Engineering (MS to PhD)

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Program
Engineering
Degree Type
Doctor of Philosophy

In 2003, the College of Engineering initiated a new graduate program leading to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.). The primary purpose is to provide scholars for industry and academe, emphasizing the attributes of excellence, innovation and integrity. The course of study is integral to the strategic plan of the College, congruent with the mission of the Villanova University, reflective of the future of the engineering profession, and consonant with the emerging trends in 21st century academe.

Objectives 

The doctoral program is designed to prepare scholars, teachers, and leaders for academia and industry in contemporary and emerging engineering fields. Its primary component is independent, directed research leading towards a dissertation. The Ph.D. degree can be achieved with a concentration in any of the engineering programs offered in the College of Engineering. The program is designed to encourage intellectual depth within the area or discipline of study while also providing enough flexibility to allow for breadth across disciplinary lines when useful for multi-disciplinary research topics. The Villanova University Engineering Ph.D. program is one of the few programs in the country that will allow the degree to be pursued on a part-time basis by working professionals, with many of the relevant courses available through our state-of-the-art on-line Distance Education program.

Admission Requirements

Formal criteria for admission to the Ph.D. program include:

Previous Degree

Master’s degree in engineering from an ABET accredited institution or an established foreign institution.

Applicants with only a bachelor’s degree in engineering may also apply. If admitted, B.S. only students must complete an additional 24 credits of graduate coursework to complete the PhD program.

GPA

For students applying with either a bachelor’s or master’s degree in engineering, a cumulative GPA of 3.5 on a point scale of 4.0 is required in the most recent engineering degree obtained.

GRE

The College of Engineering does not require the submission of GRE scores, but we will consider your GRE scores as part of the application review if submitted.

TOEFL or IELTS

TOEFL - Score of at least 90 for international applicants is expected with mandatory ESL course.

IELTS - Score of at least 7.0 for international applicants is expected with mandatory ESL course.

The TOEFL / IELTS examination may be waived by the Associate Dean if there is sufficient proof of the candidate’s ability to speak, comprehend, and write high-quality English. An example of this is if the candidate were successfully working for at least several years in an engineering position.

Conditional Admission

Applicants to the program who have deficiencies in the normal requirements may be admitted conditionally. The conditions for the acceptance and the plan and timeframe for a remedial course of action will be clearly specified. Upon completion of the course of action the student’s application will be reviewed by the Ph.D. Committee and a final decision will be made on unconditional admission.

Degree Requirements

Detailed program requirements for students with MS degree

  • The student must take a minimum of six courses (18 credits) including at least one graduate level mathematics course.
  • The student will be required to register for 30 credits of research.
  • The student will be required to take qualifying examinations. These examinations will be in two areas: mathematics and a discipline specific exam. A maximum of two attempts is permitted to pass this examination.
  • In addition, he/she is required to defend a proposal of dissertation as well as a final dissertation defense.

Detailed program requirements for students with BS degree entering directly into the Engineering Doctoral Program

This path is highly selective and limited to only the most highly qualified candidates.

  • The student must take a minimum of fourteen courses (42 credits) including at least one graduate level mathematics course.
  • The student will be required to register for 30 credits of research.
  • The student will be required to take qualifying examinations. These examinations will be in two areas: mathematics and a discipline specific exam. A maximum of two attempts is permitted to pass this examination.
  • In addition, he/she is required to defend a proposal of dissertation as well as a final dissertation defense.

Detailed program requirements for part-time students

They have the same requirements as the full-time students.

Professional Development Program

Villanova’s College of Engineering is unique in its newly launched professional development program for doctoral students, which reflects Villanova’s commitment to high-quality teaching and close attention to the student, as well as development of the whole person as embodied by Veritas, Unitas, Caritas.

The program consists of a required core course, EGR 9240, which will cover topics such as:

  • Communication and interpersonal skills
  • Diversity and inclusion
  • Teamwork
  • Project management
  • Leadership
  • Strategic planning
  • Employee empowerment
  • Entrepreneurially minded learning
  • Ethics
  • Safety and the environment
  • Lifelong learning
  • Unique culture of Villanova, which emphasizes service to, and care for, one’s community

The required core course will be recorded on the student’s transcript. However, those who satisfactorily complete this course, plus a required minimum number of “supplements” from either an academic or industry track will also receive a certificate. The pursuit of a certificate is optional. Because EGR 9240 and the Certificate courses EGR 9200, 9220, and 9260 are in-class discussion-based, a student will not be permitted to take any of these courses as an E-Learning student.

GE - PhD Courses for CAPP

MS to PhD Banner CODE: EPHM

48 (3 credit or 1.5 credits) Total Credits

* 1 credit PhD PD courses are not included in 48 credit requirement 

Degree or Certificate Banner Code-DEGC Code Department Banner Code Field of Study Banner Code (Major) Banner Program Code - IW (SOBCURR_PROGRAM) Banner Dept
GPHD EGR EGR GPHD GPHD-EGR
Item #
Title
Credits
Sub-Total Credits
3
Total Credits
48