Overview
The PhD program in Civil Engineering (further in the text: PhD Program) fully taught in English, is designed to provide advanced skills and a fundamental knowledge base at the expert level for individuals planning a career in academic, industry and research settings in any of the subfields of the Civil Engineering discipline. The program focuses on the development of an in-depth understanding of the nature, implementation and evaluation of Civil Engineering principles and applications together with the growth of research skills. The current areas of research interest for the PhD in Civil Engineering encompass a wide spectrum, with specific focus on priority areas for Kazakhstan, such as: energy green growth, urban and regional development, environmental care and equitable management, advanced transportation and sustainable engineering and digitalization.
These areas are also aligned with well-known international research priorities, such as: Leadership in Enabling and Industrial Technologies; Environment, Future and Emerging Technologies; and Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing.
The PhD Civil Engineering program provides comprehensive technologic and scientific preparation for engineers in 6 (six) key areas of Civil Engineering: (a) Structural Engineering and Materials; (b) Geotechnical Engineering; (c) Environmental Engineering; (d) Construction Management; (e) Transportation Engineering and (f) Water Resources and Management, in perfect alignment with today´s technological challenges.
By the completion of the PhD Program, students will be capable of designing and conducting independent, innovative, original and high-quality research related to a variety of topics in Civil Engineering. In addition, PhD Program graduates will be prepared for working in industrial and academic environments in positions of university faculty members, senior researchers, engineers and product developers.
The PhD Program has been designed in line with the revised Graduate Programs Framework of Nazarbayev University.
These areas are also aligned with well-known international research priorities, such as: Leadership in Enabling and Industrial Technologies; Environment, Future and Emerging Technologies; and Health, Demographic Change and Wellbeing.
The PhD Civil Engineering program provides comprehensive technologic and scientific preparation for engineers in 6 (six) key areas of Civil Engineering: (a) Structural Engineering and Materials; (b) Geotechnical Engineering; (c) Environmental Engineering; (d) Construction Management; (e) Transportation Engineering and (f) Water Resources and Management, in perfect alignment with today´s technological challenges.
By the completion of the PhD Program, students will be capable of designing and conducting independent, innovative, original and high-quality research related to a variety of topics in Civil Engineering. In addition, PhD Program graduates will be prepared for working in industrial and academic environments in positions of university faculty members, senior researchers, engineers and product developers.
The PhD Program has been designed in line with the revised Graduate Programs Framework of Nazarbayev University.
General information
- Campus: Astana, Kazakhstan
- Language: English
- Delivery mode: Full time, on-campus
- Duration: 4 years
- Total ECTS credit: 240
Program Aims
The program aims to prepare:
- The program aims to prepare: specialists for advanced careers in (national and multinational) industry and academia in Kazakhstan, in neighboring countries and internationally.
- The program aims to prepare: future policy and decision-makers for careers in governmental agencies, public service, and the social economy, in Kazakhstan, and globally.
- The program aims to prepare: entrepreneurs who will be able to promote advanced and innovative science-rich technologies globally.
- The program aims to prepare: new generation of commercially aware and technologically advanced scientists and technologists to lead future developments in the chosen Civil Engineering sub-discipline.
- The program aims to prepare: future academics and researchers in Civil Engineering sub-disciplines for careers as specialists in universities of Kazakhstan and other parts of the world.
Key Advantages
- Expert-level doctoral educationdesigned for advanced careers in academia, research, industry, technology development, and public-sector leadership.1
- Comprehensive preparation across six major areas of civil engineering:Structural Engineering and Materials, Geotechnical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Construction Management, Transportation Engineering, and Water Resources and Management.2
- Strong emphasis on original and independent research,enabling students to create new knowledge and make a significant contribution to a specialised field of civil engineering.3
- Research aligned with Kazakhstan’s strategic priorities,including green growth, urban and regional development, environmental protection, advanced transportation, sustainable engineering, and digitalisation.4
- Flexible academic pathwaythrough doctoral-level electives selected according to the student’s research topic and approved by the supervisory committee.5
- Advanced computational, experimental, and field-based preparation,including numerical modelling, finite element analysis, environmental modelling, instrumentation, structural testing, geotechnical investigation, and infrastructure assessment.6
- Individual supervision by a multidisciplinary committee,consisting of a lead supervisor, an internal co-supervisor from Nazarbayev University, and an external co-supervisor from outside the University.7
- Continuous research development throughout the programme,supported by research planning, literature analysis, academic writing, peer review, progress evaluations, and dissertation preparation.8
- International and industry exposure,including research links with external organisations and an opportunity to undertake a three- to twelve-month internship at an approved international research facility.9
- Teaching and academic experiencethrough participation in the University’s teaching mission as a Graduate Teaching Assistant.10
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:
- Review, analyse, and evaluate the body of scientific literature in their field of study in Civil Engineering.
