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Design, Environment and the Arts (Design), PhD

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Architecture, Creativity, Entrepreneurship, Environment, Innovation, Research, Resilience, design, sustainability, visual

Are you fascinated by the intersection of research, design thinking and human environments? You can explore your passion for research while contributing to measurable positive change, with this program's flexible curriculum, top-notch faculty, and studios and laboratories in architecture, industrial design, interior design, landscape architecture, visual communication design, urban design and related disciplines.

The PhD in design, environment and the arts with a concentration in design is a flexible, interdisciplinary program that permits designers to develop the experience, skills and framework they need in order to become competent researchers, scholars, innovators, visionaries and leaders in the various disciplines of design, environment and the arts.

Broad in scope, the program involves interdisciplinary research interests at both the micro- and macro-scales of design, environment and the arts. There are opportunities for research specialization in areas such as:

• global health and human factors
• history, culture, theory and philosophy
• social justice, placemaking and placekeeping
• sustainability and resilience
• technology, innovation and entrepreneurship
• College/school: Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts
• Location: Tempe
• STEM-OPT extension eligible: No

84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, an oral comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (6 credit hours) EPD 700 Research Methods (3) EPD 710 Current Research in Design (3)

Concentration (15 credit hours) DSC 594 Conference and Workshop (3) EPD 791 Seminar (3) GRA 501 Creative Environment and Collaborative Leadership (3) GRA 561 Methods in Visual Communication I (3) GRA 562 Methods in Visual Communication II (3) GRA 581 Internship in Teaching Design (3) GRA 590 Reading and Conference (3) INT 558 Lighting Design (3)

Other Requirements (12 credit hours) EPD 590 Reading and Conference (3) EPD 790 Reading and Conference (9)

Research (12 credit hours) EPD 792 Research (12)

Electives (27 credit hours)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) EPD 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information Students choose five courses from the list of concentration courses above. Other equivalent courses may be used as concentration coursework with approval of the supervisory committee.

When approved by the student's supervisory committee and the Graduate College, this program allows 30 credit hours from a previously awarded master's degree to be used for this degree.

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a master's degree in a closely related field from a regionally accredited institution. Examples of appropriate fields include art history, architectural history and design history. Fields in the humanities such as history, literature, archaeology and anthropology also may be considered. Students without graduate experience in the history of art, history of architecture and history of design may be asked to fulfill deficiencies.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the applicable master's degree.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• letters of recommendation
• personal statement
• abstract of proposed research
• proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.

ASU does not accept the GRE® General Test at home edition.

Applicants must submit the personal statement, abstract of proposed research and contact information for two references to Slideroom ( https://asudesign.slideroom.com/#/Login ). It is required that these be submitted in addition to the Graduate College application requirements.

Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program has the following program outcomes:

• Effectively utilize theories and concepts in design, environment, and the arts for critical analysis of real-world problems in their respective fields.
• Synthesize iterative ideas and design concepts into deliverables that meet the professional standards in design, environment, and the arts sectors.
• Disseminate the results of their design, environment, and the arts research in a public forum.

More than 80 people have completed the program, and many are pursuing university teaching and research careers in design, environment and the arts fields. Others have careers leading planning and design firms or are engaged in business, industry, government and advocacy careers.

Dean, Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts | CDN 152E [email protected] 480-965-3536

• Design (Ph.D.)

This is a top-rated graduate program for those seeking to teach or conduct fundamental research in the field of human-centered design.

• Academic Programs

IIT Institute of Design's Doctor of Philosophy in Design is a top-rated graduate program for those seeking to teach or conduct fundamental research in the field of human-centered design. The first in the United States to offer a Ph.D. in design—and the only design school in the country devoted completely to graduate students—IIT Institute of Design (ID) has been instrumental in determining design’s future and demonstrating its significant role in cultures, organizations, and nations.

