PhD in Architecture
#1 Public University for Architecture + the Built Environment
Berkeley’s PhD program in architecture is interdisciplinary in outlook, reaching into the various disciplines related to architecture and incorporating substantial knowledge from outside fields. Students admitted to this program carry out a program of advanced study and research, both on the basis of formal class work and of individual investigation. Work centers on three related fields of study, the major field (the basis for the dissertation), and one-to-two minor fields, at least one of which must be from a discipline outside architecture.
The PhD in architecture is a research degree for those seeking careers in teaching and scholarship in architecture and its related areas, or in roles in government or professional consultation that require depth in specialization and experience in research.
Our Fields of Study
The PhD in Architecture emphasizes coursework and supervised independent research in one of the following:
Major fields outside these fields or combinations thereof may also be proposed at the time of admission. Coursework is individually developed through consultation with an academic adviser. Outside fields of study may take advantage of the University’s varied resources. Recent graduates have completed outside fields in anthropology, art history, business administration, city and regional planning, computer science, various engineering fields, psychology, women’s studies, geography and sociology.
Our Faculty
The following are members of the PhD faculty, broken into one of two offered areas of study. Please also review the current list of all faculty in the Architecture Department for other faculty and specialities. A sampling of faculty research is described on the faculty research projects page.
Building Science, Technology and Sustainability
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Director of the Center for Environmental Design Research; Distinguished Professor of ArchitecturePassive Design Strategies, Comfort and Adaptation in Naturally-Ventilated Buildings, Post-Occupancy Evaluation and Personal Comfort Systems -
Professor of ArchitectureNet Zero Buildings, Daylighting in Architecture, Generative Design, Parametric Design -
Professor of ArchitectureNatural Materials Innovation and Flood Resilience, Engineered Living Materials, Functionally Graded Materials and Additive Manufacturing, and Solar Water Regeneration Building Envelopes. -
Associate Director of CEDR; Professor of Architecture and Civil & Environmental EngineeringSustainable Architecture, Architectural Engineering/Building Science, Indoor Environment Quality, HVAC Systems, Building Energy Efficiency, Thermal Comfort, Wellbeing, Post-Occupancy Evaluation -
Associate Professor of ArchitectureLightweight Design and Biomimetics, Structural Design, Parametric Design, Digital Fabrication and Robotic Manufacturing
History, Theory, and Society
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Professor of Architecture20th Century Architecture with Emphasis on Bay Area Counterculture, Mid-Century Modernism, Design as Cold War Propaganda, Architecture and the History of Emotions. -
Director of Urban Design, Professor of Architecture and Urban DesignHistory of Architecture, Urban Design and Planning, Urban History and Theory, US Built Environment Studies, Urbanism in China -
Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs; Professor of ArchitectureArchitecture of Globalization, discourses of Architecture and Urbanism and the Arcus Chair in Gender, Sexuality and the Built Environment. -
Professor of ArchitectureArchitecture and Consumer Culture, Memory and the Built Environment, Paper Architecture and the Unbuilt, Expositions, Themed Landscapes, and Architectural Rhetoric. -
DEGREE REQUIREMENTS
The PhD program in architecture is governed by the regulations of the University Graduate Division and administered by the departmental PhD committee. Specific degree requirements include:
- A minimum of two years in residence.
- Completion of a one-semester course in research methods.
- Satisfaction of a foreign language requirement for those in the History, Theory and Society.
- Completion of one-to-two outside fields of study.
- A written qualifying examination, followed by an oral qualifying examination.
- A dissertation.
Designated Emphases
Global Studies
The concurrent MA program in Global Studies is designed to complement the graduate degree programs in architecture. It is intended to produce graduate students who combine advanced professional training with a detailed knowledge of contemporary international issues or particular world areas or countries. The content of each MA program will be shaped in consultation with the departmental adviser to meet the specific needs and interests of the individual student.
New Media
The designated emphasis (DE) in new media comprises a set of courses with content in the history, theory, and practice of computationally based representation, and communication and interpretation of information.
- Course Requirements
- Handbooks
- Research Methods, Specialty Area: 3-4 units
- Inside Field (Specialty Area): 9 units (minimum)
- Outside Field(s): 12 units (minimum)
- Architecture Breadth Courses — for students who do not have a previous degree in Architecture: 6 units
For previous years’ handbooks, please contact graduate advising.
PhD Alums
HOW TO APPLY
UC Berkeley begins accepting applications in early September for the following fall term only (no spring admissions). The fall semester begins in mid-August.
We recommend you start the application process as soon as possible. As a prospective graduate student, you’ll submit your application through UC Berkeley’s Graduate Division. You’ll find lots of useful information on the Graduate Division website, including application instructions and information about funding your education.
- Review admissions requirements on the Graduate Division website
- Gather materials:
- Unofficial transcripts for each prior college or university attended
- Statement of Purpose. See prompt below. For tips on writing the Statement of Purpose, please see Writing the Statement of Purpose on the UC Berkeley Graduate Division website.
- Personal Statement. See prompt below. For tips on writing a Personal History Statement, please see the Personal Statement Guide on the UC Berkeley Graduate Division website.
- Contact information for three recommenders
- Resume/CV
- Writing sample (50 pages max)
- Evidence of English language proficiency, if applicable. For waiver eligibility, visit the Graduate Division website. Please note, Architecture requires a TOEFL score of 100. Our IELTS score requirement is the same as the Graduate Division’s
- Portfolio (for MS and PhD applicants wishing to work with Luisa Caldas or SImon Schleicher)
- List of relevant publications or presentations
- List of honors/awards
- URL of website where your work is published, if applicable
- Start your application on the Graduate Division website. You do not have to complete the entire application at one time: we recommend you start your application and review it as soon as possible.
- Scroll down and select Architecture PhD.
- Follow the instructions in the application. See below for MArch-specific instructions and specifications for supplemental materials.
- Pay the application fee. Please note that only domestic applicants are eligible to apply for a Graduate Division fee waiver. The Department of Architecture is not able to offer fee waivers.
- Submit application. Allow yourself at least one hour prior to the deadline to submit your application. Late applications or changes to the application after the deadline will NOT be accepted.
- After submitting your application, you will receive an email from UC Berkeley’s Graduate Admissions Office confirming your submission.
- We strongly encourage you to log back into your application to monitor the status of materials received/processed, such as fee waivers, test scores, and recommendations.
- We send admissions decisions, along with notification of fellowship awards, in mid to late March.
Only online applications (including letters of recommendation) are accepted. All documents, regardless of language of instruction, must be translated into the English language. Transcripts, diplomas, and certificates should be provided in the original language of instruction AND in English. Transcripts must show your full name, degree conferral date, and degree.
- PhD Specific Instructions
Two parts, 500 words each
- Part 1: Goals. A statement describing your general academic and career goals and why you wish to attend UC Berkeley in particular.
- Part 2: Research Proposal. An example of a specific research proposal that you may wish to undertake while at UC Berkeley.
The admissions committee will read your Statement of Purpose seeking an account of your prior research experience and looking for evidence that you are prepared to undertake a significant, sophisticated, independent, and in-depth research project.
Your competence and intellectual potential to undertake research is among the most important criteria considered by the admissions committee.
Personal History Statement
- 500 words: a narrative of your life background in terms of how it has prepared you for this next stage of your studies. Describe relevant aspects of your life story and achievements, as well as educational and cultural opportunities or circumstances that supported you or deprived you of such achievements.