- Select appropriate research topics in their field of study in Civil Engineering, and generate hypotheses about such topics.
- Plan, develop, analyse and communicate research in writing and verbally independently.
- Make an original contribution to the knowledge in their area of specialization within Civil Engineering.
- Judge technically and ethically and relate their research to the broader field of knowledge in their Civil Engineering sub-discipline.
- Develop their academic/scholarly career through presentations, publications, and national and international networking.
Covers the Fundamentals of:
- Research methodology and research ethics
- Critical analysis of scientific literature
- Research-question and hypothesis development
- Experimental design, data collection, and validation
- Finite element methods and computational engineering
- Structural mechanics, dynamics, and earthquake engineering
- Advanced concrete technology and structural materials
- Soil mechanics and foundation engineering
- Geotechnical modelling and instrumentation
- Environmental chemistry and environmental modelling
- Contaminated-site management and soil treatment
- Water and wastewater-treatment processes
- Construction and project management
- Engineering management and engineering economy
- Transportation infrastructure and pavement engineering
- Sustainable construction and green-building technologies
- Academic writing, peer review, and scientific communication
- Independent research and dissertation development
Curriculum
¹ Course may be waived for NU graduates and replaced by a Level-8 course (core or elective) selected by the student’s supervisory committee and approved by the corresponding departmental committee.
² 0 ECTS credited if the thesis is not completed / defended in that semester.
³ If not submitted / defended, the requirement carries forward to the following semester.
² 0 ECTS credited if the thesis is not completed / defended in that semester.
³ If not submitted / defended, the requirement carries forward to the following semester.
Elective Courses
DCEE 750 - Finite Element Methods
DCEE 751 - Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering
DCEE 752 - Advanced Concrete Technology
DCEE 755 - Contaminated Site Management and Soil Treatment Technologies
DCEE 756 - Environmental Modeling Development
DCEE 765 - Concrete Repair and Maintenance
DCEE 757 - Advanced Environmental Chemistry
DCEE 759 - Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
DCEE 760 - Advanced Foundation Engineering
DCEE 761 - Advanced Soil Mechanics
DCEE 762 - Advanced Project Management
DCEE 766 - Advanced Pavement Design, Analysis, and Rehabilitation
DCEE 767 - Advanced Concrete Design
DCEE 768 - Advanced Wastewater Treatment
DCEE 769 - Sustainable Construction and Development
DCEE 771 - Soil Improvement and Stabilization
DCEE 772 - Engineering Management and Engineering Economy
DCEE 773 - Unsaturated Soil Mechanics for Engineering Practice
DCEE 774 - Computational Modeling and Instrumentation in Geotechnical Engineering
DCEE 750 - Finite Element Methods
DCEE 751 - Structural Dynamics and Earthquake Engineering
DCEE 752 - Advanced Concrete Technology
DCEE 755 - Contaminated Site Management and Soil Treatment Technologies
DCEE 756 - Environmental Modeling Development
DCEE 765 - Concrete Repair and Maintenance
DCEE 757 - Advanced Environmental Chemistry
DCEE 759 - Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering
DCEE 760 - Advanced Foundation Engineering
DCEE 761 - Advanced Soil Mechanics
DCEE 762 - Advanced Project Management
DCEE 766 - Advanced Pavement Design, Analysis, and Rehabilitation
DCEE 767 - Advanced Concrete Design
DCEE 768 - Advanced Wastewater Treatment
DCEE 769 - Sustainable Construction and Development
DCEE 771 - Soil Improvement and Stabilization
DCEE 772 - Engineering Management and Engineering Economy
DCEE 773 - Unsaturated Soil Mechanics for Engineering Practice
DCEE 774 - Computational Modeling and Instrumentation in Geotechnical Engineering
Core modules
The list of core modules
The mathematical sub-discipline of differential equations is foundational in the study of applied mathematics for engineers. Differential equations arise in a variety of contexts, some more theoretical and some of practical interest. The qualitative and quantitative study of differential equations incorporates an elegant mixture of linear algebra and advanced calculus. For this reason, it is expected that the student has already completed courses in (i) linear algebra; (ii) multivariable calculus; and (iii) introductory differential equations.
