

Geomechanics:

Students following this course sequence will still gain an understanding of geotechnical fundamentals and soil-structure interaction but will also gain specialization in computational techniques that can be applied to the study of geotechnical and structural engineering problems.

Geotechnical and Structural Engineering:

Students following this course sequence will still gain an understanding of geotechnical fundamentals and soil-structure interaction but will also gain skills necessary to pursue a joint career in geotechnical and structural engineering.

Doctoral Degree Program

The PhD program is intended to prepare students for a variety of careers in research, teaching and advanced professional practice in the broad sense of structural engineering, encompassing civil and aerospace structures, earthquake and geotechnical engineering, advanced composites, and engineering mechanics. Depending on the student’s background and ability, research is initiated as soon as possible. All students, in consultation with their advisers, develop course programs that will prepare them for the departmental comprehensive examination and for their dissertation research. However, these programs of study and research must be planned to meet the time limits established to advance to candidacy and to complete the requirements for the PhD degree.

The department also offers a seminar course each quarter dealing with current research topics in structural engineering (SE 290). PhD students must complete three quarters of SE 290 prior to the DQE to meet graduation requirements, but they do not have to be taken consecutively. Students who cannot fulfill the SE 290 requirement for one, two, or three of the quarters much have taken an alternate structured seminar course/program, which must be preapproved by the SE Graduate Affairs Committee. It is also strongly recommended that all PhD students enroll in SE 290 for at least one quarter in every subsequent year.

Doctoral examinations:

A structural engineering PhD student is required to pass three examinations:

1. Department Qualifying Examination

The d epartment q ualifying e xamination (DQE) is the first examination, which should be taken after three to six quarters of full-time graduate study with a minimum cumulative UC San Diego graduate GPA of 3.5. The examination covers four focus areas in structural engineering, which is specified by the PhD student and approved by the faculty adviser and the Graduate Affairs Committee. This examination is intended to determine the candidate’s core fundamental structural engineering knowledge and his/her ability to successfully pursue a research project at a level appropriate for the doctorate. It is administered by at least three faculty members in structural engineering.

Although the student may elect to satisfy one examination area by course work, the student is responsible for material pertaining to four focus areas. Additionally, a student may request to waive out of a second examination area with the Graduate Affairs Committee if they successfully completed an MS thesis defense in structural engineering or equivalent. The Graduate Affairs Committee will review these requests on a case by case basis. In order to satisfy an area by course work, all the courses in that area must have been taken at UC San Diego, the grade in each course is B or better, and the overall GPA in that area is at least 3.5. In order to ensure appropriate breadth, the focus areas should consist of the following:

(a) two focus areas within structural engineering which are closely related to the student’s research interests (b) one focus area within structural engineering that is not directly related to the student’s area of research (c) one minor focus area outside the Department of Structural Engineering. Minor areas too closely related to the major areas will not be approved by the Graduate Affairs Committee.

• SE Focus Area 1: three courses
• SE Focus Area 2: three courses
• Breadth Focus Area: three courses
• Non-SE Focus Area: three courses

Since the examination areas must be approved by the Graduate Affairs Committee, students are advised to seek such approval well before their expected examination date, preferably while planning their graduate studies. Although students are not required to take particular courses in preparation for the departmental examination, the scope of the examination in each area is associated with a set of three graduate courses, generally focused areas offered or approved by the department. A candidate can develop a sense of the level of knowledge expected to be demonstrated during the examination by studying the appropriate syllabi and/or discussing the course content with faculty experienced in teaching the courses involved. The departmental qualifying examination may be a written or oral examination, at the discretion of the committee.

Doctoral students who have passed the departmental qualifying examination may take any course for an S/U grade, with the exception of any course that the student’s PhD Comprehensive Examination Committee stipulates must be taken in order to remove a deficiency. It is strongly recommended that all structural engineering graduate students take at least one course (other than research) per academic year after passing the departmental qualifying examination.

An updated list of sample focus areas for PhD students is available in the structural engineering Graduate Handbook.

The Solid Mechanics Focus Sequence, which is jointly taught by the Department of Structural Engineering and the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, cannot be used to satisfy the outside structural engineering requirement. Students intending to specialize in the emerging areas of structural health monitoring, damage prognosis, and validated simulations are advised to take courses in the focus areas of structural health monitoring and elective courses MAE 283, MAE 261, ECE 251AN, ECE 251BN, ECE 254, and CSE 291, which can be used to satisfy the outside structural engineering requirement.

Since the examination areas must be approved by the Structural Engineering Graduate Affairs Committee, students are advised to seek such approval well before their expected examination date, preferably while planning their graduate studies. Although students are not required to take particular courses in preparation for the departmental comprehensive examination, the scope of the examination in each area is associated with a set of three graduate courses, generally in focus areas offered or approved by the department. A list of focus areas is available in the Structural Engineering Graduate Handbook . A candidate can develop a sense of the level of knowledge expected to be demonstrated during the examination by studying the appropriate syllabi and/or discussing the course content with faculty experienced in teaching the courses involved. The departmental comprehensive examination may be a written or an oral examination, at the discretion of the committee.

2. Advancement to Candidacy Senate Examination

The PhD advancement to candidacy senate examination is the second examination required of structural engineering doctoral students. The PhD candidacy examination is an oral examination. In preparation for the PhD candidacy examination (or senate examination), students must have completed the departmental qualifying examination, have a faculty research adviser, have identified a topic for their dissertation research, and have made initial progress in that research topic.

PhD Committee

The committee conducts the PhD candidacy examination, an oral examination, during which students must demonstrate the ability to engage in dissertation research. This involves the presentation of a plan for the dissertation research project. A short, written document, such as an abstract, describing the research plan must be submitted to each member of the committee at least two weeks before the PhD candidacy examination. This requirement can also be met by meeting with the doctoral committee members to discuss the nature of the student’s dissertation research. The committee may ask questions directly or indirectly related to the research project and general questions that it determines to be relevant. Upon successful completion of this examination, students are advanced to candidacy and are awarded the candidate in the doctor of philosophy designation.

At the time of application for advancement to candidacy, in accordance with Academic Senate Regulations 715, a doctoral committee shall be appointed by the dean of Graduate Studies under the authority of the Graduate Council. The committee must have at least four members with UC San Diego faculty appointments: At least two members are from the Department of Structural Engineering (including the committee chair); at least one member must be outside structural engineering faculty (within UC San Diego); at least one member must be tenured or emeritus. Proposed members from other UC campuses, other universities, or industries are exceptions and must be requested in writing.

