CEE PhD Advisement - Sonny Astani @ USC Viterbi

Welcome to Astani CEE!

Congratulations on your admission to USC Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering! As an incoming student please expect to finalize your first semester classes in August, once you have arrived on campus.

To prepare for a successful start to your academic journey, please take the following action:

After attending orientation, connect with your faculty advisor(s) to identify 6-8 units of coursework you'll take in the fall.
- Most incoming PhDs enroll in August - no need to panic about enrollment - it will work out.
Review the CEE PhD Advisement page
- This goes over full-time enrollment, which courses count toward your degree, and more
Take steps to clear holds that restrict registration (review the hold section on the CEE PhD Advisement Page for tips)
All incoming PhDs
- must take TA Training even if they are not TA'ing in the fall or spring.
- International PhDs: must schedule the ITA exam even if they are not TA'ing in the fall or spring
Be sure to review the Viterbi New Student Page for more information on Orientation and Welcome Events.

Tips for Success

Regularly check your USC email. New student orientation information will be sent via email.
Ensure that you have reviewed all communication sent from the Astani Student Affairs team (cee.advise@usc.edu).
Attend and/or watch orientation recordings to understand policies and processes related to your degree and registration.

Be sure to attend/watch the CEE PhD Orientation Recording

Recording: CEE PhD Orientation - Coming in late July!

Full-Time Enrollment Guidelines for PhD Students

Full-time enrollment is met by taking GRADUATE-DEGREE-ELIGIBLE courses

PhDs are considered full time enrolled when enrolled in a minimum of 6 units of 500-level and above course work.
- 400-level courses (which are undergraduate courses) can count toward a PhD's full-time enrollment, provided the total units applied toward the PhD Degree conform to the 2/3 rule
100, 200, and 300-level courses do not count toward full-time enrollment
- Exception: ALI courses can count toward full-time enrollment
Courses taken as Pass/No Pass do not count as full-time enrollment
Courses must be approved by your faculty advisor

2/3 Rule

All programs require a minimum two-thirds of coursework must be 500-level or higher. Learn more.

Note: This policy applies to programs that require or allow 400-level coursework.

Academic Standing

All students are required to maintain a minimum of 3.0 GPA to remain in good academic standing and to graduate. Students who are unable to maintain a 3.0 GPA will be placed on academic probation. View the complete policy on the Viterbi Website.

Only grades C or higher will count toward your degree progress, but all grades will count toward your GPA.
No Pass/No Pass courses are allowed.

The USC Catalogue States:

Faculty advisers, departments and programs take factors other than satisfactory grades and adequate GPAs into consideration in determining a student’s qualifications for an advanced degree. A student’s overall academic performance, specific skills and aptitudes, and faculty evaluations will be considered in departmental or program decisions regarding a student’s continuation in a master’s or doctoral degree program.

Satisfactory progress toward an advanced degree as determined by the faculty is required at all times. Students who fail to make satisfactory progress, will be informed by their department chair, program director or school dean. The faculty has the right to recommend at any time after written warning that a student be dismissed from a graduate program for academic reasons or that a student be denied readmission.

D-Clearance

D-Clearance stands for Departmental Clearance. Some courses at USC require D-Clearance (or the department’s permission) to register for a class.

Does a course need D-Clearance?

If a course section number ends in “D” (ex: 00000D) → Yes. All courses that end in D require need D-Clearance. See section below for D-Clearance Request Instructions.
If a course section number ends in number (ex: 00000) → No. For all courses that end in a number, you may register directly without departmental approval.

NOTE: All Den@Viterbi courses have department clearance. This process is different.

D-Clearance Requests

Login to MyViterbi
Select D-Clearance Manager
Select Request D-Clearance
Select the department you are requesting D-Clearance from: Civil & Environmental Engineering
Complete the form.
- Please ignore the text box. No justification is required.

The Astani CEE Department can only grant D-Clearance for CE (Civil Engineering) or ENE (Environmental Engineering) Classes. Please allow 3 business days for processing before contacting the department.

D-Clearance requests will be reviewed and decisions will be emailed to your USC email account. D-Clearance gives you permission to register, however it does not reserve a seat for you in the class.

If you want D-Clearance for a non-Viterbi course you must contact the department that offers that course. Information can be found at the top of the Schedule of Classes. An example is pictured below.

DEN@Viterbi section clearances are managed by the DEN Team.

Login to MyViterbi
Select D-Clearance Manager
Select Request D-Clearance
Select the department you are requesting D-Clearance from: DEN@Viterbi D-Clearance Request
- Do NOT select Civil & Environmental Engineering
Complete the form.

For a more detailed process, please refer to the resource below. If you have any questions regarding your clearance, please contact the DEN team (vaseden@usc.edu).

