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  General Information
 

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering offers two PhD programs, one in
Civil Engineering and the other in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering. Through these two PhD programs, graduate students are trained to address and solve state of the art civil and environmental engineering challenges, and to develop theory, methodology, and adequate experimental skills to investigate emerging issues in these domains. Graduates of the PhD programs shall have the maturity and ability to assume academic and professional leadership roles in various fields related to civil and environmental engineering.
   
  PhD Program Objectives
  The objectives of the PhD programs in:
1. To cultivate expertise in specialized concentration areas of civil and environmental
    engineering.
2. To develop research skills which include the formulation and study of original ideas as
    well as the development of theory, methodology, and experimental skills.
3. To promote involvement in inter-disciplinary teams and activities and develop skills
    pertinent to group and collaborative efforts.
4. To acquire teaching expertise through class lectures and assisting in courses and labs.
   
  Admission Requirements
  Applicants to the PhD program are expected to have demonstrated distinct academic ability.  To be eligible for admission to the program, a candidate must:
1. Hold a Master’s degree in Civil Engineering or a related discipline from AUB or other
    recognized institution of higher learning with a minimum cumulative average of 85 over
    100 or its equivalent.
2. Provide scores for the General Exam part of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
3. Students from non-English-speaking countries must show proficiency in the English
    language. A minimum score of 600 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language
    (TOEFL) (or 250 on the computer-based TOEFL) exam is required, or its equivalent.
4. Submit a complete application including a statement of interest, transcripts of academic
    record from all institutions attended after high school, and three letters of
    recommendation.
5. Complete an interview, either in person or by phone.

The application to the doctoral program will follow the deadlines as set by the Office of Admissions at AUB.
   
 
   
  Program Requirements
  The proposed PhD program requires a minimum of 24 credit hours of course work beyond the Master's degree and 24 credit hours of dissertation work. Students enrolled in the program must be admitted to candidacy at least two semesters before obtaining their PhD degree. To be eligible for candidacy, students must pass the qualifying and comprehensive examinations and complete at least 24 credits of course work with a minimum cumulative grade average of 85.

To earn a PhD degree in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, a student must fulfill the following graduation requirements:
1. Attained a minimum grade of 80 in 24 credits taken at the PhD level.
2. Attained a minimum cumulative average of 85 in 24 credits of course work taken at the
    PhD level.
3. Passed the PhD dissertation defense.
4. Satisfied the minimum residence requirements.
5. Presented evidence of a paper submittal to a leading international journal.

   
  Financial Support
  PhD students may apply for fellowships that cover full tuition, and that include a stipend of up to 12,000 USD per year. PhD students may also apply for graduate assistantships that cover tuition, and/or research assistantships that provide a monthly stipend. Research Areas of Strength - Civil Engineering

More information can be found at the website listed next page.
   
  Structural and Materials Engineering
  • Advanced design and behavior of reinforced concrete, prestressed concrete,  steel    structures, and fiber-reinforced composites
•  Strengthening and rehabilitation of structural systems under static and seismic loading;    structural health monitoring
•  Advanced concrete technology including plain, hot weathered, and high-strength    concrete
•  Petrographic, chemical, and mechanical properties of sands and aggregates
•  Seismic evaluation and assessment, earthquake engineering design, and use of
    fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP) for structural application under static and seismic     loading
•  Numerical modeling and computer-aided structural engineering
   
  Geotechnical Engineering
  •  Foundation engineering and excavation support systems
•  Land reclamation and site improvement
•  Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in decision and expert tool applications
•  Geo-environmental engineering (waste disposal and site remediation)
•  Geotechnical earthquake engineering, geo-hazards and risk assessment
   
  Transportation Systems
 

•  Maritime transport and optimization of port operations (container terminals)
•  Transport infrastructure management
•  Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) – traveler information systems and behavior
•  Public and urban transport planning and operations
   
  Research Areas of Strength - Environmental and Water Resources Engineering
 

•  Water and wastewater treatment systems
•  Solid and industrial waste management
•  Air pollution control and air quality management
•  Environmental and water resources management and planning
•  Water resources optimization and conflict management
•  GIS and IT applications in water resources
•  Risk assessment, mass emergency and disaster, with emphasis on dam safety
•  Groundwater systems analysis
•  Watershed modeling and management
•  Hydraulic systems analysis
   
  Laboratories
  The Civil and Environmental Engineering programs maintain specialized teaching and research laboratories for environmental, geotechnical, hydraulics, and structural engineering.  Equipment and instrumentation are also available to conduct investigations and surveys in transportation and surveying engineering.  The laboratories are used for research purposes as well as to enhance teaching through hands-on experience in the various fields of civil and environmental engineering. 
   
