Program Learning Outcomes

Doctoral students engage in coursework that develops their competency for research. Through research, students generate knowledge and become competent scientists and engineers. During this process, students acquire knowledge of foundation subjects and specialty areas within their focus of research and, as a result, they develop into professionals.

Specific outcomes of the INES program are that students completing the Ph.D. degree will demonstrate abilities to analyze and evaluate advanced topics in engineering and/or science, to communicate technical information effectively, to discover and create new knowledge, and to understand interactions among advanced topics in science, engineering, and management.

Admission Requirements

The following are general guidelines for successful admissions into the Ph.D. in Infrastructure and Environmental Systems:

1. The equivalent to a U.S. baccalaureate or master’s degree, from a regionally accredited college or university, in engineering, earth science, geology, chemical and biological sciences, resources economics, or a related field with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.2 and a minimum graduate GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) in all graduate work.
2. Applicants holding baccalaureate degrees with an undergraduate GPA of 3.75 or higher may be considered for admission.
3. Acceptable scores on the verbal, quantitative, and analytical sections of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) are expected to be in the upper 50th percentile.
4. An acceptable TOEFL score as required by the Graduate School for international students.
5. Three letters of reference, two of which must be from faculty members.
6. An essay which addresses the applicant’s motivation and research issues of interest.
7. Students entering the program are expected to remediate any coursework deficiencies identified by their advisory committee in the first semester after enrolling in the program. The required coursework depends on the background of the student and is established by the INES Program Director and the student’s research advisor.

Documents Required for Application of Admission

The Office of the Graduate School at UNC Charlotte requires the following documents be submitted in the application package for each student:

1. One official transcript from all colleges and universities attended
2. Official GRE scores (verbal, quantitative and analytical)
3. Official TOEFL scores if the student’s native language is not English.
4. UNC Charlotte graduate online application
5. Three letters of reference
6. Essay which addresses the applicant’s motivation and research issues of interest
7. Current CV

Admission Assessment

1. The INES Program Committee reviews applications and recommends to the Program Director whether each applicant should be admitted or not and, if so, under what conditions.
2. The Program Committee assesses each student’s previous academic coursework in light of the student’s stated direction of study.
3. For each entering student, a member of the INES faculty is selected to serve as the student’s interim advisor for the first year of study.

Student Responsibility

Students entering the program must present evidence that they are capable of undertaking the coursework required of them. Such evidence must include familiarity, background, and/or interest in infrastructure and environmental issues.

Students may have completed equivalent courses elsewhere. Normally, transcripts provide the evidence required by the Program Committee. However, if the student’s previous experience is offered as evidence, the student must provide all the documentation necessary to specify such experience. A more detailed list of the types of pre-requisite coursework can be found on the Program’s website.

Degree Requirements

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Infrastructure and Environmental Systems is awarded for completion of scholarly research that advances the knowledge base in the field of that research. Evidence of this is demonstrated by a successful dissertation defense. In addition, recipients of the degree should demonstrate a mastery of relevant subject matter and a potential for success in research and teaching.

As summarized below, the INES Ph.D. program requires a minimum of 72 post baccalaureate (semester) credit hours (a minor in this program is not applicable). A master’s degree in an appropriate field, that is consistent with the admission requirements, may count up to 30 hours of transfer credit into the INES Program upon recommendation of the Program Director and upon approval by the Graduate School.

Plan of Study

Students who enter the Ph.D. Program must prepare a plan of study before the end of their second semester in the Program. The plan of study proposes a schedule for completion of all coursework by the student. Each plan is approved by the student’s doctoral committee and the Program Director.

Admission to Candidacy

After passing the qualifying examination, a student can propose a dissertation topic. A student advances to candidacy after the dissertation topic has been approved by the student’s doctoral committee. Candidacy must be achieved at least 6 months before the degree is conferred.

Financial Support

The INES program offers financial support in the form of assistantships and tuition grants as described below.

