About the Ph.D. Program

Our Mission

The mission of the doctoral program in engineering is to prepare a group of highly qualified professionals from diverse backgrounds to assume leadership roles in academia or in a wide range of private and public sector professions.

Program Background

Doctoral education began at the Grove School of Engineering under the auspices of the Graduate Center of the City University of New York (CUNY). In August 2008, New York State's Department of Education granted authority to the City College of New York (CCNY) to offer Ph.D. degrees in Engineering, and the first cohort, totaling 26 students, was admitted in fall 2008.

Beginning in September 1961, under the aegis of CUNY's Graduate School and University Center, the School of Engineering has offered advanced studies leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Chemical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. In September 1999, an interdisciplinary and interdepartmental doctoral program was approved in Biomedical Engineering.

Since the mid-sixties, more than 500 students here have obtained their doctorates in engineering. These scholars have found highly desirable positions. Approximately 20% are in academia, 20% in government and 60% in industry.

The program derives its strength from its faculty and state-of-the art teaching and laboratory facilities. Its 75 faculty members, including seven distinguished professors, enjoy a strong national reputation for the quality of their research. Three are members of the National Academy of Engineering and a fourth is member of both the National Academy of Science and the National Academy of Engineering. In academic year 1999-2000, 42 of the faculty obtained external grants totaling nearly $10 million.

The quality of our program was assessed by the National Research Council (NRC) in its 1996 report on doctorate programs in the U.S. The School of Engineering's ranking, among 125 doctoral programs ranked for 1993, ranged from 19 in Chemical Engineering to 52 in Electrical Engineering and 56 in Mechanical Engineering.

Last Updated: 07/09/2015 11:55