• SE faculty adviser (committee chair)
• Outside SE faculty (within UC San Diego)
• Outside SE faculty (within UC San Diego)  (At least one of the committee members must be tenured or emeritus.)

 Example 2

• Outside SE faculty (within UC San Diego) (At least one of the committee members must be tenured or emeritus.)

Requirements before the Dissertation Final Defense Examination

Mentorship and teaching experience are required of all structural engineering PhD students prior to the dissertation defense. The mentorship and teaching experience can be satisfied by lecturing one hour per week in either a problem-solving section or laboratory session for one quarter in an undergraduate course, as designated by the department. The requirement can be fulfilled by teaching assistant service or by undertaking a structured teaching training program for academic credit (through SE 501 and in consultation with the course instructor that quarter). This requirement can also be satisfied by serving as a research mentor to a team of undergraduate or graduate students in a structured, ten-week environment. Students must contact the Graduate Student Affairs Office in the department to plan and obtain approval for completion of this requirement.

This dissertation defense examination may not be conducted earlier than three quarters after the date of advancement to doctoral candidacy. These three quarters total include the quarter the student officially advances and the quarter they file for graduation. Summer is not included, just the regular academic year. For clarification, if the student defends in winter 2021 then the soonest the student would be able to defend is fall 2022. Again, the earliest would be fall 2022, as long as the student is registered in all three quarters.

3. Dissertation Final Defense Examination

The dissertation defense is the final PhD examination. Upon completion of the dissertation research project, the student writes a dissertation that must be successfully defended in an oral examination and public presentation conducted by the doctoral committee. The form of the final draft must conform to procedures outlined in the instructions for the Preparation and Submission Manual for Doctoral Dissertations and Master's Theses “Bluebook.” A complete copy of the student’s dissertation must be submitted to each member of the doctoral committee approximately three weeks before the defense. While the copy of the dissertation handed to the committee is expected to be complete and in final form, it should be noted that students are expected to make changes in the text per the direction of the committee as a result of the defense.

The student must make two separate appointments with the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs Office. The first appointment will be scheduled prior to defending and will cover in-person formatting of the dissertation and forms required to graduate. The second appointment is when the candidate submits the dissertation and all final paperwork to the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs Office. More information about the exam policies can be found on the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs website .

Upon approval by the dean of the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs, the student must file the dissertation with the university archivist who accepts it on behalf of the Graduate Council. Acceptance of the dissertation by the archivist, with a subsequent second approval by the dean of the Division of Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs, represents the final step in the completion by the candidate of all requirements for the doctor of philosophy degree.

PhD Time Limit Policy

Time limits are set at the end of a PhD student’s first year. 

Precandidacy Time Limit: Precandidacy status is limited to four years.

Support Time Limit: Doctoral students are eligible for university support for six years.

Total Registered Time Limit: The defense and submission of the doctoral dissertation must be within seven years.

Spring Evaluations: In the spring quarter of each year, department faculty members are required to evaluate their doctoral student’s overall performance in course work, research, and prospects for financial support for future years. A written assessment is given to the student after the evaluation. If a student’s work is found to be inadequate, the faculty adviser may determine that the student cannot continue in the graduate program.

Faculty Adviser

PhD students are placed with a faculty adviser (also known as research adviser/faculty adviser/PI) when they are admitted into the PhD program. A faculty adviser is the academic, research, and program guide for PhD students. Additionally, the faculty adviser is the funding PI for their assigned PhD students. The student’s research and academic performance are evaluated on a quarterly basis via an S/U grade in SE 299. Students who receive a ‘U’ in SE 299 will be placed on probationary status in the following quarter. The student must communicate with the faculty adviser to address any deficiencies and formulate a plan to address issues and deficiencies. Receiving two or more ‘U’s in SE 299 are grounds for dismissal from the student’s research group and/or termination of the PhD program. If PhD students need to change their faculty adviser at any time, they have one quarter to find a new faculty adviser. Upon finding a faculty adviser, the PhD students must fill out the change of adviser form provided by the graduate academic adviser.

PhD in Structural Engineering with Specialization in Computational Science

See “ PhD in Mathematics with Specialization in Computational Science ” for more information.

The UC San Diego campus offers a new comprehensive PhD specialization in computational science that will be available to doctoral candidates in participating academic departments at UC San Diego.

This PhD specialization is designed to allow students to obtain training in their chosen field of science, mathematics, or engineering with additional training in computational science integrated into their graduate studies. Prospective students must apply and be admitted into the PhD program in structural engineering and then be admitted to the CSME program.

Areas of research in the Department of Structural Engineering will include computational mechanics, computational techniques in finite elements, error control in finite element analysis, nonlinear finite element methods, and finite element methods in solid and fluid mechanics, and fluid-structure interaction. Each faculty member works with graduate student on the listed research topics.

The specialization in computational science requires that students complete all home requirements for the structural engineering PhD. Students are required to pass the departmental qualifying examination, PhD candidacy examination, teaching requirement, and a final defense of the thesis. The qualifying and elective courses for the CSME can be used as part of the advanced course requirement, which is the same as for the structural engineering PhD.

Requirements for the PhD in Structural Engineering with Specialization in Computational Science

Qualifying requirements: In addition to the home department qualifying exam requirements, PhD students must take the final exams in three qualifying exam courses from the list below. Courses taken to satisfy the qualifying requirements will not count toward the elective requirements.

MATH 275 or MAE 290B (Numerical PDEs)

PHYS 244 or CSE 260 (Parallel Computing)

Course to be selected from List A

Students coming with an MS may be able to petition to replace the MATH 275 or MAE 290B with an equivalent class taken at their MS institution.

List A: CSME Qualifying Exam Courses

• MATH 270A, B, or C. Numerical Analysis
• MATH 271A, B, or C. Numerical Optimization
• MATH 272A, B, or C. Numerical Partial Differential Equations
• MATH 273A, B, or C. Advanced Techniques in Computational Mathematics
• MAE 223. Computational Fluid Mechanics
• MAE 232/SE 276A, B, or C (Computational Solids Mechanics)
• MAE 280A or B. Linear Systems Theory
• MAE 294A. Introduction to Applied Mathematics
• PHYS 221 AB. Nonlinear Dynamics
• PHYS 243. Stochastic Methods
• SE 233. Computational and Technical Aspects of Finite Element Methods
• CHEM 285. Introduction to Computational Chemistry
• Additional courses to be determined by the executive committee or allowed by petition

Elective requirements: To encourage PhD students to both broaden themselves in an area of science or engineering as well as to obtain more specialized training in specific areas of computational science, students will be required to take and pass three elective courses from the following approved List B (four units per course). The executive committee may approve the use of courses not appearing on the following list on a case-by-case basis. Courses taken to satisfy the elective requirements will not count toward the qualifying requirements.

