UNC Charlotte Graduate School

DEGREE REQUIREMENTS

The degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Infrastructure and Environmental Systems is awarded for completion of scholarly research that advances the knowledge base in the field of that research. Evidence of this is demonstrated by a successful dissertation defense. In addition, recipients of the degree should demonstrate a mastery of relevant subject matter and a potential for success in research and teaching.

Total hours required

As summarized in Table 1, the INES Ph.D. program requires a minimum of 72 post-Baccalaureate (semester) credit hours (a Minor in this program is not applicable). A Masters degree in an appropriate field, that is consistent with the admission requirements presented here, may count up to 30 hours of transfer credit upon recommendation of the Program and upon approval by the Graduate School.

Table 1. INES Doctoral Program Requirements.

	Minimum Credit Hrs. to Degree Required for Masters Entrants	Minimum Credit Hrs. to Degree Required for Bachelors Entrants
INES Core Core courses Case Studies Seminars	15 credit hrs. 9 credit hrs. 3 credit hrs. 3 credit hrs.	15 credit hrs. 9 credit hrs. 3 credit hrs. 3 credit hrs.
Specialized (Focus Area) Electives	9 credit hrs.¹	15 credit hrs.
Directed Studies (additional courses / research)	0 credit hrs.¹	24 credit hrs.
Dissertation Research	18 credit hrs.	18 credit hrs.
Total Credits Beyond Previous Degree	42 credit hrs.¹	72 credit hrs.

¹ based on a maximum of 30 credit hours transferred from a Masters program. Less than 30 credit hours transferred will result in a higher number of credit hours required for graduation.

Graduate course requirements

All courses taken for credit in the program shall be graduate level courses (graduate students only), and the majority shall be at the Ph.D. level (Ph.D. students only). All 8000-level focus area courses will be open only to Ph.D. students. All 6000-level courses available as specialized electives will be open only to graduate students (Masters and Ph.D.).

Grades required

As specified by the UNC Charlotte Graduate School, letter grades will be used to scale the quality of each student’s completed work as follows: ‘A’: Commendable (4.0); ‘B’: Satisfactory (3.0); ‘C’: Marginal (2.0); ‘U’: Unsatisfactory (1.0). Each Ph.D. student must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 in all coursework attempted for the degree. An accumulation of two “C” grades or one “U” grade will result in termination of enrollment in the program. Dissertation credits will not be included in the calculation of a student’s GPA.

Transfer credit accepted

Upon recommendation by the INES program committee and upon approval by the Graduate School, a certain number of courses in which a student achieved a minimum grade of ‘B’ will be accepted for transfer credit. The following transfer credit policy will apply:

A maximum of 30 semester credit hours from a Masters degree program in an appropriate field, that is consistent with the admission requirements stated earlier, may count toward the INES Ph.D. degree. This rule may apply whether the Masters degree was earned or not. However, no more than 6 hours taken when the student was in non-degree seeking status may be applied toward the doctoral degree.

Student Advising

Upon acceptance into the Ph.D. Program, a student will be assigned an adviser by the Program Director. Within the first year in the Program, each student will confirm or select a permanent doctoral research adviser. This selection will be approved by the Program Director and Dean of the Graduate School. At any time a student may request a change in initial supervisor or research adviser. These requests will be submitted to the Program Director for consideration and action.

Plan of study

Students who enter the Ph.D. Program must prepare a plan of study before the end of fourth semester in the Program. The plan of study will propose a schedule for completion of all coursework by the student. Each plan will be approved by the program director and the student’s doctoral committee.

Comprehensive (qualifying) examination and admission to candidacy

Each student must complete a qualifying examination. Students who enter the Ph.D. Program directly from a Baccalaureate program generally will sit for this examination before the end of third post-Baccalaureate year in the Program; students who enter from a Masters degree program must sit for it before the end of their first year in the Program. To sit for this examination, a student must have completed 2 of the 3 required core courses, must have at least a 3.0 GPA, and must have removed all conditions upon admission.

The examination will be a written exam and will address issues covered by the core elements of the program, as well as any focus area material covered by the candidate up to that point. This exam will be developed and administered by each student’s doctoral program committee. A student may attempt to pass the qualifying exam no more than twice. Failure a second time will result in termination of enrollment in the Ph.D. Program.

Admission to Candidacy

After passing the qualifying examination, a student can propose a dissertation topic. A student advances to candidacy after the dissertation topic has been approved by the student’s doctoral committee. Candidacy must be achieved within 6 months before the degree is conferred.

Dissertation Requirement

The INES Doctoral Program includes a minimum of 18 hours of dissertation credit. Each student must complete and defend a dissertation based on a research program approved by the student’s doctoral adviser with concurrence by the Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Program Committee. The dissertation must be of high quality and represent an original piece of research that advances the body of knowledge in infrastructure and environmental systems. Oral presentation and successful defense of the dissertation before the student’s advisory committee in a forum open to the public will be required. A copy of the student’s dissertation will be made available to the graduate faculty of the program at least two weeks prior to the public defense. The dissertation must be written in a format acceptable to the Graduate School.

Language Requirement

There is no foreign language requirement in the INES Ph.D. degree.

Residency Requirement

Each student must satisfy the residency requirement of the program by completing at least 16 credit hours in one period of 12 consecutive months during enrollment in the program.

Time Limits for Completion

No course listed on the candidacy form may be older than 8 years at the time of graduation. Courses that exceed this time limit must be revalidated or retaken, whichever the graduate program decides, if they are to count towards the degree program. Transfer credits beyond the Baccalaureate degree that count toward the Doctorate are not subject to the standard time limit to complete the degree.