A master’s degree has long been considered sufficient education for a practicing civil engineer. However, as technology advances, solutions become more complex, and the demand for an educated workforce grows, engineering doctorates are increasingly desired by employers, universities, and research facilities.
Earning a Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering at Lawrence Technological University can make a difference in your career, opening up significant leadership opportunities for you in academia, research, and professional practice.
You will participate in and lead pioneering applied research projects that offer you exceptional hands-on experience. Most projects are funded by research grants from private foundations and public entities, such as the National Science Foundation and numerous state transportation departments.
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) has designated Lawrence Tech’s Department of Civil Engineering as a Center of Excellence for Sustainable Infrastructure and Structural Testing for its ongoing research to improve the structural integrity and longevity of concrete bridges.
Whether you want to test the strength of structures, study settlement mechanics of bioreactor landfills, develop environmentally sound stormwater management techniques, or initiate your own project, the PhD in Civil Engineering program at Lawrence Tech can provide you with an individually focused research experience.
Lawrence Tech’s dedicated faculty, who have rich professional, research, and publications backgrounds, will guide and mentor you throughout the process. The advanced testing facilities, intimate private university atmosphere, and low student-to-faculty ratio can help prepare you to build an exciting civil engineering career.
Educational Objectives
During the course of study, students are expected to:
1. Evaluate the effectiveness of a designed experiment in meeting an ill-defined real-world need.
2. Evaluate a complex system or process, or evaluate the validity of newly-created knowledge in a traditional or emerging advanced specialized technical area appropriate to civil engineering.
3. Plan, compose and integrate the verbal, written, virtual, and graphical communication of a project to technical and non-technical audiences.
September 2025
College of Engineering
21000 West Ten Mile Road,
SOUTHFIELD,
Michigan,
48075, United States
Students must have a civil engineering background at the undergraduate level. Students with non-civil engineering backgrounds may only be considered on a case-by-case basis under very exceptional circumstances. A Master of Science in Civil Engineering or an equivalent from an accredited college or university. Exceptional students with an earned Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering may be considered for direct admission into the doctoral program. An overall GPA of at least 3.3 on a 4.0 scale in the master’s degree. Students with lower GPAs may be accepted on a provisional basis as described below.
The following English proficiency test scores are required for students for whom English is a second language: 79 on the TOEFL iBT; 6.0 on the IELTS; 105 on the Duolingo English Test for graduate students.
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
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