The course will cover advanced topics of first order and second order ODEs like initial and boundary value problem and stability of solutions and phase portrait of them. A classification will be provided of the various existing types of methods for exploring solutions in connection with the various types of scientific and technological mathematical models that utilize them. The content of the course includes power series techniques as well as the Laplace transformation method for acquiring solutions of ODEs.
Furthermore, PDEs will be studied to model problems involving functions of several variables, and are either solved by hand, or used to create a relevant computer model. PDEs categories will be connected with a wide variety of interesting and important phenomena such as sound, heat, electrostatics, electrodynamics, fluid dynamics, elasticity, or quantum mechanics. All these seemingly distinct physical phenomena can be formalized similarly in terms of PDEs. The content of the course will cover techniques that refer to Elliptic, Parabolic Partial Differential Equations and Hyperbolic Partial Differential Equations as well as Initial and Boundary Conditions. The course will be delivered with lectures that will deliver the necessary theoretical background.
The course will cover advanced topics of first order and second order ODEs like initial and boundary value problem and stability of solutions and phase portrait of them. A classification will be provided of the various existing types of methods for exploring solutions in connection with the various types of scientific and technological mathematical models that utilize them. The content of the course includes power series techniques as well as the Laplace transformation method for acquiring solutions of ODEs.
Furthermore, PDEs will be studied to model problems involving functions of several variables, and are either solved by hand, or used to create a relevant computer model. PDEs categories will be connected with a wide variety of interesting and important phenomena such as sound, heat, electrostatics, electrodynamics, fluid dynamics, elasticity, or quantum mechanics. All these seemingly distinct physical phenomena can be formalized similarly in terms of PDEs. The content of the course will cover techniques that refer to Elliptic, Parabolic Partial Differential Equations and Hyperbolic Partial Differential Equations as well as Initial and Boundary Conditions. The course will be delivered with lectures that will deliver the necessary theoretical background.
The course will facilitate the understanding of research planning and development, while enhancing the PhD student skills for reading, interpreting, writing and presenting his/her scientific and technical ideas to the peer community. The course will also deliver theory and examples of a variety of research methods and ethical principles associated to them.
This course is designed to monitor progress and develop understandings, skills, and outlooks to conduct original, independent research at the PhD level. The student will develop (with the advisor’s guidance) a research plan at the beginning of the semester that will state a research problem/question/hypothesis, its background, outline a research strategy and experimental approach, method of data collection, interpretation and validation, and method of communication of the project results to others. The research plan is used as the basis for assessment of the student’s research progress.
This course develops doctoral students’ ability to read, evaluate, organize, and synthesize current research literature in a critical and methodologically transparent way. By the end of the course, students will be able to formulate a focused review question, design and document an appropriate literature search strategy, critically compare published studies, identify gaps and contradictions in the field of mechanical engineering, and produce a concise survey paper.
Elective Courses
This course will provide students detailed theoretical backgrounds, formulations and implementations of the Finite Element Method and its application to solid and fluid mechanics. The specific topics include: (1) linear algebra; (2) one-dimensional element formulations; (3) two-dimensional beam element formulations; (4) two-dimensional plate element formulations; (5) plasticity and time integration in finite element methods and (6) Application of solid and fluid mechanics. The course is aimed to (1) provide students with a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the finite element method; (2) expand students’ skills on the methods for analyzing problems in the solid mechanics; (3) widen students’ knowledge on the nonlinear and time dependent problems; (4) prepare students for research using the finite element method.
This course will provide graduate students with an understanding of the vibration behavior and dynamic response of structural systems to periodic and arbitrary loadings; and with a discussion on earthquake engineering. The specific topics include: (1) single degree of freedom (DOF) system: free vibration, periodic loading, arbitrary loading and numerical methods; (2) multi-degree of freedom: generalized DOF, modal analysis, mode decomposition, modal superposition methods; (3) earthquake engineering: introduction of earthquakes, elastic response spectrum, inelastic response spectrum, earthquake response of multi-story buildings.
This module provides an overview of materials used to make portland cement concrete (PCC), identify practices that effect the serviceability of PCC structure. This course addresses mechanisms of corrosion, sulfate attack, alkali silica reaction, and freeze-thaw damage and identify key materials and environmental parameters that lead to these deterioration mechanisms. The course also introduces advances in concrete technology with focus on special types of concrete.
This course covers the principles of contaminated site management. It provides an overview for the management basics of contaminated sites, site characterization methods, and technology selection and application for treatment purposes based on site and contaminant properties. It covers in detail various soil treatment technologies and discusses their suitability of application for different cases. Some discussion will focus on case studies. The course reviews in detail physical, chemical, and biological treatment of contaminated soils; and, the content is tailored based on existing national priorities and cases.
