OBJECTIVES
STRUCTURE & REQUIREMENTS
STUDY PLAN
OBJECTIVES
Overview
The PhD Program in Computer and Information Engineering (CIEN) is managed by the Department of CIEN at the College of Computing and Mathematical Sciences at Khalifa University. The program is designed to equip students with state-of-the-art knowledge in one of the fastest-growing fields in high-tech. The program is multidisciplinary with a focus on three main themes, which are Computing Systems, Optimization and Security, and Communications and Networks. The program is highly flexible and offers courses in various CIEN areas, allowing students to choose a set of courses that particularly suits their research and career plans. While some students prefer to focus on one of the three themes, other students choose to diversify and broaden their knowledge by studying courses from more than one theme.
The program is open to outstanding students from all nationalities and offers highly competitive scholarships. Moreover, the PhD program accepts talented students with only a BSc degree given that they meet the admission requirements.Ìý
STRUCTURE & REQUIREMENTS
Program Structure and Requirements (with MSc Degree)
Overall Program Structure
The PhD ENGR consists of a minimum 60 credit hours, distributed as follows: 3 credit hours of Program Core courses, 21 credit hours of Program Technical Elective courses, 36 credit hours of Dissertation research and two zero credit PhD Research Seminar courses. The technical background of the student will be assessed by a Written Qualifying Examination (WQE), followed by a Research Proposal Examination (RPE) which the student must successfully complete in order to progress further in the program. The components of the PhD program are summarized in the table below.
| Program Component |
Credit Hours |
| Research Methods in Engineering |
3 |
| PhD Research Seminar I |
0 |
| PhD Research Seminar II |
0 |
| Written Qualifying Examination (WQE) |
0 |
| Research Proposal Examination (RPE) |
0 |
| Program Electives |
21 |
| PhD Research Dissertation |
36 |
| Total |
60 |
Program Requirements
Students seeking the degree of PhD in Engineering must successfully complete a minimum 60 credit hours as specified in the program requirements detailed below, with a minimum CGPA of 3.0. Course selection should be made in consultation with the student’s Main Advisor and must be aligned to the chosen area(s) of research. All courses have a credit rating of three credits each, except the PhD Research Seminar, Written Qualifying Exam, Research Proposal Exam, and the PhD Dissertation.
Program Core (3 credit hours)
Students must complete the core courses listed below.
Core Courses
|
Research Methods in Engineering |
3
|
|
PhD Research Seminar I |
0
|
|
PhD Research Seminar II |
0
|
|
PhD Written Qualifying Examination |
0
|
|
PhD Research Proposal Examination |
0
|
Program Electives and Concentrations (21 credit hours)
Students must complete a minimum of seven technical elective courses from the list below. At least two of these electives (6 credit hours) must be PhD level courses with a substantial mathematical component, as outlined in the ‘Mathematics Requirements’ section above.
Subject to the approval of the dissertation Main Advisor, up to two elective courses (6 credit hours) can be taken from relevant MSc programs at KU to help the student bridge a knowledge gap that will support his/her research. The student must not have taken the same or similar MSc level courses to satisfy the requirements of his/her Master’s degree. A copy of the student’s MSc transcript must be provided when a request is made to take MSc level courses.
Students wishing to complete a PhD in Engineering with a concentration in a given area, must select at least four (12 credit hours) of the seven technical elective courses from one of the groups listed below. All selected concentration courses must be at PhD level. The concentration will be noted on the student’s diploma and official transcript provided that the student fulfills the following requirements:
- Complete a minimum of four PhD level courses (12 credit hours) from the same concentration; and
- Complete a PhD research dissertation within the domain of the concentration.Ìý
The PhD elective courses are listed below under the various engineering concentration fields supported by the program. Students must take into account the above points when choosing their electives.
