Ph.D. in Environmental Design
and Planning
The Ph.D. program in environmental design and planning is an interdisciplinary, three-year postmaster's degree program that consists of 71 credit hours. In most cases, students enter the program with a master's degree in a design discipline such as architecture or landscape architecture, planning, or construction science and management. Students who have advance preparation may complete the program in slightly less than three years. Students from other disciplines, including engineering, business or the social sciences, may be required to take prerequisite course work, as the core courses require some previous experience in specific courses.
The curriculum is divided into five content areas: theory/history, methods, core courses, concentration courses and electives. A comprehensive examination and dissertation research are also required. Students select an area from the traditional fields of architecture, landscape architecture, planning, or construction science and management to build disciplinary as well as interdisciplinary foundations. Concentrations are developed based on faculty expertise and student interest. Concentrations may be drawn from areas such as urban design, health care, energy, development, restoration, sustainability, landscape ecology, and building practice and technology.
Program graduates find employment in academia, industry, government, and public and private research entities. Major universities throughout the world now require a Ph.D. as an entry-level educational qualification, as do research and development organizations in the private and public sectors.
Application Process
Students who are interested in the program may apply to Clemson University online. For specific questions concerning the program, contact Dr. Roger Liska at (864) 656-3878 or riggor@clemson.edu.
Assistantships
A small number of assistantships and tuition reductions are available on a competitive basis. Notice of those awards is given when students are officially accepted into the program. (See the section on Graduate Student and Graduate Assistant Expectations.)