IIT’s College of Architecture offers the only PhD program in Architecture in Chicago, a cosmopolitan metropolis characterized by a dynamic architectural culture, supportive research institutions and leading firms that drive the profession.
Founded in the late 1990s as a laboratory for applied research and scholarship, the PhD program attracts graduate students from around the world who converge on our landmarked Mies-designed campus to address a broad range of topics within an interdisciplinary environment.
The students enrolled in the PhD program explore the historic and contemporary intersections among Architecture, Culture & Technology through two areas of specialized research: History, Theory, and Criticism (HTC), and Technologies of the Built Environment (TBE). Research topics are based on the expertise of our faculty as well as the student interests. Possibilities include: building and urban energy use, environmental impacts of built environments, high-performance building skins, tall building design and performance, advanced structural systems, urban water systems, and histories and theories of architectural technology. Graduates of IIT’s PhD Program in Architecture typically pursue academic careers in universities, obtain positions in research institutions or return to professional practice.
Our PhD program is officially approved as a STEM designated field of study in Architectural and Building Sciences/Technology within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s STEM designated fields list.
International students who have earned degrees in (STEM) fields in the US, may apply for a 24 month extension of their post completion OPT employment for a total of 36 months, a significant benefit for international students who wish to stay and work in the US post-graduation.
Direct admission into the PhD Program is preferred but admission via the MS program is also an option. Funding opportunities are available in the form of teaching assistantships and the students can benefit from our relationships with large architecture and engineering firms based in Chicago. A limited number of international exchange program opportunities are available for advanced PhD students.
EVENTS
5th PhD Student Symposium: HUMAN BEHAVIOR, PERFORMANCE, AND BUILT ENVIRONMENTS (Nov. 13-14, 2020)
Call for Submissions
4th PhD Student Symposium: BUILDINGS, CITIES, AND PERFORMANCE (Nov. 15-17, 2019)
Program
3rd PhD Student Symposium: BUILDINGS, CITIES, AND PERFORMANCE (Nov. 16-18, 2018)
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Poster
2nd PhD Student Symposium: CHICAGO SCHOOLS (Nov. 17-18, 2017)
Call for papers
Program
1st PhD Student Symposium: PETROLEUM MODERNISM (Oct. 13, 2016)
Program
Poster
RELATED
PhD Program Journal: Prometheus Issues 1-5
PhD Faculty and Staff
PhD Students
PhD Research Forum Series (Fall 2019)
PhD Research Forum Series (Spring 2019)
PhD Research Forum Series (Fall 2018)
PhD Research Forum Series (Spring 2018)
PhD Research Forum Series (Fall 2017)
PhD Admissions
PhD Program Sample Curriculum
PhD Program Poster
PhD Program on Facebook
CONTACT
Phone: 312.567.3939
Fax: 312.567.6816
Email: arch_phd@iit.edu
For detailed information, please contact Michelangelo Sabatino, the Director of Ph.D. program, at msabatin@iit.edu.