List B: Relevant Elective Graduate Courses in Mathematics, Science, and Engineering

• Any course appearing on List A above
• PHYS 241. Computational Physics I
• PHYS 242. Computational Physics II
• MAE 222. Flow Control
• MAE 261. Cardiovascular Fluid Mechanics
• SE 277. Error Control in Finite Element Methods
• SE 278A. Computational Fluid Dynamics
• SE 278B. Computational Fluid-Structure Interaction
• CHEM 215. Modeling Biological Macromolecules
• BGGN 260. Neurodynamics
• ECE 272. Dynamical Systems under Uncertainty
• CSE 250A or B. Principles of Artificial Intelligence
• MATH 210A, B, or C. Mathematical Methods in Physics and Engineering
• Additional courses to be determined by executive committee or allowed by petition

Program policies: The following is a list of policies for the PhD specialization with regard to proficiency, qualifying, and elective requirements.

• Proficiency in computer engineering must be demonstrated by the end of the first year.
• The qualifying exams must be passed by the end of the second year or, on petition, by end of the third year.
• The qualifying exams can be attempted repeatedly but no more than once per quarter per subject.
• The qualifying exams in the home department and the CSME qualifying exams must all be passed before the student is permitted to take the candidacy exam (Senate Exam).
• Two electives outside the home department must be taken.
• The two electives can be taken at any time before defending the thesis.
• One of the electives may be taken Pass/Fail; the other must be taken for a letter grade.

Structural Engineering Seminar

The department offers a biweekly seminar on topics of current interest in structural engineering and on departmental research programs. Students are expected to register and attend the colloquium.

Students have an option of obtaining credit for a structural engineering graduate course by taking the final examination without participating in any class exercises. They must, however, officially register for the course and notify the instructor and the Department of Structural Engineering graduate affairs office of their intention no later than the first week of the course.

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• About the programme

PhD in Structural Engineering

There is no longer admission to this programme.

There is no longer admission to this programme . Please see the doctoral programmes offered by the Faculty of engineering .

The doctoral research, or organized research training, in structural engineering is closely linked to the research that is conducted at the Department of Structural Engineering . Admission to the programme is typically contingent on applying for, and being awarded a PhD position .

Some relevant research fields are:

• computational mechanics
• fatigue and rupture mechanics
• impact and energy abroption
• constructions of concrete, steal and light metals, wood
• concrete technology
• biomechanics
• nanomechanics

For NTNU's PhD Candidates

Contact information

Email:  [email protected] Telephone: (+47) 73 59 47 00

Department Structural Engineering

Host Faculty Faculty of Engineering

Current position postings from NTNU .

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Date published July 31 2020 by Stella Carter

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Latest Structural Engineering Dissertation Topics for 2022-2023

To make sure that you make the best possible first impression, our industry leading senior professional writers have prepared a list of the best free structural engineering dissertation topics and structural engineering dissertation ideas, specifically for your guidance and help.

The research aim to analyse high durability Materials for Earth Quake Proof Structures and their Integration with Existing System

Objectives :

• To design high quality earthquake proof material that can resists high shocks without compromising structural integrity.
• To identify the challenges related to introducing advanced shock proof material into existing system and the ways to overcome it.
• To evaluate the environmental impact of the new materials and the ways to minimize them to acceptable levels.

The study aims for the design and Testing of Military grade blast resistant structural designs for highly sensitive environment

• To design the blast resistant material for hostile environments.
• To analyse the minimum time to build blast resistant structures.
• To determine the point of failure for blast resistant structures.
• To provide economic analysis of new material design in comparison with existing blast resistant materials in sensitive environment.

The study is aimed to evaluate the recycling process of plastic waste for the manufacturing of brick and the associated economic factors

• To analyse the challenges related to the use of plastic material for the production of brick.
• To evaluate the economic challenges related to the manufacturing process and the ways to overcome them
• To find the structural integrity of plastic bricks as compared to regular bricks.
• To analyse the environmental benefits of the process.

The study aims To Evaluate the use of Graphene in Manufacturing High Quality cost-effective Steel and Their Use In offshore Design

• To find the elastic, plastic and tensile strength of graphene coated steel and their effectiveness in offshore oil rigs.
• To evaluate corrosion resistance and effective life of the material in offshore rig environment.
• To analyse the cost-effective ways to build the graphene coated material on industrial scale.
• To evaluate the material integration with concrete and its behavior under compressional, tensile and shear strength.

The research aim to design Cost-effective Dams to Address Seasonal Flooding Problems to minimize their Environmental Impacts

• To find the cost effective methods for dam design that can be used to counter seasonal flooding and minimise their impacts.
• To evaluate the structural integrity of these dams and their effectiveness in natural environment.
• To analyse the positive and negative environmental aspects of the dams.
• To evaluate the cost of build of these dams and the ways to minimize it.

The research aims to examine different techniques to evaluate and determine the asphalt content and road deterioration.

• To analyse different models for pavement deterioration.
• To identify the main indicators of pavement deterioration.
• To identify different condition responsible for pavement deterioration.
• To compare modern and conventional techniques to address deterioration.

The research aims to analyse the structural challenges related to underground intra-city train network for London city and implementation of spatial stress analysis to overcome them.

• To analyse the structural challenges related to development of underground train network.
• To evaluate the process and techniques involved in the development of the underground train network using spatial stress analysis.
• To design the process addressing the structural challenges of the project.
• To analyse the implementation of design process on existing system of train network.

The study aims to develop advanced risk assessment tools to determine structural integrity of dynamic and complex structure using simulation modelling.

• To develop a risk assessment tool for dynamic and complex structures.
• To determine the accuracy of simulation modelling in comparison to real time analysis.
• To analyse the structural integrity of different structure and evaluate their point of failure.
• To evaluate the efficiency of the simulation tool in comparison to existing software.

The research aims to analyse the necessary arrangements required to build mega structures in coastal areas using the case study of Patimban Seaport, Indonesia.

