phd programs at virginia tech

Graduate School

Virginia Tech’s Graduate School offers far more than a degree program: We help you prepare, connect, succeed, and stand out.

Based in the innovative Graduate Life Center , all of our programs, courses, workshops, and support services are rooted in the four pillars of the Graduate School’s Transformative Graduate Education Initiative: knowledge, leadership, scholarly inquiry, and social responsibility.

We complement academic disciplines and encourage interdisciplinary research and collaboration across fields. We provide professional development opportunities and support for career professionals and future professors. And we do all of this with an emphasis on diversity, ethics, technology, and global perspectives.

While at Virginia Tech, you will be part of a strong, inclusive, supportive community of graduate students, faculty, and administrators.

Get an education that crosses boundaries and prepares you for solving real-world problems, no matter what field you’re in.

Doctorate (PhD)

Note: Students entering the PhD program prior to Spring 2020 are eligible to follow the old rules shown here , but are almost certain to prefer the current rules shown on this page.

A student pursuing the Ph.D. degree is expected to exhibit a comprehensive knowledge of a broad cross section of the computer science discipline and to contribute significant new knowledge to the discipline through the research contribution contained in the doctoral dissertation. A PhD student must complete a minimum of 90 credits of graduate study, of which at least 27 must derive from graded courses, with a minimum GPA of 3.0. The PhD program is intended to be completed in about five years from entering the graduate program with a BS degree in Computer Science or a related field, or about four years if the student already has an MS degree in Computer Science or a related field. This is possible because students who begin the PhD program already in possession of a Masters may be able to count as many as four courses toward their course requirement (see section  Transfer Credits ).

To fulfill graduation requirements for the Ph.D. degree, students must satisfy the breadth requirement, adhere to an appropriate credit distribution, enroll in the graduate seminar, comply with the ethics requirement, and complete the major milestones for the degree, including the preliminary exam, research defense and final defense.

Breadth Requirements

To encourage Ph.D. graduates to exhibit sufficient breadth of computer science areas, Ph.D. students must take CS courses at the 5000 and 6000 levels that span four (4) different areas. Transfer courses may be used to satisfy the breadth requirement. The available courses and areas are listed  here .

Graduate Seminar Requirement; Graduate School Ethics, Inclusion, and Diversity Requirements

The Graduate School requires that all graduate students satisfy two sets of requirements: one addressing training in  Scholarly Ethics and Integrity , and one addressing  Inclusion and Diversity . The CS Department also requires students to take a minimum number of instances of CS5944 Graduate Seminar.

Students entering the program in Summer 2019 or after must do the following.

• Take some course that makes an explicit part of its syllabus satisfaction of all aspects of both sets of Graduate School requirements (ethics training, and inclusion and diversity training). Within CS, starting with Fall 2019, both CS5014 Research Methods and CS5024 Ethics and Professionalism in Computer Science will include material to satisfy both requirements. CS students may seek approval to satisfy the requirement with another course whose syllabus explicitly addresses both Graduate School requirements.
• Take CS5944 Graduate Seminar twice.

Students entering the program prior to Summer 2019 may satisfy the requirements by using the rules listed above, or they may use the following rules. (Please note that if you want to use the rules above, you must have taken the appropriate course in Fall 2019 or after. Earlier instances of the courses do not cover the required training, and so cannot be used.)

• Participate in the orientation session offered by the GD. This orientation is done the week before classes start in the Fall and Spring semesters.
• Responsible Conduct of Research
• Conflict of Interest Training
• Take CS 5944 Graduate Seminar three times.
• Students will be required to submit evidence of completion of these milestones in their annual student activity report (see section  Annual Evaluation ).

Credit Distribution Requirements

Note: Each of the lines above are individual, distinct, constraints. All constraints must be satisfied. The columns are not meant to “add up”.

Additional credit hours may be taken in any category, but do not count toward degree requirements. Substitutions for degree requirements are allowed only under rare or exceptional circumstances. Requests for substitutions must be made to the GD.

All courses must be at the 5000 level or above with at most two 4000-level courses included. If a CS 4000 level course is included, it must be from the list of CS 4000 level courses approved for graduate credit. Credits from CS5894 Final Examination cannot be used to satisfy any Ph.D. credit requirements. Credits from CS5944 Graduate Seminar, CS5974 Independent Study, CS5904 Project and Report, and CS7994 Research and Dissertation cannot be used to satisfy any Ph.D. coursework credit requirements. At least two CS 6000 level courses are required and between one and three cognate courses are required. See the department website for a  list of approved cognate courses .

Advisor and Committee

All graduate students have access to a faculty advisor who can help with both academic advising (i.e., issues related to getting a degree) and career advising. PhD students, and MS students under the thesis option, should select a faculty member to act as their research and course advisor as early as possible in their academic career and definitely by the time their plan of study is due (see  Plan of Study ). The advisor must hold a Virginia Tech faculty position with either a tenured/tenure track, emeritus, collegiate faculty, or courtesy appointment in the Department of Computer Science, and hold a PhD or equivalent terminal degree.

In place of a single advisor, PhD or MS Thesis students can instead choose an advisor and a co-advisor. In this case, at least one of these two must hold a Virginia Tech faculty position with either a tenured/tenure track, emeritus, collegiate faculty, or courtesy appointment in the Department of Computer Science, and hold a Ph.D. or equivalent terminal degree. The advisor chairs the student’s advisory committee.

The composition of a PhD advisory committee must be designed taking into account the following considerations:

• The committee must have at least five members (including the advisor or co-advisors).
• At least four members of the committee must hold a PhD or equivalent terminal degree. Any member without a PhD or equivalent terminal degree must have nationally recognized expertise in their field and have research experience.
• At least three members must hold tenured/tenure track, collegiate faculty, professor of practice (approved to serve on PhD committees) or emeritus positions in the Department of Computer Science.
• If the answer is yes, please inform your graduate coordinator to double check their status with VT.
• If the answer is no, secure a copy of the potential external member’s current CV (websites are acceptable) and forward that information to your graduate coordinator.
• Your graduate coordinator will then use that information to get the potential external member approved to serve on your committee.

A PhD advisory committee must have five members by the time that the preliminary exam is scheduled. However, we will process an initial Plan of Study with only four members of the committee identified.

The GD serves as the de-facto interim advisor for Ph.D. students who have not yet selected a research advisor or who need additional academic advising. The GD can provide signatures and other official approvals as required.

Note: The department is committed to support some of the travel expenses for an external member to visit campus and attend one of the official graduate exams of a dissertation committee. However, the budget for these situations is limited, there are travel authorizations required before the outside member travels, and other approvals. No honorarium can be paid to the visitors, only travel expenses. Consult the GC before making arrangements for travel.

Note: External members must be pre-approved to serve in university PhD committees. This is a step that the student must complete before filing the Plan of Study. The  policy on external members  is described in the  Graduate School Catalog . The form needed is available at the  Graduate School forms page .

PhD Procedural Milestones

Students seeking a PhD must successfully complete four major milestones: the Qualifying Process, the Preliminary Proposal, the Research Defense, and the Final Defense.

Qualifying Process

The PhD qualifying process is completed early in a student's doctoral studies and is the first of four milestones which must be completed successfully to earn the PhD degree. The qualifying process must be completed within 24 months of entering the Ph.D. program. Students who received an M.S. degree in Computer Science at Virginia Tech must complete this stage within 15 months of entering the Ph.D. program. Extensions to these time limits may be negotiated, but extensions are intended to apply to students who take leave from the University, or are part-time students.

It is important to keep in mind that the Ph.D. qualifier is a “process” rather than just an “exam”. It involves two components: excellence in breadth and excellence in depth. Breadth is assessed through classwork achievement. Depth is assessed through a combination of research achievement and the results of a qualifying exam (in the student’s cognizant area of specialty). A Ph.D. student must demonstrate excellence in both breadth and depth to be considered qualified. The qualifying process is completed once the student completes both components. The Breadth requirement may be completed before or after the Depth requirement, there is no necessary order to their completion.

Excellence in Breadth

This score is assessed on a binary scale (pass/fail). To pass this requirement, a student needs to take four CS courses spanning three areas, not to include Area 0 (that is, an Area 0 course may count as one of the four courses, but not one of the three areas) and receive a GPA of at least 3.5 averaged across these four courses. Only 5000-level and above CS courses eligible to be used on a CS graduate plan of study are considered. At least three 5000-level courses must be included. These courses must be graded on an A-F scale. Transferred courses are not considered.

Excellence in Depth

This score is assessed on a points system using two components: research achievement and a qualifying exam. Each component can provide up to 3 points. Out of the total possible 6 points, a student must obtain 3 points to pass the excellence in depth requirement. Note that it is possible to pass the excellence in depth requirement using only one of the two components (i.e., either research achievement or the qualifying exam).

