Mission of the Program

The PhD Program prepares students to become public intellectuals and transformative practitioners in shaping the environment at all scales—from the planning of regions and urban areas to the design of cities, buildings, landscapes, interiors, products, and graphics.

Goals of the Program

The PhD Program has two goals:

• To educate people who will pursue academic paths or assume leadership roles in professional planning and design practices, the public sector, and the nonprofit sector.
• To educate people who will emphasize sustainability, urban and suburban revitalization, desert cities, community building, design and experimental media, and environmental stewardship and entrepreneurship.