• To analyse the challenges related in building mega structures in coastal areas using the example of Patimban Seaport, Indonesia.
• To evaluate the ways to address the challenges related in building mega structures in coastal areas.
• To design the cost-effective methods for the reinforcing the coastal areas to sustain mega structures.
• To analyse the environmental and economic impacts of the project.

The research aims to evaluate the use of Oobleck along with concrete for the development of high resistance structures and its economic impact.

• To design the process for the development of Oobleck based concrete.
• To evaluate the economic impact of Oobleck based concrete compared to regular concrete.
• To determine the expected life and point of failure for Oobleck based concrete.

The aim of the study is to conduct an explorative analysis to identify and analyze traditional techniques that are utilized for the determination of road and asphalt deterioration. The research aims to analyze to compare modern resources and old techniques. The aim of the study is to identify are these conventional techniques outdated?

Objectives:

The primary objective of the study is to achieve the aim of the study. However, the aim of the study can be achieved through secondary objectives. Therefore, the secondary objectives of the study are the following:

• To study the model of pavement deterioration.
• To identify the main conditions of pavement indicators.
• To analyze the conventional methods of road and asphalt deterioration.
• To conduct a comparative, analyze the modern and conventional techniques of deterioration.

The aim of the study is to conduct a novel analysis of the changes in structural engineering over time. The research aims to study that will these modern and new hardware and software will certainly provide more accurate solutions. Therefore, the aim of the study is to analyze and characterize the change and modification that have been occurred in the structural engineering processes because of the computer. The research thereby aims to offer direction for the additional development in structural engineering by utilizing computers in structural design.

The primary objectives of the study are to achieve the aim of the study. However, the aim of the study can be achieved through secondary objectives. Therefore, the secondary objectives of the study are the following:

• To study the concept of structural engineering.
• To evaluate the changes, occur in structural engineering over time.
• To study the future of structural engineering and build an understanding of the past of structural engineering.
• To study the change process of structural engineering.
• To evaluate the development and history of structural engineering.
• To analyze the role of technology in modifying structural engineering.
• To study how these modern and new hardware and software will offer accurate solutions.
• To offer a suggestion for more development in structural engineering.

The aim of the study is to conduct a systematic analysis of the role played by a structural engineer in advancing the medical procedures and technologies. The research aims to analyze the growing significance of the structural engineer. The aim of the study is to evaluate the growing need for specialization in the engineering field.

• To analyze the role of structural engineers.
• To evaluate the structural engineer role in medical procedure and technologies.
• To study the growing significance of structural engineers.
• To evaluate the growing need of specializing in the field of structural engineers.
• To analyze the transformation of a structural engineer over time.

The aim of the study is to conduct an evaluative study on the third zone engineering networking principal. The research aims to analyze the effectiveness of the third zone engineering in evaluating the structures of building and for the revolution of the overall industry.

The primary objective of the study is to achieve the aim of the study. However, the aim of the study can be achieved through various secondary objectives. Therefore, the secondary objectives of the study are the following:

• To study the concept of third zone engineering.
• To analyze the role of third zone engineering.
• To evaluate the significance of third zone engineering.
• To determine the efficacy of third zone technique in structural building.
• To analyze the third zone engineering networking principal.
• To evaluate the impact of third zone engineering in the evaluation of structure building.

The aim of the study is to examine the use of modelling geo-mechanical in structural engineering. The research aims to analyze the role of uncertainty quantification regarding the model of geo-mechanical inverse in structural engineering. The aim of the study is to enable the practitioner engineer to understand the factors of uncertainty and its consequences related to geo-mechanic inverse deeply. Moreover, the research aims to analyze the benefits of reducing uncertainty consequences.

• To evaluate the concept of the geo-mechanical inverse.
• To analyze the use of the geo-mechanical inverse model in general.
• To evaluate the use of the geo-mechanical inverse model in structural engineering.
• To analyze the uncertainties related to the geo-mechanical inverse model.
• To analyze the possible consequences of the geo-mechanical inverse model.
• To determine the role of the geomechanical model in structural engineering.
• To evaluate how the geomechanical model can overcome the uncertainties in structural engineering.

The aim of the study is to conduct a novel study on the measurement of shock transmission by the geologic material. The research aims to identify and determine the materials for the structure of the building that are anti-earthquake.

• To study the concept of geological material.
• To measure the impact of geological material in shock transmission.
• To evaluate the anti-earthquake materials.
• To investigate which type of structure or material can be earthquake resistant.
• To evaluate the concept and designing of earthquake-resistant material.
• To analyze the feature that helps the material and structure to be earthquake resistant.
• To analyze the current practice and knowledge in designing, construction and planning of the concrete building that is earthquake resistant.

The aim of the study is to conduct a critical analysis of the utilization of hybrid construction material like timber steel for the construction of the advanced multi-storey structure of the building. The research aims to study the construction of building in the municipal cities besides the fault line. Furthermore, the research aims to conduct a case study in Tokyo with this regard.

• To evaluate the use of timber steel.
• To analyze the use of timber steel in the construction of the multi-storey building.
• To evaluate the advantage of using timber steel.
• To investigate the economic advantage of using timber steel.
• To study the advantage of timber steel with the aspect to fire resistance.
• To analyze the application of timber steel in multi-storey buildings.
• To analyze the implication of timber steel in a multi-storey building.
• To evaluate the efficacy of timber steel in structural engineering.

The aim of the study is to analyze factors for enhancing the steel trusses structural efficacy for making strong and durable skyscrapers. The research aims to conduct a case regarding Dubai buildings. The aim of the study is to design the serviceability, strength and stability structure. Additionally, the structure must be aesthetic and economical. The aim of the study is to develop a structure which will be thereby able to manage the load without any failure of implication throughout the intended life of the building. Therefore, the study aims to examine and analyze some of the accessible measures, by utilizing those measures for a good cause and certainly provide the theoretical background for the measure on the basis of the concept of structure.

• Examine the factors for enhancing the structural efficacy in the steel trusses.
• Analyze different materials uses roof truss 2D and develop an inert structure and examine the distortion and the corresponding stress.
• To develop an inert structure of 2D roof truss through the steel model and explore the deformation and the corresponding stress as well.
• To compare and contrast the different type of steel efficacy such as structural steel, alloy steel and mild steel.
• To identify which steel, possess more efficacy among all the three types.

