PhD Degree Requirements

Entry to the PhD Program

To enter the PhD program, a student must have completed an MS degree or have bypassed the MS degree and passed the PhD preliminary oral examination. A grade point average of 3.5/4.0 or greater at the MS level is required for admission. Especially well-prepared students who have passed the PhD Qualifier exam may, with the permission of their advisor, elect to bypass the MS degree to directly pursue a PhD. This eliminates the required completion of the MS thesis. All MS-level coursework is still required.

At the end of the first year as a graduate student in the department, the student wishing to continue into the PhD program must take the Doctoral Qualifying Examination. Failure to take this examination at this time will forfeit one of the two opportunities to pass.

Course Requirements

A student's course sequence will be designed by the student and their thesis advisor, approved by the PhD committee and the Graduate Coordinator. This sequence should include courses in the student's research area as well as courses not related to their research area. Forty-two credits beyond the MS degree are required and must include the following:

Teaching Practicum

All PhD students are required to fulfill a two-term teaching obligation beyond the MS teaching obligation during their course of study. No course registration is required.

PhD Research Methodology

Full-time PhD students are required to register for CHE 3980 each term until graduation.

CHE 3980

Graduate Seminar

All full-time students must attend graduate seminar during the fall and spring terms and register for CHE 3001 - Graduate Seminar.

CHE 3001

Dissertation Requirement

A dissertation topic must be selected after passing the PhD qualifying examination. This is done by submitting a formal request in writing to the departmental Graduate Faculty for appointment of a faculty advisor (or advisors, if more than one). Preliminary work can be done on the dissertation by registering for CHE 3990. After being admitted to PhD candidacy, the student should concentrate on the dissertation, registering for CHE 3999. Eighteen credits of these two courses are required, with at least 12 of the 18 in CHE 3999. Most students complete more than the minimum 18 credits.

CHE 3990

CHE 3999

Forming a PhD Committee

In the fourth semester following passing the PhD Qualifier or receiving the MS, whichever is later - but generally by the end of the student's seventh semester - the student is required to form a committee and defend a research proposal on their PhD research topic. The selection of committee members and the completion of the Admission to PhD Candidacy form must be submitted to the Graduate Coordinator a minimum of two weeks prior to the date of the research proposal defense.

The committee consists of the PhD research advisor, at least two other faculty members from the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, and at least one faculty member from another department at the University of Pittsburgh or from an appropriate graduate program at another academic institution. The committee may also include additional members external to Pitt.

The majority of the committee, including the major advisor, must be full or adjunct members of the Graduate Faculty. The student should discuss with the advisor who would be best to serve on the committee based on their expertise, as this committee usually serves as the PhD dissertation committee. The research advisor serves as the committee chair.

PhD Comprehensive Examination and Proposal Conference

This is an oral examination based upon a written dissertation proposal. If this examination is passed, a doctoral committee will be officially approved. This exam should be taken at least 18 months before completion of the dissertation.

PhD Dissertation Defense

A final review (defense) of the dissertation must be conducted by the dissertation committee to determine the acceptability of the dissertation.