Human-Centered Design, Ph.D.

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Major Code: 9200	Degree Awarded: Doctor of Philosophy
Age Restriction: N	Admission Status: graduate
Delivery Mode/s: classroom only	Location/s: main campus
Admission Materials: 3 letters of recommendation, résumé, objectives, GRE

The Ph.D. program in human-centered design is designed to provide advanced education and research opportunities to qualified students with master’s degrees. On completion, the students can conduct independent scholarly work, teach in academia or pursue advanced research careers in government, or commercial or private sectors.

Admission Requirements

Admission to doctoral study is granted to qualified students on a limited basis who have successfully completed master’s degrees in engineering, physical or computer science, or mathematics from regionally accredited institutions. The program is ideally suited for applicants with strong interest in human and social science or the arts. Applicants with demonstrated background in industry and academia are eligible and prior experience is highly recommended.

The applicant must have a master’s degree cumulative GPA of at least 3.2 on a 4.0 scale and a minimum score of 1100 on the GRE. International applicants must score 600 or higher on the TOEFL examination. Applicants must submit undergraduate and graduate transcripts, three letters of recommendation and a statement of objectives in addition to the GRE and TOEFL scores.

General admission requirements and the application process are discussed in the Academic Overview section.

Degree Requirements

The Doctor of Philosophy in Human-Centered Design is conferred for successful completion of the coursework outlined below. General degree requirements are discussed in the Academic Overview section.

Coursework and Dissertation Summary

Doctoral coursework minimum beyond the master’s degree Credit Hours: 18-24
Doctoral research and dissertation Credit Hours: 24

Total Minimum Beyond the Master’s Degree: 42-48

Curriculum

In addition to the 18 to 24 credit hours of coursework, the major advisor may require additional courses to better prepare the student to conduct research in the selected topic.

The student must complete an approved program plan within one month of acceptance to the doctoral program, successfully pass a comprehensive examination, submit a dissertation proposal and defend that proposal to the dissertation committee. The candidate is expected to publish in refereed journals (at least two prior to the defense of the dissertation).