ID’s Ph.D. alumni have gone on to lead noted design programs at universities all over the world and practice at global corporations. By pursuing rigorous research in specialized areas, our candidates directly participate in some of today’s most exciting design-focused work.

The research component of the program grows as the student progresses. A dissertation created from this work should make a substantial and original contribution to design knowledge.

Program Overview

ID's Ph.D. in Design is a top-rated program for those seeking to teach or conduct fundamental research in the field of human-centered design. The first in the United States to offer a Ph.D. in design, today ID is the only U.S. design school devoted completely to graduate students.

Career Opportunities

IIT Institute of Design Ph.D. alumni have gone on to lead noted design programs at universities all over the world and practice at global corporations, including:

• Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
• McDonald’s Corporation
• Parsons School for Design

Completion of the Ph.D. program requires six semesters (107 credit hours) in addition to an existing master's degree. Full-time residency is required for the first four semesters.

View Details

Admission Requirements

Applicants must have a graduate degree with a minimum of 32 credit hours and are required to submit three letters of recommendation, a portfolio, statement of interest, and a resume or curriculum vitae. There is no minimum work experience requirement, although two to four years of professional experience is preferred. ID considers full-time internships, volunteer work, and freelance projects as formal work experience. TOEFL or IELTS scores are required for any applicant with an undergraduate degree from an institution where the primary language of instruction is not English. A GRE or GMAT score is also required.

Learn more...

Doctoral Program FAQs

Candidates who do not have backgrounds in one of the School of Design's area of focus (Communication Design, Product Design, Interaction Design, UX design, Environments Design, Service Design, Design for Social Innovation, design research, design theory) would not be eligible for Teaching Fellowships. They may, however, be considered for the self-funded PhD option. Additional study, such as the School’s MA, MPS or MDes degree could make such candidates eligible for PhD Teaching Fellowships. Please contact us for advice on this matter.

Yes. Candidates with expertise on housing, interiors and smaller-scale architecture and an interest in Transition Design may apply and help the School build out its offerings in Environments Design.

No. The Human Computer Interaction Institute offers a PhD with pathways in Interaction Design. Consequently, applicants with research topics and approaches that demand significant amounts of coding or more cognitive science based research methods will be encouraged to apply to HCII.

In some cases, 3+ years of high-level professional design experience, demonstrated with a portfolio and a well-formulated research proposal may meet the application requirements.

In some cases, yes. Applicants with backgrounds in Business and Management, but with additional expertise and experience in Design, and who are interested in Transition Design, should apply to this program and will be encouraged to seek faculty advisers from other areas on campus. We would be particularly interested in candidates with business and management expertise related to Transition Design such as circular economies, sustainable design, and B corps.

Carnegie Mellon is a highly ranked research university and there are potential advisors from a wide range of disciplines on the campus. We also have a network of potential advisors who are based in other institutions.

No. The language requirements for application to the program cannot be waived. Please review these carefully.

No. Unfortunately we do not have the ability to review portfolio materials for each inquiry that we receive. To be considered for the program you will need to formally apply.

No. We do not currently offer an online option for our PhD degree. We hope to eventually offer a part time PhD degree but it is not an option at this time.

No. The only funding opportunity available is the Teaching Fellowship which requires students to teach 1-2 courses during the academic year.

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Ph.D. in Design

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." - Nelson Mandela

The College of Design at North Carolina State University initiated the Ph.D. in Design Program in 1999. Today the program includes more than forty students from all over the world pursuing research focusing on the questions that transcend and unite the design disciplines.

The mission of the Ph.D. in Design is to advance knowledge in design through research and scholarship. This mission is built on the recognition of fertile common ground among the design disciplines and on the need for specificity and depth within them.

The Ph.D. program, therefore, values a broad range of research interests that aim to improve the human condition.

