Overview

The Design programme from Illinois Institute of Technology—and the only design school in the country devoted completely to graduate students—IIT Institute of Design (ID) has been instrumental in determining design’s future and demonstrating its significant role in cultures, organizations, and nations.

ID’s Ph.D. alumni have gone on to lead noted design programmes 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.

The research component of the programme grows as the student progresses. A dissertation created from this work should make a substantial and original contribution to design knowledge.'

Career Opportunities

IIT Institute of Design Ph.D. alumni have gone on to lead noted design programmes 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

Programme Structure

The research component starts small and grows as the student progresses through his or her candidacy. The dissertation created from this work is intended to create a substantial and original contribution to design knowledge. Typically, 12 credit hours are earned over the first three terms; the remainder is earned over, at minimum, three additional terms.

Key information

Duration

Full-time
- 36 months

Start dates & application deadlines

Starting 2026-08-17 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-06-15 00:00:00 , International
- Apply before 2026-08-16 00:00:00 , National
Starting 2027-01-11 00:00:00
- Apply before 2026-11-15 00:00:00 , International
- Apply before 2027-01-07 00:00:00 , National

Language

English

Duolingo English Test

115

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Credits

107 SCH

Delivered

On Campus

Campus Location

Chicago, United States

Disciplines

Design View 20 other PhDs in Design in United States

Join for free or log in to access our complete career info list.

Academic requirements

GPA

English requirements

Duolingo English Test

115

Take A Free Practice Test!

TOEFL^® IBT

Schedule TOEFL®

IELTS

6.5

Prepare for Your English Test

Cathoven AI IELTS Preparation

Learn your IELTS Score

AI-powered IELTS feedback. Clear, actionable, and tailored to boost your writing & speaking score. No credit card or upfront payment required.

Trusted by 300k learners
98 accuracy using real exam data
4.9/5 student rating

Other requirements

General 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 Fees

Tuition fees are shown in and the most likely applicable fee is shown based on your nationality.

International Applies to you

Applies to you

Non-residents

33318 USD / year

≈ 33318 USD / year
Out-of-State

33318 USD / year

≈ 33318 USD / year
Domestic

Applies to you

In-State

33318 USD / year

≈ 33318 USD / year

Living costs

Chicago

United States

1297 - 2491 USD / month

The living costs include the total expenses per month, covering accommodation, public transportation, utilities (electricity, internet), books and groceries.

Funding

In order for us to give you accurate scholarship information, we ask that you please confirm a few details and create an account with us.

Scholarships Information

Below you will find PhD's scholarship opportunities for Design.

Available Scholarships

You are eligible to apply for these scholarships but a selection process will still be applied by the provider.

About

Overview

Career Opportunities

Programme Structure

Key information

Duration

Start dates & application deadlines

Language

Prepare for Your English Test

Credits

Delivered

Campus Location

Disciplines

What students do after studying

Academic requirements

English requirements

Prepare for Your English Test

Other requirements

General requirements

Tuition Fees

International Applies to you

Domestic

Living costs

Chicago

Funding

Scholarships Information

Available Scholarships

Our partners