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The PhD in Design, Environment and the Arts Program in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts has an explicit mission: to prepare 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 all the while placing emphases on sustainability, innovation, community building, cultural and contextual awareness.
Despite its breadth, the implicit mandate of the mission is possible for several reasons. First, the PhD Program is interdisciplinary and involves facets of the Herberger Institute's academic units, with students currently enrolled from the disciplines within – the The Design School, the School of Art and the School of Arts, Media and Engineering. Second, the PhD Program has access to a pool of experts from the Institute’s faculty as well as faculty throughout the university including, but not limited to, the Department of Applied Biological Sciences, the College of Nursing and Health Innovation and the School of Sustainability. Third, the PhD Program has access to some of the best facilities found in any college of its kind. Lastly, the PhD Program is evolving in one of the most progressive and transformative educational environments in the country, commonly referred to as the New American University.
In the end, however, it is our students and graduates who reflect the quality of the PhD Program. They are all succeeding. From the first day that they enter the program, our students begin to embed themselves in research and academic endeavors outside of the institute through active participation in lectures and presentations at various national and international workshops and conferences. As graduates of the program, they climb to the top of their careers pursuing academic paths and assuming leadership roles in professional planning and design practices, the corporate sector, the public sector and the nonprofit sector.
If your concern is more about what you want to do than rather what you want to be, then join us in the PhD in Design, Environment and the Arts in the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.
Kenneth Brooks, FASLA, FCELA, PLA
Professor and Director of PhD in Design, Environment and the Arts
The design concentration within the PhD in design, environment and the arts is an individualized institute-wide interdisciplinary program that integrates graduate courses and faculty research with expertise in design. Broad in scope, the program is at the cutting edge of creating new knowledge in architecture, design and the arts. The program provides research experience for students wishing to pursue careers in industry as members of transdisciplinary design teams on environmental and energy issues as well as for those wishing to teach in the architecture, design or the art fields.
Degree Offered
Design, Environment and the Arts (Design), PhD
Design & the Arts, Herberger Institute for
Location
Tempe
Plan of Study
The Plan of Study is the required curriculum to complete the program.
Admission
Application procedures and requirements
Application period
September 15, 2018 to January 15, 2019
Paying for College
Teaching and Graduate Assistantships
Assistantships are appointed each term to a select number of graduate students who are excelling in The Design School. Learn more about teaching assistantships including eligibility and application details.
Financial Aid
Learn more about your financial aid options
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:
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
What to expect during the PhD program?
Students within the PhD program will follow a specific sequence, including concentration and specialization coursework, the successful completion of the comprehensive exams and prospectus, research and dissertation coursework, and finally, the successful completion of the dissertation defense
Selecting your mentor
The faculty of The Design School and School of Art participate in offering the degree. Faculty from disciplines outside of the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts may participate in the program if appropriate to the interdisciplinary nature of the student’s research interest.
Current PhD students
You will find abstracts of paper presentations made by some of our current students at national and international meetings/seminars/conferences.
Frequently asked questions
Please find a list of frequently asked questions related to the PhD program