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Concentration Field Courses
|
Power System Modelling and Control |
3
|
|
Embedded Generation Operation and Control |
3
|
|
Power Quality and FACTS Devices |
3
|
|
Analysis of Power Systems Over-voltages and Transients |
3
|
|
Advanced Power System Grounding and Safety |
3
|
|
Application of Heuristic Optimization Techniques to Power Systems |
3
|
|
Analog Mixed Signal Design Techniques |
3
|
|
Numerical Simulation of Circuits and Systems |
3
|
|
High Speed Communication Circuits |
3
|
|
Distributed Computing |
3
|
|
Machine Learning and Applications |
3
|
|
High Speed Computer Arithmetic |
3
|
|
Advanced Computer Architecture |
3
|
|
Advanced Computer Vision Paradigms |
3
|
|
Advanced Topics LoT and Blockchain |
3
|
|
Network and Information Security |
3
|
|
High Performance Computing |
3
|
|
Advanced Digital Communications |
3
|
|
Advanced Concepts in Stochastic Processes, Detection, and Estimation Theory |
3
|
|
Broadband Communication Systems |
3
|
|
Optical Wireless Communication Systems |
3
|
|
Discontinuous Control Systems |
3
|
|
Nonlinear Control |
3
|
|
Computational Prototyping of Dynamical Systems |
3
|
|
Computational Prototyping of Partial Differential Equations |
3
|
|
Cognitive Robotics |
3
|
|
Robotic Perception |
3
|
|
Voltage Source Converters |
3
|
|
Advanced Microsystem Design |
3
|
|
Photonic Materials and Metamaterials Design for Engineers |
3
|
|
Advanced Photonic Integrated Circuits |
3
|
|
Physics and Manufacturability of Advanced Micro and Nano Devices |
3
|
|
The Physics of Solar Cells |
3
|
|
Selected Topics in Electrical and Computer Engineering |
3
|
Robotics
Concentration Field Courses
|
Machine Learning and Applications |
3
|
|
Advanced Computer Vision Paradigms |
3
|
|
Cognitive Robotics |
3
|
|
Robotic Perception |
3
|
|
Advanced Process Dynamics and Control |
3
|
|
Analysis and Simulation of Mechatronics Systems |
3
|
|
Optimal Control |
3
|
|
Acoustics and Noise Control |
3
|
|
Control of Robotic Systems |
3
|
PhD Research Dissertation (minimum 36 credit hours)
Students must complete a PhD Research Dissertation that involves novel, creative, research-oriented work under the direct supervision of at least one full-time faculty advisor from the College, and at least one other full-time faculty who acts as a co-advisor. The Main Advisor of a student who opts for a PhD with a concentration must be a faculty member in the Department offering that particular concentration. The outcome of research should demonstrate the synthesis of information into knowledge in a form that may be used by others. The research findings must be documented in a formal Dissertation and defended successfully in a viva voce examination. Furthermore, the research must lead to publishable quality scholarly journal articles.
Dissertation
|
PhD Research Dissertation |
36
|
Program Structure and Requirements (with only BSc Degree)
Overall Program Structure
The PhD ENGR consists of a minimum 72 credit hours, distributed as follows: 12 credit hours of Program Core courses, 24 credit hours of Program Technical Elective courses, 36 credit hours of Dissertation research and two zero credit PhD Research Seminar courses. The technical background of the student will be assessed by a Written Qualifying Examination (WQE), followed by a Research Proposal Examination (RPE) which the student must successfully complete in order to progress further in the program. The components of the PhD program are summarized in the table below.
| Category |
Credit Hours |
| Core Courses |
12 |
| Technical Electives |
24 |
| PhD Research Seminar I |
0 |
| PhD Research Seminar II |
0 |
| PhD Written Qualifying Exam |
0 |
| PhD Research Proposal Exam |
0 |
| PhD Research Dissertation |
36 |
| Total |
72 |
All the courses that the students will take are at PhD level. The students will only be able to attempt PhD Written Qualifying Exam (WQE) after successfully completing a minimum of 27 credits of formal coursework.
Program Requirements
Students seeking the degree of PhD in Engineering must successfully complete a minimum 72 credit hours as specified in the program requirements detailed below, with a minimum CGPA of 3.0. Course selection should be made in consultation with the student’s Main Advisor and must be aligned to the chosen area(s) of research. All courses have a credit rating of three credits each, except the PhD Research Seminar, Written Qualifying Exam, Research Proposal Exam, and the PhD Dissertation.
Program Core (12 credit hours)
Students must complete the core courses listed below.
