Engineering and Computational Sciences, Ph.D. (72 hours)

Admissions Policy

For admission to the Ph.D. in ENCS program, the student must:

1. Have a Master of Science in an engineering discipline or computer science, a Master of Engineering, or a master’s degree in a closely related field.  Students with B.S. degrees with documented exceptional academic performance will also be considered.
2. Submit a certificate of proficiency in English with the required scores as noted in the current TSU Graduate Catalog (for students that have a B.S. and/or master’s degree(s) from a foreign university).
3. Have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.30 on a 4.0 scale for their master’s degree to be eligible for unconditional admission to the Ph.D. program.
4. Have above average grades in all of the pre-requisite courses in related mathematics, engineering, and computer science courses:
   1. Differential Equations
   2. Engineering Design
   3. Computer Programming

Degree Requirements

1. The Ph.D. Program requires a total of 72 credit hours after the B.S. degree as outlined in the curriculum.
2. Passing of the Comprehensive Written Examination, administered in two parts: Group I courses (2 courses from the common core) and Group II courses (2 courses from the concentration courses).
3. Passing of the dissertation proposal within 2 semesters after passing the comprehensive written exam (and at least one semester before defending the dissertation research).
4. After the approval of the dissertation proposal, students must complete dissertation research and submit completed dissertation to the advisory committee for approval.
5. Upon approval by the advisory committee and the graduate school, the student must defend the research before the advisory committee and a public seminar before the faculty, students, alumni and/or industrial representatives.
6. Upon successful defense of research, presentation of the written dissertation, and approval by the Coordinator of the Ph.D. program, the major advisor with the consent of the Ph.D. Advisory Committee will initiate recommendation for awarding of the degree.

Curriculum Description

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree program in Engineering and Computational Sciences is a unique interdisciplinary program. It integrates the strengths of various disciplines of computer science, electrical and computer engineering, mechanical and manufacturing engineering, civil engineering, and systems engineering. The curriculum provides advanced knowledge and research experiences in the following concentration areas: (1) Engineering Systems and (2) Computational Sciences.  The program prepares graduates for successful engagement in research and development, academia, and various research-based engineering industries.