Transportation and Urban Infrastructure Systems (PhD), Program Information

Program Faculty

Department Chair

Celeste Chavis, PhD, PE | Professor

CBEIS 102A; celeste.chavis@morgan.edu; (443) 885-5061

Graduate Program Director

Dr. Young-Jae Lee, PhD | Professor

CBEIS 239; youngjae.lee@morgan.edu; (443)885-1872

Other Faculty

• Mansoureh Jeihani, PhD, PTP | Professor
• Anthony A. Saka, PhD, PTP, PE, PTOE | Professor
• Di Yang, PhD | Assistant Professor

Program Description

The 36-credit PhD program in Transportation and Urban Infrastructure Systems targets highly motivated students who have already obtained a master’s degree in a transportation-related fields and desire to pursue career paths in transportation and infrastructure related education, consulting, research, or administration. Students holding graduate degrees in a non-transportation-related field may be required to take additional remedial courses to strengthen their foundation in mathematics and/or transportation engineering.

Program Objectives

Upon completion of the program, students will have gained a broad technical and interdisciplinary background that will enhance their skills in identifying and tackling critical and complex transportation and urban infrastructure problems. Specifically, upon completing the doctoral program, students will be expected to:

1. Examine and explain the historical and political contexts of landmark transportation policy decisions, and contemporary local and global transportation and urban infrastructure issues and priorities; 

2. Apply mathematics, systems theory, principles of engineering, planning, and/or management in solving complex problems;  

3. Design independently and execute high-level research; and 

4. Communicate effectively and function on a multi-disciplinary team, particularly in scholarly settings.

General Requirements

1. Candidates for the PhD degree must complete a minimum of thirty-six (36) graduate credit hours (including 9 hours of dissertation-related research and seminars) of study beyond the master’s degree;
2. Form a doctoral advisory committee comprising at least four tenured or tenure-track faculty members, no later than the second year of enrollment, that will approve the student’s program of study and guide the student’s research activities;
3. Fulfill the minimum residency requirement by taking at least nine (9) credits of coursework in two consecutive semesters or six (6) credits of coursework in three consecutive semesters at Morgan State University;
4. Pass the preliminary examination, administered by the Department, on the core subjects after taking core courses.
5. Pass the doctoral candidacy examinations, administered by the dissertation committee, on the declared dissertation topic.
6. Develop and defend a dissertation proposal; and 
7. Complete and successfully defend a dissertation based on timely and original research in a relevant area of transportation and/or urban infrastructure.

In order to maintain good academic standing and remain in the program, the student may not have grades lower than B in any of the required core courses or more than 20 percent of the required minimum coursework.

Admission

To be eligible for admission to the Doctor of Philosophy Program in Transportation and Urban Infrastructure Systems, an applicant must: 

• Have earned a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, preferably in a transportation-related area. 
• Have earned a master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, preferably in a transportation-related area, with a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or better. 
• Possess an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better to be considered for regular admission. Students who possess a cumulative undergraduate GPA of between 2.5 and < 3.0 may be considered for conditional admission if there is persuasive evidence for success in the doctoral program.  Post-bachelor’s undergraduate credits will not be used to enhance GPA requirements for admission to graduate study. 
• Apply for admission to the School of Graduate Studies.  All required documents must be submitted as directed by the School of Graduate Studies prior to program review and admission decision.    
• Use the application system to arrange for three letters of recommendation to be placed with the application.  These letters must be from officials or faculty members of institutions previously attended who are acquainted with the applicant’s ability for graduate study or from employment supervisors where applicable. 
• Submit a typed exposition regarding the candidate’s personal, academic, and professional plans and the reasons for selecting Morgan State University. 
• Submit a resume or curriculum vitae documenting current and previous professional activities, and planned career goals.

Meeting the minimum eligibility requirements and submitting all the required documents does not guarantee that an offer of admission will be made to the applicant. 

Candidacy

Students achieve candidacy by successfully completing the required coursework, passing the qualifying examination, and defending a dissertation research proposal.  Prior to achieving Candidacy, the student must enroll in TRSP 993  Pre-Doctoral Candidacy to maintain full-time status, if the required coursework has been completed. 

Dissertation Completion

The student must form a PhD advisory committee comprising at least four tenured or tenure-track faculty members no later than the second year of enrollment that will approve the student’s program of study and guide the student’s research activities. They must pass the doctoral candidacy examinations administered by the Department and dissertation committee on the core subjects, declared concentration, and two minor areas pertinent to transportation and urban infrastructure. Then they must develop and defend a dissertation proposal as well as complete and successfully defend a dissertation based on timely and original research in a relevant area of transportation and/or urban infrastructure.

Additional Requirements

Up to four eligible courses (not exceeding 12 credits) taken from other accredited institutions may be accepted for transfer toward the Ph.D. program, provided the courses have not been used to satisfy the requirements for another program.

Academic dishonesty is a very serious offense in the School of Engineering. Under no circumstance(s) shall a student use the original words or ideas of others without appropriately citing the source. Any student found culpable of academic dishonesty will be asked to withdraw from the Program, and referred to the appropriate School of Engineering and University authorities for additional disciplinary actions which may result in expulsion from the University. The student has the right to appeal the action taken by submitting in writing to the School of Engineering Judicial Committee to request a hearing on the academic fraud allegation(s) within the same semester by emailing soesss@morgan.edu. 

Program Course Requirements (36 credits)

PhD Transportation & Urban Infrastructure Systems 36 credits

Suggested Curriculum Sequence

• Transportation and Urban Infrastructure Systems (PhD), Curriculum Sequence