UBC Civil Engineering

Doctor of Philosophy Program

in Civil Engineering

These departmental guidelines are intended to supplement the policies and procedures of the Faculty of Graduate Studies

 

I. UNIVERSITY REGULATIONS AND POLICIES

UBC Regulations and Policies

It is the responsibility of each student to be aware of the Academic Calendar and have a full understanding of the Regulations in it, including the Statement on Academic Freedom.

Conduct of faculty, staff and students is governed by a number of University Policy Statements that can be found at: (universitycounsel.ubc.ca/policies/policies.html). Students are expected to have a full understanding of these policies; giving particular attention to:  Policy 85 - Scholarly Integrity; Policy 87 - Research; Policy 88 - Patents and Licensing; Policy 97 - Conflict of Interest.


II. UBC Faculty of Graduate Studies (FoGS)

  • General Information

The FoGS website contains important information for graduate students, including the following topics:

Financial Aid

Information on University awards and scholarships can be found at http://www.grad.ubc.ca/awards/current-students?tid=5.
Additional information on Department of Civil Engineering scholarships and awards can be found at http://www.civil.ubc.ca/current_students/graduates/awards.php.

 

III. UBC DEPARTMENT OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

Research Supervision

A student must choose a faculty member to serve as their Research Supervisor within 6 months of initial registration in the PhD program. The principal role of the Research Supervisor is to provide guidance on selection of coursework, to collaborate on the development of a research plan, to supervise the research effort, and to provide guidance on preparation of the PhD thesis.  On occasion, a student may be co-supervised by two faculty members. Ordinarily, for a student receiving financial support through a Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA), the Research Supervisor will be the faculty member with responsibility for the funding source.

A student who is initially undecided on their research topic will be assigned an interim supervisor, typically the Specialty Advisor.  However the choice of Research Supervisor must still be made within 6 months of initial registration in the PhD program.
If the Research Supervisor is on Study Leave or any other leave exceeding two months, it is recommended that an interim co-supervisor be appointed. If the interim co-supervisor is not a member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies, then a formal request for approval must be submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

Courses and Seminars

Coursework requirements specific to each area of specialization may be found at:

The PhD program in Civil Engineering requires completion of at least 30 credits of coursework beyond the Bachelor’s degree level, and submission of a thesis (CIVL 699). A student must discuss their proposed course selection with their Research Supervisor (or the Specialty Advisor, if a Research Supervisor has not yet been selected) before enrolling in any courses.

A student who has completed graduate courses while enrolled in another department at UBC, or another university, will have course requirements assessed on an individual basis by the Research Supervisor: credit may be granted for a maximum 18 credits of coursework, for courses with a standing of at least 74%, subject to the approval of the Associate Head (Graduate Programs).
A maximum of 6 credits may be taken as CIVL 592: Directed Studies in Civil Engineering, a provision for independent study that is unrelated to thesis research and completed under the guidance of a faculty member (http://www.calendar.ubc.ca/vancouver/courses.cfm?code=CIVL). There is no restriction on the maximum credits taken as CIVL 598: Topics in Civil Engineering, a provision for seminar or lecture delivery of new graduate courses. To register in these courses, a student should bring a Registration / Change of Registration (Add/Drop) form (available from the Department Office, else civil.ubc.ca/documents/Student/Add-Drop_Grad.pdf) to the instructor for signature, and submit it to the Graduate Secretary for approval.

The selected courses may include a maximum of 6 credits of undergraduate 300 or 400 level courses. Undergraduate courses at the 100 or 200 level may not be taken for PhD program credit. If remedial or prerequisite coursework is required at the 100/200 level, register for it as an Unclassified Student (http://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/student-status-classification/unclassified-students) or as an Auditor (http://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/managing-your-program/audit): the different registration status is important because the course is not then considered in the GPA for the PhD program.

Students are expected to maintain a minimum academic standing and a minimum grade of 68% is required in each course taken for credit. Supplemental examinations are not granted to graduate students: a course in which a grade of less than 68% is obtained may be repeated for higher standing, subject to the approval of the Faculty of Graduate Studies. A student who obtains a grade of less than 68% in more than one course, or achieves an overall average of less than 80% in coursework taken in the PhD program, will normally be required to withdraw.

All full-time PhD students are required to attend the CIVL 597 (1 credit) graduate seminar series in the chosen area of specialization (if offered). Seminars are typically presented by graduate students, visiting experts and faculty members. The seminars are intended to broaden a candidate's technical knowledge and also provide experience in delivering a peer-group presentation. All students are required to register once in the duration of their program, but are expected to attend all seminars over the period of their studies. PhD candidates are expected to give at least one seminar presentation during each year of their program, to which reference should be made by the Research Supervisor when submitting an annual progress report on the student.

Supervisory Committee

The program of each student is overseen by a supervisory committee of at least four members, including the Research Supervisor who normally chairs the committee. Preferably, the committee should include one member from outside the Department, who does not have to be a member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.  The committee is established by the Research Supervisor in consultation with the Graduate Program Advisor, within 6 months of the student’s registration in the PhD program.

The Supervisory Committee must have an annual (preferably biannual) meeting with the student in order to provide advice on courses, examinations and research work.  These meetings provide the student with an opportunity to reflect on progress and consider planned activities.  An annual progress report must be submitted by the Research Supervisor, to the Graduate Program Advisor, on behalf of the Supervisory Committee.