The Ph.D. in Design at North Carolina State University is outstanding. By all metrics, the program competes favorably with other North American Ph.D. programs. The College of Design has carved out a powerful and highly respected research arena (design), and the Ph.D. program is built around the strengths of the College and the faculty. 2013 External Review Team

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Newton D’Souza to lead doctoral programs for the College of Design

Newton D’Souza, PhD will head up a new doctoral programs unit within the College of Design at North Carolina State University, effective August 12, 2024. D’Souza will oversee the two doctoral programs offered by the college, a traditional PhD in Design program and a hybrid Doctor of Design degree.

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MPhil/PhD Design

Content navigation menu, why study mphil/phd design at goldsmiths.

Goldsmiths’ Department of Design postgraduate research programmes offer you the opportunity to redefine design research in a community of design practice.

• It is aimed at practitioners and scholars of design, and those in related disciplines, who wish to develop a theoretically engaged, critically aware and empirically informed approach to design, design education, design research and design practice.
• The programme builds on and contributes to the Department’s internationally renowned approaches to inventive, experimental, and creative research where design’s relation to the social is placed centre stage.
• You can choose to do a practice-based or a thesis-based research degree.
• There is research funding available that you may be eligible for – see below for more information.

Contact the department

If you have specific questions about the degree, contact Professor Alex Wilkie (programme convenor) .

2-4 years full-time or 4-8 years part-time

Home - full-time: £4786 Home - part-time: £2393 International - full-time: £17690

You'll research

We offer the following pathways for your research degree.

Practice-based MPhil/PhD

The practice-based programme explores new approaches to, or applications of, existing knowledge by means of design practice.

For PhD, the research will create new knowledge by means of practice research. Your thesis will integrate an original body of practice and a written component providing critical analysis of your practice, critical assessment of relevant literature and practice and describe the method of research. Assessment is by thesis and viva voce. The word count will be as follows:

• MPhil includes a written component of between 20,000 and 30,000 words
• PhD includes a written component of between 30,000 and 60,000 words

Thesis-based MPhil/PhD

The thesis-based programme provides a written account of your research and contribution to knowledge on a subject related to design.

The MPhil thesis will provide a distinct contribute to the knowledge of a subject related to design and the PhD thesis will provide an original contribution to knowledge on a subject related to design. Both include a critical assessment of relevant literature and describe the method of research. Assessment is by thesis and viva voce. The word count will be as follows::

• MPhil has a written thesis of between 30,000 and 60,000 words
• PhD has a written thesis of between 60,000 and 100,000 words

A vibrant research community

At Goldsmiths you'll find a vibrant community of researchers, undertaking exciting multidisciplinary explorations. Recent PhD completions include:

• Empirical Speculation and Prototyping Futures in the Refugee Crisis
• The Housing Database Made Visible: Regenerative politics, participation and design
• Re-scripting Organisations: Inventing the designer-in-residence
• Care-politics in design: Towards an inventive feminist research practice
• Making Algorithms Public: Rendering visible the operations and politics of algorithmic systems
• Space for Boundary – Space as Place: An investigation into the design of architectural boundaries in residential mass housing, in the context of urban sustainability
• Re-doing Patient Experience Through Design-led Research: Considering the multiplicity and ontological politics of multiple sclerosis
• Designing the Future? How can speculation play a role in improving foresight for science and technology policymaking?
• Making Home: Agency, precarity and the internet of things
• Designing for Ambivalence: A designer’s exploration of the competing discourses offered by smartphones to mothers and their young children
• Controlled Prototyping Environments: Reconceptualising location through participatory and embodied design practice
• What's Happening? Explorations in the strategising and unfolding of free-form design events

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees.

These are the PG fees for students starting their programme in the 2024/2025 academic year.

• Home - full-time: £4786
• Home - part-time: £2393
• International - full-time: £17690

If your fees are not listed here, please check our postgraduate fees guidance or contact the Fees Office , who can also advise you about how to pay your fees.

It’s not currently possible for international students to study part-time under a student visa. If you think you might be eligible to study part-time while being on another visa type, please contact our Admissions Team for more information.

