Ph.D - Civil Engineering
Overview:
PhD Civil Engineering is usually a 4 to 5 years long doctorate level degree. It is a course of study that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of structures that are integral to the general public, like roads, dams, bridges, canals, and additionally railways, sewage systems, etc.
While pursuing a PhD in civil engineering, students will have to choose a specialization area, like geoinformatics, geotechnical engineering, hydraulics, and water resources engineering, infrastructure engineering, etc to conduct research for their dissertation. Candidates wanting to pursue PhD Civil Engineering should fulfill the minimum eligibility criteria i.e, master's degree in civil/environmental/mechanical/chemical/agricultural engineering or in a related engineering branch. The admissions are usually based on the entrance exams.
The course is career orienting in nature that opens many job opportunities for those who are interested in research. Job profiles for students with a civil engineering PhD include Project Manager, Head Quality Controller, Site Engineer/Civil Engineer, Project Coordinator, Quality Assurance Manager, Project Procurement Manager, Executive Engineer, Structural Engineer/Structural Designer, etc.
Some Highlights of Ph.D Civil Engineering:
| Name Of The Course | Ph.D Civil Engineering |
| Full Form | Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering |
| Level | Doctorate |
| Duration | 4 to 5 years |
| Eligibility | 55% aggregate marks or equivalent grades prescribed by UGC in the Master's Degree |
| Admission Procedure | Entrance Exam Based |
| Average Course Fees | ₹ 20 K To ₹ 2.5 L |
| Average Annual Salary | ₹ 20 LPA To ₹ 8.0 LPA |
| Areas of Recruitment | Afcons Infrastructure Limited, Punj Lloyd, Newton Engineering & Chemicals Ltd, Consolidated Construction Consortium Ltd (CCCL), Akme Projects Ltd, and etc. |
| Job Profiles/Roles | Project manager, head quality controller, site engineer/civil engineer, project coordinator, quality assurance manager, project procurement manager, etc. |
Top Colleges Offering Ph.D Civil Engineering:
- IIT Madras
- IIT Delhi
- IIT Bombay
- IIT Kanpur
- IIT Kharagpur
- IIT Roorkee
- IIT Guwahati
- IIT Hyderabad
- NIT Tiruchirappalli
- IIT Varanasi
Why Choose Ph.D Civil Engineering:
- A PhD in Civil Engineering is beneficial for students to develop a center of excellence in civil engineering, and to carry out research in the areas of infrastructure and eco-friendly technologies.
- This course is worth it for those students who want to create lifelong bonds with like-minded students, faculty, and researchers in the global, scientific, and technological community.
- Civil Engineers with a PhD in the field also have the opportunity to work for their government and help develop railways, bridges, roads, and etc.
- Pursuing a PhD basically makes students a subject matter expert in the specialization of their choosing.
- Ideally, PhDs are desirable for those who have an interest in research and can handle the in-depth knowledge along with the many tasks that come with it, hence, these students are also eligible to work at research centers.
- A Civil Engineering PhD gives students the level of job security that a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the same field will not give them.
Admission Procedure For Ph.D Civil Engineering:
- Applications: Candidates can start with filling up the application form of the particular institute, followed by submitting documents and paying the application fees.
- Entrance Exams: Institutes may accept the scores of national level exams like GATE/ NET or will conduct their own entrance examination at the university level.
- Merit-list: Students will be evaluated based on the marks scored in the entrance test. The candidates clearing the cut-off will be shortlisted.
- Interview: Shortlisted candidates will be called for a personal interview.
- Enrollment: The students clearing the interview can get enrolled after document verification and payment of the 1st installment.
Eligibility For Ph.D Civil Engineering:
- Master's degree in any branch of engineering or its equivalent from a recognized university.
- The candidate must have obtained at least 60% in their master’s degree.
- Some colleges and institutes conduct entrance examinations, and some only consider students’ scores in national level entrance exams like GATE or NET.
Career Opportunities For Ph.D Civil Engineering:
A PhD holder earns more annually than someone with a bachelor’s or master’s degree. The demand for civil engineers in all kinds of specializations is incredibly high in India. Hence with the demand, job opportunities for civil engineers have visibly increased. India being a developing country, still needs to build a lot of infrastructures to improve the life of the people, therefore the demand for civil engineers is quite high.
Jobs opportunities after Ph.D Civil Engineering:
- Building Control Surveyor
- Building Services Engineer
- Engineering Geologist
- Sustainability Consultant
- Fire Risk Assessor
- Geotechnical Engineer
- Urban Designer
Recruitment Areas For Ph.D Civil Engineering:
- Academia
- Consulting
- Government agencies
- Construction management
- Project management
- Sustainability
- Environmental engineering
Syllabus For Ph.D Civil Engineering:
Semester I
Foundations Of Research And Publication Ethics
Finite Element Analysis
Optimization Techniques
Semester II
Research Design
Structural Dynamics
Advanced Wastewater Treatment
Semester III
Sustainable Construction Materials and Methods
Water Quality and Environment
Hydrologic Elements and Analysis
Semester IV
Research Methodology
Geosynthetics
Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
Semester V
Research Project
Dissertation
Semester VI
Research Project
Dissertation