The aim of the study is to analyze the computer-aid design (CAD) limitations that are certainly being applied in the engineering project of today. The research aims to evaluate how CAD limitation will lead the new country toward the environmental and economical problem. For this aspect, the research aims to evaluate the effectiveness as well as the challenges and implication of the CAD in modern engineering projects.

• To study the concept of CAD in engineering projects.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of CAD in the project of engineering.
• To analyze the advantages and disadvantages of CAD in modern engineering.
• To determine the limitations and implication of CAD in modern engineering.
• To examine the CAD challenges in modern engineering.
• To evaluate the significant impact of CAD.

The aim of the study is to evaluate the concreate elastic and strength behaviour in the filled tubular steel sector. The research aims to analyze the structure effectiveness for the oil rigs which are offshore. The general aim of the study is to study different literature that has been previously studied regarding the tubular filled sections, the different shapes that are adopted and the adopted methodologies as well.

• To study the elastic behaviour and strength of concrete in the filled tubular.
• To study the elastic properties as well as the strength properties of these kinds of beams.
• To study the concrete-filled tubular behaviour under the flexure, shear and compression.
• To conduct a theoretical analysis of filled tubular through the analysis method of finite element.

The aim of the study is to conduct a novel study regarding the usage of waste plastic in bricks manufacturing as well as with them-sand and quarry dust. The research aims to analyze the effectiveness of the method in recycling waste plastic rather than just throwing it in conventional areas of land. Therefore, the major aim of the study is to develop and build an effective way for efficiently using the waste plastic which can certainly pose sustainment threat in the ecological balance, along with the waste of quarry to establish a substitute building material through which the waste plastic scientific disposal, as well as the conventional building material scarcity, can be certainly answered.

• To analyze the ways for effective utilization of waste plastic.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of recycling waste plastic for bricks manufacturing.

The aim of the study is conducting novel research on how Iron Nanoparticle (INP) can be used for the Arsenic (iii) removal and treatment from the groundwater. The research aims to analyze the technique effectiveness for making the water of the ground safe and clean for the purpose of agriculture and irrigation.

• To evaluate the concept of Iron Nanoparticles (INP).
• To analyze how INP can be used for the removal and treatment of Arsenic (iii).

To evaluate the effectiveness of INP.

The aim of the study is conducting a novel evaluation on the usage of fabricated nanomaterial of graphene for the treatment of water. The study aims to conduct a comparative analysis of the advantage vs the cost-effectiveness of graphene techniques.  Furthermore, the research aims to represent an evaluation of the graphene nanomaterial contribution to the treatment of water. The study aims to discuss and explore various future and upcoming perspective of these materials in the treatment of water. Additionally, the research has made attempt to explore the hazards and nanotoxicity of the graphene materials. Moreover, the study will also provide suggestion and recommendation to discover the overall potential and effectiveness of these materials alongside the nanotoxicity precaution and their hazards as well.

• To evaluate the usage of graphene for the treatment of water.
• To determine the advantage vs the cost-effectiveness of the graphene for the treatment of water.

The aim of the study is to conduct a critical analysis of the replacement of river sand by the foundry sand waste in the paver block as an efficient way of reducing the erosion of soil. The research aims to study the alternate material usage in the concrete which involves future changes in the technology of concrete that certainly pave the way to use few of the substitute material that can be thereby used as the structure to the concrete ingredient that can be completely or partially be replaced with one or more than one material. The research also aims to study the waster foundry sand application in concrete. The research also aims to study a different aspect of utilizing waste material in the concrete.

The following are the objective of the study.

• To find how the replacement of river sand can be an effective way for soil erosion reduction.
• To analyze the significance of replacing river sand.

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Structural Engineering Dissertation Ideas For Striking Dissertation

Structural engineering dissertation topics can be used only once. Whereas on the other hand structural engineering dissertation ideas can be moulded and shaped into multiple structural engineering dissertation topics that suits your needs and availability of resources. For this reason our team of sensational professional writers have produced a list of some of the best dissertation ideas that you can use to custom make structural engineering dissertation topics for yourselves.

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View different varieties of dissertation topics and samples on multiple subjects for every educational level

Some tips and tricks to follow in order to make sure that your dissertation topics are great, are to firstly keep your dissertation topic simple yet focused, the choice of words should be so clever that it should pique your reader’s interest.

A large part of a great dissertation topic lies on the fact that whether your dissertation is pursuable or not. If you have an idea, then explore multiple topics first, then go with the one that is the most attractive.

There are multiple areas from where you can find samples related to your dissertation, for example academic search engines, freelance websites, from your university’s library or local library, from your seniors or recent graduates and even from writing service providing websites.

You may come across many great dissertation ideas and topics but not all of them are pursuable. Some things that you can do to make sure that your dissertations are pursuable or not are to do a small scaled qualitative/quantitative study first. Along with it do semiotic analysis, textual analysis and secondary research.

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40 seminar/project topics in structural engineering.

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The specification of final year project's topics may have some influence on the future job or career of students. It, therefore, becomes very crucial to select an apt topic since students are going to do great and extensive research about it, it is possible that such a topic may open doors to different horizons in the field.

In this article, forty topics about structural engineering are presented which can be used for both seminars and graduation projects. There are lots of topic out there, but these are selected from literature and efforts made to specify most novel topics.

These topics deal with various aspects of structures such as improving certain aspects of design, repair damaged structures, study properties of structures under various modes of loading including static and dynamic like seismic forces. These project topics may need numerical modelling, experimental works, or combination thereof.

