Engineering (Ph.D.)
Important: This degree plan is effective for those starting this degree program in fall 2025 through summer 2026. This degree plan will remain in effect for students who do not break enrollment or who do not change degree programs, concentrations, or cognates.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Program Courses | ||
| Core Courses 1,2 | ||
| ENGR 796 | Graduate Orientation/Seminar Series | 3 |
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Dissertation Courses | ||
| Engineering Electives 4 | 27 | |
| ENGR 980 | Ph.D. Qualifying Exam in Engineering | 0 |
| ENGR 985 | Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal in Engineering | 0 |
| ENGR 990 | Dissertation Defense in Engineering | 0 |
| Total Hours | 63 | |
- 1
The Ph.D. committee is responsible for oversight of the following: (1) the educational program of study requiring a minimum of 12 courses (3 credits/course), (2) Ph.D. Qualification Exam, (3) dissertation proposal, and (4) dissertation defense. In order to complete the requirements for this degree, the student must plan a program with the Ph.D. committee.
- 2
Students are permitted to use up to 15 hours of 500-600 level courses
- 3
Choose Core courses, based on plan of study approved by Ph.D. Committee: Core courses exclude dissertation courses: ENGR 980, ENGR 985, ENGR 987, ENGR 988, ENGR 989, ENGR 990. Ph.D. and M.S. students may take ENGR 500, ENGR 520, and ENGR 590 as Core courses. ENGR 700-800 level courses are restricted to the Ph.D. program with the exception of course transfer into the M.S. program.
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Must take a minimum of 27 hours of dissertation research (any combination of ENGR 987, ENGR 988, and ENGR 989 can satisfy these criteria, however only one the these can be taken in any given term)
All applicable prerequisites must be met
Graduation Requirements
- Complete 63 hours
- A minimum of 33 hours must be completed through Liberty University, not to include credits from a prior degree earned through Liberty
- A maximum of 30 hours of transfer credit, including credit from a degree on the same academic level previously earned through Liberty, may be applied to the degree
- 3.0 GPA
- No grades lower than B- may be applied to the degree
- Degree must be completed within 10 years
- Submission of Degree Completion Application must be completed within the last semester of a student’s anticipated graduation date
Program Offered in Resident Format
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Semester | Hours | |
| ENGR 796 | Graduate Orientation/Seminar Series | 3 |
| Engineering Elective 1,2 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Second Semester | ||
| Engineering Elective 1,2 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 1,2 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Third Semester | ||
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fourth Semester | ||
| Engineering Elective 1,2 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 1,2 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| ENGR 980 | Ph.D. Qualifying Exam in Engineering 4 | 0 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Fifth Semester | ||
| Engineering Elective 1,2 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 1,2 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| ENGR 985 | Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal in Engineering | 0 |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Sixth Semester | ||
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Seventh Semester | ||
| Engineering Elective 1,2 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 1,2 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Eighth Semester | ||
| Engineering Elective 1,2 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 1,2 | 3 | |
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| Hours | 9 | |
| Ninth Semester | ||
| Engineering Elective 3 | 3 | |
| ENGR 990 | Dissertation Defense in Engineering 6 | 0 |
| Hours | 3 | |
| Total Hours | 63 | |
- 1
Choose Core courses, based on plan of study approved by Ph.D. Committee: Core courses exclude dissertation courses: ENGR 980, ENGR 985, ENGR 987, ENGR 988, ENGR 989, ENGR 99 ( c.h.)0. Ph.D. and M.S. students may take ENGR 500, ENGR 520, and ENGR 590 as Core courses. ENGR 700 and 800 level courses are restricted to the Ph.D. program with the exception of course transfer Into the M.S. program.
- 2
Students are permitted to use up to 15 hours of 500-600 level courses
- 3
Must take a minimum of 27 hours of dissertation research (any combination of ENGR 987, ENGR 988, and ENGR 989 can satisfy these criteria, however only one of these courses can be taken in any given term)
- 4
Ph.D. students will be given a written and/or oral qualifying examination by each committee member. The advisor and committee must agree to the topics of the qualification exam. The student will have 2 chances to pass the exam. It is recommended that the Ph.D. student take the qualifying exam during the semester that they will complete 12 credit hours of dissertation research. If the Ph.D. student does not pass the Ph.D. qualifying exam, the student will have met the minimum requirement of 12 credit hours of research for a Masters (Thesis)
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Ph.D. students are required to write a Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal. The Ph.D. research proposal should be in the National Science Foundation (NSF) format of a title page, summary page, 15-page description, and references. It must contain a working hypothesis with chapters focused on the “Current State,” “Future State,” “Challenges/Barriers,” and “Research Roadmap.”
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Ph.D. students must give a defense of their research to illustrate that they can conduct independent research in the future. There are three processes in which the graduate student must demonstrate the capability to earn the doctorate: (1) synthesize complex disparate information into a new, valued scholarly contribution, (2) communicate the scholarly contributions in the written context, and (3) communicate the scholarly contributions in the oral context.
All applicable prerequisites must be met
Important: It is recommended that the Graduate Orientation class be taken in the 1st semester of the graduate program. We also recommend that the Ph.D. student select their faculty advisor within their 1st semester. It is recommended that the Ph.D. student and faculty advisor establish the Ph.D. committee by the 4th semester. The Ph.D. committee is responsible for oversight of the following: (1) the educational program of study requiring a minimum of 12 courses (3 credits/course), (2) Ph.D. Qualification Exam, (3) dissertation proposal, and (4) dissertation defense. In order to complete the requirements for this degree, the student must plan a program with the Ph.D. committee