phd in architecture in mit

Degree Requirements

Graduate programs.

MArch Curriculum Chart

As the first program of its kind in the United States, the professional degree program at MIT also has a particular responsibility to the future. Defined by the intersection of design and research, our professional program serves as a laboratory for all the innovation and scholarship within the department — while also serving as a laboratory for the future of architectural education itself.

In this laboratory, our students are leaders. The small size of MIT’s MArch program, with 25 students in each class, allows for unique trajectories through MIT into the profession of architecture and beyond. The program’s size also ensures that our experiments together are conducted in an atmosphere of engaged debate — with ourselves, with guests, and with the larger communities that we serve. As well as within the classroom, this culture extends through public lectures and programs within the department, the School of Architecture and Planning, and all of MIT — with students curating the most agile platforms for dialogue.

Though it feeds on everything that surrounds it, the MArch laboratory derives its energy from its key testing ground: the studio. Studio is a key site of iterative, embodied, design learning, where cultural meaning animates methods and materials with urgency. MIT’s MArch studio sequence is both surrounded by and infused with deep disciplinary and interdisciplinary thinking, sometimes in support of — and other times deliberately at odds with — studio concerns. It comprises three distinct units: (3) Core Studios, (3) Research Studios, and a Thesis Project. The collective mission of the three Core studios is to offer fundamental architectural methods to students, while opening up a series of different entries into the vocation of an architect, such that students can begin to develop their own positions and become well versed in initiating other entries and paths through the discipline. Each of the Core studios is oriented toward the contemporary conversations and the future of the discipline, which means that they are constantly updated. Though each of them delimits a different set of cultural, technical, and disciplinary issues, together they deliver approaches, attitudes, and questions  we deem essential for students establishing their own research projects and agenda.

For a large part of the population of every incoming class of MArch students, these three studios will be the first experiences in navigating uncertainty in the creative process, the exhilaration of giving form to ideas, imagining material assemblies with specific properties, and searching for the appropriate ways to align architecture’s agency with their own cultural and social ambitions: These will be experienced with increasing levels of control throughout our creative lives. Enabling a lifelong process of iteration and experimentation is the underlying ethos of all three core studios.

Following Core, the Research Studios offer an array of topics at scales that range from 1:1 experimentation in assembly to the geographic scale. They fit — though, never neatly — into several categories of inquiry: architectural, which includes design of buildings and urban life; urban, which includes design of landscape, territories, and the urban fabric; and cross studios, which focus on interdisciplinary topics and open up the possibilities for the final deliverables of the studio to take place in various media suited to the focus of their research.

Seminars and Lecture courses drill down into historical and disciplinary expertise, which contextualize, challenge, and sometimes enable studio’s instrumental thinking, while Workshops provide a platform for faster, more discrete experimentation than is normally conducted in studios. All of these are mechanisms by which faculty involve students in the deep depths of their own research.

The Thesis semester caps the MArch studio sequence. It provides to students a precious and sustained space for their own experimentation with framing the terms of engagement with the world. The size of the program becomes relevant here once again. Many forms and formats of work are possible for this self-directed project: a student could choose to see their contribution at this stage as feeding into a larger project already well under way in the department, or one of the labs currently operating, or as a more intimate dialogue with individual faculty. The buzz, the energy, and the production that take place during the MArch thesis ferment into material artifacts, processes, statements — knowledge — that probes the edges of architecture. The final Thesis presentation, set to be the last event of the semester, is when the faculty involved in the MArch program, together with students and guest critics, celebrate our students’ ideas, risks taken, decisions made in the course of their thesis projects, and all those yet to come.

Those who have not yet studied in a department of architecture and are admitted to MArch at Year 1 require 3½ academic years of residency to fulfill the degree requirements.

Faculty Advising

A faculty advisor with a design background will be assigned to each MArch student before the first term of registration. The advisor will monitor the student’s progress through completion of the degree. 

Subjects and Credit Units

The MArch is awarded upon satisfactory completion of an approved program of 282 graduate units and an acceptable 24-unit thesis for 306 total graduate credits.