Graduate Course Requirements

All courses taken for credit in the INES Ph.D. program shall be graduate level courses (6000-level and 8000-level: graduate students only), and the majority shall be at the Ph.D. level (8000-level: Ph.D. students only). Core courses and seminar courses (all designated INES 8000-level courses) are open only to Ph.D. students. All 6000-level courses available as specialized electives are open only to graduate students (Master’s and Ph.D.). No credit is given in the INES Program for graduate coursework completed at the combined undergraduate-graduate level (5000-level at UNC Charlotte).

For students entering the INES Ph.D. Program who have completed a master’s degree, the minimum number of hours specified below in each category will be adjusted based on the number of transfer credits awarded to the student for his/her master’s work.

Student Advising

Upon acceptance into the INES Ph.D. Program, a student will be assigned an interim advisor by the Program Director. Within the first year in the Program, each student selects a permanent doctoral research advisor. This selection is approved by the Program Director and Dean of the Graduate School. At any time, a student may request a change of initial supervisor or research advisor. These requests are submitted to the Program Director for consideration and action.

Other Requirements

Requirements for grades, transfer credits, residency, and time limits for completion match those described generally for the university. Various forms must be submitted to the Graduate School at various times by each INES student. Those forms include: Application for Transfer of Credit into a Graduate Degree Program, INES Plan of Study, Appointment of Doctoral Committee, Application for Qualifying Examination, Qualifying Examination Report, Graduate School Petition for Topic Approval, Application for Candidacy, Application for Degree, and Dissertation Defense Report for Doctoral Candidates. Refer to the appropriate sections of this Catalog and to the INES and Graduate School websites for details.

Qualifying Examination

Each student must complete a three-part qualifying examination: two written parts and one oral part. The first written examination covers two INES core courses (INES 8101  and INES 8102 ). The second written examination covers specialized elective areas selected by the student’s advisor and doctoral committee. The third examination is an oral examination and is administered by the student’s doctoral committee and requires a presentation and defense by the student of his or her proposed research topic. Students who enter the Ph.D. Program directly from a baccalaureate program generally sit for the two written examinations before the end of their third post-baccalaureate year in the program; students who enter from a master’s degree program must sit for both written parts before the end of their second year in the program. To sit for these examinations, a student must have at least a 3.0 GPA and must have removed all conditions upon admission.

A student may attempt to pass each part of the qualifying exam no more than twice. Failure of any of the three parts a second time results in termination of enrollment in the Ph.D. Program.

Doctoral Committee

Each student’s Doctoral Committee contains five members. One committee position is filled by a UNC Charlotte Graduate Faculty member appointed by the Dean of the Graduate School. The remaining four members are recommended, before the completion of the student’s first year in the program, by the student’s Doctoral Research Advisor, with input from the Program Director. Recommended faculty members should have expertise in the student’s area of research interest. The Program Director approves, with subsequent concurrence by the Dean of the Graduate School, the four recommended faculty members to serve on the Committee. The doctoral program committee of each student is chaired by the student’s Doctoral Research Advisor.

At least three of the Doctoral Committee members must be INES Program Faculty members. At least one of the four members must come from a different academic department, in order to reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the program. The inclusion of one member from outside the University of North Carolina Charlotte is strongly encouraged, and this person must also be a member of the UNC Charlotte Graduate Faculty.

Application for Degree

Each student should make application for his/her degree by completing the online Application for Degree through Banner Self Service no later than the filing date specified in the University Academic Calendar.

Research Opportunities

INES faculty members reside in two primary departments (Civil & Environmental Engineering and Geography & Earth Sciences) and six supporting departments (Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Economics, Finance, Systems Engineering & Engineering Management, and the School of Architecture). INES Faculty members in these departments currently conduct research in their specialized areas of interest as well as in interdisciplinary areas (see current areas of research listed at the beginning of this catalog section). Several international universities collaborate with INES to implement joint supervision of doctoral research.