Doctor of Philosophy in Industrial Engineering
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Industrial Engineering is the highest degree offered by the IMSE Department. To be awarded the Ph.D., the student must demonstrate both superior scholarship and the capacity to perform original research. The two basic requirements are that a student:
- Attains a mastery of both general industrial engineering and a specialized subfield as determined by the IMSE Committee on Graduate Studies and demonstrated through examination
- Completes a significant program of original research and prepare a dissertation
Ph.D. Course Requirements
Typically, 72 semester hours of approved organized course work beyond the baccalaureate degree are required. These courses are concentrated in a major field chosen by the student. Some are normally taken in one or more complementary minor fields. A minimum 9 hours of IE 6197 – 6997 (Research in Industrial Engineering) are required to prepare the dissertation proposal. Finally, at least 9 hours of IE 6399, 6699, or 6999 (Dissertation) are required to complete the research and write the dissertation. The courses IE 6197 – 6997 and IE 6399, 6699, and 6999 do not count toward the 72 hours of organized coursework. There is no foreign language requirement.
Diagnostic Evaluation
After the completion of 18 hours of course work above the Master’s degree, the student must demonstrate the potential to complete the PhD program. This potential is assessed by a written examination and by the successful completion of the Master’s core requirements. Upon meeting these requirements, a student may receive approval to continue in the doctoral program. The student must be working with a Ph.D. advisor by this time.
Supervisory Committee
After the successful completion of the diagnostic evaluation, a student must start working on the dissertation and complete course work requirements. The student and the Graduate Advisor will select a doctoral supervisory committee. The committee will consist of at least four members, three of whom must be from IMSE. The fourth may be a non-IMSE UTA graduate faculty member. The committee, and in particular, the chair, is responsible for the design and direction of the student's program and for conducting the comprehensive examination. After the student has passed the comprehensive examination, the doctoral supervising committee may be altered or expanded to accommodate the dissertation research needs of the student, but it must continue to include at least four members of the graduate faculty. Members external to UT Arlington must be in addition to these four graduate faculty members and must be approved by the Dean of Graduate Studies.
Comprehensive Examination
Students are eligible to take the comprehensive examination after having completed most coursework requirements and having identified a viable dissertation research topic. The comprehensive examination may be written, oral, or both written and oral. It includes the preparation of a formal research proposal on the student’s dissertation work. The scope, content, and form of the comprehensive examination are determined by the student's supervisory committee. Upon passing the comprehensive exam, a student may receive approval to continue the dissertation work.
Degree Plan Worksheet
After passing the comprehensive examination, the student prepares the Degree Plan Worksheet, which is subsequently signed by the committee. This worksheet lists the courses taken as part of the PhD program. This worksheet goes into the student’s academic file. This is an internal document and does not go to the graduate school.
Dissertation Defense
The dissertation represents the culmination of the student's academic efforts. The dissertation demonstrates original, independent research and makes significant contribution to knowledge. The dissertation committee monitors the progress of the student’s dissertation until it is ready for the oral defense before the committee.
Admissions Criteria
Ph.D Industrial Engineering
UNCONDITIONAL ADMISSIONS
Unconditional admission into Ph.D. program is granted if all the following conditions are met:
- A GPA of at least 3.3 in all prior graduate work
- A minimum total score of 700 on the GRE Quantitative section and 450 on the GRE Verbal section
- A minimum score of 500 on the handwritten TOEFL (213 on the computer-based version or 79 on the TOEFL iBT) if English is not the applicant’s native language
- Adequate preparation in mathematics, science, and industrial engineering
PROBATIONARY
Prospective students not meeting the conditions for unconditional admission may be granted probationary admission if their GPA is 2.6 or greater. Students granted probationary admission must achieve a GPA of at least 3.0 for the first 9 hours completed at UTA. Unconditional admission may then be granted. Other conditions, such as deficiency courses, may be specified by the Graduate Advisor.
DEFERRAL
The admission decision is deferred if sufficient information is not available.
DENIAL
Prospective students with a GPA below 2.6 may be denied admission at the discretion of the Graduate Advisor. The Graduate Advisor may grant probationary admission if other factors suggest a potential for success in the graduate program. Prospective PhD students who are not unconditionally or provisionally admitted will be denied at the discretion of the graduate advisor.