Subjects required for the 3½-year program include the following:

• Six architectural design studios (3 core studios and 3 research studios)
• Geometric Disciplines and Architectural Skills I (4.105)
• One Computation restricted elective (4.117, 4.511, 4.521, or 4.567) 
• Three Building Technology subjects (4.464, 4.462, and 4.463)
• Architectural Assemblies (4.123)
• Precedents in Critical Practice (4.210)
• Professional Practice (4.222)
• Architecture from 1750 to the Present (4.645)
• One History, Theory and Criticism restricted elective (4.607, 4.612, 4.621, 4.647, 4.241, or 4.652)
• One History, Theory and Criticism elective
• One Computation/Media Lab elective (4.5xx or MAS.xxx)
• Urban Design elective (11.xxx)
• ACT elective (4.3xx)
• Three open elective subjects (or 24 total credits)
• Preparation for MArch Thesis (4.189)
• Graduate Design Thesis (4.ThG)

All elective subjects must be at least nine units.

Credit for Previous Academic Work

MArch students who have successfully completed the equivalent of one or more required architecture subjects outside MIT (or within MIT as undergraduates) may be given advanced credit for those subjects by submitting a petition for curriculum adjustment with as much relevant material as possible (including a transcript, syllabi, reading lists, problem sets, paper assignments, or portfolios). Petitions are submitted to Kateri Bertin before the first day of class and are then reviewed by the MArch Program Committee by the end of the first month of term. The Committee is composed of one faculty member from each of the four discipline groups. Depending on the subject for which MIT credit is requested, students may substitute an elective in the discipline group or substitute a free elective. All requests must be resolved by the beginning of the penultimate semester.

English Proficiency Requirement

All students whose first language is not English are required to take the English Evaluation Test (EET) prior to registration at MIT. Even students who satisfy the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) requirement for admission may be required to take specialized subjects in English as a Second Language (ESL), depending on their EET results. These subjects do not count toward the required units but will prove helpful to students who need to develop the skills necessary to write a thesis.

Jumpstart  

MIT Architecture's Jumpstart is designed to prepare incoming MArch students for the rigors of the first design studio and to develop basic skills. The course is intended for students with little architectural studio experience but is also open to others who would benefit from introductory exposure to unfamiliar software. Jumpstart is created for our MArch student community by our MArch student community. This experience is taught through exercises that have been handed down from year to year and taught by our esteemed teaching fellows (recent graduates).

Policy on Incomplete Subjects and Thesis Semester

MArch students may have no more than one incomplete in a required subject when they register for thesis (4.THG). This incomplete can be no older than one term (received the term prior to thesis registration).

Students who have incompletes from several subjects or incompletes from earlier terms will be denied registration until those subjects are finished and graded. This policy applies to incompletes in subjects required by the degree curriculum or necessary for units toward the degree. 

Academic Audits

A chart indicating progress through the academic requirements will be maintained as part of each student’s file. The administrator of master’s degree programs will distribute this audit to students and to faculty advisors each term.

Thesis Preparation and Thesis

An MArch thesis at MIT operates as an independent thesis project, interrogating the discipline of architecture. The thesis is developed by the student and is supported by a committee of readers and an advisor. In the next-to-last term of registration (the semester prior to thesis), students enroll in Preparation for MArch Thesis (4.189). This course guides students towards declaring a thesis statement as well as forming the thesis committee. The result of this 9-unit subject is a thesis proposal.

The MArch thesis committee is composed of three members. The thesis advisor must be a permanent member of the Department of Architecture faculty with an architecture design background. The second and third members (also known as readers) may be any member of the MIT faculty or research staff, an outside professional, or a faculty member from another institution. Download the Thesis Committee Guidelines here.

Thesis co-advising is permitted as long as one of the advisors is a permanent member of the Department of Architecture faculty with an architecture design background. The other advisor may be any member of the MIT faculty or research staff, an outside professional, or a faculty member from another institution.