Research achievement score: This score is assessed by the GD by soliciting input from the faculty regarding a student's research ability. In addition, the student may submit a written description of his or her research achievements. This score will then be assigned based on the individual's research record and the faculty recommendations. Guidelines for scoring:

• 3: Student has a non-trivial publication record. Traditionally, this is publication of at least one paper in a top-tier, peer-reviewed conference or journal, and typically with additional submissions or publications. While this might be for work done prior to entering our program, it is expected that some research work (Independent study, GRA, or major volunteer effort) will have been done here. Alternatively, the student has completed a MS thesis in CS at Virginia Tech, or a peer institution, and has had at least one paper published in a peer reviewed conference or journal. To gain this score, some VT CS faculty member must endorse the student, and be willing to act as PhD advisor.
• 2: Student has demonstrated research ability through satisfactory performance on an Independent Study project, a graduate research assistantship (GRA) assignment, or an equivalent volume of work on a volunteer basis. This might have been done at another university, and there might be minor publications. To gain this score, some VT CS faculty member must endorse the student, and be willing to act as PhD advisor.
• 1: Recommendations from faculty who have personal knowledge of a student's research ability, based on class projects, papers, or presentations, indicate that the student is able to do credible research.
• 0: No evidence of research achievement.

Qualifying exam score: A PhD qualifying examination committee may be formed in any area recognized by the Department. There is at most one committee per area in a given year and is constituted based on student interest (hence, due to insufficient student interest, some areas might not offer qualifying exams in some years). The examination will be either written or oral (or both), with format and procedures as the examination committee sees fit. Students are normally eligible for only one attempt at the exam.

Guidelines for assessing the qualifying exam score are as follows:

• 3: Excellent performance, beyond that normally expected or required for a PhD student.
• 2: Performance appropriate for students preparing to do PhD-level work. Prime factors for assessment include being able to distinguish good work from poor work, and explain why; being able to synthesize the body of work into an assessment of the state-of-the-art on a problem (as indicated by the collection of papers); being able to identify open problems and suggest future work.
• 1: While the student adequately understands the content of the work, the student is deficient in one or more of the factors listed for assessment under score value of 2. A score of 1 is the minimum necessary for an MS-level pass.
• 0: Student's performance is such that the committee considers the student unable to do PhD-level work in Computer Science.

Attempting or using a qualifying exam in a given area to get qualified does not “tie” a student to Ph.D. research in that area. For instance, a student might get qualified using scores from the qualifying exam in the HCI area but might opt to pursue a Ph.D. in the area of algorithms and theory. It is presumed that the student’s advisor (and advisory committee) are adequately positioned to judge the suitability of the student’s proficiency to undertake Ph.D. research in a given area and the Preliminary Proposal Exam is an opportunity to ascertain the same.

Since the Ph.D. qualifying exams are offered early in the calendar year, the GD will attempt to assign initial valuations to all who take the exam, and give feedback via email on current standing to those students. If at that point a student has six points, a letter to that effect will be issued automatically. At the end of Spring semester, the GD will attempt to update those valuations based on Spring grades, again issuing a qualification letter if the student is qualified. Aside from immediately after the exam and at the end of Spring semester, evaluation will only be conducted when initiated by the student. There are two cases where a student will initiate an evaluation. (1) If the student determines that he/she can obtain six points without taking the exam, they should contact the GD and provide appropriate documentation to support receiving the points. (2) If at some point after the Spring semester evaluation the student feels he/she has a case for six points, they can contact the GD to do an evaluation. When the qualifier case is clear cut for a given student, the GD will make an immediate determination. Cases that are not clear cut will be referred to the full committee.

As stated earlier, the PhD qualifying examination also serves as one of the two methods whereby an MS coursework-only option student may pass their MS degree final examination.

In consultation with their advisor, once a student completes the requirements for qualification, the student must submit the Request to be Qualified form, available in the  forms page  of our website.

Constituting the Qualifying Exam Committee: A PhD qualifying examination committee may be formed in any area recognized by the Department . Each year, the GD will appoint a chair for each examination committee from among the volunteers for that semester. A committee consists of three or more faculty members.

The PhD Qualifying Examination is given during a period spanning the end of Fall semester and the start of Spring semester of each year. During early Fall semester, students interested in taking the exam should discuss potential research areas with faculty members so that examination areas of mutual interest can be discovered. Examination committees must post the reading list for their exam by November 1. The exam is normally administered during January and February, with scores reported to GPC by mid February.

Each examination committee will publish a suitable reading list by November 1. It is not a requirement that the papers broadly cover the area, or be "seminal papers" in the area. A list containing papers with results spanning a wide spectrum in regards to quality and relevance is desirable to gauge the student's ability to judge quality and importance of results. The body of work should serve as a good introduction to one or more aspects of the area, but is also selected in part to serve as a vehicle for the exam. For example, a committee giving an exam in algorithms might choose one year to assign a set of papers on NP-complete problems in bioinformatics. The following year, the papers assigned by that committee might be on a completely different topic.

The exam is meant to probe the student's understanding of the content of the papers, the student's ability to synthesize the content into a meaningful understanding of the issues involved, and from there, the student's ability to determine potential "next step" paths of research (based on the papers assigned). In general, the exam is testing the student's ability to critically analyze the material, make judgments regarding the quality and relevance of the results, as well as deriving ideas for future research directions for the specific subtopic addressed in the papers.

All qualifier exams should have a written component. Students should receive feedback on their writing skills. An oral component is recommended, but optional. All exams should be graded by at least two graders, or three graders if one of the graders is the student's advisor.

All tenure track faculty are expected to participate on qualifier exam committees, consistent with the number of their PhD student advisees. Ideally, faculty will not need to serve on an exam committee more often than two years out of three. We recommend, but not require, that faculty participate on committees during the years when they have advisees taking that exam.

At the end of the examination process, the committee must arrive at a scoring in the range 0 to 3 (integer only), and report this score to the GD by the deadline. If a student takes the exam and gets zero points, then GPC might recommend at the Green Thursday review that the student leave the program, or might allow the student another chance to take the exam.

Preliminary Exam

The Preliminary Proposal Exam is the second of four milestones to be completed by a PhD student. The CS Department's Preliminary Proposal Exam serves as the University's required Preliminary Exam. The Preliminary Proposal Exam should occur as early as possible after completing the PhD Qualifying Process. Ideally students will complete the Preliminary Exam at around the end of their sixth semester in the PhD program, and roughly two years before their expected graduation. Passing the Preliminary Exam is required for Candidacy as recognized by the Graduate School.

See  Scheduling an Exam  for details on the mechanics of scheduling the prelim exam with the grad school.

The Preliminary Proposal Exam is an oral presentation and examination expected to last between one and three hours. The actual conduct, content, and scope of the Preliminary Proposal Exam are under the control of the student's advisory committee. However, the intent of the Preliminary Proposal exam is to assess the student's readiness to begin independent research on the proposed problem. In particular, it seeks to answer two questions:

• Does the work proposed appear satisfactory to qualify as completing a PhD? This means that the proposed work is not so ambitious as to be implausible for a PhD student, yet is ambitious enough to warrant granting of a PhD if completed.
• Is the student adequately prepared to do the proposed work? In particular, does the student have an adequate grasp of the current state-of-the-art in the proposed research area? This is likely to be determined in part by a literature review, which should also be useful to the student at the time of writing the dissertation.

It is expected that, to satisfy these objectives, the student will prepare a document and submit it to the committee sufficiently in advance of the exam that the committee members have adequate time to review it. This document will likely consist of (a) a literature review and discussion of relevant work, including relevant prior work by the student, and (b) a research plan describing the work to be completed and its significance. To whatever extent is reasonable, it is advisable that the document include a timeline for completion and description of any equipment, supplies, or support necessary for successful completion. This document should be thought of as a proposal (a traditional NSF proposal with a 15 page limit is a good model for the document), and not as a draft of a dissertation.

Depending on the will of the committee, the Preliminary Proposal Exam may be limited strictly to a presentation and discussion of the student's presentation and document. In addition the committee may, but certainly is not obligated to, chose to ask questions to test the student's background knowledge in the relevant areas of Computer Science. Ideally, the student and advisor will discuss and reach an agreement on the format and scope of the exam well in advance. By passing the student's research proposal, the committee is certifying that, if the student does the stated work in a satisfactory manner, it will prove adequate for a dissertation topic. Note that once the Preliminary Proposal Exam has been completed, there is no necessary requirement that the student's final dissertation adhere to the proposal. The student and committee are free to change the direction of the work as it progresses, based on mutual consent, if they deem that appropriate.

The student is considered to have failed the exam if two or more members of the examination committee give negative votes. If performance on the Preliminary Proposal Exam is unsatisfactory, one full semester must lapse (a minimum of 15 weeks) before the administration of a second examination. The Preliminary Proposal Exam cannot be attempted more than twice.

Research Defense

The Research Defense is the third of four milestones that must be completed for the PhD degree. The Research Defense has a recommended deadline of 12-18 months from completion of the Preliminary Proposal Exam, and approximately 3-6 months prior to the Final Defense.