The course is intended to give advanced level of knowledge and real life applications of methods for environmental modelling and its purposes. The course is also intended to give fundamental knowledge and experience in model construction and evaluation. Students will also practice their skills in communicating environmental modelling. The application examples illustrate air, water, and soil quality issues, but also touch upon modelling of global, regional and local pollution behaviors and ecosystem modelling. Data-analysis problems will use publicly available datasets so that students learn what parameters in environmental science are measured and monitored and how to access and use these data.
This course investigates the behavior of concrete subjected to internal and external agents. Different repair materials, protective systems and strengthening techniques would also be introduced to carry out concrete repair and maintenance.
This course will provide MSc students of Civil Engineering advanced knowledge of basic environmental chemical reactions on Acid/Base reactions, Complex reactions, Precipitation & Dissolutions, Redox Reactions, Solid-Solution Interface Reactions to estimate and evaluate the fate of potential chemical species in engineered and natural environmental systems.
This course is concerned with the study of aspects of geotechnical engineering related to earthquakes and other dynamic effects. In this course, we will study how soil responds to dynamic loading and how the soil modifies the transmission of the travelling ground motion. The specific topics include 1) explaining the ground motion and time history, and response spectra; 2) understanding the geophysical site investigation and to use the data obtained; 3) designing underground structures based on seismic analysis
This course covers site investigation, retaining structures and some types of foundation. The analysis, design and methods of construction will be introduced. In this course, we will study how to analyze, design and construct foundations. The specific topics include 1) understanding of the reasons of site investigation and to use the data obtained; 2) explaining the equilibrium of pile foundations, and thus examine their stability; 3) designing principles of various types of foundation.
This course is designed to provide a theoretical framework for the analysis of deformation and failure of soils with application to several practical problems, including elasticity for linear deformation, plasticity models (including critical state model) for non-linear deformation and limit equilibrium analyses. The specific topics include 1) enhancing the students’ knowledge of soil mechanics for the future research or work; 2) learning some topics and key concepts in soil shear strength; 3) investigating complex soil problems.
The purpose of this course is to introduce current theoretical and practical perspectives of project management. The course consists of four parts: The first part will study basic project management concepts and definitions (perceptions of investments, projects, programs and business processes; basic project management sub-processes and the project handbook). The second part will deal with project management methods for project start (scope, context, organization, WBS, responsibility matrix, etc.), project co-ordination, project controlling, management of project crises & risks and project close-down. The third part will discuss social competences required in managing projects, such as team building, intervention methods, dealing with diversity & emotions and conflict management. Finally, the fourth part will deal with issues related to project-oriented organizations, such as required permanent organization structures and processes. Examples and case studies will be used throughout the course.
This module provides theory and practice in pavement design, pavement performance, structural design of pavement layers, types of materials used in pavement layers, characterization of pavement layer materials. Pavement repair and rehabilitation strategies are also introduced. Computational pavement evaluation tools are introduced and applied.
The objective of this course is to prepare students for advanced-level structural engineering employment by providing them with abilities to design and analyze reinforced concrete structures. This course provides students with advanced techniques, such as section analysis, yield line theory, 2nd order analysis, and Bresler’s reciprocal theory, for analysis and design of reinforced concrete structural members under the complicate loading conditions such as torsion, bi-axial bending, and buckling. The mechanics underlying the code design procedures are evaluated as well as their application to practical design problems.
The specific objectives are:
1) To develop a deep understanding of mechanics underlying concrete design codes for students
2) To enhance students’ knowledge on mathematics, mechanics and structural analyses
3) To enhance students’ skills to conduct a practical structural design of concrete structures independently
4) To prepare students for advanced-level structural engineering employment
The specific objectives are:
1) To develop a deep understanding of mechanics underlying concrete design codes for students
2) To enhance students’ knowledge on mathematics, mechanics and structural analyses
3) To enhance students’ skills to conduct a practical structural design of concrete structures independently
4) To prepare students for advanced-level structural engineering employment
This course will provide graduate students advanced knowledge on the chemical (neutralization, precipitation, adsorption, etc.), physical (particle treatment, gas transfer, and membrane processes), and biological processes to treat the wastewater in engineered and natural environmental systems and to apply them to the development of novel advance wastewater treatment systems.