Aerospace Engineering – Core Courses
Concentration Core Courses
|
Research Methods in Engineering |
3
|
|
Advanced Aerodynamics |
3
|
|
Adv Aerospace Materials & Stru |
3
|
|
Advanced Flight Mechanics |
3
|
|
Adv Space Systems Engineering |
3
|
Biomedical Engineering – Core Courses
Concentration Core Courses
|
Research Methods in Engineering |
3
|
|
Adv Multivariate Data Analysis |
3
|
|
Advanced Physiological Systems |
3
|
|
Biophysical Engineering of Cellular Systems |
3
|
|
Computational Systems Biology of Cancer |
3
|
Chemical Engineering – Core Courses
Concentration Core Courses
|
Research Methods in Engineering |
3
|
|
Adv Math Methods in Chem Eng |
3
|
|
Adv Chem Eng Thermodynamics |
3
|
|
Adv Chemical Reaction Engineer |
3
|
Civil Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering – Core Courses
Concentration Core Courses
|
Research Methods in Engineering |
3
|
|
Adv Soil-Structure Interaction |
3
|
|
Advanced Building Construction |
3
|
|
Adv Transportation Systems |
3
|
Electrical and Computer Engineering – Core Courses
Concentration Core Courses
|
Research Methods in Engineering |
3
|
|
Algorithm Design Techniques |
3
|
|
Linear Systems |
3
|
|
Power System Analysis |
3
|
|
Digital Signal Processing |
3
|
|
Digital ASIC Design |
3
|
|
Integrated Microelectronic Devices |
3
|
|
Deep Learning Systems Design |
3
|
|
Advanced Computer Networks |
3
|
Engineering Systems and Management – Core Courses
Concentration Core Courses
|
Research Methods in Engineering |
3
|
|
Advanced Cost Engineering |
3
|
|
Optimization for Eng Systems |
3
|
|
Business Analytics for Eng Sys |
3
|
Material Science and Engineering – Core Courses
Concentration Core Courses
|
Research Methods in Engineering |
3
|
|
Adv Thermodyn & Thermostat Mat |
3
|
|
Elec,Opt & Magnetic Prop Mater |
3
|
|
Adv Phys of Solid-State Apps |
3
|
|
Phenomenological & Atomistic K |
3
|
Mechanical Engineering – Core Courses
Concentration Core Courses
|
Research Methods in Engineering |
3
|
|
Adv Dynamics and Applications |
3
|
|
Advanced Control System |
3
|
|
Adv Mechanics of Solid Materia |
3
|
|
Adv Fluid Mech of Incompressib |
3
|
Nuclear Engineering – Core Courses
Concentration Core Courses
|
Research Methods in Engineering |
3
|
|
Adv Therm Hydraulics in NUCE |
3
|
|
Adv Nuc Mats,Struc Integ& Chem |
3
|
|
Nuclear Reactor Theory |
3
|
Petroleum Engineering – Core Courses
Concentration Core Courses
|
Research Methods in Engineering |
3
|
|
Well Pressure Transient Analys |
3
|
|
Adv Character & Reservoir Eng |
3
|
|
Adv Well Performance Evaluatio |
3
|
Robotics – Core Courses
Concentration Core Courses
|
Research Methods in Engineering |
3
|
|
Digital Signal Processing |
3
|
|
Deep Learning Systems Design |
3
|
|
Advanced Control System |
3
|
Program Electives and Concentrations (24 credit hours)
Students must complete a minimum of seven technical elective courses from the list below. At least two of these electives (6 credit hours) must be PhD level courses with a substantial mathematical component, as outlined in the ‘Mathematics Requirements’ section above.
Students wishing to complete a PhD in Engineering with a concentration in a given area, must select at least four (12 credit hours) of the seven technical elective courses from one of the groups listed below. All selected concentration courses must be at PhD level. The concentration will be noted on the student’s diploma and official transcript provided that the student fulfills the following requirements:
- Complete a minimum of four PhD level courses (12 credit hours) from the same concentration; and
- Complete a PhD research dissertation within the domain of the concentration.
The PhD elective courses are listed below under the various engineering concentration fields supported by the program. Students must take into account the above points when choosing their electives.
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Concentration Field Courses
|
Power System Modelling and Control |
3
|
|
Embedded Generation Operation and Control |
3
|
|
Power Quality and FACTS Devices |
3
|
|
Analysis of Power Systems Over-voltages and Transients |
3
|
|
Advanced Power System Grounding and Safety |
3
|
|
Application of Heuristic Optimization Techniques to Power Systems |
3
|
|
Analog Mixed Signal Design Techniques |
3
|
|
Numerical Simulation of Circuits and Systems |
3
|
|
High Speed Communication Circuits |
3
|
|
Distributed Computing |
3
|
|
Machine Learning and Applications |
3
|
|
High Speed Computer Arithmetic |
3
|
|
Advanced Computer Architecture |
3
|
|
Advanced Computer Vision Paradigms |
3
|
|
Advanced Topics LoT and Blockchain |
3
|
|
Network and Information Security |
3
|
|
High Performance Computing |
3
|
|
Advanced Digital Communications |
3
|
|
Advanced Concepts in Stochastic Processes, Detection, and Estimation Theory |
3
|
|
Broadband Communication Systems |
3
|
|
Optical Wireless Communication Systems |
3
|
|
Discontinuous Control Systems |
3
|
|
Nonlinear Control |
3
|
|
Computational Prototyping of Dynamical Systems |
3
|
|
Computational Prototyping of Partial Differential Equations |
3
|
|
Cognitive Robotics |
3
|
|
Robotic Perception |
3
|
|
Voltage Source Converters |
3
|
|
Advanced Microsystem Design |
3
|
|
Photonic Materials and Metamaterials Design for Engineers |
3
|
|
Advanced Photonic Integrated Circuits |
3
|
|
Physics and Manufacturability of Advanced Micro and Nano Devices |
3
|
|
The Physics of Solar Cells |
3
|
|
Selected Topics in Electrical and Computer Engineering |
3
|
Robotics
Concentration Field Courses
|
Machine Learning and Applications |
3
|
|
Advanced Computer Vision Paradigms |
3
|
|
Cognitive Robotics |
3
|
|
Robotic Perception |
3
|
|
Advanced Process Dynamics and Control |
3
|
|
Analysis and Simulation of Mechatronics Systems |
3
|
|
Optimal Control |
3
|
|
Acoustics and Noise Control |
3
|
|
Control of Robotic Systems |
3
|
PhD Research Dissertation (minimum 36 credit hours)
Students must complete a PhD Research Dissertation that involves novel, creative, research-oriented work under the direct supervision of at least one full-time faculty advisor from the College, and at least one other full-time faculty who acts as a co-advisor. The Main Advisor of a student who opts for a PhD with a concentration must be a faculty member in the Department offering that particular concentration. The outcome of research should demonstrate the synthesis of information into knowledge in a form that may be used by others. The research findings must be documented in a formal Dissertation and defended successfully in a viva voce examination. Furthermore, the research must lead to publishable quality scholarly journal articles.
