11 PhD Programmes in Architecture Studies in USA for 2024

The Doctor of Architecture (Ph.D.) is a research degree suitable for students seeking a profession in teaching and scholarship in architecture and related areas, or positions in government or as a consultant requiring specialization and experience in research.

The Ph.D. in urban planning and public policy (UPPP) integrates the academic disciplines of urban planning and public policy by training Ph.D. students to conduct independent research that makes a substantive contribution to their chosen planning and policy subfields. The program prepares doctoral students for academic careers and for leadership in research positions in the public, private, or nonprofit sectors.

The Ph.D. in Urban Planning is focused on training individuals for future careers as teachers, researchers, policy-makers, and business entrepreneurs in and near the field of urban planning—in academia, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, and think tanks. The program equips students with the theoretical and methodological expertise to address important contemporary issues, such as climate change and adaptation, built environment transformation, immigration and migration, housing and community development, and poverty and inequality. It is a highly competitive doctoral program, accepting only three candidates each year.

The PHD in Architecture addresses the development of modern architectural form and ideas as they have been affected by social, economic, and technological change. In broad terms, it encompasses the relations between the profession, practice, civil institutions, and the society at large.

The PHD in Historic Preservation was launched in 2017 and is oriented toward the training of future historic preservation scholars. The first of its kind in the United States, the program aims to expand the discipline’s range of intellectual entanglements and cultivate new paradigms for scholarly research, experimental practice, global action, and communication.

The Urban Design & Planning Interdisciplinary Ph.D. at the University of Washington is one of 39 Ph.D. programs in urban and regional planning in North America and one of the oldest, founded in 1967.

The University of Pennsylvania is an intellectually stimulating environment in which to study today’s metropolitan challenges. To develop responses, our Ph.D. students have easy access to a broad, multi-disciplinary faculty and all the resources of a first-rate urban research university.

The Doctor of Philosophy in Urban Studies degree program is an interdisciplinary program within the College of Liberal Arts, Education, and Human Development that enables students of exceptional ability to undertake advanced study and original research in urban affairs and urban history, urban planning, and urban anthropology. The program's mission is to prepare students for careers in scholarly activity, applied research, and policy analysis.

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D. HES Architectural Studies) degree is designed for individuals who are interested in acquiring the knowledge and skills that are needed to conduct substantive, innovative, and original research that contribute to the theoretical and methodological foundation of architecture and interior design, and the dissemination of this research through teaching, publication, and practice.

The internationally recognized Ph.D. program in Regional Planning prepares scholars for leadership positions at universities and research institutions in the US and worldwide as faculty and policymakers. It builds a strong foundation of planning and social science theories and hones skills in advanced research methods to develop expertise in a chosen specialization.

The School of Architecture offers the Doctor of Philosophy degree in Architectural Sciences to candidates prepared to undertake innovative and substantive research that adds to the body of knowledge drawn on by the design disciplines.