This course discusses concepts and techniques of sustainable construction which is a part of broader term sustainable development, in depth review of sustainable materials and construction techniques. Specifically, it develops basic knowledge about life cycle concepts for green building planning, basic design, delivery systems, and construction and operations. Students will also learn about green building assessment systems, green building economics, and advanced building technologies for sustainability.
The specific objectives are:
1) To help students develop a good understanding of sustainable construction from a life cycle perspective
2) To master basic skills to plan, construct and operate green facilities.
3) To enhance students’ skills to conduct a green construction design independently
4) To prepare students for advanced-level structural engineering employment
The specific objectives are:
1) To help students develop a good understanding of sustainable construction from a life cycle perspective
2) To master basic skills to plan, construct and operate green facilities.
3) To enhance students’ skills to conduct a green construction design independently
4) To prepare students for advanced-level structural engineering employment
This course will cover the need for ground improvement and stabilization and brief description of methods used. This course will include principles of the soil improvement/stabilization (e.g., physico-chemical, mechanical/geosynthetic) method, selected lectures on braced excavations, dewatering, grouting, stone columns, vertical and horizontal drains, vacuum pumping, deep compaction, vibro floatation, lime/cement stabilization, reinforced earth and soil nailing.
This course aims to provide engineering graduates the definition, principles and practices of modern management with financial perspectives. Engineering Management is concerned with systems analysis and design, basic functions and principles of management toward engineering functions such as product research, design, development and production. Engineering Economy is mainly concerned with fundamental concepts and techniques of engineering economic analysis; evaluation of alternative capital investments considering income taxes, depreciation and inflation; discounted cash flow analysis of competing projects, break-even analysis and determination of rate of return on investment, Risk and uncertainty in engineering analysis. This course will help students to explore strategies, models, and practices for leading and managing engineering organizations in a context directly relevant to them. They will engage in self-reflection about their styles, beliefs, and past experiences with leadership and management, and emerge with an insightful understanding of their personal approach as a professional. Besides, students will learn to improve their grasp of the "big picture" and how daily decisions affect the financial performance of an organization. They will learn principles and practices of interpreting financial information and performing engineering-related economic analyses.
This course aims to acquaint students with the principles of unsaturated soil mechanics and its application to engineering practice under the effect of climatic conditions, such as: slope stability, retaining wall design, foundation design, soil-structure interaction. This course will include (1) shear strength and hydraulic properties of unsaturated soil; (2) rainfall-induced slope failure (3) field instrumentation for assessment of unsaturated soil behavior and (4) numerical analyses for modelling geotechnical engineering problem incorporating unsaturated soil properties
This course aims to acquaint students with the theories and practical aspects of computational modelling and instrumentation for application in geotechnical engineering with respect to slope stability, seepage analysis, deep excavation and foundation. This course will include (1) geotechnical information modelling; (2) seepage-deformation-stability analyses; (3) field instrumentation for assessment of stability, deformation and water flow; (4) application of unsaturated soil mechanics on computational modelling and instrumentation in solving geotechnical problems
Where do our graduates work?
- Career opportunities
- University Faculty Member
- Assistant, Associate, or Research Professor
- Senior Researcher
- Research Scientist
- Civil Engineer
- Structural Engineering Researcher
- Geotechnical Engineering Researcher
- Environmental Engineering Researcher
- Transportation or Pavement Researcher
- Water Resources Researcher
- Construction Management Researcher
- Earthquake Engineering Specialist
- Advanced Materials or Concrete Researcher
- Computational Civil Engineer
- Infrastructure-Modelling Specialist
- Research and Development Engineer
- Product Development Engineer
- Engineering Consultant
- Research Laboratory Manager
- Engineering Research Project Manager
- Government Policy or Technical Adviser
- Technology and Innovation Consultant
- Engineering Entrepreneur or Start-up Founder
- Where?
- Universities and higher-education institutions
- National and international research centres
- Structural-engineering and design companies
- Construction and infrastructure organisations
- Geotechnical engineering and site-investigation firms
- Environmental engineering and consulting organisations
- Water and wastewater-treatment organisations
- Road, pavement, and transportation-infrastructure companies
- Sustainable-construction and green-building organisations
- Construction project-management companies
- Civil-engineering laboratories and testing centres
- Digital-construction and engineering-modelling companies
- Municipal and urban-development organisations
- Government ministries and regulatory agencies
- Environmental and infrastructure-policy organisations
- Research-based start-ups and technology ventures
Admissions & Apply now
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Admission
Admission
53 Kabanbay Batyr Ave
Astana city, Republic of Kazakhstan
Astana city, Republic of Kazakhstan