phd in design management

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PhD Program

Program overview.

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Rigorous, discipline-based research is the hallmark of the MIT Sloan PhD Program. The program is committed to educating scholars who will lead in their fields of research—those with outstanding intellectual skills who will carry forward productive research on the complex organizational, financial, and technological issues that characterize an increasingly competitive and challenging business world.

Start here.

Learn more about the program, how to apply, and find answers to common questions.

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Visit this section to find important admissions deadlines, along with a link to our application.

Click here for answers to many of the most frequently asked questions.

PhD studies at MIT Sloan are intense and individual in nature, demanding a great deal of time, initiative, and discipline from every candidate. But the rewards of such rigor are tremendous: MIT Sloan PhD graduates go on to teach and conduct research at the world's most prestigious universities.

PhD Program curriculum at MIT Sloan is organized under the following three academic areas: Behavior & Policy Sciences; Economics, Finance & Accounting; and Management Science. Our nine research groups correspond with one of the academic areas, as noted below.

MIT Sloan PhD Research Groups

Behavioral & policy sciences.

Economic Sociology

Institute for Work & Employment Research

Organization Studies

Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Strategic Management

Economics, Finance & Accounting

Accounting

Management Science

Information Technology

System Dynamics

Those interested in a PhD in Operations Research should visit the Operations Research Center .

PhD Students_Work and Organization Studies

PhD Program Structure

Additional information including coursework and thesis requirements.

MIT Sloan Predoctoral Opportunities

MIT Sloan is eager to provide a diverse group of talented students with early-career exposure to research techniques as well as support in considering research career paths.

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Rising Scholars Conference

The fourth annual Rising Scholars Conference on October 25 and 26 gathers diverse PhD students from across the country to present their research.

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The goal of the MIT Sloan PhD Program's admissions process is to select a small number of people who are most likely to successfully complete our rigorous and demanding program and then thrive in academic research careers. The admission selection process is highly competitive; we aim for a class size of nineteen students, admitted from a pool of hundreds of applicants.

What We Seek

Outstanding intellectual ability
Excellent academic records
Previous work in disciplines related to the intended area of concentration
Strong commitment to a career in research

MIT Sloan PhD Program Admissions Requirements Common Questions

Dates and Deadlines

Admissions for 2024 is closed. The next opportunity to apply will be for 2025 admission. The 2025 application will open in September 2024.

More information on program requirements and application components

Students in good academic standing in our program receive a funding package that includes tuition, medical insurance, and a fellowship stipend and/or TA/RA salary. We also provide a new laptop computer and a conference travel/research budget.

Funding Information

Throughout the year, we organize events that give you a chance to learn more about the program and determine if a PhD in Management is right for you.

PhD Program Events

May phd program overview.

During this webinar, you will hear from the PhD Program team and have the chance to ask questions about the application and admissions process.

June PhD Program Overview

July phd program overview, august phd program overview.

Complete PhD Admissions Event Calendar

Unlike formulaic approaches to training scholars, the PhD Program at MIT Sloan allows students to choose their own adventure and develop a unique scholarly identity. This can be daunting, but students are given a wide range of support along the way - most notably having access to world class faculty and coursework both at MIT and in the broader academic community around Boston.

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Profiles of our current students

MIT Sloan produces top-notch PhDs in management. Immersed in MIT Sloan's distinctive culture, upcoming graduates are poised to innovate in management research and education.

Academic Job Market

Doctoral candidates on the current academic market

Academic Placements

Graduates of the MIT Sloan PhD Program are researching and teaching at top schools around the world.

view recent placements

MIT Sloan Experience

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The PhD Program is integral to the research of MIT Sloan's world-class faculty. With a reputation as risk-takers who are unafraid to embrace the unconventional, they are engaged in exciting disciplinary and interdisciplinary research that often includes PhD students as key team members.

Research centers across MIT Sloan and MIT provide a rich setting for collaboration and exploration. In addition to exposure to the faculty, PhD students also learn from one another in a creative, supportive research community.

Throughout MIT Sloan's history, our professors have devised theories and fields of study that have had a profound impact on management theory and practice.

