PhD Design at Illinois Institute of Technology

Programme overview

ID’s Ph.D. alumni have gone on to lead noted design programs at universities all over the world and practice at global corporations. By pursuing rigorous research in specialized areas, our candidates directly participate in some of today’s most exciting design-focused work.

Faculty: School of Design and Society | Department: Design | Study mode: full-time | Location: Chicago, IL, United States

What you will study

Completion of the Ph.D. program requires six semesters (107 credit hours) in addition to an existing master's degree. Full-time residency is required for the first four semesters.

Career pathways

IIT Institute of Design Ph.D. alumni have gone on to lead noted design programs at universities all over the world and practice at global corporations, including: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; Intel; KAIST; McDonald’s Corporation; Motorola; Parsons School for Design; Steelcase.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Applicants must have a graduate degree with a minimum of 32 credit hours and are required to submit three letters of recommendation, a portfolio, statement of interest, and a resume or curriculum vitae. There is no minimum work experience requirement, although two to four years of professional experience is preferred. ID considers full-time internships, volunteer work, and freelance projects as formal work experience. TOEFL or IELTS scores are required for any applicant with an undergraduate degree from an institution where the primary language of instruction is not English. A GRE or GMAT score is also required.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Entry terms: Fall and Spring.

Fall term: regular deadline January 31. Spring term: October 1, extended to October 15. GRE is required for PhD applicants.

Chicago-Kent J.D.: no application fee for 2026 J.D. applicants; first-year entry is Fall, with transfer entry in Fall or Spring.

Apply through the official page: https://www.iit.edu/admissions-aid/apply

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