Degree Program
Enrollment Opportunities
The Ph.D. program in Planning, Design and the Built Environment is designed as an interdisciplinary, three‐year post‐masters degree program. In most cases students will enter the program with a master’s degree in one of the design disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, planning,construction science or real estate development. Students with advanced preparation may take slightly less than three years. Students from other disciplines including engineering, business or the social sciences may be required to take prerequisite coursework as the core courses require some previous coursework experience.
The curriculum is divided into five content areas:
- core courses,
- concentration courses,
- elective courses,
- comprehensive examination, and
- Dissertation research.
Students will select a field area from the traditional fields of architecture, landscape architecture, planning, construction science or real estate development to build disciplinary as well as interdisciplinary foundations. Concentrations might be drawn from areas such as:
- Built Environment + Health
- Regional/Community Development + Design
- Restoration, Sustainability + Land Ecology
- Architectural Design, Technology + Construction Processes
Student Spotlight
“Cayla Anderson, a doctoral student in the PDBE program, has received the Doctoral Scholars Fellowship from the Southern Regional Educational Board (SREB) and the Dupree Scholarship from American Council for Construction Education (ACCE). Cayla had an extensive career in construction management before starting the PDBE program. She has worked on projects in commercial interiors, global critical facilities, and multi-family unit housing through various engineering roles. Currently, Cayla works as a graduate assistant to Dr. Dhaval Gajjar while pursuing her graduate degree.”
Cayla AndersonPDBE Student SpotlightClemson University
Alumnus Spotlight
“Dr. Jeremy C. Wells is an associate professor in the Historic Preservation Program at the University of Maryland, College Park. Jeremy graduated from the PDBE program in 2009, worked for a few years as the lead preservation planner for the City of Denver and then as an assistant professor at Roger Williams University. He has been at the University of Maryland since 2017. One of the reasons Jeremy chose to study in Clemson’s PDBE program is that it allowed him to combine his interests in the social sciences (e.g., psychology, sociology, anthropology, geography) with historic preservation.”
Dr. Jeremy C. WellsPDBE Alumnus SpotlightUniversity of Maryland
