Program Overview

Environmental Design

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Program Overview

This program challenges master’s degree holders to become scholars and through quantitative and qualitative research at an advanced level. Students develop and demonstrate knowledge and skills, synthesize related research findings to create new knowledge in the field, and communicate these findings to those inside and outside the field who will use and apply them.

Blurring traditional disciplinary definitions, students undertake their research in one or more areas included in environmental design. Thesis documents may incorporate detailed design interventions, policy frameworks, neighbourhood guidelines, code research or combinations of these and other results. Students will work with faculty comprised of eminent design researchers and professionals, recognized internationally for their work. Students will develop knowledge and skills as individuals and in teams, synthesize related research findings, and communicate these findings for real-world application.

Completing this Program

• Core Courses: Design Research Methods, Design Research Writing, Design Innovation
• Additional Courses: One required elective; may include topics such as design thinking, urban infrastructure, urban design, urban systems, special topics and others.
• Annual Progress Reports: Student progress reports must be submitted annually by the student and the supervisor.
• Field Work and Research: Off-campus fieldwork and research may count towards the fulfillment of the full-time study and research requirement.
• Thesis Proposal: A thesis proposal approved by the supervisor.
• Candidacy: Students will complete both oral and written candidacy exams.
• Thesis: Students will be required to submit and defend an original research thesis.

Outcomes

Academia, government/civil service, municipalities, engineering, energy resources, natural resources, environmental management, planning, urban design, research institutions, private sector.

A PhD in environmental design is usually considered a terminal degree.

Thesis-based Program

Students are required to prepare a thesis and successfully defend in an open oral defense.

Courses

Two core courses and two electives

Classroom Delivery

Classroom delivery is utilized for this program.

Time Commitment

Four years full time; six years maximum

Supervisor

A supervisor is required, but is not required prior to the start of the program

Fees and Funding

See the Graduate Calendar for information on fees and fee regulations, and for information on awards and financial assistance.

Admission Requirements

• GPA: A minimum of 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 point scale, over the past two years of full-time study (a minimum of 10 full-course equivalents or 60 units) of the undergraduate degree. A minimum of 3.5 GPA on a 4.0 point scale for the master’s degree.
• Minimum Education: A completed master’s degree as well as a professional design degree from an accredited school.
• Documents:
  • Portfolio: Provide examples of or illustrate design work, professional work, research, creative thinking, community action, planning products, or graphics and visual communication. If any of the work submitted involved collaboration with others, the applicant should clearly identify their individual contributions.
  • Examples of Writing: Provide at least one example of the applicant's previous academic or professional work such as a written essay, published research paper, major academic paper, thesis, design project, or consulting report.
  • Research Proposal: A research proposal that describes the nature of the thesis research the applicant expects to undertake. This will be used by an admissions committee as an indicator of the applicant’s ability to conduct doctoral-level research and to determine if adequate supervisory resources are available. Only if such resources are available will the student be admitted.
  • CV/Resume: A summary of your experiences in education, work, volunteering, and other relevant areas.
• Reference Letters: Three
• Test Scores: None
• English Language Proficiency:
  • Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL ibt) score of 105 (Internet-based, with no section less than 20).
  • International English Language Testing System (IELTS) score of 7.5 (minimum of 6.0 in each section)
  • Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 59, or higher (Academic version).
  • Canadian Academic English Language test (CAEL) score of 70 (minimum 70 in each section)
  • Academic Communication Certificate (ACC) score of A- in each course.
  • Cambridge C1 Advanced or Cambridge C2 Proficiency minimum score of 200.

Supervisors

The following supervisors are available for this program:

1. Enrica Dall'Ara
2. Thomas P, (Tom) Keenan
3. David Monteyne
4. Alicia Nahmad Vazquez
5. Brian Sinclair
6. Mauricio Soto-Rubio
7. Joshua Taron
8. Sasha Tsenkova
9. Barry Wylant

Deadlines

• For admission on September 1:
  • Canadians and permanent residents: Feb. 1 application deadline
  • International students: Feb. 1 application deadline

Related Programs

If you're interested in this program, you might want to explore other UCalgary programs:

• Environmental Design (Thesis-based MEDes)
• Architecture (Course-based March)
• Civil Engineering (Course-based MEng, Thesis-based MEng, Thesis-based MSc, PhD)
• Electrical and Computer Engineering (Course-based MEng, Course-based MEng (Software), Thesis-based MEng, Thesis-based MSc, Thesis-based PhD)
• Geography (Course-based MGIS, Thesis-based MA, Thesis-based MSc, PhD)
• Landscape Architecture (Course-based MLA)
• Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (Course-based MEng, Thesis-based MEng, Thesis-based MSc, PhD)
• Planning (Course-based MPlan)