College
College of Architecture & the Built Environment
Degree
Doctor of Philosophy
Campus
East Falls
Format
Hybrid (Online and On Campus)
Credits
48
Duration
4 - 7 Years
PROGRAM
Curriculum
The PhD in Architecture and Design Research is a 48-credit program with 36 credits of required core and elective coursework and 12 credits of research and writing. The full-time program can be completed in four years (eight semesters), and residency is required for the first two years. The maximum time for completion of the degree program is seven years. Students who have not earned the degree in that time may be asked to meet additional requirements in order to graduate.
Students with a research-focused master’s degree may be eligible for advanced standing in the program, for a maximum of nine credits and may satisfy the qualifying exam requirement. To be considered for advanced standing, the Doctoral Affairs Committee will assess the student’s post-professional master’s thesis, selected graduate papers, completed graduate courses and transcripts. They will also review the student’s preliminary research proposal including the broad area of doctoral inquiry, initial research topic or question and a selected bibliography.
Students without a research-focused master’s degree or whose previous coursework is deemed insufficient for advanced standing must take a qualifying exam by the end of the first semester. If necessary, the student can retake the qualifying exam in the second semester. The exam comprises written and oral components and tests general knowledge of the primary area of inquiry. After passing this exam, the student will form a Preliminary Exam Committee to assist in preparing for the preliminary exam which tests the mastery of the core literature relative to the student’s research question. After successful completion of the Preliminary Exam, the student advances to Doctoral Candidacy status and forms the Dissertation Committee.
This program is offered through three different online/hybrid tracks:
Architecture & Design Research, PhD
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.
Architecture & Design Research, Practice-Based PhD
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.
Architecture & Design Research, SMARTlab Practice-Based PhD
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.
Total Required Credit Hours: 48 credits
Year One
Fall (10)
- ADR 701 Research Theories & Methods 1 (3)
- ADR 895 Doctoral Colloquium (1)
- Graduate Electives (6)
- Two elective courses selected in consultation with advisor
- SMARTlab Practice-based students take ADR 850 SMARTlab Research 1 for one of the electives
Spring (10)
- ADR 702 Research Theories & Methods 2 (3)
- ADR 895 Doctoral Colloquium (1)
- Graduate Electives (6)
- Two elective courses selected in consultation with advisor
- SMARTlab Practice-based students take ADR 851 SMARTlab Research 1 for one of the electives
Year Two
Fall (10)
- ADR 898 Directed Research Seminar (3)
- ADR 895 Doctoral Colloquium (1)
- Graduate Electives (6)
- Two elective courses selected in consultation with advisor
- SMARTlab Practice-based students take ADR 852 SMARTlab Research 1 for one of the electives
- Preliminary Exam/Advance to Candidacy
Spring (6)
- ADR 900 Dissertation Proposal (6)
- Proposal Defense
Year 3
Fall (3)
- ADR 901 Dissertation Research/Writing (3)
- Meeting with Dissertation Committee
Spring (3)
- ADR 901 Dissertation Research/Writing (3)
- Meeting with Dissertation Committee
Year 4
Fall (3)
- ADR 901 Dissertation Research/Writing (3)
- Meeting with Dissertation Committee
Spring (3)
- ADR 901 Dissertation Research/Writing (3)
- Dissertation Defense