D-Clearance requests will be reviewed and decisions will be emailed to your USC email account. D-Clearance gives you permission to register, however it does not reserve a seat for you in the class.

Pre-requisite Waiver

Some courses have pre-requisite (pre-req) requirements. These are courses/prior knowledge that is required to be successful in the course.

As masters students, you may have taken the pre-requisite at your undergraduate institution. In this instance, you will need to submit a pre-requisite waiver in order to register for the class.

If you have not taken a course equivalent, you make seek faculty approval to enroll in the course.

Pre-req Waiver Request

Login to MyViterbi
Select Pre-Requisite Waiver Request Manager
Select Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Complete the form for the course you are looking to enroll in. (ie. CE 553)

Pre-requisite waiver requests require one of the following justifications:

Pre-requisite coursework as been completed at previous institution. In the text box, please provide the course number, title and term during which you took the course you believe satisfies the pre-requisite.
- Example: I completed ENE 431, Air Pollution Management, Spring 2019 at Example University
- The Department has access to your transcripts from other schools that you submitted. Your transcript, along with the information you provide in the request will be used to determine if a pre-requisite waiver can be granted.
- Please note that “This is a required course.” is NOT an appropriate justification in a waiver.
If the pre-requisite coursework has not been completed, faculty instructor approval is acceptable. In this case, contact the faculty instructor with your academic background information and request their approval to take the course. Attach email confirmation of their approval in request on myViterbi.
- Please reach out to the instructor and provide them with your academic background to see if they would approve your enrollment in the course.

A decision will be emailed to your USC email account.

What do I do if I did not take the pre-requisite in my undergraduate studies and do not have faculty approval?

Please reach out to your advisor on Advise USC by submitting a case. Your advisor will work with you to find a path forward.

Directed Research

As a reminder, for each unit of directed research, you should spend 3-4 hours per week. For example, a 4-unit directed research would translate to an average of 12-16 hours of research per week over the course of the semester.

Login to MyViterbi
Select Directed Research (see image below).
Select Submit Direct Research Request
Select Sonny Astani Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering - PhDs should select CE/ENE 790
Complete the form

If the faculty advisor approves the request, CEE Student Affairs and the student are notified simultaneously. CEE Student Affairs requires a minimum of three business days to process the approval and provide D-clearance.

Common Holds Table

The following table lists common holds that students may have on their student account and the removal procedure:

HOLD	DESCRIPTION	HOW TO REMOVE HOLD
STU50	Restricts registration and USCard application (prevents registration)	Complete Immigration Status Verification (ISV) with OIS upon arrival in the U.S.
ADM40	Degree Verification (allows registration)	Verify previous degree(s) with USC Office of Degree Progress. Deadline for all degree verifications is by the end of your first semester. If you are unable to complete verification within your first semester, this hold will become ADM 41.
ADM 41	Degree Verification (prevents registration)	Verify previous degree(s) with USC Office of Degree Progress. This hold will prevent registration until verification is complete. Department advisors cannot lift holds.
ADM20	Conditional Admission (note - allows registration)	Verify previous degree(s) with USC Office of Degree Progress.
ADM 21	Conditional Admission (prevents registration)	See your Admission Letter for any specific conditions. You should contact cee.advise@usc.edu once grades post to determine if you met the admission conditions.
ENGR 01	Advisement Hold	Contact your Department Advisor to discuss why the hold is on your record. ProTip: students typically receive an email explaining why the ENGR01 hold is placed on your record and what you can do to lift it. So check your inbox (search ENGR01) and see if you find the email explaining what you need to do.

Screening Exam Guide

Timing of Exam

PhDs without a prior master’s degree may take the Screening Exam after their 1^st or 3^rd semester in the Ph.D. program.
PhDs with a prior master’s degree must take the Screening Exam after their 1st semester.

See Exam Dates for more info

GPA Requirement

Ph.D. students must have a cumulative USC graduate GPA of at least 3.50 (in relevant courses) to be eligible to take the exam and subject to dismissal from the program

Exam Components

The written exam consists of questions written independently by each of the three committee members.The Ph.D. student will have three days to complete the exam, with each committee member’s questions requiring on the order of 8–10 hours of work.
The oral portion is scheduled 2 to 6 weeks after the delivery of the answers to the written exam. The oral portion of the Screening Exam diagnoses and evaluates the scope and depth of any apparent weaknesses in the written exam, also tests the ability to present and explain ideas verbally and defend them when subject to critique and questions.

See Committee Formation details below

Outcomes

Those who have not passed the Screening Exam, or not met the requirements to take the Screening Exam, are subject to dismissal from the program. Students are encouraged to meet with their academic advisor to determine if they can switch to and complete an appropriate master’s program or (for those with a prior master’s and who have completed some research) the “Engineer Degree”.

