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.

The application language proficiency requirements cannot be waived for prior study or work in the U.S. 

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 partial merit or fully funded scholarships in the professional track. CMU’s Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs administers some research grant applications for enrolled graduate students to help with the cost of attending conferences and research expenses. Financial support and guidance can be found through Carnegie Mellon's Student Financial Services Office.

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. 

The application requires the following: official transcripts, a portfolio of your work, a brief essay response to a given prompt, 3 recommendation letters, the $75 GradCAS application fee. The English language test result (TOEFL, IELTS, or Duolingo) and transcript verification (WES or ECE) is also required if you have visa sponsorship. We do not waive any of these GradCAS application requirements. All documentation should be received by GradCAS by February 28, 11:59 pm EST.

Yes, and we actively encourage applications from international candidates. Because U.S. immigration law requires international students to maintain a physical presence for the duration of their studies, international PhD researchers reside in Pittsburgh for all eight semesters of the program. This includes registering attendance with faculty on a biweekly basis and maintaining Pittsburgh as your primary place of residence throughout. 

There are several visa categories that support this kind of full-time doctoral study, and CMU's Office of International Education can advise students seeking  F-1 and J-1 status. Other visa statuses should have a consultation with an immigration attorney. If you have questions before applying, please get in touch directly.