The Research Defense will typically last about an hour. The actual conduct, content, and scope of the Research Defense are under the control of the student's advisory committee. The Research Defense should take place once the student has completed most of the work for the dissertation. It is likely that significant writing will yet remain, but no significant problems (other than perhaps mechanical data collection, routine software development, or routine usability testing) should remain to be solved.

The Research Defense is meant to be an opportunity for the committee to review the key results and verify that a satisfactory body of work appears to have been completed. The committee should understand what has been and what remains to be accomplished as part of the dissertation, and to agree within itself whether completion of the work as described by the student, or a revision as determined by the committee at the Research Defense, will result in successful completion of the dissertation.

It is expected that the student will prepare a document and submit it to the committee sufficiently in advance of the exam that the committee has sufficient time to review it. If the committee is expected to read and comment on a significant amount of material then it should be given to the committee two weeks in advance of the meeting. But such a long document is not typical. The document will likely consist of a brief review of the proposed work plan for the dissertation (possibly revised since the time of the Preliminary Exam), and a description of the student's progress towards completing the plan. Key results and their significance should be presented clearly, but briefly. The document should clearly detail what work remains to be done, and the timeframe for its completion. It is not intended that this document be a draft of the dissertation. For some committees, the document might simply be a list of accomplishments and remaining tasks. The student might also submit to the committee copies of papers published or submitted for publication. It is up to the committee to specify how much information it needs to determine if dissertation work is on track.

The Research Defense will typically be the committee's last major opportunity to review the student's progress and work prior to the Final Defense. As such, any major objections or reservations regarding the research plan and progress should be expressed at the Research Defense. Under normal circumstances the expectation is that, if the work completed at the time of the Research Defense is deemed satisfactory, and if the dissertation is completed in the manner specified at the Research Defense, then the result will be deemed satisfactory at the Final Defense.

Note that the Research Defense plays no official role within the University. The Department requires that students pass the Research Defense in a timely manner to remain in good standing. Aside from this, it is up to the student and the committee to determine the next step should a student be considered by the committee to have failed the Research Defense.

Final Defense

The last of the four stages for the PhD degree is the Final Defense. It has a recommended deadline of 3-6 months from completion of the Research Defense. During this examination the candidate makes an oral presentation of his or her research work and defends the significance and accuracy of this work in response to questions from the student's committee. The committee, in closed session, determines whether the student has successfully completed the examination.

See  Scheduling an Exam  for details on the mechanics of scheduling the final exam with the grad school.

If a student fails the final defense, he/she must wait 6 months before attempting the defense again (Graduate School stipulation). The final defense can be attempted at most twice.

As part of the Final Defense process, the student must submit the ETD.

MS Along the Way

Successful completion of an M.S. degree in computer science is not a pre-requisite to register as a Ph.D. student at Virginia Tech. Upon entering the graduate program, students are classified as M.S. or Ph.D. based on their stated degree objective.

Students on a Ph.D. track can opt to obtain an M.S. during their course of study, i.e., “along the way”. They may use either the coursework or thesis option. PhD students who have completed the PhD Qualifier Process and who have a valid Plan of Study that satisfies the PhD requirements complete the requirements for the MS Coursework option by merely completing a CS5974 Independent Study course, typically on a topic related to their dissertation work, and following the instructions shown here . Note that each degree requires its own Plan of Study, so a second plan of study must be filed for the MS degree.

Virginia Tech will allow a given course to count for at most two degrees or certificates. Thus, any course that you transferred to Virginia Tech from outside may not be used toward both the MS and the PhD degree. Likewise, a course may not be used for the MS degree, the PhD degree, and also a VT certificate.

Typical Schedule

The table below shows a suggested distribution of courses and other responsibilities over the years that is typical for a student to complete a Phd. Note that this assumes the student starts in the Fall. Also of note is that some of the order of courses shown is a recommendation, not a requirement. For example, whether you take the courses for breadth early in a program of study or later is up to you.

Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture and Design Research, Architecture Track

Ph.D., based at Main Campus + WAAC

Degree Tracks within the Ph.D. in Architecture and Design Research program

There are two major tracks within the Ph.D. in Architecture and Design Research degree program, each of which has topical areas. The requirements for the tracks vary slightly, but both provide significant flexibility for each student to develop a plan of study consistent with his or her academic goals. The two tracks are Architecture and Design Research.

Architecture Track

The Architecture track within the Ph.D program in Architecture and Design Research includes research topics in Architectural Representation and Education, Architectural History and Theory, Historic Preservation, and Computing and Representation.

The Architecture track will share resources on the Blacksburg Campus and the Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center in the National Capital Region (NCR). At the latter location, students can make use of the many research libraries available in the Washington, DC area, including the Library of Congress, National Building Museum library, American Institute of Architects Library, CASVA, Smithsonian Institution, the Dumbarton Oaks Library and many privately-owned architectural archives to develop their topics in architectural representation.

Design Research Track

The Design Research track within the Ph.D. program in Architecture and Design Research primarily operates on the Blacksburg campus. Principal focus areas within the Design Research track are Building Science, Interior Design, Industrial Design, and Landscape Architecture. Other areas of study include those outlined in the  MS degree , History/Theory/Criticism, Health and Wellness Design, Social Impact Design, Biodesign, and Design Technology. Over the past fifteen years, the number of students and diversity of research activities in the Design Research track has steadily grown resulting in an internationally recognized program. Admission to the program is highly competitive with only a few admissions offered each year.

Architectural Acoustics focus

The Architectural Acoustics focus within the architecture program at Virginia Tech engages acoustics under the umbrella of design. The program encourages students to bring issues of room acoustics, speech privacy, and noise control into their design studios and into their careers, and involves students in individually-tailored rigorous research in the field.

Architectural Acoustics students are encouraged to integrate their class work with their design studio work. Academic study centers around understanding the relationship between the built world and sound, calculating and predicting acoustic performance of spaces, and executing acoustic measurements (impulse response, reverberation time, background noise, and sound transmission loss). The College’s Architectural Acoustics Laboratory houses equipment capable of taking acoustic measurements in rooms, simulating acoustic environments and analyzing the acoustic character of computer-modeled and scale-modeled rooms.

Those interested in learning more about the curriculum, discussing the body of research investigated, or speaking with students who have completed their study in architectural acoustics are encouraged to contact Prof. Michael Ermann by email or at 540.231.1225.

The faculty are seeking to admit a highly selective group of students who have master’s degrees in closely allied fields, such as Architecture, Environmental Design, Building Science, Landscape Architecture, Architecture History and Theory, Interior Design, and Industrial Design. In addition to the application requirements of the Virginia Tech Graduate School and those pertaining to all graduate programs within the School of Architecture and School of Design, applicants to the Ph.D. degree in Architecture and Design Research must submit a portfolio and a 2,500-word statement of research focus. Students are encouraged to contact members of the faculty with whom their interests and research focus area align.

Degree Requirements for the Ph.D. in Architecture and Design Research:

The Graduate School requires each Ph.D. student to complete 90 semester hours of graduate study and dissertation.

All students, regardless of area of specialization, are required to complete a sequence of specific Architecture and Design Seminars. A two-semester sequence seminar will focus primarily on epistemology and the nature of discipline and practice of architecture, viewed in the context of architecture and the allied fields. Students will also enroll in a continuing seminar course required every semester of residence. In these seminars, Ph.D. students, the School faculty involved with the graduate program, and possible guests present their own research for critical review and feedback. The Ph.D. students in the Architecture track must also pass a test of reading ability in a foreign language related to their selected topics (native languages and English do not fulfill this requirement).

In addition, all students must complete a special Research Methods course organized by area of specialization. At the approval of the student’s advisory committee, the course may be also taken in the other area of specialization or outside of the school.

Related links

Information regarding admission to Graduate Programs in Architecture

Graduate Architecture Program Policies

Engineering Education Ph.D.

Ph.d. program, become a leader in innovation and catalyst for change in society through research in the exciting field of engineering education., our ph.d. program allows you to tailor your  curriculum and your research to prepare you in achieving your goals in engineering education..

We pledge funding to incoming graduate students in the form of a teaching or research assistantship for 2 years with satisfactory academic degree progress.  Students easily find funding for the duration of the doctoral program through fellowships, or assistantship within or outside of our Department.

Our selective and supportive program has important and distinct advantages.  The structure of our program enables direct and frequent interactions with faculty through small research groups.  At the same time, we encourage students to interact and exchange ideas across research groups and areas.

Career Outlook

The character and size of our program enables optimal support to our students as they seek employment in today's job market. Our students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to be competitive for employment in a variety of careers.  Our graduates are prepared for success.  We have a 100% employment rate among all graduates.

We have one of the most diverse student bodies of any engineering discipline at Virginia Tech.  We value diversity in backgrounds, experiences, talents, knowledge, and creativity.  We promise a culture of inclusivity.