The Department Screening Exam takes place in the spring semester. PhDs can take the written exam remotely (just be sure you have access to stable WiFi and an environment conducive to taking an exam). The PhD is responsible for coordinating a date for the exam and reserving a room for the oral exam.

Spring 2026 Exam Dates

- Written Exam takes place January 7, 2026 to January 9, 2026
- Oral Exam must take place between January - March 2026

Spring 2027 Exam Dates

Written Exam takes place January 6, 2026 to January 8, 2027
Oral Exam must take place between January - March 2027

Spring 2028 Exam Dates

- Written Exam takes place January 5, 2026 to January 7, 2028
- Oral Exam must take place between January - March 2028

Spring 2029 Exam Dates

- - Written Exam takes place January 3, 2026 to January 5, 2029
  - Oral Exam must take place between January - March 2029

PhDs are required to form their Screening Exam Committees by October. The Screening Exam Committee consists of three members:

the Ph.D. student’s faculty advisor
two additional professors (tenured/tenure-track) proposed by the Ph.D. student with the consent of the faculty advisor
- The two other faculty committee members are usually those with research expertise, or with whom the student has taken key classes, relevant to the student’s Ph.D. research. The Department Chair approves the committee or requests changes to the committee composition.
- Non-Tenure Track Faculty can be considered to serve on the screening exam committee provided they have a PhD (or equivalent in a related field). A justification from the faculty advisor must be provided to the department chair for consideration.

PhDs will be emailed instructions on how to form their committee in the fall. The committee must be approved by the department chair.

Qualifying Exam Guide

Committee Appointment & Preparation

Submit an Appointment of Committee Form via myViterbi: PhD Committee System and Forms the semester before taking your quals.
- Tutorial available: Viterbi Grad Forms
- The committee form may be submitted before the exam date is set.
Follow up with committee faculty members to ensure they approve the form (they receive an email when you complete the form in myViterbi)
Set the exam date and notify Christine of the date and time.
Reserve a room for the oral exam.

Committee Composition

Students should form their committee the semester before their defense.
A total of five members, including:
- At least three USC faculty members (committee chair + two others) from the student’s major department, with at least one tenured.
- One USC faculty member ("outside member") with a primary appointment outside the major department.

Written Report Submission

Upload your written report to myViterbi’s PhD Committee System and Forms system at least 7 days prior to your Qual date.
You cannot finalize your exam date or upload the report until your committee form is approved by all members, the Department Chair, and the Dean’s Office.
Failure to upload the report at least 7 days before the oral exam will result in forced rescheduling of the exam.

Oral Exam Process

A private meeting between the student and the committee, conducted as follows:

- Committee confers.
- Student presents (30–40 min), covering prior research and the proposal for the remainder of the Ph.D. program.
- Committee members ask questions.
- Committee confers again.

Attendance Policy for Exam

Viterbi PhD examinations — Qualifying and Final Defense — will require in-person attendance on the University Park campus by the student and all committee members. The committee chair must participate in-person; an exception request for at most one other committee member to participate remotely may be submitted by the committee chair to the Vice Dean for Academic Programs at least two weeks prior to the exam. For the Defense, approval for remote participation will be granted only in exceptional circumstances.

If a student does not pass the Ph.D. Qualifying Exam (subject to departmental approval of conditions), the following policies apply:

First Attempt: The exam may be retaken no sooner than six months and no later than twelve months from the original exam date.
Non-Passing Result: Students who do not pass and have completed all required coursework may be eligible to enroll in GRSC-800, depending on the specific conditions of their exam result.
Second Attempt: A second non-passing result will result in dismissal from the Ph.D. program.

Next Steps After Passing

If you pass the quals prior to the add/drop deadline for the fall/spring semester, you are required to enroll in CE/ENE 794a: Doctoral Dissertation.
- Continuous registration in 794 is required each term, excluding summers, from the date of candidacy until the dissertation has been approved and submitted to the University
Schedule an appointment with Christine to discuss dissertation defense and completion.
Preparing to complete your dissertation:
- Review the Submission Deadline and the Guidelines to Submission
- Familiarize yourself with the timeline and note how early the timeline suggests you schedule the defense.

Dissertation and Defense Guide

This guide includes:

Defense Eligibility
Preparing for Dissertation Completion/Defense
Committee Formation Guidelines
Exam Attendance Policy
OPT and Program Extension
Returning USC Property
Hooding and Degree Verification Letter

The following is an advisory guide. The USC Catalogue is the authority on all requirements. Review to USC Catalogue – The Graduate School Section and Requirements for Graduation Sections

Defense and Graduation Eligibility

You must have CE/ENE 794b complete or in progress to be eligible to defend
- Students must enroll in 794 Doctoral Dissertation every term (summers are optional in relation to meeting continuous enrollment) after being admitted to candidacy until they complete all degree requirements.
A minimum of 60 units is required to be eligible to graduate
- Check your STARS report to determine how many units you have completed.
After passing all required courses and the qualifying examination, and after meeting all other requirements, the candidate must write and defend the dissertation.

