The principal objectives of the PhD program are to provide students with an opportunity to reach a critical understanding of basic scientific and engineering principles underlying their fields of interest and to cultivate their ability to apply these principles creatively through advanced methods of analysis, research, and synthesis. The PhD is awarded primarily on the basis of research.

Graduates of the PhD program should be able to:

• Demonstrate a critical understanding of scientific and engineering principles underlying the student’s fields of interest;
• Apply scientific and engineering principles creatively through advanced methods of analysis, research, and synthesis, and effectively communicate their findings orally and in writing to a technically literate audience; and
• Illustrate ethical awareness of responsible conduct of research.