We have an outstanding national reputation for teaching, research, and quality of graduates.  Contributing factors are our high-profile faculty, flexible and well-articulated course of study, and a strong record of recruiting, training, and placing diverse and talented graduates.

Have questions?

We want to hear from you! Email our Assistant Department Head for Graduate Programs, Dr. Walter Lee , or our Academic Programs Manager, Mara Knott . 

Degree Requirements

PhD students must take a minimum of 90 total credits beyond the Bachelor's degree.  A plan of study, approved by the student’s advisory committee, is submitted after completion of the qualifying exam. Curricular Requirements:

• Dissertation: 30 credits min.
• Engineering Education Qualifier Courses: 8 credits
• Engineering Education Practical Applications: 3 credits
• Engineering Education Research Methods: 3 credits
• Engineering cognate: 12 credits
• Social Science cognate: 12 credits
• Electives: 9 credits
• Engineering Education Seminar: 4 credits ENGE & 1 credit GSSME

Required Milestones and Examinations:

• Qualifying Examination
• Preliminary Examination
• PhD Research Proposal
• Progress Report
• Final Examination (Defense)

Additional Information:

• At least 9 credits (ENGE or non-ENGE), relevant to the student's research, will be at the 6000 level.
• At least 3 credits of Qualitative Research Methods and 3 credits of Quantitative Research Methods must be included among the cognate and elective classes.
• Up to 30 credits from a Master's degree may be counted toward the PhD at the discretion of the student's advisory committee.

ENGE 5214 - Issues in Engineering Education

Current issues in Engineering Education (e.g., broadening participation, transformative practice, teaching and learning, emerging issues). Critical questions surrounding fundamental issues and approaches to engineering education research and practice. Pre: Graduate standing in College of Engineering.

ENGE 5224 - Disciplinary Literacy: Theorizing and Writing in Engineering Education

Communicating engineering education research via writing. Reading and synthesizing existing research. Common genres and rhetorical patterns in the field. Theory in engineering education research. Common paradigms and theoretical frameworks. Writing as a means to engage in theorizing. Effective writing and editing practices. Ethical responsibilities of writers. Pre: Graduate standing in College of Engineering.

ENGE 5304 - Graduate Student Success in Multicultural Environments (GSSME)

Socialization to the graduate student environment. Strategies for entering an effective mentee-mentor relationship. Virginia Techs diversity and inclusion values. Focus on strategies for (1) facilitating clear communication with advisors, peers, or undergraduate mentees; (2) working within a culturally diverse environment; and (3) upholding ethical research practices. Pre: Graduate standing in the College of Engineering. Pass/Fail only.

ENGE 5514 - Applied Design and Assessment of Educational Experiences in Engineering

Using research, bridge theory and practice to effectively design and assess educational experiences in engineering. Contemporary learning theories and evidence-based practices for effective and equitable education and evaluation in engineering across a range of levels (e.g., higher education, K-12, industry training) and contexts (e.g., formal courses and programs, informal co-curricular or extra-curricular programs, outreach experiences). Systematic design principles for aligning expected learning outcomes, assignments and activities, teaching and feedback practices, and assessment and evaluation tools. Specific attention to issues of equity and inclusion.

ENGE 5604 - Engineering Education Research Methods

This course introduces methods and considerations specific to research in engineering education. Quantitative, qualitative and mixed methods are discussed as well as measures of research quality. Students will learn to design and critique engineering education research quality. Students will learn to design and critique engineering education research that addresses standards of rigor and quality. Graduate standing required.

ENGE 5704 - Engineering Education Graduate Seminar

This course is designed to bring contemporary issues in engineering education research into the classroom. Experts from academia, industry, and the corporate world will be invited to make presentations on engineering education research issues, recruitment of minorities, retention issues, technology integration into engineering curricula, distance learning, engineering content into K-12 curricula, learning theories, engineering education policy issues, etc.

In addition, graduate school procedures relevant to various graduate programs in the ENGE department will be explained. Altogether the course will include a minimum of 11 seminar presentations. Students will learn to critique engineering education research presentations and will demonstrate knowledge of contemporary issues in engineering education research. May be repeated 3 times with different content for a maximum of 4 credit hours. Pre: Graduate standing.

ENGE 5714 - Topics in Engineering Education Research Methods

Topics in engineering education research methods. Explorations of current and emerging methods used in engineering education research. Adapting methods used in other fields for engineering education audiences. Implications for future research. May be repeated up to three times with different topics.

ENGE 6614 - Quantitative Data Analysis for Research in Engineering Education

Quantitative analysis methods for engineering education research. Key concepts in statistics including correlation, regression, t-tests, analysis of variance, and cluster and factor analysis. Organizing and manipulating data, interpreting and communicating findings from quantitative analysis, application to engineering education research. Use of statistical computing software such as R.

ENGE 6624 - Qualitative Data Analysis for Research in Engineering Education

Qualitative data collection and analysis techniques, data collection and organization strategies, evaluation of data quality, systematic analysis of qualitative data regularly encountered in engineering education research, design of qualitative research studies, reporting qualitative research.

ENGE 6714 - Topics in Engineering Education Research and Practice

Topics in engineering education. Explorations of current and emerging topics relevant to engineering education research and professional practice. Historical and contemporary perspectives on current conversations within engineering education. Implications for research and practice. May be repeated up to three times with different topics.

How do I apply?

Applicants applying for admission to Engineering Education use the online Virginia Tech Graduate School Application .

Domestic applicants

Fall Semester  - January 15 (to be considered for full-funding)

Spring Semester  - October 1

International applicants

Spring Semester  - September 1

We pledge two-year funding packages in the form of a teaching or research assistantship and make funds available to support conference attendance and other professional development activities. Some students may be eligible for fellowships.

There is a non-refundable application fee of $75.  Some applicants are eligible for application fee waivers through the graduate school . The department offers fee waivers to those attending our Fall Open House.

Completed Application Requirements

To complete the VT Graduate School Application you will need to submit the following:

Academic transcripts

• Upload a scan of original Official transcript(s), scanning all pages including the backs of all pages, from each institution from which you have earned or will earn an undergraduate or graduate degree. Transcripts must come from your institution's Registrar's office. Please be sure your scans are legible.
• Engineering Education does not require former and current Virginia Tech students to submit official transcripts; however, we do require that you log into HokieSpa and download your web-based academic record and upload it as a transcript at the time of application.
• If you are not a former or current Virginia Tech student, please do not upload your institution's web-based academic record or a document stating it is not an Official transcript.
• Until you have received an offer of admission from Virginia Tech, please do not mail your official transcripts to Virginia Tech.
• Upon enrollment at Virginia Tech, you must have official transcripts mailed to our Graduate School.

Three letters of recommendation

All letters of recommendation must be submitted through the online process as part of your application. When in the online application, enter the recommendation section and follow the instructions.

Statement of purpose

The statement of purpose articulates and demonstrates an applicant’s specific qualifications and what that applicant’s end goal might be once their work is completed. (This document is submitted only through the online application.)

Required scores

Starting Fall 2019, the Virginia Tech Engineering Education Department DOES NOT require the GRE.

TOEFL/IELTS - International Students Only Waivers of the TOEFL or IELTS scores can only be granted by the  Graduate School , not the department. All international applicants must provide official TOEFL or IELTS scores. Our department minimum for the TOEFL is 230 (computer based), 570 (paper based) or 89 (internet based). Our department minimum for the IELTS is 6.5, with no score below 6.5 in each of the sub-sections. Scores are good for two years from the date of testing to the date of application submission. TOEFL/IELTS scores are not required if the applicant has graduated from a US institution or from a non-US accredited institution where English is the official language of instruction. TOEFL/IELTS scores are not required of US permanent residents and US naturalized citizens.  Please do not apply if your score is below the minimum. Your application will not be reviewed by the faculty.

Application FAQs

What is engineering education.

An emerging field in engineering. It builds on a long history (100+ years) of educators sharing best practices. The field is now expanding and becoming a rigorous research field in which evidence-based studies explore issues of how people learn. In other words, we still share good teaching practices, but those getting PhDs in Engineering Education are focusing on scientifically understanding how and why successful learning and teaching approaches work.

What are the minimum requirements to be considered for admission in the Engineering Education graduate program?

Admission for graduate study in Engineering Education at Virginia Tech is granted by a departmental review committee and/or the Department Head. Admission normally requires a bachelor's degree in engineering from an ABET-accredited engineering program. Some students come into our PhD program directly from completing a Bachelor’s degree and work on a Master’s in a technical engineering discipline at Virginia Tech while working towards their PhD. Some students come from just completing their Master’s degrees, and some come from working in industry. We require a GPA of 3.0 or higher, official academic transcripts, three letters of reference, official TOEFL/IELTS scores (if applicable), and a statement of purpose explaining your background, your career goals and your interest in teaching and research. A Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.00 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) for the last 60 semester hours the applicant completed is expected.

Can I apply if my undergraduate degree is not in Engineering?