From Douglas McGregor's Theory X/Theory Y distinction to Nobel-recognized breakthroughs in finance by Franco Modigliani and in option pricing by Robert Merton and Myron Scholes, MIT Sloan's faculty have been unmatched innovators.

This legacy of innovative thinking and dedication to research impacts every faculty member and filters down to the students who work beside them.

Faculty Links

Accounting Faculty
Economic Sociology Faculty
Finance Faculty
Information Technology Faculty
Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER) Faculty
Marketing Faculty
Organization Studies Faculty
System Dynamics Faculty
Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management (TIES) Faculty

Student Research

“MIT Sloan PhD training is a transformative experience. The heart of the process is the student’s transition from being a consumer of knowledge to being a producer of knowledge. This involves learning to ask precise, tractable questions and addressing them with creativity and rigor. Hard work is required, but the reward is the incomparable exhilaration one feels from having solved a puzzle that had bedeviled the sharpest minds in the world!” -Ezra Zuckerman Sivan Alvin J. Siteman (1948) Professor of Entrepreneurship

Sample Dissertation Abstracts - These sample Dissertation Abstracts provide examples of the work that our students have chosen to study while in the MIT Sloan PhD Program.

We believe that our doctoral program is the heart of MIT Sloan's research community and that it develops some of the best management researchers in the world. At our annual Doctoral Research Forum, we celebrate the great research that our doctoral students do, and the research community that supports that development process.

The videos of their presentations below showcase the work of our students and will give you insight into the topics they choose to research in the program.

How Should We Measure the Digital Economy?

2020 PhD Doctoral Research Forum Winner - Avinash Collis

Watch more MIT Sloan PhD Program Doctoral Forum Videos

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Human-Centered Technology, Innovation & Design, Ph.D.

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Innovations in technologies redefine and reshape people's lives, changing social and cultural practices, norms and values, institutional processes, and economies and infrastructures. Working to develop new applications for existing and emerging human-centered technologies informed through rigorous, interdisciplinary research and managing socio-technical transitions is a fast-growing and highly important area of research across a number of fields and disciplines. The mission of the Tandon School of Engineering's Human-Centered Technology, Innovation & Design Ph.D. program is to educate and train scholars who will produce pioneering research and scholarship at the vanguard of technological practice and theory.

This program fosters student research through its focus on high-quality supervision and training by faculty members with significant research strengths in a diverse range of technology-related fields, including: digital media and creative practice, design and human-computer interaction, science and technology studies, urban and environmental studies, sociotechnical complex systems, and technology management and innovation. Students in the program typically follow an individualized path based in one of four main areas of focus:

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
Design Research & Practice
Management Science
Computational Social Science

The Human-Centered Technology, Innovation & Design program is a unique interdisciplinary Ph.D. program, offering a rigorous and flexible course of study that unites the strengths of the Departments of Technology Management and Innovation and Technology Culture & Society at the NYU Tandon School of Engineering. It is ideal for students who are primarily interested in pursuing teaching and/or research-based careers at higher education institutions. Universities with undergraduate and graduate programs that emphasize the integration of design and technology development with the critical study of society and technology or the management sciences are a primary source of career opportunities for our graduates. Similarly, government agencies, not-for-profit research organization, think tanks, corporate research centers, and research-based design and consulting firms also seek our graduates.

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Urban Science Doctoral Track

Admissions/applications requirements.

Admission to the Doctor of Philosophy in Human-Centered Technology, Innovation & Design program is based on an in-depth evaluation of the applicant’s academic record, professional experience, research potential, interest in doctoral study, and overall intellectual and professional qualifications. The GRE is optional, while proof of english language proficiency is required for international students.

Find out more about Admission Requirements and Graduate Admissions .

Degree Requirements and Curriculum

The curriculum for the Ph.D. in Human-Centered Technology, Innovation & Design Program fosters a research-intensive doctoral education relevant to understanding and shaping the impact of new technologies on a complex and rapidly-changing society and its institutions. We focus on how technology shapes and molds society and culture and how, in turn, social and cultural institutions respond to those impacts.

