Doctoral Program FAQs

Candidates should have backgrounds in one of the School of Design's area of focus (Communication Design, Product Design, Interaction Design, UX design, Environments Design, Service Design, Design for Social Innovation, design research, design theory). Please contact us for advice on this matter.

No. The Human Computer Interaction Institute offers a PhD with pathways in Interaction Design. Consequently, applicants with research topics and approaches that demand significant amounts of coding or more cognitive science based research methods will be encouraged to apply to HCII.

In some cases, 3+ years of high-level professional design experience, demonstrated with a portfolio and a well-formulated research proposal may meet the application requirements.

In some cases, yes. Applicants with backgrounds in Business and Management, but with additional expertise and experience in Design, and who are interested in Transition Design, should apply to this program and will be encouraged to seek faculty advisers from other areas on campus. We would be particularly interested in candidates with business and management expertise related to Transition Design such as circular economies, sustainable design, and B corps.

Carnegie Mellon is a highly ranked research university and there are potential advisors from a wide range of disciplines on the campus. We also have a network of potential advisors who are based in other institutions.

No. The language requirements for application to the program cannot be waived. Please review these carefully. Please review the requirements carefully in order to submit a complete application.

No. Unfortunately we do not have the ability to review portfolio materials for each inquiry that we receive. To be considered for the program you will need to formally apply.

No. We do not currently offer an online option for our PhD degree. We hope to eventually offer a part time PhD degree but it is not an option at this time.

The School of Design does not offer fully funded scholarships. CMU’s  Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs administers some of the financial support that is available to graduate students and eligible PhD students who enroll in CMU’s Student Health Insurance Plan will receive a credit for the full cost of the individual medical premium fee.

The School of Design is suspending the Teaching Fellowships for the time being. This means that candidates will need to find external sources of funding for the duration of the program.  This would apply to domestic and U.S. visa sponsored candidates 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 in Pittsburgh. Due to immigration regulations we cannot offer visa sponsorship for a low-residency program.