Yes. Students with non-engineering backgrounds can be admitted for graduate study in Engineering Education. These students may need to complete additional coursework to prepare them for graduate level courses in an engineering discipline other than Engineering Education that are required for the ENGE PhD degree.  Specific requirements will be set by the Graduate Committee.

What are your PhD program requirements?

We require credits from our department and credits from the School of Education—this is an interdisciplinary degree. A minimum of 90 credits beyond the Bachelor’s degree is required, consisting of:

• Dissertation: 30 credits minimum (counts towards the 90 credits); 
• Engineering Education Qualifier Courses: 8 credits; 
• Practical Applications in Engineering Education: 3 credits; 
• Engineering Education Research Methods: 3 credits;
• Seminar: 5 credits; and 
• Specialization Courses: 33 credits.

Specialization Courses need to collectively align, and should include one quantitative and one qualitative course in social science research methods. Specialization courses should consist of:

• Electives: 9 credits 

Milestones include: passing qualifier exams; selecting an advisor, completing a plan of study and forming your committee; preliminary exam; dissertation proposal defense; and dissertation defense.

Does your department admit applicants for a spring semester?

Yes. For application dates for the upcoming academic year, please visit the Applications page for deadlines. However, due to course sequencing, students are strongly encouraged to begin the PhD in a fall semester.

What is your university code for me to use on my TOEFL test?

Our university code is 005859. If you have your official scores sent to our university code, the Graduate School and the department will have access to the scores at the same time.

Can the TOEFL be waived (for international applicants only)?

The TOEFL can only be waived by our Graduate school. Many circumstances are an automatic waiver such as graduating from a U.S. university. Email  [email protected]  for more information.

Can I pursue a degree in your department part-time?

Yes. Part-time students are not eligible for financial assistance from the department. Ph.D. students would have to meet the residency requirements set forth for research. Please see the  Graduate Catalog  for residency information.

What type of funding is available for PhD students?

We pledge funding to incoming research students in the form of a teaching or research assistantship for 2 years with satisfactory performance and academic degree progress. The assistantship will provide tuition and a monthly stipend. Students easily find funding for the duration of the doctoral program through fellowships, or assistantships within or outside of our Department.

What is an assistantship?

An assistantship is a contract where a graduate student works for pay. Most assistantships also cover tuition payments related to the amount of hours you are contracted to work each week. A graduate student is considered full-time in the department if he or she works 20 hours per week. For a full-time assistant, the department would pay for in-state tuition and the academic fee in full. Graduate Research Assistantships are awarded by individual faculty members who have received research projects (e.g. from government agencies). The availability of GRA's and the amount of the award varies, depending on the projects that have been obtained and the funds allotted for GRA's in those projects. Typically, in engineering research carried out by a graduate student on a GRA becomes part or all of the research for the student's thesis or dissertation. For Graduate Teaching Assistantships, each program area in the Department of Engineering Education is allotted a number of GTA's to award to graduate students. The amount of the assistantship varies, depending on the duties and number of hours associated with it. The duties may involve grading of homework for courses or supervising an undergraduate laboratory course.

What is a fellowship?

A fellowship is basically income for the student to help with cost of studies. Fellowship pay is not earned income like an assistantship. Many times a fellowship is combined with an assistantship. Sometimes promised income is part assistantship and part fellowship payments. Other times a fellowship can cover expenses on the student's behalf. An example would be the payment of the comprehensive fees in a semester. In cases as these, the fellowship is paid directly to the university.

How do I become an in-state student?

Graduate students are encouraged to look into in-state status. A  form and guidelines  can be found at our Graduate School website. International students are not eligible to become in-state students.

Where is the career outlook after graduating from your program?

The character and size of our program enables optimal support to our students as they seek employment in today's job market.  Our students are equipped with the knowledge and skills to be competitive for employment in a variety of careers.  Our graduates are prepared for success.  We have a 100% employment rate among all graduates.  

ENGE Research

Have you ever looked forward to an engineering course only to find yourself sitting through a mind-numbingly boring lecture?  Have you ever dreaded a hard engineering topic but discovered it to be fascinating?  Have you ever wondered how students learn engineering knowledge and, realisitically, how long do they retain it?  Engineering education researchers are currently trying to answer these and other questions.

Engineering education research is changing the way that engineers are educated.  The field of engineering education is dominated by engineers, many of whom want to provide students with better educational experiences than they themselves had. Impacting practice is a strong value that distinguishes engineering education from some other fields. However, the strong desire to help students needs to be balanced with systematic studies to understand which educational approaches are most effective under which circumstances. 

Explore our current research grants!

Current Officers

Andrea Schuman , President

Yi Cao , Vice-President

Fabiola Rosales , Treasurer

Amanda Ross , Secretary

Abdulrahman Alsharif , Information Resources Officer

Our Mission: The mission of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) student chapter at Virginia Tech is to provide a forum to enhance teaching and research skills, promote careers in academia, and encourage and assist students considering graduate school in the field of engineering education.

Seminar Student Exchange ASEE co-coordinates a student seminar exchange between UMich, Arizona State University, UT El Paso, Clemson, Purdue, University of Nebraska, and Ohio State University. Students have an opportunity to present their dissertation work to date, receive feedback from peers and colleagues in the field, and experience the culture of another department. 

What do we do? We provide a space for people interested in education in engineering to get together, learn from each other, and collaborate in research & teaching activities. We hold regular social events to bring together the ASEE community, and provide professional development sessions to help prepare students for careers in our field. If you're interested in being a part of the ASEE community at VT, come to one of our events or monthly meetings and see how you can be involved!

Follow our channels for more info!

Ph.D. Program

The Ph.D. program in the Department of Biochemistry at Virginia Tech prepares students for careers as independent researchers in biochemistry, molecular and cellular biology, molecular microbiology, biotechnology, and related areas.

Graduates of our program are employed in industry, academia, and government positions, typically following one or more years of postdoctoral training.

Fellowships and research assistantships are available to qualified Ph.D. students. In Fall 2023, the assistantship stipend for entering students was $31.4k for the calendar year. In addition, tuition waivers are granted to all students receiving assistantships. Students on assistantships are also eligible to enroll in university-subsidized health insurance. All students are responsible for fees, purchase of textbooks, and thesis/dissertation printing costs.

Benefits of the program

• Receive your Ph.D. in Biochemistry in 4-5 years
• A $31,404 minimum stipend, with the opportunity for higher from fellowships
• Free tuition for the duration of the degree
• Eligibility for a substantial subsidy on the premium of the university-sponsored health insurance plan 

Training involves a combination of advanced course work, participation in seminars and journal clubs, and laboratory research conducted under the guidance of a faculty committee selected by agreement of the student, the faculty advisor, and the departmental Graduate Committee. Currently, our Department's total annual research expenditures exceed $3.9 million.

We invite applications from highly motivated students to join our program in pursuit of a Ph.D. in biochemistry from a dynamic and productive department with investigators that produce high-impact research in the following general research areas:

• Molecular Biology of Cancer
• Vector-Borne Diseases
• Drug Discovery
• Protein Structure-Function
• Host-Pathogen Interactions
• Metabolomics
• Molecular Microbiology
• Computational Biochemistry

More information on classes can be found  here.

Requirements

• Advanced coursework
• Qualifying exam consisting of a written and oral defense of an original research proposal (first year)
• Preliminary exam consisting of a written and oral defense of your dissertation project (second year)
• Seminar presentations
• Two semesters of serving as a graduate teaching assistant
• Annual committee meetings
• Written dissertation and oral dissertation defense to be awarded a degree

Training involves a combination of advanced course work, teaching assistantships (minimum two semesters required), participation in journal clubs and seminars by nationally and internationally renowned scientists, and laboratory research, with research as the primary focus of the program.

Advanced coursework on proteins, genes, and molecular and cellular mechanisms  is tailored to meet students' needs and research interests and is typically completed in the first two years of studies.

Students entering the department complete research rotations with three different faculty members prior to joining a laboratory at the end of the first year. All students must pass a qualifying examination (by the end of year 1), oral preliminary examinations and successful defense of an original research proposal (by end of year 2) to continue in the doctoral program. Students that do not successfully pass the preliminary examination and research proposal requirements for the Ph.D. degree may be eligible for a Master's degree (thesis required).

All graduate students are required to hold annual meetings with their dissertation committee to discuss research progress (via written report and oral presentation) and enhance their technical writing and public speaking skills. Successful defense of dissertation is required for completion of the Ph.D. degree.

How to apply

To apply to our Ph.D. Program, you need to submit an application electronically. Instructions and forms for applying online are available  here . Students who are most successful in our Ph.D. program have earned a Bachelor's degree with a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, and have completed the following course work:

• at least one year of biology
• at least one semester of biochemistry
• at least one year of organic chemistry

Applications will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If you have questions concerning specific requirements, please contact the our Graduate Program Chair, Justin Lemkul  ( [email protected] ).