The core coursework exposes students to advanced design and research skills modulated by the development of a critically reflexive understanding of the ways in which society and technology deeply influence design and development. Research methods courses help students develop advanced qualitative, quantitative, and practice-based research as the basis for inquiring into, designing, and evaluating new technologies in the service of society.

Thematic elective courses help students gain in-depth knowledge in a focused area related to the key themes of human-computer interaction, design research, and management science. Our faculty also specialize in several areas of focus: disability studies and inclusive design, citizen science, urban sustainability, design for social change, science and technology studies, design studies, and technology ethics and politics. Students and doctoral advisers work together to curate and develop a rigorous course of study in the program.

Students are required to complete 75 credits, including 51 credits from the course work, which includes doctoral seminars, research methods courses, and thematic electives, and 24 credits from the dissertation. For more information on specific faculty interests, please refer to the faculty pages under the relevant programs.

Research Training and Interaction with Faculty

Students are expected to work actively with one or more faculty each year, and focus on completing research. Students are strongly encouraged to present research in progress once a year and work towards publishable papers, usually with a faculty as co-author. Students are strongly encouraged to work with their primary advisors to outline a plan of study where they can be involved in institutional research. Every student participates in formal research seminars with departmental faculty and visitors.

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Graduate Admissions

Academic Director

Ahmed Ansari

Graham Dove

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PhD in Design

The first PhD in design program in the US, Institute of Design’s PhD is a top-rated graduate program for those seeking to teach or conduct fundamental research in the field. Our PhD alumni have gone on to lead noted design programs at universities all over the world and lead practices at global corporations.

By pursuing rigorous research in an area that aligns with work by our PhD faculty, you’ll work directly in some of the most exciting design-focused work being done today. To learn more about research at ID and our PhD in Design, complete this form .

PhD Faculty Advisors

Weslynne ashton.

Professor of Environmental Management and Sustainability & Food Systems Action Lab Co-Director

Anijo Mathew

Dean, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Urban Technology, & ID Academy Director

Assistant Professor of Data-Driven Design

Ruth Schmidt

Associate Professor of Behavioral Design

Carlos Teixeira

Charles L. Owen Professor of Systems Design and PhD Program Director

Degree Requirements

All PhD students will work closely with their advisors to plan their course of study and research. Students complete a total of 92 credit hours:

Up to 32 credits can be transferred from a master’s program
12 course credits
48 research credits

Courses may be selected from across the university’s course offerings to complement the objectives of the student’s program.

Admitted doctoral students will be required to submit and obtain approval for a program of study. Within two years of being admitted, students take a comprehensive examination, after which, students will be considered candidates for the PhD degree.

The research component of the program grows as the student progresses. The dissertation created from this work is intended to create a substantial and original contribution to design knowledge.

Featured Courses

Phd principles & methods of design research, phd research and thesis, phd philosophical context of design research, student work, future archetypes of ev charging, exploring controlled environment agriculture, partnership with city clerk’s office aims to reform fines and fees, phd corporate partnership initiative.

Designed for professionals who want to reach the next level of design leadership, ID’s PhD Corporate Partnership provides candidates and organizations the tools and techniques needed to grow leadership and innovation within your organization.

Candidates should have a master’s degree in design (or equivalent) and/or significant experience as a professional designer.

A Global Network

Across the entire school, ID alumni make up a strong network—a uniquely skilled set of more than 2,400 people across 32+ countries who deal with difficult issues and navigate them with clarity, purpose, and discipline.

Alumni Hiighlights

Jessica meharry, phd, associate professor, columbia college chicago, id’s phds make their mark, andré nogueira, co-founder and deputy director of the design laboratory at the harvard t.h. chan school of public health, estimated costs.

Tuition and research stipends are extremely limited. Only self-funded applicants will be considered.

Fall 2024 Admission

January 19, 2024 (priority admission) March 1, 2024 (final general admission)

Spring 2025 Admission

October 26, 2024 (final admission)

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Please complete the form to request more information or if you have additional questions regarding our application process or requirements.

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Design (Ph.D.)