MArch students are required to register for 24 units of thesis (4.THG) the final term.  The thesis proposal, including a thesis proposal form signed by all the thesis committee members, is due the first week of the term in which the student registers for thesis.

The MArch Thesis Review Schedule includes deadlines for proposal review, public mid-review, penultimate review, final review, and final thesis document.

The MArch degree is awarded after all the degree requirements have been met and the approved, archival-ready thesis has been submitted to the Department of Architecture by the Institute deadline for master’s theses as published in the MIT Academic Calendar . Students must adhere to the Specifications for Thesis Preparation published by the Institute Archives.

SMACT Degree Requirements

The minimum required residency for students enrolled in the SMACT program is two academic years. SMACT students do not register for summer term.

A faculty advisor from the Art, Culture and Technology Program is assigned to each SMACT student at matriculation. The advisor will consult on the student's initial plan of study and on each subsequent term's choice of subjects. This individual should be a faculty member with whom the student is in close contact; changes in advisor may be made to make this possible. The advisor monitors the student's progress through completion of the degree.

A minimum of 135 units of graduate-level coursework is required, not including thesis. Subjects to be taken:

• 4.390 Art, Culture and Technology Studio is taken each of the four terms of enrollment in the program 
• Two ACT graduate subjects, one of which must be taken with an ACT core faculty member
• Two elective subjects that support student's area of study
• 4.387, SMACT Theory & Criticism Colloquium, taken during first term
• 4.388, SMACT Thesis Preparation, taken during second term
• 4.389 SMACT Thesis Tutorial, taken during third term
• 4.THG, Thesis (registration for thesis), taken during fourth term

Art, Culture and Technology Studio

Art, Culture and Technology Studio (4.390) is restricted to SMACT degree students and serves as the core of the curriculum. It is coordinated by an ACT faculty member and involves the participation of all faculty currently advising SMACT candidates. Students are expected to participate in all class meetings. Attendance at the ACT Lecture Series and other ACT events is expected.

SMACT Thesis

For requirements visit the ACT Website .

SMArchS degree requirement chart

The Master of Science in Architecture Studies (SMArchS) is a two-year program of advanced study founded on research and inquiry in architecture as a discipline and as a practice. First established at MIT in 1979, the program is intended both for students who already have a professional degree in architecture and those interested in advanced non-professional graduate study. The degree may be pursued in one of six areas: Architectural Design, Architecture & Urbanism, Building Technology, Design & Computation, History, Theory & Criticism, and the Aga Khan Program in Islamic Architecture. With one of these areas as an intellectual home, students are encouraged to explore connections in their research across these areas, and beyond to other programs and departments throughout MIT. SMArchS students work closely with one or more faculty who guide them in planning their courses of studies and in directing them purposefully towards a thesis. Notable strengths of the program are its range of concentration areas of study, its curricular flexibility and cross-disciplinary research focus, as well as its high faculty-student ratio.

Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture

The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture (AKPIA) at MIT is a unique international graduate program designed to promote, sustain, and increase the teaching of architecture in the Islamic world. It prepares students for careers in research, design, and teaching. With strong links with the Department of Urban Studies and Planning and the Aga Khan Programs at Harvard, AKPIA concentrates on the critical study of the history and historiography of Islamic architecture; the interaction between architecture, society, and culture; strategies of urban and architectural preservation; design interventions in disaster areas and environmental and material-sensitive landscape research. The siting of AKPIA at MIT's Department of Architecture is intended to negate the polarizing dichotomy between the discipline of architecture (derived from Western architectural history and praxis) and Islamic Architecture, which is routinely relegated to area and cultural studies.

Architecture and Urbanism

Architecture and Urbanism is a special program for students interested in the development of critical urban design, as well as its history and theory. Consciously locating itself in the contemporary debate about what constitutes good city form with expansive metropolitan regions and systems of cities, the program teaches students to develop articulate and intellectually grounded positions. Students are expected to interrogate current positions within the field in order to explore critical alternatives to existing paradigms of urbanism. The assumption is that design inquiry is an intellectual act with the capacity to yield both critique and alternative possibilities.

