Our PHD Program

Doctoral Programs

Calling all students interested in pursuing doctoral work in systems engineering!

The Department of Civil and Systems Engineering (CaSE) offers a PhD Program in Systems Engineering. The Center for Systems Science and Engineering  (CSSE), housed in CaSE, has had major impact with the COVID tracking dashboard used around the world. We are seeking highly motivated applicants (either Master’s or exceptional undergraduate students) interested in pursuing doctoral research on grand societal challenges using systems thinking and methods.

Our faculty’s cutting-edge research addresses a range of domains, including healthcare, public health, transportation, natural hazards, and energy. We are also closely tied to other major centers at Johns Hopkins, including but not limited to: JH Data Science and AI Institute (DSAI), Ralph O’Conner Sustainable Energy Institute (ROSEI), Malone Center for Engineering in Healthcare, Bloomberg School of Public Health, Institute for Assured Autonomy, and Applied Physics Laboratory. Our multidisciplinary program allows the students to explore topics from different fields of applied math, computer science, operations research, operations management, environmental sciences, and data sciences.

Prospective PhD students should review our website, consult the academic requirements and the application process. Prospective students interested in JHU’s Doctor of Engineering (DEng) program should consult the program requirements here. When contacting CSSE faculty, please use the subject line Prospective Student Inquiry in your email. 

PhD Timeline

Year 1 - Fall

  • Arrival prior to start of classes
  • Selection of first semester courses (typically 4) with Director of Graduate Studies or research advisor
  • Language/communication testing and placement for International Students
  • Responsible Conduct of Research short course (AS.360.625)
  • Academic Ethics short course (EN.500.603)
  • First semester coursework and research

Year 1 - Intersession

  • Intersession research
  • Annual review completed by January 31

Year 1 - Spring

  • Department Qualifying Exam (DQE) (completed in early May)
  • Second semester coursework and research

Year 2 - Fall

  • Research
  • Coursework (typically finishing up this semester)
  • PhD Thesis Committee Meeting encouraged

Year 2 - Intersession

  • Research
  • Annual review completed by January 31

Year 2 - Spring

  • Research
  • Coursework (if necessary)

Year 3

  • Research (year-round)
  • PhD Thesis Committee Meeting encouraged
  • Annual review completed by January 31

Year 4 and Beyond

  • Research (year-round)
  • PhD Thesis Committee Meeting encouraged every year
  • Annual review completed by January 31

Final Semester

  • Thesis Defense and Graduate Board Oral Examination (GBO)
More Program Details