This is a top-rated graduate program for those seeking to teach or conduct fundamental research in the field of human-centered design.

Academic Programs

IIT Institute of Design's Doctor of Philosophy in Design is a top-rated graduate program for those seeking to teach or conduct fundamental research in the field of human-centered design. The first in the United States to offer a Ph.D. in design—and the only design school in the country devoted completely to graduate students—IIT Institute of Design (ID) has been instrumental in determining design’s future and demonstrating its significant role in cultures, organizations, and nations.

ID’s Ph.D. alumni have gone on to lead noted design programs at universities all over the world and practice at global corporations. By pursuing rigorous research in specialized areas, our candidates directly participate in some of today’s most exciting design-focused work.

The research component of the program grows as the student progresses. A dissertation created from this work should make a substantial and original contribution to design knowledge.

Program Overview

ID's Ph.D. in Design is a top-rated program for those seeking to teach or conduct fundamental research in the field of human-centered design. The first in the United States to offer a Ph.D. in design, today ID is the only U.S. design school devoted completely to graduate students.

Career Opportunities

IIT Institute of Design Ph.D. alumni have gone on to lead noted design programs at universities all over the world and practice at global corporations, including:

Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
McDonald’s Corporation
Parsons School for Design

Completion of the Ph.D. program requires six semesters (107 credit hours) in addition to an existing master's degree. Full-time residency is required for the first four semesters.

View Details

Applicants must have a graduate degree with a minimum of 32 credit hours and are required to submit three letters of recommendation, a portfolio, statement of interest, and a resume or curriculum vitae. There is no minimum work experience requirement, although two to four years of professional experience is preferred. ID considers full-time internships, volunteer work, and freelance projects as formal work experience. TOEFL or IELTS scores are required for any applicant with an undergraduate degree from an institution where the primary language of instruction is not English. A GRE or GMAT score is also required.

Learn more...

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

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Students may study for a PhD degree in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, and Urban Planning. An additional track in Architectural Technology is also available. This degree is administered jointly by the Harvard Graduate School of Design and the Harvard Kenneth C. Griffin Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Therefore, students benefit from a dual affiliation with both schools.

The program is mainly geared towards individuals who wish to enter academic teaching and research careers. Students are afforded a high degree of flexibility in their studies, however areas of work are broadly organized into the following areas: the Theory and History of Architecture, Architectural Technology, the Theory and History of Landscape Architecture, and the Evolution of Cities and Regions.

Theory and History of Architecture:

Students interested in this area typically study buildings, architectural texts, technologies, and their political, social, and cultural contexts through the early modern, modern, and contemporary eras.

Architectural Technology:

Doctoral research in architectural technology at the GSD aims to advance current knowledge in green building, for example, and will typically involve issues related to engineering, computation, and digital simulations.

Theory and History of Landscape Architecture :

Students whose research focuses on the theory and history of landscape architecture typically investigate the ways in which the natural environment has been thought of, represented, and transformed, from the early modern to the contemporary period.

Evolution of Cities and Regions:

Students may be interested in the subject of cities from a formal standpoint and/or develop an additional emphasis on various social, economic, technological, infrastructural, and ecological dimensions of urban life.

For biographies of current students and more information about their research interests, click here .

After graduation, PhD program alumni typically teach in design schools, or in history or history of art and architecture departments, landscape architecture and environmental studies departments, and urban studies and/or urban planning departments. Some alumni also work in the science, technology, and society domain on governmental and policy issues of particular relevance to their research.

Program Director and Administrator

Antoine Picon , G. Ware Travelstead Professor of the History of Architecture and Technology at the GSD is the current director of the program.

Margaret Moore de Chicojay is the PhD program administrator and key point of contact for incoming and current students. Contact: [email protected]

PhD in Transition Design

Fundamental change at every level of society is needed to address the issues confronting us in the 21st century. From climate change, loss of biodiversity, and depletion of natural resources, to systems of oppression, inequality, and inequity, Transition Design tackles these kinds of complex, wicked problems.

