About PhD Program,
At the College of Design, NC State University, the mission of the Doctoral Programs in Design (comprising both the Ph.D. and D.Des. programs) is to improve the human condition through design research and scholarship. This mission is built in equal parts on the recognition of a fertile common ground among the design disciplines and on the need for specificity and depth within them.
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Design program values a broad range of research interests. The aim of the Ph.D. in Design is to prepare students holding previous degrees in design disciplines to conduct research in the areas of: design for health and well-being; design for learning; design for sustainability; design and technology; design and the urban context; design methods; and design history and criticism.
The Doctor of Design (D.Des.) program provides distance-education opportunities for established design professionals to conduct original investigations using design practices, cases, and methods. D.Des. students pursue practice-based design research in support of professions creating the artifacts, communications, environments, and organizing systems of the future.
Both programs provide a forum for connecting design research to the needs of society, by promoting the application of new knowledge in design and addressing design impacts on larger systems.
PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,
Minimum GPA of 3.0
Both programs of study require a minimum of 54 credit hours of graduate work beyond the Master’s degree.
PhD Funding Coverage,
NC State offers graduate students a broad range of financial assistance options that help with tuition and living expenses while they are pursuing their advanced degrees. Graduate students may receive financial support through fellowships/traineeships, teaching assistantships, research assistantships, service assistantships, federal work-study programs, and loans. A statement of tuition and fees is mailed (and/or emailed) to each student upon pre-registering through MYPACK PORTAL, and there are several payment options available. Students who fail to pay their fees or provide the financial aid information requested on their bills by the given deadline will have their registration canceled and will have to pre-pay their tuition, fees, and a late registration fee prior to reregistering in MYPACK PORTAL at the beginning of the semester or session. New graduate students are required to pay their tuition and fees at registration and, therefore, are exempt from the late registration fee. Students in the Graduate Student Support Plan (GSSP) have their tuition paid directly by the plan. Students whose tuition is paid by the Graduate Student Support Plan (GSSP), the Financial Aid Office, or another source of financial assistance must still return the tuition and fees statement with the “sponsor” block filled in, along with a check for all fees not covered by their source of financial assistance.
Application Requirement,
- Academic Transcripts (both Undergraduate & Graduate): Minimum GPA of 3.0
- Applicants must hold a Master’s degree.
- For International students only: English language proficiency shown through completion of one of the following testing methods:
- TOEFL (minimum score of at least 80)
- IELTS (overall band score of at least 6.5)
- Duolingo (score of 110 or better)
- GRE scores are not required
- Statement of Purpose (SoP) and Research Interest Area(s)
- Three letters of recommendation
- Portfolio and/or research publications
Application Deadline,
Jan 15, 2025
Application Fee,
Please refer official website