The program aims to nurture well-versed, intellectually-robust, and historically-conscious architects who understand the relationship between architecture and urbanism, not as a question of taste and fashion, but as form, process, and associated socio-culturalwith meaning. The program emphasizes a unique combination of both design and scholarship. Our students are unique in their capacity to relate to both. The particular interests of faculty and students may vary, but the goal is always the achievement of the most advanced and effective methods of shaping the form, sustainability, and social condition of the built environment. The design, theory, and elective subjects are also formulated in support of this goal.

The first year of the program builds a student’s foundation with a required sequence of two studios and two theory courses. All incoming students participate in an introductory urban design studio in the fall, and a choice of urban design studio options in the spring. A course in urban design theory is taught in the fall and theory of city form in the spring. In the fall of second year, students take a thesis preparation course and have the option of enrolling in a third studio course. All students complete a master’s thesis. Students may tailor their work to a diverse array of interests, and are encouraged to engage intellectually with surrounding disciplines.

Architectural Design

The Design program offers both a theoretical foundation in the history and development of architectural design pedagogy and praxis and a platform for applied research into new design methodologies. To nurture independent theses related to the notion of design, the program aims to equip students with a critical understanding of different modes of creative synthetic production with particular focus on emerging modes of design activity, conceptual or technical, and on the potential for radicalizing current modes of architectural and building praxis.

The program encourages interdisciplinary engagement with other areas of specialist research within the Department and across the entire Institute, seeking to benefit from the remarkable academic and research environment of MIT. We see Design as a potentially integrative activity and support work that is collaborative or that bridges to other domains of knowledge.

The rich graduate design studios and workshops in the Architecture Department and Media Lab are open to SMArchS students, but the program intends to offer a distinctly post-graduate opportunity for individual design enquiry structured by seminars and lectures that give critical depth to such independent research work.

Building Technology

Building Technology offers students the opportunity to explore critical topics for the future of the built environment and resources. This area explores ways to use design and technology to create buildings that contribute to a more humane and environmentally responsible built world. Strategies employed toward these ends include integrated architectural design strategies, resource accounting through material flow analysis and life cycle assessment, building and urban energy modeling and simulation, human comfort analysis and control design and engineering and other technologically-informed design methods. Students interested in any of these strategies will be challenged to address topics of clear and important relevance to the future of the built environment through creative and analytically rigorous approaches.

Research areas supervised by the faculty address innovative materials and assemblies, emerging and nontraditional building materials, low-energy and passive building energy strategies, innovative analysis and modeling of historic structures and various issues of energy and material resources at the urban scale, including urban environmental sensing, the urban heat island effect and urban metabolism. Ideally, students entering into the program will be incorporated into active and ongoing research projects while pursuing their own intellectual and career agendas. These projects change regularly and individual faculty are best informed of current research position opportunities.

Students will often work alongside students from other departments, including Civil and Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Material Science and Engineering, Urban Studies and Planning and others. The only class requirement stipulated by the BT group, 4.481 Building Technology Seminar, is offered during the first semester. BT SMArchS students will be accommodated in the Building Technology student lab area and will have the opportunity to work with and share their interests with BT students in other degree programs.

These areas of study are offered with the primary intention of providing the tools and perspectives necessary for changing the nature of the built environment toward a resource-efficient future. Students of diverse educational backgrounds and interests are considered.

Design and Computation

The Computation Group inquires into the varied nature and practice of computation in architectural design, and the ways in which design meaning, intention, and knowledge are constructed through sensing, thinking, and making computationally. It focuses on the development of innovative computational tools, processes and theories, and applying these in creative, socially meaningful responses to challenging design problems.