About our PhD Program

The PhD in Transition Design is for people committed to making a positive change in the world. Our unique program develops future design leaders with the capacity to envision and realize purposeful change across a range of complex systems—from food, water, materials and products, to policy, culture, economy, cities, and social movements. Transition Design acknowledges that we are living in transitional times, takes as its central premise the need for societal transition (systems-level change) to more just, equitable, and sustainable futures, and argues that design and designers have a key role to play in these transitions. This kind of design is connected to long horizons of time, pluriversal perspectives, compelling visions of desired futures, and must be based upon new knowledge and skill sets. Research in Transition Design, while grounded in systems thinking, can also be undertaken from the perspective of many areas of interest—circular economies, commoning, decoloniality, sociotechnical transitions, public policy, stakeholder participation, and futuring, to name a few.

Complex challenges must be addressed through ecologies of interventions that draw on multiple design specialisms, alongside expertise from other disciplines. In this way, Transition Design is a transdisciplinary field that unites researchers from within and beyond Design. This involves service designers, social designers, communication designers, product designers, environments designers, and design historians, working alongside ecologists, anthropologists, philosophers, economists, and political scientists.

Our PhD researchers develop their own research interests within the broad framework of Transition Design. We practice a collective, rather than competitive approach to creating a strong cohort. Program faculty and researchers alike operate as one supportive community with the shared goal of producing transformational work that matters. Throughout the program, you will maintain fluid interactions between theory and practice, through critical engagements with texts, images, media, objects, and experiences. The program is designed to encourage a supportive, critical research culture in which students, their peers, and advisory committees work closely together to shape new knowledge. As a PhD Researcher at CMU, your research will directly shape the development of this dynamic and emerging field.

The School of Design at Carnegie Mellon is a top-ranked Design School, situated at the heart of a world-leading research university, with a thriving undergraduate, graduate and doctoral student community. Upon completing the PhD, graduates are equipped to drive design-led systems-change through academic posts in leading universities and take on influential roles in nonprofit organizations, business, and government. Recent graduate destinations have included the University of Technology Sydney, New York University, Microsoft, University of Michigan, and Northeastern University.

Program Structure

The program has two key stages: the first is taught (year 1); the second comprises a self-defined project developed in consultation with an advisory committee (years 2–4). Where schedules permit, our students can take electives from across Carnegie Mellon's rich and diverse curricular offering.

The core curriculum is as follows:

Advancing your understanding of how research from diverse disciplinary domains can inform new kinds of research and practice. Through this 15-week course, you will explore the intersections of theory, practice and praxis, to develop a holistic understanding of research as a reflexive theoretical and practical process. Coursework includes the design of praxis methods to shape your own research. Topics include: research of design, research for design, research by design, and design praxis.

"Teaching Design" focuses on planning, conducting, reviewing, and revising learning experiences in academic and professional contexts. Students will study learning theories and instructional design approaches, probing their value to design education. Students will investigate traditional and emergent approaches to instruction through readings and discussions situated in the realm of cognitive studies, neuroscience, learning science, instructional design, and educational pedagogy. Students will discuss challenges that are common to design, which they will use to brainstorm ways of effectively addressing obstacles that they are likely to encounter when teaching. Students will apply their discoveries to the design of learning objectives, outcomes, instructional activities, performance measures, formative assessments, and summative evaluations, to create innovative and effective teaching and learning experiences based on a context they define. The course will culminate in the design of concrete teaching plans that may take the form of syllabi, project briefs, class exercises, assessment tools, and evaluation metrics.

An “ecoliterate” mindset is the starting point for Transition Design. Indeed, to be ecoliterate is to understand the principles through which natural systems flourish and to apply these principles to society, so that we too may flourish without compromising or destroying the natural systems on which we depend. Spanning 7-weeks, this seminar class focuses on key themes of ecoliteracy to help us navigate our social, ecological, and existential crises. Topics include: place and bioregions, Goethean science, living systems and Gaia, relationality and context, radical holism, and everyday life and infrastructure

This seminar exposes students to the emergent issues in the research and practice of Design through weekly discussions with individual faculty members. Faculty primarily resident to the School of Design present their research and interests to students in 50 minute sessions; two faculty presenting one day each week. The course aims to provide masters students (and some PhD students) first-hand exposure to faculty, their research, and interests. It's also a nice way for faculty to begin meeting grad students.

