Doctoral study in Civil Engineering
Why study with us?
- The highest-ranked engineering faculty in New Zealand and 45th in the world (QS World University Rankings by Subject, 2023)
- Opportunities to be supervised by experts in the field, including those affiliated with Centres of Research Excellence and National Science Challenges.
- Connections to industry, professional bodies such as Engineering NZ, and other research organisations, such as the Structural Engineering Society New Zealand (SESOC) and Rivers Group.
- Additional scholarship opportunities that include Centres of Research Excellence, MBIE and Marsden funding.
- Access to Postgraduate Research Student Support (PReSS) funding for research expenses
Research opportunities
Pursuing a PhD at the University of Auckland gives you access to a high-calibre research community – you may have the opportunity to publish papers, attend international conferences and develop your networks in academia and industry.
We welcome research proposals in topics relating to our key areas, including:
- Earthquake engineering, which covers broad research areas such as seismic assessments, materials, and community resilience
- Geotechnical engineering, including soil behaviour modelling, structural foundation systems, dynamic properties of soils, and liquefaction
- Resilience, with a variety of broad topics such as building and transportation infrastructure, organisational management and communities, and disaster reduction
- Structural engineering, on areas such as the development of materials and innovative new solutions
- Transportation, including traffic operations, road safety and skid resistance, network modelling and public transport, and Electric Vehicles
- Water and environmental engineering, focusing on areas such as hydraulic engineering, flow structures, sustainability, waste management, resource recovery
Our people
Search our database to find our researchers in Civil Engineering, as well as explore past research topics and current research opportunities.
Scholarships and awards
There are several scholarships you may be eligible for when you decide to pursue your PhD in Civil Engineering, including the University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarships.
Help and advice
For general student enquiries, please contact the Student Hubs.
If you would like to find out more about studying Civil Engineering, you can contact a Postgraduate Adviser.