If you are looking to pay your fees please see our guide to making a payment .

Funding opportunities

Chase (consortium for the humanities and the arts southeast england).

Goldsmiths is one of nine leading research institutions that are part of CHASE .

CHASE funds more than 56 studentships per year. These studentships cover:

• Tuition fees each year (this is currently £4,327 per year for full-time study)
• A maintenance grant each year (this is currently £17,009 per year for full-time study; including London weighting)
• Funding for research training

For more information about applying for AHRC studentships, please visit the CHASE website , and be sure to check guidelines and deadlines for prospective students.

ESRC/SENSS Doctoral Studentships

Fully-funded ESRC studentships are available to research students via this Doctoral Training Partnership (DTP). Find out about the  ESRC/SENSS Doctoral Studentships .

Goldsmiths scholarships and studentships

Explore the Goldsmiths scholarships finder  to find out what funding you may be eligible for.

Paying your fees

Find out about paying your tuition fees .

Additional costs

In addition to your tuition fees, you'll be responsible for any additional costs associated with your course, such as buying stationery and paying for photocopying. You can find out more about what you need to budget for on our study costs page .

There may also be specific additional costs associated with your programme. This can include things like paying for field trips or specialist materials for your assignments.

Entry requirements

You should normally have (or expect to be awared) the following qualifications:

• A good 2:1 or 1st class honours degree
• A taught Masters in a relevant subject area

You might also be considered for some programmes if you aren’t a graduate or your degree is in an unrelated field, but have relevant experience and can show that you have the ability to work at postgraduate level.

International qualifications

We accept a wide range of international qualifications. Find out more about the  qualifications we accept from around the world .

If English isn’t your first language, you will need an IELTS score (or  equivalent English language qualification ) of  7.0 with a 7.0 in writing and no element lower than 6.5  to study this programme. If you need assistance with your English language, we offer a range of  courses that can help prepare you for postgraduate study .

How to apply

You apply directly to Goldsmiths using our online application system.

Before submitting your application you'll need to have:

• Details of your education history , including the dates of all exams/assessments
• The email address of your referee who we can request a reference from, or alternatively an electronic copy of your academic reference
• Contact details of a second referee
• A personal statement – this can either be uploaded as a Word Document or PDF, or completed online
• A visual portfolio if relevant – see below for details
• Details of your research proposal
• If available, an electronic copy of your educational transcript (this is particularly important if you have studied outside of the UK, but isn’t mandatory)

You'll be able to save your progress at any point and return to your application by logging in using your username/email and password.

Before you apply for a research programme, we advise you to get in touch with the programme contact, listed above. It may also be possible to arrange an advisory meeting.

Before you start at Goldsmiths, the actual topic of your research has to be agreed with your proposed supervisor, who will be a member of staff active in your general field of research. The choice of topic may be influenced by the current research in the department or the requirements of an external funding body. 

If you wish to study on a part-time basis, you should also indicate how many hours a week you intend to devote to research, whether this will be at evenings or weekends, and for how many hours each day.

Visual portfolio

For the purpose of the initial application it is recommended that you prepare a portfolio of material documenting your previous work. We typically ask for a 10-page annotated portfolio in the form of a PDF file, which you can upload when you apply.

Research proposal

The proposal should be between 1,500 and 3,000 words in length (not including references). The key consideration in drafting the proposal should be clarity.