Driving design-led, systems-level change towards socially and ecologically sustainable, convivial and equitable place-based lifestyles. Through this 15-week course, you will explore multilevel problems to establish mutually beneficial relationships between people, the natural environment and the designed world; repositioning designers as agents of sustainable change. Topics include: living systems & complex problems, mindsets & postures, theories of change, visions, and transition designing.

Introducing future-focused design practices with practical training in futuring and foresight methods. Through this 15-week course, you will be introduced to a broad array of future-focused design practices, coupled with practical training in futuring and foresight techniques and methods. Coursework includes the development of a "Time Machine"—an immersive, future-focussed scenario for storytelling and research activation. Topics include: world modeling, futuring & foresight, emerging design practices, criticality & speculation, design pedagogy, and sustainable futures.

Defining a 3-year research project with your advisory committee, geared toward activating sustainable change. Through this 7-week course, you will frame new research contexts, define questions, plan methodological approaches, design open research structures that adapt and change, and speculate upon research outcomes and their impacts. Coursework includes writing a PhD proposal. Topics include: framing research problems, building an argument, planning your project, keeping research open, and writing a research proposal.

Developing a 2-year period of deep, reflective and self-directed research. Across this sequence of courses—spanning 4 semesters—you work closely with your advisory committee to build upon your research proposal and literature review. During this phase, you will deepen your literature review, undertake field research, develop your practice and begin pulling together your research into a coherent body of work.

Deepening your connection with the craft of writing via a cross-section of academic, journalistic and creative styles. Through this 15-week course this practical hands-on course helps you develop your style, structure and confidence in design writing. Writing is framed as a creative process where ideas are explored, discovered and expressed. Coursework includes planning a literature review. Topics include: conference papers & journal articles, design criticism, podcasts & digital publishing, and transformational design curricula.

Creating the critical space for divergent research themes to coalesce into a clear and conclusive body of research. You will assemble your dissertation in advance of the defense in May of the final semester. Dissertations can be entirely written (60–80K words), or a body of written and practical work (40–60K words, by negotiation). Your final body of work must demonstrate an original contribution to knowledge which expands understanding of transition design.

In addition to the above courses, students and faculty meet every few weeks for Critical Readings in Transition Design—a forum for in-depth discussion and critique of key texts, concepts and tools relating to transition design, and design-led systems-change more broadly.

Click here to view our PhD in Transition Design Planner, illustrating how these courses map across the 4 years of the program.

Current Researchers & Faculty

Phd researchers.

Adam Cowart

Tricia Douglas

Kyla Fullenwider

Luis Garcia

Esther Kang

William Martin

Saurin Nanavanti

Alexander Polzin

Madeline Sides

Russell Singer

Margaret M Urban

Matthew Wizinsky

Faculty advisors.

Toward the end of the first year, you are supported in assembling a 2-4 member advisory committee. This mentoring group comprises diverse expertise from faculty from the School of Design , from other schools across CMU, and advisors external to CMU where appropriate.

Requirements & Costs

Entry requirements.

Qualifications Applicants should meet the following requirements:

A Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with a strong record of academic achievement.
A Master's degree from an accredited institution with a strong record of academic achievement. In some circumstances, we will consider applicants without a Master's degree, where there is evidence of equivalent community-engagement, leadership, research, writing, or other related experience.
Candidates for the PhD teaching fellowship will ordinarily have a Master's degree in Design, and at least two years of professional and/or teaching experience. In select cases, 5+ years of professional design experience, demonstrated by portfolio, may be considered if the applicant's Master's degree is in a related or complementary field.

Language Requirements All applicants whose native language is not English are required to submit a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language), the IELTS (International English Language Testing System), or the online Duolingo English Test score. All applicants must submit their highest test score by the application deadline.

