Civil engineers design and maintain the massive infrastructure which today's society depends upon: roads, buildings, bridges, dams, tunnels, levees, sewer systems, and water treatment plants. Guiding the future of our infrastructure, Civil Engineers currently direct the spending of more than one tenth of Canada's gross national product, more than any other professional group. Because Civil Engineers' primary client is society, we often must deal with the human impact of engineering, including social, moral, and legal issues. The Civil Engineer, regardless of whether they are a generalist or a specialist, draws heavily upon the work of the physical and social sciences, other professions and other branches of engineering. Moreover, as engineers have become involved in many interdisciplinary activities over the last decade, the job demarcation between boundaries of engineering has become much less restrictive. People with the strong quantitative problem solving skills provided by a Civil engineering degree are sought after in fields ranging from urban planning to banking to business administration.<br><br>The Doctor of Philosophy is meant for those students who wish to undertake independent and unique research, and present a compelling research problem in thesis form. This degree option may be completed on a full-time or part-time basis, though full-time enrolment is strongly encouraged. A student who is registered full-time in the PhD program will normally complete the degree in four years. By the end of the fourth term, the student is required to successfully pass the PhD Comprehensive Examination, and complete three graduate level courses with a minimum overall average of 70%. The final two years of the degree will be dedicated to writing and formally defending the research thesis, which should reflect critical awareness and the understanding of research in the field, as well as a demonstrated ability to critically analyze and present new information.<br><br>The structures mechanics and construction engineering (SM&C) field of study is supported by 14.75 (FTE) tenure and tenure-track professors and one research assistant professor. This research field is also extremely strong within civil and environmental engineering and has an outstanding track record of providing excellent education and training opportunities. In addition, the superb laboratory facilities and specialized technical staff provide support for a large cohort of lab-based graduate students.