• Pushover analysis – cyclic loading, deterioration effect in RC Moment Frames in pushover analysis
• Rehabilitation – Evaluation of drift distribution
• Analysis of large dynamic structure in environment industry
• Theoretical study on High frequency fatigue behavior of concrete
• Seismic analysis of interlocking blocks in walls
• Estimation of marine salts behavior around the bridge structures
• A comparative study on durability of concrete tunnels undertaken in AP irrigation projects
• Prefabricated multistory structure, exposure to engineering seismicity
• Shape optimization of Reinforced underground tunnels
• Properties of Fiber Cement Boards for building partitions
• Behavior of RC Structures subjected to blasting
• The use of green materials in the construction of buildings
• Finite element model for double composite beam
• A new composite element for FRP Reinforced Concrete Slab
• Effect of shear lag on anchor bolt tension in a base plate
• Elastic plastic bending, load carrying capacity of steel members
• FE Analysis of lateral buckling of a plate curved in nature
• Green energy and indoor technologies for smart buildings
• Building environmental assessment methodology
• Numerical study on strengthening of composite bridges
• Strengthening effect for RC member under negative bending
• Effect of negative Poisson’s ratio on  bending of RC member
• Macroeconomic cause within the life cycle of bridges
• Long term deflections of long-span bridges
• Structural damage detection in plates using wavelet theories (transforms)
• Hybrid Simulations: Theory and Applications
• Engineered Wood in Cold Climate
• Mechanical Properties and Engineering Application of Modern Timber
• Hybrid Structural Systems and Innovation Design Method
• Design of Reinforced Concrete Block Masonry Basement
• Nonlinear Analysis of a New 3D Skip-Floor Staggered Shear Wall Structure
• Advances in Civil Infrastructure Engineering
• Mechanical Performance of an Irregular Kiewitt Dome Structure
• Shear Distribution Coefficient Study under Horizontal Force
• Structural Damage Identification Method and Program Designing Based on Statistical Analysis
• Prescriptive or Performance Design for Fire?
• Deflection Control by Design
• New Code Provisions for Long Term Deflection Calculations
• Retrofitting and Repairing with composite materials
• Epoxy Coated Reinforcement and Crack Control

Madeh Izat Hamakareem

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List Of Fresh PhD Thesis Topics In Structural Engineering

The field of structural engineering is continuously evolving. Advances in computing, materials, sensors are opening up new innovative research areas in this field. The selection of a Ph.D. thesis is heavily reliant on the research interests of faculty staff, laboratory infrastructure and funding available in your institution. A discussion with one’s supervisor on emerging new areas of this research could lead you to a topic. Below is a broad-based list of some fresh topics.

• Structural health monitoring of bridges and building.
• Structural health monitoring using smart sensors e.g. MEMS
• Structural health monitoring using new computational techniques/methodologies.
• Structural health monitoring applied to historic structures.
• Development of autonomous systems and their use in structural health monitoring.
• Use of carbon fibre in composite materials e.g. carbon fibre wrap reinforcing technology (CFRP).
• 3D printing applications in structural engineering: its use in the development of materials as well as structural analysis of materials made of this process etc.
• 3D printing and its impact on finite element analysis (FEA) of solid material.
• Concrete as a material: advances in its formulation to increase durability, settling times, reduce cement content, new aggregates, self-healing concrete, etc.
• Environmental impact assessment of concrete
• The design of intelligent construction materials.
• Sustainability and its application in structural engineering: reuse/recycling, greenhouse gas impact, waste management, etc.
• The design of advanced plastic composite and applications in the repair of structures.
• Environmentally friendly structural materials. Reduction of carbon footprint and development of sustainable structural materials.
• Application of structural engineering at the nanoscale: nanotechnology and structural engineering.
• Seismic effect on skyscrapers and other buildings in general and application of seismic design on the same.
• Mechanics, properties and material science of biological materials with applications as parts of composites and in environmentally friendly structural components.
• Real life impact of the wind on skyscrapers and spun bridges.
• Geotechnical earthquake engineering and engineering seismology
• Low-cost earthquake-resistant structural design.
• Reliability of Structures: risk, mitigation, and analysis.
• Application of new computational methods for forming improved mitigation models.
• Engineering simulation and engineering informatics
• Non-destructive testing and evaluation with application in infrastructure systems.

This list cannot be exhaustive; the structural engineering field is ever expanding. It’s incumbent on you to evaluate your strengths and interests, those of your faculty where you will engage in your dissertation as well as keenly looking into the body of works encompassing the field to come up with a thesis topic that is fulfilling to you. Good luck

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• Doctoral fellows

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The Department of Structural Engineering and Building Materials of the Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, at Ghent University currently is looking for a PhD Researcher on the following topic (and granted project): Development of bio-receptive and printable cementitious materials to allow for oyster reef creation on marine infrastructure (REEFCOVERY project) SUMMARY OF THE REEFCOVERY PROJECT Driven by the EU legislation and governmental interest worldwide, nature-inclusive-design (NID) solutions targeting nature conservation and restoration, are becoming crucial in marine infrastructure projects. Such an example are NIDs based on European flat oysters which are ecosystem engineers creating reefs that provide shelter, food and breeding habitats to a wide range of marine species. Oyster reefs used to be widely present in Europe, however, fishing and harvesting has destroyed most of these reefs thereby suppressing their important ecosystem role. Nevertheless, although recovery of flat oyster beds is an important objective for the Belgian Natura 2000 management plan, no systematic and operational framework exists yet for the development of large-scale flat oyster NIDs. On the other hand, offshore marine infrastructure, such as wind parks and artificial islands, provide new opportunities because they can serve as suitable locations for oyster reef restoration or creation, as part of their NID. However, methodologies for offshore flat oyster reef restoration or creation integrated in marine infrastructure, and at the same time applicable to the Belgian part of the North Sea, do not exist yet. In view of the knowledge gaps which currently hinder large-scale flat oyster reef restoration, creation and integration in offshore marine infrastructure, the REEFCOVERY project has been recently introduced. As such, new knowledge will be generated that is crucial to overcome current scientific and technological challenges related to the understanding, design, installation, survivability, maintenance and monitoring of these reef ecosystems. REEFCOVERY will generate new knowledge which is essential for the creation of large-scale European flat oyster NID solutions for offshore marine infrastructure. The goal of this project is to scientifically substantiate the design of a variety of oyster NIDs with a strong potential to be applied on an industrial scale in future offshore marine projects – going well beyond the current state of the art. As such, REEFCOVERY will deal with the main fundamental questions that are crucial for: i) the successful colonisation and reduction of flat oyster spat mortality rate of newly created flat oyster reefs, and ii) the facilitation of large-scale restoration interventions. Consequently, the target of REEFCOVERY is to investigate all conditions that are necessary to ‘kick-start’ self-sustaining large-scale flat oyster reefs in North Sea conditions. The oyster NIDs which will be investigated within REEFCOVERY will support future large-scale restoration of habitats and marine ecosystem functioning. In order to ensure successful application of large-scale oyster NIDs four main “Research Lines” (RL) have been defined in REEFCOVERY: (RL1) innovative materials that are suitable for biocolonisation, (RL2) structural lay-out and hydrodynamic performance, which enable structures to keep their functionality while supporting reef formation, (RL3) oyster inoculation techniques which will kickstart reef formation on offshore structures, and (RL4) offshore implementation which will enable installation of NIDs at a large scale. Finally, the following aspects will be evaluated: ecological gain, survivability of the reefs, and reef operational efficiency and effective installation. A selection of key performance indicators will be used to validate the overall performance of the implemented NID solutions, while a dedicated field monitoring program is planned to evaluate a set of environmental goals and delivered ecosystem services. Within the REEFCOVERY project, the PhD researcher affiliated with the Department of Structural Engineering and Building Materials will develop (printable) cementitious materials with (1) high bioreceptivity, (2) low environmental impact, (3) high resistance against a marine environment, (4) high impact resistance and (5) enhanced bond to substrates. In order to vary the micro roughness of the material, different print parameters will be investigated. To realize and vary the macro roughness, different nozzle geometries of the 3D print equipment will be studied and compared. Realization of complex surface structures with inserts creating ecological niches, will be obtained through employment of a UGent patented technology. Subsequently, materials will be validated through chemical durability experiments and physical durability tests. The reef designs put forward by the project partners will be further adapted to allow them to be sliced and 3D printed, targeting effective and efficient integration in the field experiments site. ABOUT THE RESEARCH GROUP The Magnel-Vandepitte Laboratory at the Department of Structural Engineering and Building Materials of Ghent University is the largest Belgian research center in the field of concrete technology and concrete structures and has a vast and widely-spread international recognition. The research areas focus on different aspects of concrete structures, going from fundamental material research on microscopic and sub-microscopic scale to structural behaviour and structural reliability of concrete structures on large scale. The Magnel-Vandepitte Laboratory disposes of extensive experimental testing facilities and infrastructures, among which the large strong floor for executing load tests on large-scale elements is a unique instrument. VACANCY The REEFCOVERY project is a funded VLAIO ICON project (“Interdisciplinair Coöperatief onderzoek”). The project will be performed in collaboration with the project partners: Jan De Nul nv; DEME; ResourceFull; UGent-Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Department of Animal Sciences and Aquatic Ecology, Laboratory of Aquaculture & Artemia Reference Center and UGent-Faculty of Engineering and Architecture, Department of Civil engineering, Coastal Engineering Laboratory.