A complete application includes the following:

• Online application for admission.
• Three letters of recommendation. Names and e-mail addresses of the individuals providing letters should be included with the online application to facilitate electronic submission and review of the letters.
• Official transcripts from all institutions previously and presently attended. To expedite review, official transcripts should be sent directly to:

Department of Biochemistry 111 Engel Hall Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061

International students must also submit TOEFL scores. TOEFL score of 577 or higher (233 on the computer-based test, 90 on the internet-based test) are desirable.

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Admissions

Students applying for the Ph.D. program typically have a masters degree from an accredited college or university in EE, CPE, or a related field. Highly qualified BSEE and BSCPE students are also admitted to the Ph.D. program (see below).

Applicants applying to the Ph.D. program are encouraged to review the additional information provided. See  Ph.D. Admissions in the Graduate Student Policy Manual  for details.

For more information contact us at  [email protected] .

Minimum Grade Point Average (GPA)

Students applying from a master's degree program must have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher on work beyond the B.S. degree. BSEE and BSCPE applicants must have a degree from an institution of higher learning that is recognized by the ECE department and a GPA of at least 3.5 on the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate work.

Applications

Applicants must submit to the Graduate School the same application materials required for M.S. applicants, plus a one- or two-page discussion of career goals and proposed areas of study.

Completed applications are routed to faculty in the interest area most closely aligned with the applicant’s desired field of specialization. Faculty in the interest area then make recommendations to the Admissions Director or Graduate Administrative Committee regarding admission into the Ph.D. program and possible financial support.

How to Apply

Applicants applying for admission to ECE Graduate Programs at all campuses are to use the online Virginia Tech  Graduate School Application Form . All documents below must be uploaded in electronic format; the ECE Department does not accept paper application materials. It is the applicant’s responsibility to ensure that all application materials, including scores and letters of recommendation, have been submitted online. After applying, contact  [email protected]  if you have questions or to check the status of your application materials. Complete applications only will be reviewed by the EE and CPE Admissions Officers and the ECE Graduate Committee.

The complete application includes:

• Virginia Tech Graduate School online application form; nonrefundable application fee $75.00.
• An up-to-date, electronic copy of all official transcript(s) must be submitted with your on-line application. Please do not mail your official transcript(s) to the  Graduate School  until you have received an offer of admission from Virginia Tech. (Note that the ECE department does not require an official copy of your transcript(s).
• Three (3) letters of recommendation.
• The GRE is optional for all applicants. Applicants who already have scores (or can obtain them) are encouraged to submit them. Additionally, be aware that applicants with a lower GPA, or from a school from which Virginia Tech ECE may not be familiar, may benefit from providing strong GRE scores.
• TOEFL or IELTS exam for applicants earning undergraduate or graduate degrees from non-English institutions.
• A Resume and a Statement of Purpose submitted with the on-line application.

Applicants Earning an M.S. or M.Eng. Degree from Virginia Tech

Students who are currently enrolled in the master's degree program at Virginia Tech, and desire to continue their studies toward a Ph.D. degree, must formally request admission into the Ph.D. program by the departmental admission deadline. The request should be made by using the  online Virginia Tech Graduate School Application Form .

In addition, one letter of reference from an ECE faculty member willing to commit to be the student's faculty advisor, with research funds, must be submitted to the ECE Graduate Admission/Recruiting Office.

This request must be accompanied by information as follows:

• A letter from an ECE faculty member testifying to the student's ability to perform independent research and summarizing the student's past academic performance.
• A letter from the student with a discussion of his/her career goals and proposed area of study.
• A letter from the student's M.S. advisor (if different from the member above) commenting on the student's performance and potential in the Ph.D. program.

A student is expected to have at least a 3.5 GPA on the M.S. degree at Tech. The student's file and the above letters may be circulated to faculty in the area of interest just as a new student would be reviewed. Acceptance is not automatic; the willingness of a faculty member to be the student's PhD advisor is also required. Students applying from a master's degree program must have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.5 or higher on work beyond the B.S. degree. BSEE and BSCPE applicants must have a degree from an institution of higher learning that is recognized by the ECE department and a GPA of at least 3.5 on the last 60 credit hours of undergraduate work.

Applicants Earning a B.S.E.E./B.S.C.P.E Degree from Virginia Tech

Direct entry into the Ph.D. program requirements are the same as M.S. applicants, with the following additions:

• A GPA average of at least 3.5 over the first 21 credit hours of regular courses, as well as having had a GPA average of 3.5 over the last 60 hours of his/her undergraduate degree.
• The direct-PhD student must have established a relationship with at least one faculty member of the department who agrees to be the student's dissertation advisor.

ECE Graduate Brochure

Application Deadline

To be fully considered for funding, the application deadlines are January 15 for fall admission and September 1 for spring admission.

Tuition & Fees

Graduate student tuition and fees are detailed on the  Bursar's Office website .

TOEFL and IELTS scores

Recommended TOEFL scores for each test types are:

Internet based:  96-97 Computer based:  590-593 IELTS Band  7.5

Jan 15 : Deadline to be fully considered for funding

Feb 20 : Deadline for international students applying for fall admissions (see the note above on the deadline for funding consideration)

Apr 15 : Earliest date any University can require an applicant to notify them of their intent to accept a fall admissions offer with funding

May 15 : Last day international applicants can be accepted for fall admission

July 1 : Deadline for domestic students applying for fall admissions (see the note above on the deadline for funding consideration)

Sept 1 : Deadline for international students applying for spring admissions

Oct 15 : Last day international applicants can be accepted for spring admission

Dec 1 : Deadline for domestic students applying for spring admissions (see the note above on the deadline for funding consideration)

Ph.D. in aerospace engineering

This research-oriented degree can focus on one or more specializations, including

•  aero-hydrodynamics
• dynamics and control
• structures and structural dynamics
• ocean engineering
• applied physics
• space engineering
• applied mathematics

For more information on degree requirements, see the Graduate Study Policies and Procedures Manual.

Research project/final dissertation

This degree requires an in-depth research project, which will serve as the subject of the final dissertation. Recent research projects have focused on:

• computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
• experimental fluid mechanics (both high and low speed)
• instrumentation development
• composite materials
• structural optimization
• flutter analysis
• nonlinear flight control
• pilot-aircraft interactions
• aerodynamic modeling
• computer aided design
• interdisciplinary design and optimization
• trajectory analysis and optimization
• and space mechanics and space vehicle design

Many of these projects are tied to industry and government-sponsored programs, and include interaction with personnel and facilities from those organizations. 

For more details on thesis requirements and procedures , see the Graduate Study Policies and Procedures Manual.

Graduate checklists

A formal description of the Ph.D. in aerospace engineering, its requirements, and more detailed information on all AOE graduate programs can be found in the graduate checklists. 

Preliminary exam and final oral exam

A preliminary written and oral exam and a final comprehensive oral exam are required of all students completing the Ph.D. degree . Guidelines for these exams are described in the AOE Graduate Study Policies and Procedures Manual.

Individualized Interdisciplinary Ph.D. (IPhD) program

Najla Mouchrek is Virginia Tech's first individualized PhD student, with an interdisciplinary project aimed at using human centered design concepts to empower teenagers in terms of sustainability. She is on an Interdisciplinary Teaching Apprenticeship in Dr. Timothy Baird's Seeking Sustainability class, shown here.

Recent trends show that both higher education institutions and government agencies seek employees with interdisciplinary backgrounds, demonstrating strengths in more than one field, and the agility to work with colleagues across fields.

The Virginia Tech Graduate School offers an interdisciplinary Ph.D. for students whose goals cannot be met by a single discipline from a degree granting academic unit at the university. The program launched in 2015, aimed at enabling students to accomplish their specialized educational and professional goals.

“Real world problems don’t fit nicely into boxes, specific fields, departments or programs,” said Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Amy Pruden, who managed the program from 2015-17. “We need to have the opportunity for students so inclined to tackle these problems.”

Students design their proposed research project and must show how their work will not fit into any one field. The student’s advisory committee also must include members from at least two disciplinary fields. Information about requirements can be found on the Individual Interdisciplinary Ph.D. Graduate Catalog pages . 

Those seeking an interdisciplinary Ph.D. must submit their proposals to the Commission on Graduate Studies and Policies for approval. Those proposals must include their proposed research focus, goals, plan of study, coursework, a planned schedule for exams and research, and the applicant’s advisory committee members.

For more information, contact Dr. William Huckle , who directs the program.

Follow Virginia Tech Graduate School

Associate Dean William Huckle

[email protected]

540-231-2135

Find out more about the IPhD program in this story about the first IPhD student at Virginia Tech.

Doctorate Degree

Interested in developing your research skills and becoming an accounting academic?

The doctoral program at Virginia Tech prepares students for successful careers at top business schools in the U.S. and around the world. We heavily emphasize research skills, which students develop over 4 to 5 years through coursework, research-focused program requirements, regular faculty interactions, and co-authored projects. 

The Ph.D. program application for Fall 2024 will open August 1, 2023. We encourage you to apply here by December 15.