History, Theory and Criticism of Architecture and Art

SMArchS students in History, Theory and Criticism of Architecture and Art will expand upon prior experience (which can be in design, theory, history, practice, or other post-undergraduate work) to explore compelling research that links historical or contemporary topics with methodological issues. Working alongside doctoral students in the program, SMArchS students will be exposed to a wide range of historical periods and theoretical approaches. It is expected that research topics will be developed in close discussion with HTC faculty, building on the required Methods seminar (taken twice) to clarify the appropriate scope and original sources required for the master's thesis. The HTC program is intensely interdisciplinary, and students are expected to enrich their core disciplines of history and theory with inquiry into other fields as appropriate for their research interests. Opportunities occasionally emerge for HTC students to become involved in editing, organizing research symposia, and preparing exhibitions; students will also be brought into discussion with colleagues from across the discipline groups in the SMArchS program.

The following information applies to SMArchS degree programs in all disciplines.

The minimum required residency for students enrolled in the SMArchS program is two full academic years, to be completed in four consecutive semesters of enrollment.

A faculty advisor from the Department of Architecture is assigned to each SMArchS student at matriculation. The advisor weighs in on the student's initial plan of study and on each subsequent term's choice of subjects. This individual should be a faculty member with whom the student is in close contact. The advisor monitors the student's progress through completion of the degree.

The SMArchS degree is awarded upon satisfactory completion of an approved program of at least 96 graduate units, and an acceptable thesis.

Students, with their advisors, construct individual programs of study focused on their particular interests. Subjects that must be taken include:

• 4.221, Architecture Studies Colloquium (1st term)
• One or two core subjects in methods from the list below depending on the student’s area of study (1st and/or 2nd semester): Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture : 4.619 Historiography of Islamic Architecture and 4.621 Orientalism and Representation Architectural Design : 4.130 Architecture Design Theory and Methodologies Architecture and Urbanism : 4.228 Contemporary Urbanism Proseminar: Theory and Representation, and 4.163J Urban Design Studio Building Technology : 4.481, Building Technology Seminar Design and Computation : 4.580, Inquiry into Computation and Design History, Theory and Criticism : 4.661, Theory and Method in the Study of Architecture and Art (HTC students are required to take this subject both fall terms of their residency)
• Six subjects within the student’s area of interest; in the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture, one additional required subject is 4.612 Islamic Architecture and the Environment; in Architecture and Urbanism, two of the subjects must be 4.241J Theory of City Form and one approved option design studio
• 4.288 SMArchS Architectural Design Pre-Thesis Preparation, 4.286 SMArchS Urbanism Pre-Thesis Preparation, 4.587 SMArchS Computation Pre-Thesis Preparation, 4.686 SMArchS AKPIA Pre-Thesis Preparation, 4.688 HTC Pre-Thesis Preparation, 4.288 Preparation for SMArchS Thesis for SMArchS AD only (2nd term)
• 4.288, Preparation for SMArchS Thesis; SMArchS AD students register for 4.ThG Graduate Thesis (3rd term)
• 4.THG, Graduate Thesis (final term)

All students whose first language is not English are required to take the English Evaluation Test (EET) prior to registration at MIT. Even students who satisfy the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) requirement for admission may be required to take specialized subjects in English as a Second Language (ESL), depending on their EET results. These subjects do not count toward the required units but will be necessary for students who need to develop the language skills suitable for a written thesis.

SMArchS students may have no more than one incomplete in a required subject when they register for thesis (4.THG). This incomplete can be no older than one term (received the term prior to thesis registration).

Students who have incompletes from several subjects or incompletes from earlier terms will be denied registration until those subjects are finished and graded. This policy applies to incompletes in subjects required by the degree curriculum or needed for units toward the degree.

SMArchS Thesis Preparation and Thesis Schedule

Thesis Preparation

Students enroll in Preparation for SMArchS Thesis (4.288) their third term of registration.

