Ph.D. in Architecture

Jeff Haberl, Ph.D.
Professor and MS/Ph.D. Coordinator

Jill Raupe, Academic Advisor

The Department of Architecture recognizes the unique opportunities of the Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture within the structure of the University and College. The Ph.D. program ’ s mission is to develop, disseminate and create knowledge about architecture. To realize this, the faculty have made a commitment to building on their diverse experiences and backgrounds and to work together to establish a climate in which scholarship and creativity can flourish. The Doctor of Philosophy Program in Architecture has a long and distinguished history that has produced many outstanding graduates having important impacts on the academy and profession.

      History of Program

The doctoral program in architecture at Texas A & M University began in the late 1960s, and has been administered by the Department of Architecture in its present form since 1985. Originally, the primary focus of the program was to expand knowledge and research capacity in the technological and building science areas. Although its earlier emphasis was technically-oriented, the program has been expanded to allow students to focus their studies within a broad range of emphasis areas and exploration topics formally identified by the department. Applicants are invited to inquire about topics outside of these emphasis areas, providing they can identify a core of available faculty and support resources, and submit a clearly defined plan of study. Graduates from the Ph.D. program have accepted positions of responsibility throughout the world in many different disciplines. The majority of our alumni have assumed such positions as consultants, university faculty, and researchers, while others have started their own practices or are working for government agencies. The Chronicle of Higher Education ranked the Department of Architecture ’ s doctoral program fourth among public institutions and eighth among public and private programs in architecture in the United States in 2007.

      Purpose of the Program

The Doctor of Philosophy is intended to be an advanced research degree in architecture that develops rigorous research methodologies that focus on critical problems and opportunities facing the discipline of architecture and generates an original and lasting contribution along with a comprehensive understanding of the knowledge base of architecture. The Ph.D. in Architecture is a research degree appropriate for those seeking careers in teaching and scholarship in architecture and its related areas, or in roles in government or professional consultation that require depth in knowledge, specialization and experience in research. In addition, it is intended that the Ph.D. in Architecture augment profession of architecture in significant ways through enriched knowledge areas,practice fields and critical thinking. The Doctor of Philosophy in Architecture is designed to make a significant contribution to the discipline of architecture at the highest levels of scholarly inquiry. It emphasizes the creation of new and appropriate knowledge through research and prepares student to share the results of this research.

      Course Content

The Doctor of Philosophy degree requires a minimum of 64 credit hours beyond the master's degree or 96 credit hours beyond the bachelor's degree. Course requirements are therefore designed to give entering students a solid foundation in historical knowledge and theoretical discourse, with sufficient flexibility to allow the initiation and pursuit of individual research agendas. Approximately two years of course work and an original research dissertation on a subject approved by the candidate's advisory committee are also required. Credit distribution and required examinations in the program are listed below. In addition to completing the basic program, each Ph.D. student must demonstrate proficiencies appropriate to the chosen area of study that may require additional course work. Additional courses may include technical writing, language, or courses in other areas of deficiency identified by the graduate committee, the student's initial advisor, and the advisory committee. In order to enter candidacy, the student must demonstrate to the graduate and advisory committees that he or she has exhibited academic and professional competence to accomplish the dissertation research and that the proposed dissertation is academically sound and professionally pertinent. Although acceptance of the dissertation is based primarily on its scholarly merit, it must also exhibit credible literary workmanship. The final dissertation is presented and evaluated by the candidate ’ s committee. The twelve hours of core courses are listed below:

• Research Ideologies of Architecture (ARCH 690)
• Foundations of Research (CARC 601)
• Writing for Publications (CARC 698)
• Research Inquiry (taken from a menu of course offerings)
• Research Interpretation (taken from a menu of course offerings)

      Patterns of Study

Because we have one of the largest schools in the country, our range of faculty interest areas is broad. The five College research centers provide clusters of research areas, which include the Center for Housing and Urban Development (Sustainable Urbanism), the Center for Health Systems and Design, the Center for Conservation and Preservation, the Hazards Reductions Center, the CRS Center, and the Energy Systems Laboratory. Each of the Centers administers a certificate in their areas of concentration. [link to certificate programs] In addition, within the Department of Architecture there are clusters of research interests in other areas, such as, History and Theory, Place-making, Spirituality, and Design Methods. The list below represents the range of current interests and programs of study within the Ph.D. Program at this time:

      Student Numbers

The program typically has 40 students in residence each year with an additional five- to -ten students who are not in residence. Although student course work is usually taken in residence at Texas A & M University, some course work may be taken at another university when approved. Students have come from all over the United States, as well as countries such as Algeria, Australia, China, Colombia, Egypt, Japan, Jordan, India, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Israel, Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Nepal, Turkey and Uruguay. Approximately 60% of the Doctor of Philosophy program participants are international students. Since 1969 through 2008, the Department of Architecture has awarded 240 doctoral degrees in Environmental Design and Architecture. This is an average of a little over five degrees granted per year. There is a broad spectrum of research topics reflecting the varied student-faculty interests in the field of architecture. [link to student abstracts]

• Program size typically 50 students (resident + non-resident)
• Ph.D. in Architecture degrees awarded 240 (since 1969)
• Time of matriculation typically 5 years

      Faculty

The Graduate Faculty of the Department of Architecture are available to advise and participate in research committees. There are 30 faculty in the Department of Architecture that hold doctoral degrees in many disciplines – architecture, urban design, engineering, physics, construction science, history, theory and behavioral geography. [link to architectural faculty]

     Admissions

Information pertaining to the admission procedure for the Ph.D. program can be found at this link