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Engineering PhD: Civil Engineering
PhD

Earning a PhD in civil engineering is a valuable investment for those seeking to pursue advanced research, academic positions, or specialized technical leadership roles where in-depth knowledge and specialized expertise are highly valued.

As the only R1 research university in Southeast Wisconsin, our faculty are motivated to ask big questions and work with you to pursue research that can lead to new technologies, materials, and design methodologies that advance the field.

Our civil engineering faculty are involved in high-impact research around construction materials, design, geotechnical engineering, hydrology, structural design and transportation.

Program Type

Doctoral

Program Format

On Campus

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Research Focus

Konstantin Sobolev, Ph.D., Civil & Environmental Engineering shows the potential for concrete road surfaces to be both durable and environmentally sustainable.

UWM Engineering & Applied Science students have the chance to work with Sobolev on research that will improve Wisconsin roads.

man holding a chunk of concrete

A PhD degree requires completion of 66 graduate credits beyond the bachelor’s degree. Some students pursue their PhD after completing a master’s degree, and others choose to earn a PhD instead of a master’s degree. Please see the academic catalog for specific requirements.

Many students earn Teaching Assistantships (TAs), Research Assistantships (RAs) or Fellowships during their graduate study which helps to fund their education while also building leadership skills. Assistantships decisions are made by the academic departments only after an applicant has been accepted to the program.

Earning a PhD in can provide you with a wide range of professional or academic opportunities that may include leadership roles in academia, government service, or high-level industrial research.

More Information

Contact the College of Engineering & Applied Science Graduate Programs Office.

We’re the only top tier R1 research university in Southeast Wisconsin and our students have the opportunity to work on advanced research with civil and environmental engineering faculty involved in research around:

  • Application of nanomaterials in construction and on surfaces
  • Industrial waste product utilization in structural materials
  • Design with polymer composite materials and structures
  • Water quality and sensing for contamination
  • New structural designs and methods
  • Flexible pavement design
  • Hydrodynamic modeling and fluid mechanics
  • Smart mobility technologies, smart traffic lights, intelligent transportation systems, big data analytics, urban computing and cloud computing

Earning a PhD demonstrates a high level of expertise and can enhance credibility within the engineering community.

See the Faculty tab to the right for the specific research interests and labs of each civil and environmental engineering faculty member. View the full list of our college’s research labs, centers and institutes.

Faculty

Blackowski, Sarah
  • Assistant Professor of Engineering Education, Civil & Environmental Engineering
Dressel, Andrew
  • Scientist II, Civil & Environmental Engineering
  • Lab Manager, Bicycle and Motorcycle Engineering Research Laboratory, EMS W301
  • Advisor, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
Elhajjar, Rani
  • Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Department Chair, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Graettinger, Andrew
  • Associate Dean for Research, Engineering & Applied Science Office of the Dean
Helwany, Sam
  • Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Li, Jin
  • Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Liao, Qian
  • Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Ma, Xiaoli
  • Richard and Joanne Grigg Fellowship
  • Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Qin, Xiao
  • Richard and Joanne Grigg Professorship
  • Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Director, Institute for Physical Infrastructure and Transportation (IPIT)
  • Founder and Director, Safe and Smart Traffic Lab
Rahman, Adeeb
  • Associate Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Shi, Xiaowei (Tom)
  • Assistant Professor, Civil & Environmental Engineering
  • Founder and Director, Automated, Connected & Electric Mobility Systems Lab
Sobolev, Konstantin
  • Richard and Joanne Grigg Professorship
  • Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Tabatabai, Habib
  • Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Director, Structural Engineering Lab
Titi, Hani
  • Lawrence E. Sivak Faculty Fellowship
  • Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Wang, Yin
  • Richard and Joanne Grigg Fellowship
  • Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering
Zhao, Jian
  • Professor, Civil and Environmental Engineering

Advising

Crary, Therese
  • Advisor, Graduate Programs
  • Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Biomedical Health Informatics
Packard, Robert
  • Advisor, Graduate Programs
  • Civil/Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Industrial/Manufacturing Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering

UWM is proud to be one of only two R1 research universities in Wisconsin. We’re also a top externally funded institution with robust opportunities for teaching and research assistantships. Partners that support our important research include:

  • A O Smith Corporation
  • AECOM
  • ATSP Innovations
  • Badger Meter
  • Bloom Company
  • Caterpillar Inc.
  • Electric Power Research Institute
  • Federal Highway Administration
  • Gannett Fleming Inc.
  • Hyundai Motor Company
  • Iowa Department of Transportation
  • Milwaukee Electric Tool Corporation
  • Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District
  • Milwaukee Riverkeeper
  • National Academies
  • National Institute of Aerospace
  • National Science Foundation
  • National Space Grant Foundation
  • Space & Naval Warfare Systems & Command
  • USDA Forest Products Laboratory
  • UWM Foundation
  • Veolia Water Milwaukee
  • Village of Shorewood
  • WE Energies
  • Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Academic Catalog
Schedule of Classes
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Contact
Civil & Environmental Engineering
Contact Info: ceas-cem@uwm.edu

Street Address
College of Engineering & Applied Science
3200 North Cramer Street
Milwaukee, WI 53211

Mailing Address
College of Engineering & Applied Science
P.O. Box 784
Milwaukee, WI 53201-0784