PhD in Civil and Environmental Engineering Program

A three-year doctoral track in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Hiroshima University runs out of Hiroshima, Japan, taught in English, with intake in April or October. Founded in a city known worldwide as the site of the first atomic bombing, Hiroshima University operates on a founding principle of being a single, unified institution dedicated to freedom and peace, and it has grown into one of the largest and most comprehensive universities in the country, with 12 schools, 4 graduate schools, an attached research institute, a university hospital, and 11 attached schools. The university was named one of 13 universities in the 2014 Top Global University Project and one of 13 universities in the 2018 WISE Program for doctoral education. Civil and environmental engineering doctoral programs generally focus on research in structural engineering, water resources, geotechnical engineering, transportation systems, and environmental protection, with students developing an original dissertation project under close faculty supervision. Study at this level typically pairs advanced coursework with laboratory and field research, addressing infrastructure and environmental challenges that require rigorous technical analysis. Doctoral graduates in civil and environmental engineering commonly move into careers in infrastructure design and construction, environmental consulting, government agencies responsible for public works, and academic research and teaching, applying specialized engineering knowledge to the planning and maintenance of the built and natural environment. Pursuing this research at Hiroshima University places international students within a doctoral program at an institution with formal Top Global University and WISE Program status, supporting sustained engagement with international engineering research networks.