Comprehensive Examination

The purpose of the examination is to evaluate the student’s comprehension of scientific and engineering principles in the chosen field of study, as well as the potential for independent and original research.  It is separate and distinct from the defense of the research proposal (http://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/managing-your-program/comprehensive-examination-doctoral-student).

The examination can only be taken after completing a minimum of 24 credits of coursework (beyond the Bachelor’s degree), and must be taken within 24 months of initial registration in the PhD program.  It comprises a take-home written examination that is completed over a period of several days, followed by an oral examination that is held in camera and is of three hours maximum duration.  It is formulated by an Examination Committee that consists of at least 4 members, and is chaired by the Assoc. Head (Graduate Programs) or a designate (excluding the Research Supervisor). Membership of the committee is determined by the Research Supervisor in consultation, where appropriate, with the Assoc. Head (Graduate Programs). Preferably, the committee should include one examiner from outside the Department, who does not have to be a member of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

The Chair of the Examination Committee conducts the oral examination in accordance with the established Guidelines for PhD Comprehensive Oral Exams.  The recommendations of the committee must be conveyed in writing to the Associate Head (Graduate Programs), for transmission to the Faculty of Graduate Studies.  A copy is given to the Research Supervisor, who will include them in the annual progress report on the student.

Thesis Proposal

Upon successful completion of the Comprehensive Examination, the student prepares a research proposal for the doctoral thesis that must be approved by the Supervisory Committee. The formality of the proposal defense, and its evaluation, vary between each area of specialization. Accordingly, the student is required to consult with the Specialty Advisor on these matters.

Advancement to Candidacy

Upon successful completion of the Thesis Proposal, and all required coursework, the student may be admitted to candidacy. All doctoral students must be admitted to candidacy within 36 months of initial registration in the PhD program (http://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/managing-your-program/advancement-candidacy).

Graduate Research Assistantship

Scholarship funding through a Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) is described at http://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/managing-your-program/graduate-research-assistant-gra. A limited number of GRA awards are made each year to full-time PhD students in Civil Engineering. Typically, the award is for a 12 month term, commencing September in the year of admission. Occasionally the award is for a shorter term. A GRA award is normally renewed, subject to satisfactory academic progress. At the discretion of the Research Supervisor, a Graduate Research Assistant may be assigned research duties that are unrelated to the thesis topic. These duties are not to exceed 4 hours per week during a teaching term, and do not prevent a student from engaging in a program of full-time graduate studies.

If you are to be appointed as a Graduate Research Assistant, please request that your Research Supervisor complete an appointment form, and submit it to the Civil Finance office. If you are an international student, you also must request a letter from the Department in order to apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) number, which is a requirement of the GRA appointment process.

Graduate Teaching Assistantship and Graduate Marker

The role of a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA) and a Graduate Marker (GM) position is described at www.civil.ubc.ca/current_students/graduates/ta_marker.php.  These positions relate to specific courses and laboratory sessions, and are filed in a binder for review in the Civil Front Office. Applicants who held a GTA or GM position in the previous academic year, and who are entitled to a renewal under the terms of the Collective Agreement (Article 13.03), are preferred candidates for the same position in the new academic year. Please note that students applying for a GTA position must complete a Safety Course and ensure that their Safety Training record is signed before commencement of the duties.  For additional information, please contact the Department of Civil Engineering Director of Labs.

IV. FINAL DOCTORAL EXAM & DEGREE APPLICATION

Thesis

For detailed information on thesis preparation refer to: http://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/dissertation-thesis-preparation.
Normally, early drafts of the PhD thesis are prepared with guidance from the Research Supervisor, who must agree to its technical content and findings. The cost of thesis preparation is considered a responsibility of the Candidate. In preparing the final draft, the thesis should be circulated to all other members of the Supervisory Committee for their comments and suggestions. It may be appropriate to convene a meeting of the Supervisory Committee to assist with this process. Upon receiving a recommendation from the Supervisory Committee, the Department Head gives approval for the thesis to be submitted for examination.

Final Doctoral Examination

For detailed information on the final doctoral examination, including appointment of the External Examiner, constitution of the Examination Committee, and the oral defence, refer to: http://www.grad.ubc.ca/current-students/final-doctoral-examination.

Degree Application

Upon a successful defence of the thesis, the final approved copy of the dissertation must be submitted to the Faculty of Graduate Studies. It will be added to the UBC Library's cIRcle Institutional Repository. Please make sure that the thesis you submit is complete and accurate; you cannot re-submit an updated or changed thesis at a later date. IMPORTANT: If you would like your thesis to be withheld from publication, you must obtain approval from the Faculty of Graduate Studies before submitting your thesis.

The PhD candidate must apply for graduation by submitting an "Application for Graduation" to Enrolment Services. Immediately thereafter, please inform the Graduate Secretary in Civil Engineering.

MPORTANT NOTE: Students are responsible for ensuring that their program registration is complete, that all fees have been paid and that they meet all course requirements for the degree and program. If you have any questions of clarification please contact the
Civil Engineering Graduate Secretary at gradsec@civil.ubc.ca.

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