WHAT WE CAN OFFER YOU

• We offer a full-time position as a doctoral fellow, consisting of an initial period of 12 months, which - after a positive evaluation, will be extended to a total maximum of 48 months in a high-level international research team at Ghent University. The candidate will have the possibility to attend international conferences, follow specialized courses and to develop a national and international scientific and industrial network.
• Your contract will start on 1 May 2024   at the earliest.
• The fellowship amount is 100% of the net salary of an AAP member in equal family circumstances. The individual fellowship amount is determined by the Department of Personnel and Organization based on family status and seniority.   A grant that meets the conditions and criteria of the regulations for doctoral fellowships is considered free of personal income tax.   Click here for more information about our salary scales
• All Ghent University staff members enjoy a number of benefits, such as a wide range of training and education opportunities, 36 days of holiday leave (on an annual basis for a full-time job) supplemented by annual fixed bridge days, bicycle allowance and eco vouchers.   Click here for a complete overview of all the staff benefits   (in Dutch)

Job profile

APPLICANTS Applicants should have a MSc in Structural or Civil Engineering (or another MSc leading to sufficient knowledge on the topics of relevance), an independent and well-organized working style, well-developed social skills directed towards working in an interdisciplinary team, strong motivation to succeed in scientific research, excellent presentation and scientific writing skills and excellent English language skills (verbally and written). Experience with 3D printing of concrete or bio-receptive concrete is an added value.

How to apply

INTERESTED? Applications must contain the following documents:

• a personal (motivation) letter and curriculum vitae,
• a copy of degree certificates and associated certificates,
• a transcript of records of the bachelor and master curriculum,
• a copy of degree projects and any previous publications,
• a proof of English language skills,
• two recommendation letters (or the names and email addresses of two references).

The documents should be sent before 30 April 2024 to [email protected] with in the title of the mail a clear reference to this vacancy.

As Ghent University maintains an equal opportunities and diversity policy, everyone is encouraged to apply for this position.

Best Global Universities for Engineering in Russia

These are the top universities in Russia for engineering, based on their reputation and research in the field. Read the methodology »

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Here are the best global universities for engineering in Russia

Itmo university, tomsk state university, tomsk polytechnic university, lomonosov moscow state university, novosibirsk state university, saint petersburg state university, peter the great st. petersburg polytechnic university, moscow institute of physics & technology, national research nuclear university mephi (moscow engineering physics institute).

See the full rankings

• Clear Filters
• # 307 in Best Universities for Engineering  (tie)
• # 696 in Best Global Universities  (tie)
• # 364 in Best Universities for Engineering  (tie)
• # 587 in Best Global Universities  (tie)
• # 396 in Best Universities for Engineering  (tie)
• # 879 in Best Global Universities  (tie)
• # 632 in Best Universities for Engineering  (tie)
• # 355 in Best Global Universities
• # 809 in Best Universities for Engineering  (tie)
• # 579 in Best Global Universities  (tie)
• # 847 in Best Universities for Engineering  (tie)
• # 652 in Best Global Universities
• # 896 in Best Universities for Engineering  (tie)
• # 679 in Best Global Universities  (tie)
• # 902 in Best Universities for Engineering  (tie)
• # 475 in Best Global Universities  (tie)
• # 915 in Best Universities for Engineering  (tie)
• # 483 in Best Global Universities  (tie)

100 Best universities for Mechanical Engineering in Russia

Updated: February 29, 2024

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Below is a list of best universities in Russia ranked based on their research performance in Mechanical Engineering. A graph of 714K citations received by 136K academic papers made by 158 universities in Russia was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Moscow State University

For Mechanical Engineering

2. Tomsk State University

3. St. Petersburg State University

4. Bauman Moscow State Technical University

5. Ufa State Aviation Technical University

6. Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University

7. Tomsk Polytechnic University

8. Ural Federal University

9. South Ural State University

10. National Research University Higher School of Economics

11. Moscow Aviation Institute

12. Novosibirsk State University

13. ITMO University

14. N.R.U. Moscow Power Engineering Institute

15. National Research Nuclear University MEPI

16. Kazan Federal University

17. National University of Science and Technology "MISIS"

18. Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology

19. Samara National Research University

20. Moscow State Technological University "Stankin"

21. Novosibirsk State Technical University

22. RUDN University

23. Southern Federal University

24. Saratov State University

25. Ufa State Petroleum Technological University

26. Samara State Technical University

27. Siberian Federal University

28. Kazan National Research Technical University named after A.N. Tupolev - KAI

29. Perm State Technical University

30. Omsk State Technical University

31. Saint Petersburg State Electrotechnical University

32. Moscow Polytech

33. Saint-Petersburg Mining University

34. Magnitogorsk State Technical University

35. Saratov State Technical University

36. Moscow State University of Railway Engineering

37. Lobachevsky State University of Nizhni Novgorod

38. Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University

39. Tula State University

40. Belgorod State Technological University

41. Far Eastern Federal University

42. Novgorod State University

43. belgorod state university.