Our minimum TOEFL total score is 102, with minimum subscores of 25. In addition to single test date TOEFL iBT scores, the School of Design also accepts MyBest scores for TOEFL iBT.
Our minimum IELTS score is 7.5
Our minimum Duolingo score is 128 total. Subscore minimums: Literacy: 125, Conversation: 120, Comprehension: 135, Production: 105

Scores below these minimums will not be considered for admission. Note : There are additional requirements for teaching fellowship candidates, in regards to written and verbal English language capacities by Pennsylvania State Legislation. All non-native English speakers are required to pass an International Teaching Assistant Test administered by CMU.

There are two funding routes through the program: professional track and teaching fellowships.

Professional track candidates find their own sources of funding. This route is for people who wish to continue their employment whilst also undertaking PhD research, and keep the flexibility to study in a low-residency mode once the first year of coursework is complete.

Teaching fellowships cover tuition, individual health insurance, and provide an annual stipend of $22,500 ($11,250 per semester). Teaching fellows co-teach one course per semester, from semesters 2–7. All teaching fellows must be in residence at CMU for the duration of the program.

Applicants who are accepted into the program, but do not receive an offer of a teaching fellowship, are required to pay the following fees, totalling approximately $69,975 over 4-years:

Year 1: $45,700 (2024-2025)
Year 2: $6,490 (2025-2026)
Year 3: $6,625 (2026-2027)
Year 4: $6,760 (2027-2028)

University fees (annual estimate)

Activity Fee: $238
Transportation Fee: $256
Technology Fee: $460

Note : Professional track candidates are responsible for their own individual health insurance at approximately $3,000 per year.

Application

Information on how to apply and what you'll need to include with your application can be found HERE .

Further Information

Please feel free to email us with any questions. You can also check out our FAQs page . As this is a relatively new program, insufficient data exists to provide helpful transparency statistics. This will be shared as it becomes available.

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Open Day 2024

KPT/JPS (N/214/8/0022) (MQA/PA11668) 05/26

Our Doctor of Philosophy in Design Management programme is designed to foster research excellence and encourage the formulation of significant problem statements related to design processes within a broader research framework. Our Transdisciplinary Design Leadership PhD programme aims to equip you with the conceptual and methodological skills necessary to excel in the field.

We believe in the power of combining art and sciences with technology and business to drive innovation. Our programme emphasizes the integration of these disciplines to create impactful and meaningful design solutions. By embracing transdisciplinary approaches, you will gain a holistic understanding of design management and its potential to shape the future.

School Design

Intake Month

February, April, June, September and October

Study Options

Full time or part time

Study Programme

3 to 6-year (full time)

4 to 8-year (part time)

Practical input

From Industry Professionals

Normal and Prior Publication

Interested to know more? Start your journey with us now.

Key Highlights of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Design Management

As you progress through the PhD in Design Management programme, you will have the opportunity to specialize in specific areas of design management that align with your research interests and career goals. Our flexible curriculum allows you to tailor your studies, selecting modules and electives that resonate with your research focus. You will be guided by experienced faculty members who are experts in their respective fields, providing mentorship and support as you navigate your research journey.

3 – 6 years

4 – 8 years

Note: All information is subject to change. Readers are responsible for verifying information that pertains to them by contacting the university.

Key Research Areas

At Taylor's University, we believe research can help shape the future. Our postgraduate research programmes cover a broad range of topics with the aim to help shape the future in the aspects of society, technology, economy, and environment.

Find out more about our research areas .

Hiring Graduate Students

We offered two entry pathway for this PhD programme, which is normal mode and prior to publication mode. Our PhD by Prior Publication mode provides a unique pathway for you to achieve a Doctoral award based on your existing body of work. We recognize the value of your prior publications and include them as a significant part of your submission for the Doctoral award.

Normal Mode

Pre-requisites: .

A Recognised Master's Degree preferably in Art and Design or a relevant field
Equivalent qualification and / or experience which is recognised by the Senate / institution
Candidates are required to submit a research proposal; and A Pass in an interview.