By Week 7, students finalize selecting a thesis advisor. The result of this 9-unit subject is a well-formulated thesis proposal and a department-scheduled presentation of the thesis proposal at the end of the term. By Week 14, students must submit a signed copy of the thesis proposal form and thesis proposal to the degree administrator for master's programs in the headquarters of the Department of Architecture. Once the SMArch Committee has approved the thesis proposals in consultation with the thesis advisor, students are permitted to register for thesis the following semester. Any student who is not able to produce an acceptable thesis proposal by the end of the term will be given until the end of IAP to produce a thesis proposal. If the proposal is still not acceptable, the student will be required to retake Preparation for SMArchS Thesis (4.288) their fourth term of registration.

The SMArchS thesis committee is composed of at least two and no more than three members. The thesis advisor must be permanent member of the Department of Architecture faculty. The first reader must be a permanent faculty member of the Department of Architecture or a related department at MIT. The third member (second reader) may be any member of the MIT faculty or research staff, an outside professional or a faculty member from another institution.

Co-thesis supervision is permitted as long as one of the advisors in a permanent member of the Department of Architecture faculty. The other advisor may be any member of the MIT faculty or research staff, an outside professional or a faculty member from another institution.

SMArchS students who have an approved thesis proposal are required to register for 36 units of thesis (4.THG) in their fourth and final term.

During Week 7 (before Spring Vacation), each discipline area will schedule the thesis review for its students. At the review, students will submit a draft or prototype or complete conceptual design of the thesis to his/her thesis committee, and reviewers from across the discipline areas will attend the reviews. If a student's progress is not satisfactory, the student will not be permitted to present at the final review.

During Week 11, SMArchS students will submit one copy of the thesis book to their thesis committees and meet with their thesis committees to formally defend the thesis.

NOTE: The Week 11 defense is a penultimate review. Presenting at the final review is seen as a privilege, not a right. Faculty is under no compunction to pass inadequate work. If a student's work is found wanting, s/he will not be allowed to present at the public final review. The committee may decide not to pass the thesis, or alternatively, pass it only after the student undertakes additional work to meet targets set by the committee, on a date agreed on by the latter. An extension beyond the academic year will only be granted in response to a written petition by the student concerned. The petition must be addressed to the SMArchS committee, upon which the committee will reach a decision in consultation with the thesis advisor.

By Week 14, students will submit two copies of the final approved, archival-ready thesis to the headquarters of the Department of Architecture by the Institute deadline for master's theses as published in the MIT Academic Calendar. Consult the SMArchS Degree Administrator to confirm the thesis submission deadline. Students must adhere to the Specifications for Thesis Preparation published by the Institute Archives.

The SMArchS thesis final presentations are scheduled by the Department during the last week of the term (Week 15). These presentations, also known as final reviews, are made to the Department of Architecture community, faculty, students, and invited external reviewers. A copy of each thesis book submitted during Week 14 will be available at the reviews.

The SMArchS degree is awarded after all the degree requirements have been met, and after two copies of the approved, archival-ready thesis have been submitted to the headquarters of the Department of Architecture by the Institute deadline for master's theses as published in the MIT Academic Calendar . Consult the SMArchS Degree Administrator to confirm the thesis submission deadline. Students must adhere to the Specifications for Thesis Preparation published by the Institute Archives.

SMBT Requirements form

The minimum required residency for students enrolled in the SMBT program is three terms, one of which may be a summer term. However, many take two academic years to complete all the requirements.

Each student in Building Technology is assigned a faculty advisor at matriculation. The advisor weighs in on the student's initial plan of study and on each subsequent term's choice of subjects. This individual should be a faculty member with whom the student is in close contact; changes can be made to make this possible. The advisor monitors the student's progress through completion of the degree.

A Report of Completed SMBT Requirements form is kept by the degree administrator in the headquarters of the Department of Architecture. It is the student's responsibility to work with the thesis advisor to keep this report updated and on file.

A minimum of 66 units of graduate-level coursework is required. Credit received for thesis (4.THG) registration does not count toward this minimum.