Our faculty are experts in a variety of research methods (archival, experimental, and qualitative) and topics (audit, financial, managerial, governance, and tax), giving each student a personalized experience that caters to their unique area of interest.

#17 on BYU’s ranking of PhD graduate publications in the last 6 years

Find your fit: Our faculty have the 11 th most publications based on BYU’s author rankings for the last six years. Examples of the faculty’s elite publications from the past 5 years can be found here:

Our Ph.D. Students

• Our Ph.D. students are a collaborative group with diverse interests and experience.
• Current student profiles can be found in the  directory .
• We’re proud of our students for several recent awards and achievements, including:

• Program Requirements
• Assistantships and Funding

Coursework (2.5 years):

• Students must complete a minimum of 90 graduate credit hours, including dissertation hours.
• We currently offer accounting seminars taught by Dr. Sarah Stein (research methods), Dr. Jeff Pittman (audit archival), Dr. Sudip Bhattacharjee (experimental), and Dr. Liang Tan (financial archival).

Weekly workshops on Friday mornings

First year paper and presentation

Second year paper and presentation

Comprehensive exam

Dissertation

The Ph.D. Program is a full-time job.  All offers include graduate assistantships to compensate you for research and/or teaching appointments. Generally, in the first two years, our students serve as a research assistant in one semester and a teaching assistant in the other semester. Students showing high performance in their coursework and research projects will not be required to teach in subsequent years.

The compensation for the assistantship includes a full tuition waiver, health insurance, and a monthly cash stipend.

Additional funding is available for coding camp, conference attendance, and research support (e.g., computer, software, data).

Recent Ph.D. Student Placements

• Gabe DiYorio, Fairfield University
• Karneisha Wolfe, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
• Mark Zhang, Belmont University
• Delia Valentine, University of Wisconsin at Milwaukee
• Adam Du Pon, Georgia Southern University
• Carissa Malone, North Carolina State University
• Mike Truelson, Mississippi State University

Ph.D. Program Social Events

Graduation celebration

 Bowling event with the Ph.D. committee

 Social following a research workshop

 Social to celebrate milestones

 Ph.D. student wedding reception

 Service event to give back to the community

Graduate Program

The Department of Psychology at Virginia Tech offers a doctoral program leading to the Ph.D. in psychology. Students may concentrate in one of four areas: Cognitive Neuroscience & Biopsychology , Clinical Science , Developmental Science , and Industrial/Organizational Psychology .

Students may earn a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in psychology en route to the Ph.D., but the Department does not offer a terminal M.S. degree in any area. Applications from students with either bachelors or advanced degrees are welcomed.

Although the graduate curriculum is organized into four specialty areas, all share the same philosophy: to assure that all graduate students are provided with the conceptual, quantitative, and methodological skills necessary to solve theoretical and applied problems .

Questions about our graduate program? Please contact  [email protected] .

Concentration Areas

Cognitive Neuroscience and Biopsychology

In Cognitive Neuroscience and Biopsychology, we study human behavior, thoughts, and emotions with a focus on how they arise from the nervous system.  Learn more...

Clinical Science

In Clinical Science, we develop and use scientifically informed methods to enhance mental and physical health, well-being, and healthy decisions through the interplay of research, intervention, and implementation across diverse and underserved populations. We meet with clients to help identify and cope with emotional and mental problems through observation, interviews, testing, and therapy.  Learn more...

Clinical Science Virtual Lab tours

Developmental Science

In Developmental Science, we strive to better understand the process of human development, from infancy to adolescence.  We investigate topics such as speech and language perception, learning and memory, emotional self-regulation, and family systems.   Learn more...

Developmental Science Virtual Lab tours

Industrial/Organizational Psychology

In IO Psychology, we seek to solve problems in the workplace and improve quality of life for employees.  Using the principles of psychology, we study workplace productivity, management and employee working styles.   Learn more...

Industrial/Organizational Psychology Virtual Lab tours

Main contact Clinical Science

Main contact Developmental Science

Main contact Industrial/Organizational Psychology

Learn About Active Studies

Graduate Degree Programs

The college of engineering offers 16 doctoral and 18 master's degree programs in 19 areas of study.  .

Flexible Programs, Plenty of Options

Chances are that if you're looking for an area of graduate study, the Virginia Tech College of Engineering offers it through our variety of programs and departments. Undergraduate students can also begin to earn graduate credit with the  Accelerated Undergraduate/Graduate Degree Program.  

Ph.D. Concentrations

The Grado Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering has a reputation as one of the top ISE Ph.D. programs in the world. This reputation stems from the cutting edge research conducted here by the collaboration of a strong and experienced faculty with the top graduate students in the field. Doctoral students in ISE experience rigorous academic study requiring independent investigation that results in original scholarly work of the highest quality. Graduates are well prepared for positions in both academia and the private or public sector.

Prospective Ph.D. students should have a strong academic background that is commensurate with their desired field of study within the department. Students will need to select one of the Ph.D. Concentrations. Please click a name of the concentration to obtain more details about the respective domains, curriculum requirements, and specific faculty supporting each concentration.

Common Requirements for Concentrations

The following apply to all concentrations.  Please note, however, that several of these are minimum requirements that may be exceeded by the requirements of a given concentration, and that additional requirements may exist in some concentrations.

• Students who entered the ISE Ph.D. program prior to the Fall of 2016 may follow earlier Ph.D. requirements (“tracks”) or switch to one of the current concentrations.
• All Ph.D. students must complete a minimum of 36 graded credit hours, including 24 graded ISE course hours (post BS, and not including ISE 5024). Note that ENGR 5004 and ENGR 5014 can be counted toward the ISE course-hour requirement, unless otherwise indicated for a given concentration.
• P/F and other non-graded courses cannot be counted toward minimum credit-hour requirements.
• All required courses in a concentration must be taken for a grade (i.e., A‑F).
• Courses not listed as pre-approved electives in a concentration may be taken, or substitutions for required concentration courses made, pending approval of the student’s Ph.D. advisory committee.

Ph.D. Program Concentrations

• Cognitive Engineering
• Human Factors of Systems & Product Design
• Management Systems Engineering
• Manufacturing Systems Engineering
• Occupational Ergonomics and Safety
• Operations Research

2022-2023 ISE Graduate Manual

Physics Graduate Program

The Department of Physics began in 1872, the same year that Virginia Tech first opened its doors. By 1929, a Master's degree program had been established, and in the 1950s, a doctoral program was added to the Physics curriculum. Today, our graduate students receive a well-rounded education that encourages critical thought on current physics topics, preparing them for rewarding careers in academia, government, and industry.

INFORMATION FOR...

• --> General Item Prospective Graduate Students -->
• --> General Item Current Graduate Students -->

Sociology (Ph.D.)

Program Overview

Virginia Tech’s Sociology graduate program offers ideal training for academic, applied, and research careers. The doctoral program requires 48 graded credits and is both stimulating and rigorous, with faculty academic advisors that are open and supportive.

Doctoral students will receive advanced methodological training, gain experience teaching and develop a teaching portfolio, have opportunities to collaborate with faculty and other students on research projects, and explore a range of topics in and beyond the discipline. Admitted students are fully funded through an assistantship program that includes a 9-month stipend, health insurance, tuition remission, office space, and conference travel support.

Program alumni go on to academic positions at research, comprehensive, and teaching focused universities as well as applied positions outside the academy.

Curriculum and Courses

The core course series consists of theory, research methods (qualitative and quantitative), research design, and a foundations course on inequalities. Click here for a full list of the required coursework . 

Students can tailor their program towards their interests with 15 credits of within-discipline electives and 9 credits of open electives, along with 3 credits of advanced methods that they may take from inside or outside the department. Departmental electives are typically offered within our Areas of Specialization .

Students may use their free electives to concentrate in Women and Gender Studies (WGS) or Africana Studies (AFST) .

Program Milestones

Students that enter without a master’s degree or without a sociology background complete a thesis and obtain their master of science degree (these students are typically admitted to the M.S. program). All students in good standing that complete an M.S. in the Virginia Tech Sociology department have the option of continuing in the Ph.D. program.

Beyond the M.S., students take additional coursework (graded credits taken in support of the M.S. apply to the Ph.D.) and a Qualifying Exam in a substantive area of the discipline. They then develop a dissertation proposal under direction of their academic advisor and schedule a defense with their committee. Finally, they defend their dissertation research before their committee.

Students entering with a master’s degree in sociology can complete these requirements in about four years. Students entering without a sociology background or without a masters degree take five or six years depending on the scope of their dissertations – like the Ph.D. program, the M.S. program is funded via an assistantship.  

