Ph.D. in Architecture

The PhD in Architecture (PhD-Arch) program at Carnegie Mellon advances interpretive, critical and contextual perspectives on architecture, landscape and urbanism. The program offers students an interdisciplinary platform to investigate built environment cultures, practices and politics through qualitative, spatial and collaborative modes of research. We invite applicants with a strong interest in scholarly work and writing.

Faculty in the program specialize in architecture and urban history, critical urban studies, cultural geography, environmental humanities, digital humanities, STS, environmental justice, and community-oriented research across a range of historical and geographical contexts in the global South and North. The program is enriched by course offerings and expertise in the humanities, arts and social sciences from across CMU.

Students work closely with their advisors throughout the course of the program. Coursework and advising during the first two years of the PhD, leading up to the qualifying exam, enable students to build a firm intellectual and interdisciplinary foundation for their dissertation. The program of study is marked by four milestones: game plan, qualifier exam, proposal and dissertation. The game plan, to be completed approximately towards the end of the first year, provides an abstract of the project and the key areas of concentration, along with a schedule for coursework and research, and the advisory committee. Upon completion of their coursework, students work with their advisory committee to complete the written and oral qualifying examination aimed at demonstrating their command over key concepts and methods, and the ability to articulate their project in relation to their fields of concentration. The next milestone, the dissertation proposal, further details their project — its conceptual and methodological framework, contributions to the field, results of preliminary research, and a timetable for research and writing. The final milestone, the doctoral dissertation, is the summation of the student's work, building on, extending and significantly contributing to research on built environment cultures and politics. PhD students are also guided in developing and teaching courses related to their area of study, applying for grants, and sharing their research in academic fora and publications.

The intellectual foundation of the program is informed by Carnegie Mellon Architecture’s commitments to racial and spatial justice in architectural epistemology, pedagogy and practice, and builds on and extends the foundational work in the school in the areas of community-oriented urban design and research. It is also supported by wide-ranging expertise and resources in the school and across the university, particularly in the arts and humanities. 

We invite interested applicants to carefully review the program faculty’s research interests listed below, and reach out with any questions. 

Admission Information

Learn more about the PhD-Arch curriculum below.

PhD-Arch Curriculum