Doctor of Design

The Doctor of Design (DDes) (formerly Doctor of Professional Practice) is a three-year program for mid-career professionals aspiring to solve advanced problems in the fields of architecture, engineering or construction. Modes of study include conference and video calls, web-based learning, field work, professional practice work, international exchange and institutional meetings and conferences.

Unlike academically founded graduate programs, the DDes is based on the assumption that mid-career professionals can develop doctoral-level research, building on their tacit knowledge acquired through years of professional practice. The cohorts in this program come from various AEC (Architecture–Engineering–Construction) fields, as well as from various states in the U.S. and nations of the world. The program is a collaborative effort with Université Paul Sabatier in Toulouse.

We seek self-motivated cohorts who thrive in multitasking situations and are able to manage concurrently the DDes program requirements and their full-time professional practice responsibilities. Thanks to a sophisticated distance-delivery system, the program accommodates participation both in residence (Pittsburgh) and remotely. For important information regarding Distance Education, please view Carnegie Mellon University’s Consumer Information webpage.

Admission Information

The contact hours of the courses in the program are delivered as concentrated and intense experiences taking up four weekends, supplemented by a few weekdays, per semester. Each course is designed with specific learning objectives and utilizes eight learning areas:

1. Research methods
2. Sustainability and building science
3. Computational design for building performance
4. BIM, computational design and design thinking
5. Advanced construction
6. Project management
7. Integrated practice and systems integration
8. Computational design and manufacturing