Subjects to be taken include:

• 4.481, Building Technology Seminar, taken in the fall of the first year of registration. It is expected that the thesis proposal will be a product of this subject.
• 2 subjects in a single field of specialization (major), chosen from thermal science, structures, materials, controls, lighting and systems analysis.
• 1 subject from another field of specialization (minor) in Building Technology. Other fields may also be accepted for specialization with advisor approval.
• 1 subject in applied mathematics.
• Thesis registration, 4.THG, is allowed only if the thesis proposal has been approved and the Report of Completed SMBT Requirements has been submitted.

A thesis is required for the SMBT degree. The topic is selected from a subject currently being investigated by the faculty, and research is carried out under the direct supervision of a faculty member in the program. This faculty member will be the student's advisor and must approve the thesis proposal prior to thesis registration. Thesis readers are optional.

The SMBT is awarded after two copies of the defended, approved, archival-ready thesis have been submitted to Department of Architecture headquarters by the Institute deadline for master's theses as published in the MIT Academic Calendar. Students must adhere to the Specification for Thesis Preparation published by the Institute Archives.

All students whose first language is not English are required to take the English Evaluation Test (EET) prior to registration at MIT. Even students who satisfy the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) requirement for admission may be required to take specialized subjects in English as a Second Language (ESL), depending on their EET results. These subjects do not count toward the required units but will prove valuable in helping students develop the skills necessary to comfortably write a thesis.

PhD- Building Technology

BT/PhD Requirements

It is the student's responsibility to fill out the appropriate section of the Report of Completed BT/PhD Requirements upon completion of the requirements listed below. This document is submitted to the degree administrator and kept in the student's official departmental file. The degree administrator informs the MIT registrar when the degree requirements have been fulfilled.

Qualifying Paper

The qualifying paper, which often emerges from the Building Technology Seminar (4.481), should demonstrate the student's potential for work at a high standard of scholarship. The paper must be completed and accepted by the dissertation committee before a student can continue to the general examination. Insufficiencies in the qualifying paper may require remedial subject work on the part of the student.

Dissertation Proposal

The PhD dissertation is a major work that makes an original scholarly contribution to the field of investigation. Most BT/PhD dissertation research will be a portion of a sponsored research project. The dissertation is the main focus of the doctoral program and the primary indicator of a PhD student's ability to carry out significant independent research. The Building Technology dissertation must result in advances in the state of the art that are worthy of publication in a respected technical journal in the field.

Approval of the dissertation topic is gained through a proposal submitted to the dissertation committee no later than the end of the second term of registration. Once the proposal has been approved, the student may register for Graduate Thesis (4.THG).

Coursework: Major and Minor Fields

Coursework is selected in consultation with the faculty advisor. A normal registration load is 36 units, which would be a combination of specific subjects and research. Though the core group of subjects will be within the department, students are encouraged to take outside subjects. Building Technology Seminar (4.481) is the only specific subject required for the degree and is taken during the student's first term. Typically a student's program will include at least five graduate subjects in the major field and three in the minor field. Preparation for Building Technology PhD Thesis (4.489) is used as registration for research until the dissertation proposal has been approved. After that point, Graduate Thesis (4.THG) is used as registration for research.

General Examination

The purpose of the qualifying examination is to determine whether the student possesses the attributes of a doctoral candidate: mastery of the disciplines of importance to building technology and ingenuity and skill in identifying and solving unfamiliar problems. The examination consists of two parts. (1) A demonstration of mastery in three areas through coursework and (2) a presentation of research as explained below.

Subject Area Mastery Allowable subjects are listed in Discipline areas for the Building Technology PhD General Exam / Record of subject mastery. To pass the subject area mastery portion of the doctoral general exam, students must earn three As and one B (or four As) in at least four subjects chosen across three of the seven areas from Table 1. Substitutions of subjects not included in the table will be considered on a case-by-case basis and will require approval from all BT faculty.

Research Presentation The research presentation exam will take place over 120 minutes, and should include a 45 minute formal presentation by the doctoral student, followed by 45-60 minutes of questions and discussion with all BT faculty. The research presented should be ongoing research or recently completed research carried out in Building Technology. The presentation should put the work in context, present research findings and propose future work. It will be evaluated both for intellectual content and for clarity of communication. The discussion portion of the exam led by BT faculty may cover both the presented work specifically as well as a broader range of related topics to gauge the student's familiarity with their research content.