  Library Resources and Services
 

Students will have access to the University Libraries print and virtual collections. Jafet Library, the main library, is centrally located on campus, and has branch libraries in engineering, architecture, the pure and agricultural sciences.
Its total holdings include over 600,000 volumes and a print journal collection of around 2500 titles and approximately 22,000 titles within electronic databases.

 The books and journals cover topics such as structural engineering, rock and soil mechanics, retaining walls, concrete, bridges, roads, water supply, reservoirs, sewers, waste technology, sanitary engineering, flood control, etc.

Of the virtual resources, the University Libraries subscribe to the following databases, among others: ASCE Online Package, Scopus, ASTM International Standards, and British Standards, as well as to eBook packages: Safari Technical Books and Knovel.
Subscriptions also include four major multidisciplinary online journal packages: Elsevier Science Direct, Blackwell Synergy, Kluwer /Springer Link and Wiley.

The services of the University Libraries include an active program of enrichment to support PhD programs, research assistance offered in classes and on an individual basis, and Document Delivery Services for material not available in the collections.

http://staff.aub.edu.lb/~webjafet/
   
  Relevant Websites
  Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
http://www.aub.edu.lb/fea/cee
PhD Programs in CEE 
http://webfea.fea.aub.edu.lb/fea/cee/programs/phd.aspx
Laboratories and other facilities 
http://webfea.fea.aub.edu.lb/fea/cee/facilities/labs.aspx
           
     Faculty List and Research Interests
  Name Rank Degree

Institution  –Year

 Years Served Research Interests
  Assaf, H Asst. PhD UBC Vancouver  - 1991 4 Water resources planning and management, watershed modeling, GIS, risk analysis, integration of information technology in engineering applications, agents technology.
  Ayoub, G. Prof. PhD Imperial College - 1971 37

Water and wastewater management, physico-chemical and biological  treatment processes, development of low cost methods and materials in water and wastewater treatment, industrial waste treatment.
             

.

 Basha, H. Prof PhD UC Berkeley - 1989 17 Development of analytical and numerical models for infiltration, modeling groundwater flow, solute transport in water networks, rainfall-runoff, mathematical analysis of   conduit flow.
  El-Fadel, M. Prof PhD Stanford U - 1991 11 Management of environmental and water resources, solid and industrial waste, air quality, environment impact assessment, and climate change, greenhouse gas emissions.
             
  Hamad, B. Prof PhD

UT Austin  -  1990

25

 Design and behavior of reinforced concrete structures, bond and development of reinforcement, repair and strengthening of reinforced concrete structures, and concrete technology.
             
  Harajli, M. Prof PhD UM Ann Arbor - 1985 20 Design and behavior of reinforced,  pre-stressed and fiber reinforced concrete under static and seismic  loads, repair and rehabilitation of concrete structures using advanced composites.
             
  Kaysi, I. Prof PhD MIT - 1992 16 Maritime transport & port    operations, advanced technology applications in transport,   transportation planning, and public transport systems.
             
  Mabsout, M. Prof PhD UT Austin -   1991 16 Structural mechanics, finite element analysis, soil-structure interaction, computing in civil engineering.
             
  Madanat, S. Prof PhD MIT - 1991 * Transportation infrastructure systems management, modeling of   infrastructure condition; and maintenance decision-making under uncertainty.
             
  Sadek, S. Prof PhD UC Berkeley - 1993 14 Electrical properties of clays,  properties of solid waste fills and     their evaluation, alternative landfill  cover systems, seismic design of   dams.
             
Saikaly, P. Asst PhD

 

 University of Cincinnati - 2005 * Water and wastewater treatment, biological processes.
* Drs. Madanat and Saikaly are expected to join in Summer 2007
 
   

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Last updated: 11/15/2007
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