International Students

Required to achieve a minimum Malaysian University English Test (MUET) with Band 4 OR its equivalent score of 6.5 in IELTS. (May join IEN preparatory course and achieve the IELTS score) The validity of the IELTS or equivalent is within 2 years from the date of the examination.\

Bachelor to PhD Track

A Bachelor's degree with the following conditions:

A Bachelor's degree in the field or related fields with first-class (CGPA of 3.67 or higher) or its equivalent from academic or Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) programme;
Undergo internal assessment; AND
Any other requirement of the HEP
Bachelor's degree candidates who are registered for master's degree programmes may apply to convert to the doctoral degree programmes subjected to the following conditions:
Within 1 year for full time and within 2 years for part-time candidates; Having shown competency and capability in conducting research at doctoral level through rigorous internal evaluation, and approval of the Taylor's University Senate.
Students without a qualification in the related fields or relevant working experience requires to undergo and pass a bridging module.
Any of the condition of the above would require student’s research proposal to be approved.
All information is subject to change. The above entry requirements serve as a guideline. Readers are responsible to verify the information by contacting the university’s Admissions Department.

Prior Publication Mode

You will need to fulfill one of the below.

Obtain a master's degree in the field or related fields accepted by the HEP Senate
Obtain other qualifications equivalent to a master's degree recognised by the Government of Malaysia

Candidates without a related qualification in the field/s or working experience in the relevant fields must undergo appropriate prerequisite courses determined by the HEP

In addition to the above criteria, those who want to join Doctoral Degree by Retrospective or Prior Publication mode must include the below to the formal application:

Minimum of 5 publications in alignment with the theme of the specialisation;
An executive summary of the above publications establishing
The theme that connects the published works to be submitted (up to 1,000 words);
Contribution to knowledge in the field of the proposed area of study (up to 1,000 words)
A list of scholarly published work;
Curriculum Vitae (CV)

For international candidates, evidence of English Language Proficiency as determined by the intake standards approved by the Senate

A Selection Committee must be established to review the formal application for PhD by Retrospective or Prior Publication and recommend to the Senate to obtain approval.

Criteria for published works

Published work must encompass high-quality journals, monographs, books, research-based chapters in books, electronic publications which have not been used to obtain other awards or deemed a part of those awards.
The publications must be published within a period not exceeding ten (10) years from the date of submission.
For the five (5) nominated publications, the candidate must be the principal author with the contributions of others clearly defined.

Note : All information is subject to change. Readers are responsible for verifying information that pertains to them by contacting the university.

When you've successfully completed this Doctor of Philosophy in Design Management programme, you could advance to any of these exciting careers in design management and design innovation, including:

Transdisciplinary Design Leadership Academicians
Design Leadership
Creative Director
Design Historians
Design Journalist
Public Relations Consultant
Sales and Promotion Manager
Senior Media Planner
Strategic Corporate Communication Director

How long is the candidature?

The minimum duration of candidature is 6 months and must not exceed 2 years.

What are the criteria for the award of the degree?

The minimum requirement for the award of the degree is to:

Pass thesis examination and viva-voce/ oral examination.
Confirmation of meeting minimum candidature period (from the first day of intake commencement to confirmation of satisfactory amendment of thesis/dissertation by examiners).

How will progression tracking be done?

Progression tracking is done by monitoring of research progress periodically through:

Regular consultation with the supervisors (supervisor-supervisee log);
Progress report; and Seminars (research seminar, thesis completion seminar).

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Design Management

We offer scholarships to help brightest minds, reach their fullest potential..

Note: Fees will be reviewed annually. For the avoidance of doubt, Taylor’s reserves the right to revise the fee payable for any given semester.

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PhD in Management - Design & Innovation
Faculty and Staff

PhD in Management - Design & Innovation Faculty and Staff

In the PhD in Management - Design and Innovation program at Case Western Reserve University’s Weatherhead School of Management, our curriculum is led by experienced faculty members.

Our vision is clear: to be a world-class center of doctoral education—known for our bold ideas, our powerful learning community, and our commitment to value-driven knowledge for the betterment of organizations and the greater good.

Get to know some of the individuals from whom you’ll learn as a student.

Richard Boland, Jr.

Senior Fellow Weatherhead School of Management Professor Department of Design & Innovation Weatherhead School of Management Senior Research Fellow Judge Business School University of Cambridge