Admission and Application Information

• Admission Requirements
• How to Apply
• Application Deadlines
• Funding Opportunities

Students are admitted on a full-time basis in the fall of each academic year. In addition to the admission standards prescribed by the Graduate School, students applying for an advanced degree program in sociology must also meet the following requirements: 

• A bachelor's or master's degree from an accredited institution
• Three letters of recommendation, preferably from former professors
• A written statement describing research goals, relevant experience, and motivations for pursuing a doctoral degree in sociology
• An academic writing sample
• A 3.0 minimum GPA (on a 4 point scale) in all sociology courses previously taken
• A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 (out of 4.0) for the last two years of undergraduate study
• Applicants to the PhD program who do not have a BS/BA or MS/MA in Sociology must have 15 credits in Sociology coursework at the 3000 level or above (graduate courses apply). Applicants who do not have this background may be better served by the MS degree (and many of our MS students roll over into the PhD program).
• The GRE is no longer required but is still recommended. If you elect to take the GRE, please have the testing agency send your official scores to the Virginia Tech Graduate School, code 5859. 

International students must also have the following TOEFL scores: Paper: 550 | Computer: 213 | iBT: 80   Click here to learn more about testing requirements. 

Those wishing to pursue the M.S./Ph.D. track with SOC@VT should apply to the M.S. program. With satisfactory progress towards their thesis, they can request funding to continue into the doctoral program by January 15 of their second year. Although the M.S./Ph.D. track can be completed in 5 years, the department provides funding for a total of 6 years (2 years for M.S. and 4 years for Ph.D.) for those who maintain satisfactory progress throughout their enrollment in our graduate programs. 

Up to 24 credit hours of previous coursework may be transferred in to meet doctoral program requirements and electives. The department also allows for certain requirements to be bypassed if previous coursework indicates a student’s command of applicable topics. Students must apply prior to having previous coursework evaluated for transfer or considered for bypassing program requirements. 

Degree-seeking students must include a $75 fee with their application, though you can check to see if you qualify for a fee waiver . 

Applicants will need to include a scanned copy of their college transcripts with the online application and then arrange for an official copy to be sent to the Graduate School upon an offer of admission. Official transcripts should be sent directly from your institution(s) to Virginia Tech Graduate Admissions.  Click HERE to apply now!

To apply to the graduate program, students must submit the Virginia Tech Graduate School online application . 

Submission Deadline for full consideration for funding:  January 15 

Submission Deadline for  Domestic Application :  April 15 

Submission Deadline for  International Application : April 1

On the online application, please select the following options when prompted :

• Application Type: First Time Graduate Study or Readmission
• Program: Sociology
• Degree Type: Ph.D.
• Campus: Blacksburg (Main Campus)

Each year the department awards assistantships on a competitive basis that include a stipend for the academic year and full tuition remission. We aim to fund all admitted students to either the MS or PhD program. The typical practice is to award admitted students with funding for the standard time to completion for their degree (2 years for M.S. and 4 years for Ph.D.). However, funding may also be awarded on a provisional basis at the discrepancy of the Sociology Graduate Committee.

Students can apply for such funding as part of their admissions application; no separate application is required. 

The University also provides a health insurance subsidy for graduate students. Click here to learn more about the health insurance benefit .

Micah Roos, Director of Graduate Studies  Sociology Department 656 McBryde Hall 540-231-8969 [email protected]

Graduate Programs

The School of Plant and Environmental Sciences offers PhD and MS degrees in three programs: Crop and Soil Environmental Sciences; Horticulture; and Plant Pathology, Physiology, and Weed Science. Within each program students are engaged in several fields of study related to departmental faculty research including resilient crop production, sustainable land management systems, ecological restoration, omic sciences, and allied technologies.

Deciding between our three plant and environmental sciences graduate programs?  

Each of our graduate programs highlighted below features a unique portfolio of opportunities for graduate research leading to the PhD or MS using advanced technologies to addresses the most pressing challenges to world food production and the health of our communities and the environment. There are extensive opportunities to design thesis or dissertation research involving interdisciplinary collaborations among the three SPES graduate degree programs and with other outstanding research programs throughout Virginia Tech.

Additional related programs

Recent Publications

General Inquiries

Call today to schedule an appointment or fill out an online request form. If requested before 2 p.m. you will receive a response today.

713-798-1000

Monday - Friday 8 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Request Now

Request non-urgent appointments

Find a Physician

America's fourth largest city is a great place to live, work and play. Find out why. Get to Know Houston

Give Careers Intranet

• Education Programs
• Academic & Faculty Affairs
• Tuition & Fees
• Financial Aid
• Academic Resources
• Education Contacts
• School of Medicine
• Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences
• School of Health Professions
• National School of Tropical Medicine
• Baylor College of Medicine
• M.D. / Ph.D. Program

M.D./Ph.D. Program

About the Program

The Medical Scientist Training Program at Baylor College of Medicine is designed for highly motivated students. The successful applicant should have both an excellent scholastic record and sustained potential in research. Exposure to both laboratory bench work and clinical care in private practice, academic medicine or emergency room experience is also highly recommended. The combined degree program, while emphasizing continuity between clinical and basic sciences curricula, provides training that can lead to significant scientific contributions in academic and corporate research, clinical practice or a combination of both. 

Research Opportunities

Students in the Medical Science Training Program may pursue their research under the auspices of any of the Baylor College of Medicine Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences programs as well as Rice University Bioengineering Graduate Program.

Equity and Inclusion Policies

Baylor College of Medicine is committed to providing a safe and supportive environment for all community members as a prerequisite to accomplishing our institutional mission and setting standards for excellence in training healthcare providers and biomedical scientists, promoting scientific innovation, and providing patient-centered care. View the  Equity and Inclusion Policy .

M.D./Ph.D. Program Student Articles

Our program students are often included in Baylor College of Medicine news for their noteworthy contributions in research. 

Venkata Soumith Jonnakuti

Duncan NRI team develops an award-winning new computational tool to study movement disorders

Marcus A. Florez

Too much of a good thing – persistent IFNγ depletes progenitor blood cells via BST2

Hannah Campbell

Decreased levels of a protein kinase leads to atrial fibrillation

Moez Dawood

Reference genome comparison finds exome variant discrepancies in 206 gene

VMCVM Alumni Spotlight: Ashley Briggs MPH '16

19 Apr 2024

• Share on Facebook
• Share on Twitter
• Copy address link to clipboard

Ashley Briggs MPH '16

Infection Preventionist, Carilion New River Valley Medical Center

How VMCVM equipped me for the 'real world'... Vet Med allowed me the opportunity to work with peers from across different majors and disciplines. In the "real world" being able to incorporate yourself into multidisciplinary team successfully can be difficult, but I was well prepared for the challenge thanks to my time at VMCVM.

Best part of being a VMCVM alum... The sense of community that is still present almost a decade after graduation. I still have amazing relationships not only with my fellow alumni, but many faculty members and staff.

Best advice I've gotten.... Dr. Susan Marmagas would often iterate the importance of meeting people where they are in the world of public health. That sound advice became my mantra during COVID as we navigated the pandemic, but continues to be the measuring stick I use to ensure my practice is as effective as possible.

How would you capture the essence of your work in a newspaper headline... Hospital Acquired Infections Battled Through Compelling Education

My hidden talent... Sewing, I especially love making baby blankets for friends and family.

A person who has inspired me... Dr. Noelle Bissell. Her leadership during my time with VDH both before and during the pandemic encouraged me to purse my current work in healthcare.

What did you learn at the college that you never thought you would benefit from? Organic Chemistry, it was the hardest class I've ever taken and for the longest time I did not see any benefit it has added to my life. However, now a decade plus later, I see that it taught me I can preserve through any obstacle as well as how to diligently commit potentially useless information to memory.

Biggest misconception about my job or industry... Is that staff assume we are there to be the bad guy only, when in actuality only role as an infection preventionist is to help them succeed at reducing the risks of infection for their patients and themselves.

Words of encouragement to a current veterinary college student... Vet Med is a melting pot of departments, programs, majors and interests all working together under the one health model. Learn as much as you can from across the college because chances are you will gain a nugget of knowledge you just might need down the road.

Fondest college memory or tradition... Our joint relay for life team between the DVM and MPH program. We had a puppy kissing booth to help with our fundraiser.

A cause I'm most passionate about... The most formative experience I've had... I'm very passionate about community walkability. When I first moved to Christiansburg there was not sidewalk accessibility to the high school from any direction and much of the town was not accessible by trail. I joined the Christiansburg Bikeway Walkway Committee and saw great progress as we applied for grants and funding to add multipurpose use trails and sidewalks to the community.

Top of my bucket list... Stay at Giraffe Manor in Kenya.

My favorite quote... "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent" -Elanor Roosevelt

Being a VMCVM alumnus means... You strive to find the solution in every obstacle you face.

How many pets/animals live at home? Can you tell us about them? We have two dogs, a miniature schnauzer named Bubby and a boxer mix named Titan. Both boys are slightly older and enjoy the good life of couch cuddles and lazy afternoon walks around the farm.

Anything else to add? Take a day and go to Claytor Lake State Park, you won't regret it.

Andrew Mann

540-231-9005

• Alumni Spotlight
• News directly from around campus
• Public Health
• Public Health Graduate Program
• Top News - Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine
• Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine

Related Content