Doctoral Programs

Join a premier group of graduate students from twenty-four countries who are preparing to shape the world by addressing the complex challenges facing society through design practice and research.

Experts in the Field

The College of Design offers two distinct doctoral programs aimed at broadening student knowledge within the design field.

PhD in Design

The PhD in Design is an on-campus program intended for students who seek to deepen their knowledge of both theory and research. The PhD in Design program offers very generous financial support including: tuition, insurance, travel support, and a stipend. All majors, freshmen through doctoral students, have dedicated studio space with 24-hour access. Lab spaces are state-of-the-art, and the College of Design facilities are among the best in the nation.

students and faculty talking at DDes immersion week

Doctor of Design

The Doctor of Design program is a distance education program for established practicing professionals working with creative and case-based research problems who intend to apply the results of their studies to design practice. DDes students conduct original investigations through design-based practices, cases, and methods. The program provides a forum for connecting design research to the needs of society, by promoting the application of new knowledge in design and addressing design impacts on larger systems.

November 25, 2024

Doctoral Students Showcase Work through Design Probes: Research Strands

On November 21, the College of Design’s doctoral programs brought together practitioners from the Doctor of Design and PhD in Design programs to showcase their outstanding research in a poster session and review titled “Design Probes: Research Strands.” Students bridge academia and practice across diverse design fields, and the event showcased the collaborative ecosystem that spans the college’s four departments and fosters a vibrant environment for interdisciplinary perspectives.

Farmer Cee Stanley tossing hay from the back of a pickup truck.

November 12, 2024

Cultivating Design Solutions with Green Heffa Farms

In the spring of 2024, PhD student and instructor Erin White brought students from his D101 Design Thinking course to solve multiple challenges faced at Green Heffa Farms. The students, many of whom are not design majors, addressed challenges such as storage issues, workflow efficiency and social media strategy.

Samantha Krumbhaar's Paper Streets Projects utilizes tunnels made from natural materials to reference Hayti culture.

August 20, 2024

Bringing New Life to Paper Streets

The City of Durham has over 600 “paper streets” – narrow strips of land planned for use as a street, but never built. College of Design students partnered with the city’s Office of Performance and Innovation to bring new life to these previously underutilized spaces, envisioning micro-parks, art installations, educational outdoor spaces, and valuable pedestrian corridors.