44. Finance Academy under the Government of the Russian Federation

45. Moscow Medical Academy

46. Kazan State Technological University

47. Russian State University of Oil and Gas

48. siberian state aerospace university.

49. Tambov State Technical University

50. Voronezh State University

51. Siberian State Industrial University

52. Saint Petersburg State Institute of Technology

53. Kalashnikov Izhevsk State Technical University

54. St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering

55. Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia

56. Murmansk State Technical University

57. South-Western State University

58. Ogarev Mordovia State University

59. Tomsk State University of Control Systems and Radioelectronics

60. south-russian state university of economics and service.

61. Perm State University

62. Kuzbass State Technical University

63. Russian National Research Medical University

64. Plekhanov Russian University of Economics

65. Ulyanovsk State Technical University

66. Ulyanovsk State University

67. Penza State University

68. Kuban State University of Technology

69. Polzunov Altai State Technical University

70. Chelyabinsk State University

71. Yaroslavl State University

72. University of Tyumen

73. National Research University of Electronic Technology

74. Leningrad State University

75. Moscow State Pedagogical University

76. Udmurt State University

77. Irkutsk State University

78. North-Eastern Federal University

79. Bashkir State University

80. Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration

81. Kuban State University

82. Kuban State Agricultural University

83. St. Petersburg State University of Aerospace Instrumentation

84. Kemerovo State University

85. Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University

86. Orenburg State University

87. Baltic State Technical University "Voenmeh"

88. Tomsk State University of Architecture and Building

89. Chuvash State University

90. ivanovo state power university.

91. Irkutsk National Research Technical University

92. Orel State University

93. State University of Management

94. Tomsk State Pedagogical University

95. Volgograd State University

96. Petrozavodsk State University

97. Tver State University

98. Northern Arctic Federal University

99. Omsk State Transport University

100. Kaliningrad State Technical University

The best cities to study Mechanical Engineering in Russia based on the number of universities and their ranks are Moscow , Tomsk , Saint Petersburg , and Ufa .

Engineering subfields in Russia

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Study: Some of us have a uniquely human gene that enhances immune function

This confocal image of a macrophage (a type of white blood cell in the immune system) differentiated from induced pluripotent stem cells shows that the human specific gene  CHRFAM7A  rearranges the actin cytoskeleton (green). 

UB researchers are finding that the active form of this gene promotes a broad range of protective traits

By Ellen Goldbaum

Release Date: April 29, 2024

BUFFALO, N.Y. – The University at Buffalo team that discovered how a gene found in 75% of us protects against neurodegeneration has now found that this same gene enhances immune function as well.

The new findings were published in eBioMedicine online before print on April 2.

CHRFAM7A is a uniquely human gene that occurred after humans split from a common ancestor with chimpanzees millions of years ago.

The gene has been implicated and studied in neuropsychiatric disorders. The UB team’s previous work identified how the gene is protective against memory disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, but its role in immune function has not been well understood.

Kinga Szigeti, MD, PhD, corresponding author, professor of neurology in the Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at UB and a physician with UBMD Neurology, says the team wasn’t surprised to find that the gene has an immune-enhancing function.

Immune advantage

“We always thought that the fact that this mutation is enriched in the human population — meaning that since it helped people survive, more and more people became carriers — indicated that it would provide an immune advantage,” she says.

The research reveals how it does that, and it turns out to be related to the team’s previous work.

Last year, the UB team published a study showing that the active form of the CHRFAM7A gene allows brain cells to be more flexible. That work showed that it does this by activating actin cytoskeleton, which provides structural support to cells, allowing brain cells to be more resilient. That property provides protection against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Now the team has found that the gene’s activation of actin cytoskeleton also enhances immune function.

“Our research shows that as human cells evolved with their cytoskeleton, they gained new function, allowing them easier access to fight sources of infection in the body,” says Szigeti.

She explains that CHRFAM7A changes calcium signaling in the cell, that’s the cell’s most ancient signal-transduction system (i.e., communication system).

“That signaling change leads to a switch in how the actin is organized, producing cells that are tougher on the outside, creating a stronger, better shield, which is called lamellipodia,” explains Szigeti.

Cutting through the matrix

The CHRFAM7A cells have an additional immune advantage. “The immune system needs a road to get into infected tissue,” she adds, “and the CHRFAM7A cells developed a new mechanism: They can cut through the extracellular matrix, or fabric of the organs, and get to places that have limited vascularization or have been compromised by disease.”

Since this advantage allows immune system cells to get into the infected tissue more efficiently, the infection can be controlled earlier, leaving the bacteria or the virus limited time to replicate, she continues.

Because of the gene’s impact on calcium signaling, which is a key driver of numerous fundamental biological processes, including cellular metabolism, it likely also affects many other biological and pathological processes.

Uniquely human genes endow people with human-specific traits; Szigeti notes that traditional animal models of diseases, which lack these genes, cannot therefore accurately reflect how some drugs will function in humans.

“So far, it’s clear that the active form of CHRFAM7A provides protection against multiple disorders,” says Szigeti. “This research could lead to the identification of important new drug targets.”

To do the current study, the team used pluripotent stem cells that have the mutation through genetic engineering.

“We used human cells that can be differentiated into the first responders of the immune system (monocytes) and tested how they can get into engineered substrates that model human tissue stiffness in health and disease,” she says.

So far, the gene has been implicated in the systemic inflammatory response, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), COVID-associated cytokine storm, HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders, osteoarthritis and cancer metastasis.

The UB team is currently testing the gene’s role in the human brain, IBD and cancer metastasis.

Co-authors with Szigeti include faculty and postdoctoral fellows from the Department of Neurology, the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, and the Clinical and Translational Science Institute in the Jacobs School, and Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Partial funding was provided by the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo and the National Institutes of Health.

Media Contact Information

Ellen Goldbaum News Content Manager Medicine Tel: 716-645-4605 [email protected]

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