Your research proposal should be organised using the following headings:

• Title: be concise and explicit
• Introduction: introduce the questions and issues central to your research / identify the field of study in broad terms / indicate how you expect your research to contribute to the field
• Research background and questions: expand on your introduction – look at key sources, texts and approaches in the field / consider how your proposal differs from and contributes to existing work / consider how it extends our understanding of particular questions or topics / also briefly indicate how your previous studies, professional and/or other experience contributes to your understanding of the field and your preparedness for undertaking research training
• Research design: outline the methodology you will employ / consider resources and facilities needed / forms of analysis
• Schedule of work:  outline how you plan to complete the project within the period of the award – this could include a timetable for researching and writing
• References: a list of works cited in your proposal, such as: books, journal articles, websites and prior art and design

For more detailed information, contact the Design department by email:  [email protected]

The level of detail required under each heading will depend on the specific project. The key requirement is that the proposal communicates a clear programme of enquiry and investigation. It should demonstrate that you are capable of framing your own agenda for research and that you have a sense of the larger field to which you wish to make a creative and critical contribution.

Supervisors

An initial suggestion of who you think might be an appropriate supervisor for your research is useful both for directing your application to appropriate members of staff and in determining a good match between your research and the Department. Please see the description of Design staff research interests for details.

When to apply

You can make an application to study for an MPhil or PhD with us at any time of the year, for the academic year starting the following October.

We encourage you to complete your application as early as possible, even if you haven't finished your current programme of study. It's very common to be offered a place conditional on you achieving a particular qualification.

If you're applying for external funding from one of the Research Councils, make sure you submit your application by the deadline they've specified.

Selection process

Admission to many programmes is by interview, unless you live outside the UK. Occasionally we'll make candidates an offer of a place on the basis of their application and qualifications alone.

Find out more about applying .

Professor Alex Wilkie

Professor of Design and Societies

Alex Wilkie explores more-than-human futures through the intersection of design and science and technology studies.

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Mission of the programs

The PhD Program prepares students to become public intellectuals and transformative practitioners in shaping the environment at all scales – from the design of cities, buildings and landscapes, to interiors, products and graphics, to the arts.

Goals of the program

The PhD Program has two goals:

• To educate people who will pursue academic paths or assume leadership roles in professional design, environment and art practices, the public sector and the nonprofit sector.
• To educate people who will emphasize sustainability, innovation, community building, cultural and contextual awareness.

PhD interdisciplinary experience opportunities

The PhD in Design, Environment and the Arts Program in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts strongly believes in the benefits derived from an interdisciplinary experience while at ASU. Consequently, the PhD Program developed several academic connections with other programs at the university. Such connections provide our PhD students with enviable opportunities for interdisciplinary studies and research. For example, many courses offered in these programs are both relevant and available to PhD students. Furthermore, faculty members from these other programs can participate as members of a student's dissertation committee, although they cannot serve as chairs. 

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Doctor of Design Admissions

The admissions process for the DDes program is extremely competitive and requires that applicants hold a graduate level degree in a design related field such as a professional degree in architecture, landscape architecture, planning or urban design. Applicants with a degree in a related discipline such as engineering, geography, computer science, or industrial design also qualify for admission. Applicants are required to present a concise and clearly articulated research proposal as the core element of the application. Other critical elements include documentation of the academic record, a curriculum vitae including professional experience, the portfolio, and letters of recommendation. For non-native speakers, recent TOEFL scores are required.

UPDATE : For the 2023 admissions cycle, the GRE requirement is waived. The GRE is not required for the 2023 application and will not be included in the review process for these programs. At this time, the change to the GRE requirement is for the 2023 application season only.

The program seeks applicants who have demonstrated research and analytical skills essential for advanced doctoral study as well as the ability to pursue such work independently. Applicants should submit a proposal describing the research in which they plan to engage during their studies. The proposal will be evaluated on (1) its promise for original contribution to the design professions, (2) the feasibility of its being completed within the time constraints of the program, and (3) its congruence with research interests of at least two GSD faculty members who will eventually serve on the thesis committee.

Portfolio Requirement

The portfolio for DDes applicants should consist of scholarly, academic and/or professional work and may or may not include visual material, at the discretion of the applicant and as related to the proposed research topic.

DDes students receive financial support and teaching fellowships from the GSD to cover a major part of their tuition. Additional support may be available through funded research and other resources at the school.

For more information, please contact the Admissions Office .

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