Preparing for Dissertation Completion & Defense

Two Semesters Before Your Planned Defense

Review the submission deadlines and submission guidelines on the Grad School website.

One Semester Before Your Defense

Submit the Appointment of Dissertation Committee Form via myViterbi’s PhD Committee System and Forms.
- Note: You do NOT need an exact defense date to start the form—you will enter the date after committee approval.
- You must track progress via myViterbi’s PhD Committee System and Forms to ensure committee members sign the form. While the system sends reminders to committee members if they haven’t approved the form, it is ultimately your responsibility to follow up with your committee if an approval is delayed.
- You must upload your dissertation to myViterbi at least seven days prior to the defense (which you can only do once your appointment of committee form is fully approved)

As Soon As Possible: Reserve a Room for your defense as soon as possible (rooms can get booked up weeks in advance)

If you wish to use one of the KAP Conference Rooms, make a reservation here.

At least two weeks before your defense, send the following to Christine Hsieh via AdviseUSC:

Name
Advisor’s name
Dissertation title
Date & time of defense
Location
Abstract (if available)

At least 7 days before your defense: Upload your dissertation to myViterbi’s PhD Committee System and Forms

You cannot upload until your committee form is approved by all members, the Department Chair, and the Dean’s Office.
Failure to upload on time will result in rescheduling your defense.

Committee Formation Guidelines

Your committee must include at least three members, including one from outside the department:

Chair: Your faculty advisor (aka committee chair)
Second member: A CEE T/TT track faculty member
Third member: A USC T/TT track faculty member

You may have up to five members, but three is the minimum.
Your committee members serving on your dissertation committee do not have to be the same as your Quals committee (though they often are).

Exam Attendance Policy for Qualifying Exam and Final Defense

Viterbi PhD examinations — Qualifying and Final Defense — require in-person attendance on the University Park campus by the student and all committee members. The committee chair must participate in-person; an exception request for at most one other committee member to participate remotely may be submitted by the committee chair to the Vice Dean for Academic Programs at least two weeks prior to the exam. For the Defense, approval for remote participation will be granted only in exceptional circumstances.

International Students: OPT & Program Extension

Apply for OPT based on the OIS timeline if you plan to remain in the US – guidance available here.
If you need a program extension - discuss your funding plans with your advisor and review the program extension link.

Returning USC Property – like Campus Keys

Before graduating, return all campus property (e.g., office keys) to the main office, KAP 210 🔑

🎓Participating in Commencement/Hooding Ceremony🎓

Message Christine Hsieh via Advise USC to confirm the semester you plan to graduate.
The Commencement & Hooding Ceremony takes place annually in May.

Questions? Check the PhD Hooding page and respond to hooding/graduation emails sent in February by Viterbi Admission and Student Engagement

Diploma Info and Degree Verification Information

Learn more about getting your diploma here.
Requests for a Letter

Connect With Your Advisor

Purpose: Do you have a question for your advisor? Or something you initially wanted to send an email about? (Examples include: Change of Major, Class Registration, thesis inquiry, etc.) Create a case so that your inquiry can be prioritized!

After logging in, select “Advisor Connect” from the menu bar and under “My Cases” select “Create a New Case”

If you have an update to your situation and/or question, please find the case under “My Cases” and create an update on the right-hand side of the case page.

Purpose: Do you have a problem that requires a longer discussion? (Examples include: Leave of Absence, Preparing for the Quals or Defense, etc.) Schedule an appointment with your advisor. When in doubt, please create a case. Advisors will let you know if your inquiries require an appointment.

Please note that the Astani Student Affairs office does not accept walk-in appointments. If no appointments are available, please submit a case.

When you schedule an appointment, please be sure to include all questions in the description to help your advisor prepare for your appointment.

If you need to speak with your advisor, please reach out to them via the Advise USC (scroll down for instructions) platform - the primary method for communicating with your advisor. In instances when the platform is experiencing technical difficulties, please reach out to CEE Student Affairs (cee.advise@usc.edu).

You can also connect with a VGASP advisor from the Viterbi Admission and Student Engagement (VASE) Office. Below you can review what topics are managed by VGASP/VASE Advisors (https://viterbigrad.usc.edu/academic-advisement/).

Astani CEE PhD Student Advisement

PhD students are required to maintain continuous enrollment by enrolling in a minimum of six units in the fall and spring semesters.

D-Clearance and Pre-Req Waiver Requests

Directed Research Policy and D-Clearance

Learn how to prepare for your Screening Exam:

Learn more about the steps to complete your qualifying exam here:

Learn how to prepare for your defense and completing your dissertation:

Additional Resources

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