Doctor of Philososphy [Ph.D] [Civil Engineering] From South Dakota State University

The department’s graduate faculty members conduct research in the fields of bridge engineering, earthquake engineering, traffic operations and safety, transportation infrastructure, breaking waves and river hydraulics, fate and transport of contaminants, water/wastewater treatment processes and biological filtration, and soil stability and deep foundations.

Program Objectives

The Ph.D. program’s objectives are to prepare graduates to:

• Generate and disseminate new discovery in civil engineering disciplines
• Develop resilient civil engineering infrastructure to withstand man-made and natural hazards

• Advance sustainable civil engineering systems to serve the needs of future generations and preserve natural resources

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is home for state-of-the-art experimental and research facilities.  The Lohr Structures Laboratory is a 400 square meters high-bay/strong-floor structural testing facility that is configured to accommodate large-and full-scale test specimens. The Fluid Mechanics Laboratory has a 25-m-long, 0.90-m-wide and 0.75-m-deep research flume which can be used either as an open channel or as a wave tank.  The HDR Environmental Laboratory is designed to perform three major functions: Teaching, Analysis, and Research.  The research area of the HDR laboratory contains space for graduate work, a ventilated room for biological research, and an area with a high ceiling to accommodate pilot plant work.  In addition, the materials, geotechnical, and asphalt laboratories are equipped with basic and advanced testing equipment which can support experimental research.