About PhD Program,
The School of Architecture, Princeton’s center for teaching and research in architectural design, history, and theory, offers advanced degrees at both the master’s and the doctoral levels. The curriculum for the master’s degree, which has both a professional and a post-professional track, emphasizes design expertise in the context of architectural scholarship. Architecture is understood as a cultural practice involving both speculative intelligence and practical know-how. Each student constructs a personal course of study around a core of required courses that represents the knowledge essential to the education of an architect today.
The five-year doctoral program focuses on the history, theory, and criticism of architecture, urbanism, landscape, and building technology. The approach is interdisciplinary, covering a broad range of research interests from an architectural perspective. Working closely with the faculty of the school and allied departments in the University, students build individual programs of study involving at least two years of course work, general examinations, and a dissertation.
In 2014, the School of Architecture launched a new computation and energy Ph.D. track. The new track focuses on developing and researching new techniques of embodied computation and new systems for energy and environmental performance. It is supported by connections to the School of Engineering and Applied Science(Link is external), the Department of Computer Science(Link is external) and the Andlinger Center for Energy and Environment(Link is external). With the addition of new courses and curricula for the computation and energy track, and with the acquisition of industrial robotic arms and the renovation of the Embodied Computation Laboratory (also known as the Architectural Laboratory), students will actively contribute to hands-on applied research in architecture while becoming experts in their field.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
Course requirements for each student are determined by the Ph.D. Program Committee according to students’ previous experience, specialized interests, and progress through the program. For the first two years, each student engages in course work and independent study and is required to take a minimum of four classes each term, including required language and independent reading courses, for a total of 16 courses.
doctoral students are expected to present a progress report for review with the Ph.D. Program Committee. The purpose of these oral reviews is to give feedback to the student and to keep all members of the Ph.D. Committee informed about the work of all students.
The Master of Arts (M.A.) degree is typically an incidental degree on the way to full Ph.D. candidacy and is earned after a student successfully completes the general examination. It may also be awarded to students who, for various reasons, leave the Ph.D. program after successfully completing the general exam.
PhD Funding Coverage,
Princeton’s full-funding guarantee ensures total support for all Ph.D. students throughout regular program enrollment. This includes tuition and stipend support from fellowships, assistantships, and external sources. Visit our Financial Support Model page for information about tuition & costs.
Fellowships are the primary source of funding in Princeton’s financial support model for degree candidates in the humanities and social sciences. All students during their regular enrollment period are covered fully via a University Fellowship, unless they hold alternate sources of funding. Additional fellowships are also offered by the Graduate School and campus partners, some of which offer a higher stipend rate. Premium-rate honorific fellowships are awarded to select later-stage Ph.D. students whose research shows exceptional promise.
Application Requirement,
Statement of Financial Resources
Application Deadline,
Jan 03, 2025
Application Fee,
Application Fee, $75