Dissertation
|
PhD Research Dissertation |
36
|
STUDY PLAN
Study Plan (with only MSc Degree)
The typical study plan for full-time and part-time students is shown below. Each student will be assigned a faculty advisor who will help her/him in selecting courses and advise her/him on various aspects of graduate studies.
|
Typical Study Plan for Full-Time Students (with MSc)
|
|
|
Semester 1
|
Semester 2
|
|
Year 1
|
- ENGR 701 Research Methods in Engineering
- Technical Elective 1
- Technical Elective 2
|
- Technical Elective 3
- CCEN 799 PhD Research Dissertation
- CCEN 795 PhD Written Qualifying Exam (WQE)
|
|
Year 2
|
- Technical Elective 4
- Technical Elective 5
- CCEN 799 PhD Research Dissertation
|
- Technical Elective 6
- CCEN 799 PhD Research Dissertation
- CCEN 796 PhD Research Proposal Examination (RPE)
|
|
Year 3
|
- Technical Elective 7
- CCEN 703 PhD Research Seminar I
- CCEN 799 PhD Research Dissertation
|
- CCEN 704 PhD Research Seminar II
- CCEN 799 PhD Research Dissertation
|
|
Year 4
|
- CCEN 799 PhD Research Dissertation
|
- CCEN 799 PhD Research Dissertation
- PhD Research Dissertation Examination
|
|
Typical Study Plan for Part-Time Students
|
|
SEMESTER 1
|
SEMESTER 2
|
|
YEAR 1
|
- Research Methods in Engineering
- Technical Elective 1
|
- Technical Elective 2
- Technical Elective 3
|
|
YEAR 2
|
- Technical Elective 4
- PhD Research Dissertation
|
- PhD Research Dissertation
- PhD Written Qualifying Exam (WQE)
|
|
YEAR 3
|
- Technical Elective 5
- PhD Research Dissertation
|
- ENGR 799PhDResearch Dissertation
- PhD Research Proposal Examination (RPE)
|
|
YEAR 4
|
- Technical Elective 6
- PhD Research Seminar I
- PhD Research Dissertation
|
- Technical Elective 7
- ENGR 799PhD Research Dissertation
|
|
YEAR 5
|
- PhD Research Seminar II
- PhD Research Dissertation
|
- ENGR 799PhD Research Dissertation
|
|
YEAR 6
|
- PhD Research Dissertation
|
- ENGR 799PhD Research Dissertation
- PhD Research Dissertation Examination
|
Study Plan (with only BSc Degree)
A typical study plan for students enrolled in the PhD in Engineering is shown below. All courses in the study plan are 3 credit hours each. PhD Research Seminar I & II are zero credit each.
|
Typical Study Plan for Full-Time Students
|
|
|
Semester 1
|
Semester 2
|
|
Year 1
|
- Research Methods in Engineering
- Core Course 1
- Core Course 2
- Core Course 3
|
- Technical Elective 1
- Technical Elective 2
- Technical Elective 3
- PhD Research Dissertation
|
|
Year 2
|
- Technical Elective 4
- Technical Elective 5
- PhD Research Dissertation
|
- PhD Research Dissertation
- PhD Written Qualifying Exam
|
|
Year 3
|
- Technical Elective 6
- PhD Research Seminar I
- PhD Research Dissertation
|
- Technical Elective 7
- PhD Research Dissertation
- PhD Research Proposal Exam
|
|
Year 4
|
- Technical Elective 8
- PhD Research Dissertation
|
- PhD Research Seminar II
- PhD Research Dissertation
|
|
Year 5
|
- PhD Research Dissertation
|
- PhD Research Dissertation
- Final Doctoral Dissertation Exam
|
