This track is intended for candidates seeking doctoral level research which adopts well-defined models of scholarly inquiry, using research methods accepted by the academic communities in architecture and design research. Research conducted in the PhD program is typically positioned at the intersection of real-world practical application and scholastic inquiry. Through their studies, students navigate and engage in multiple methods that are available to researchers in the interdisciplinary fields of architecture and design research. First two years typically require residency on campus. A written dissertation composed of original research framed within relevant theories is the primary output in this track. Applicants are required to hold master’s degree in architecture or design related field and minimum GPA of 3.0.

This track is intended for established mid- or later career practitioners who are interested in conducting doctoral level research on their practice or projects that are built or in progress, to develop new knowledge and understanding to support sustained development of the future of practice. The majority of research and coursework will be conducted off campus in independent study format, primarily at the candidate’s workplace while coursework can be taken in hybrid or online mode based on the student’s preference. A dissertation comprises a design project investigated through appropriate media and written text that contextualizes the work within an academic framework. Applicants who don’t hold a master’s degree in architecture or design related field and/or minimum GPA of 3.0 will be considered based on their practice experience for course credit equivalency.

This practice-based PhD concentration is offered in collaboration with SMARTlab. Students work together live and online, with contributors from around the world, to co-create and debate the nature of ‘practice-based research’. Students in this track take 9 credits of coursework at SMARTlab’s main center which requires in-person participation three times during the first or second year (in February, July and October) for intensive seminars. These seminars focus on research methods and transdisciplinary critical practices, group critique, feedback, and the relationship between practice and theory. Candidates are encouraged to work together on joint experiments, to meet regularly with experts or join debates online, to share work-in-progress, and to take an active role in contributing and receiving feedback within the group and in sub-groups, known as research clusters. A dissertation could comprise a substantial collection of original creative material, together with text that contextualizes the work within an academic framework.