Logistics Examinations are offered in January (last week of IAP) and May (the week after final exams). Students must obtain permission of their advisor to take the exam. In case a student is working on a multidisciplinary research topic with a significant component falling outside the expertise of any BT faculty, an expert (ideally MIT faculty) representing the topic area should participate in the general exam. The advisor will invite this expert in consultation with the student. All students must complete the coursework and research presentation portions of the exam by the end of their fourth semester in the PhD program. Advisors of PhD students will submit to the BT faculty the proposed plan for coursework completion for each of their advisees at least three months before the research presentation. Students who do not pass may be invited to retake certain subjects or repeat the research presentation, or they may be asked to terminate their enrollment in the PhD program.

Dissertation Defense

A dissertation committee of three or more people, generally assembled in the first semester of registration, supervises research and writing of the dissertation. The student's advisor is always a member of the dissertation committee and typically serves as its chair. The chair must be a member of the Building Technology faculty. In special circumstances, one of the three members of the dissertation committee may be selected from outside the Department of Architecture. The student is responsible for arranging meetings with the committee at least once each term.

A final draft of the completed dissertation must be delivered to each committee member one month prior to the scheduled defense. The dissertation is presented orally in an open meeting of the faculty of the department; at least three faculty members must be present. After the presentation, the dissertation is either accepted or rejected.

The PhD is awarded after two copies of the defended, approved, archival-ready dissertation have been submitted to the Department of Architecture at its headquarters. The copies must be submitted by the Institute deadline for doctoral theses as published in the MIT Academic Calendar . Students must adhere to the Specifications for Thesis Preparation published by the Institute Archives.

Nonresident Research Status

Students are expected to carry out thesis research while in residence at the Institute. It is rare that a PhD candidate in BT will need to apply for nonresident status. However, should a student who has completed all requirements except for the dissertation need to continue thesis research in years beyond the awarded funding, he or she may opt to apply for nonresident research status with the permission of the dissertation advisor.

All students whose first language is not English are required to take the English Evaluation Test (EET) prior to registration at MIT. Even students who satisfy the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Test of English as a Foreign Language requirement for admission may be required to take specialized subjects in English as a Second Language (ESL), depending on their EET results. These subjects do not count toward the required degree credits but will prove valuable in helping students develop the skills necessary to comfortably write a dissertation. It is expected that required ESL subjects will be taken within the first year of the student’s program.

PhD- Design and Computation

Computation/PhD Requirements

It is the student's responsibility to fill out the appropriate section of the Report of Completed Computation/PhD Requirements upon completion of the requirements listed below. This document is submitted to the degree administrator and kept in the student's official departmental file. The degree administrator informs the MIT registrar that the degree requirements have been fulfilled.

Subject Work

PhD Students are expected to complete at 144 units of subject work while in residency at MIT. This is usually accomplished over two years by enrolling in an average of 36 units per term, which equals three or four subjects per term. In those special cases where the student is awarded advanced standing at admission, the unit requirement is lowered accordingly. The only specific subject requirement is 4.581 Proseminar in Computation. All other subjects are selected in consultation with the faculty advisor and may be taken both in and out of the Department of Architecture. Registration in 4.THG, Graduate Thesis, does not count toward the 144-unit requirement.

PhD students in Computation are expected to enroll in 4.581, Proseminar in Computation, during their first year in residence. The Proseminar is meant to provide a rigorous grounding in the field with a focus on specific research topics related to architecture and design practice.

Major and Minor Fields

Major and minor fields must be approved by the student's advisory committee, which is selected with the assistance of the advisor in the first year of enrollment. Normally, the minor field requirement will be satisfied by outstanding performance in three related subjects (not less than 27 units). The major field requirement is satisfied upon successful completion of the general examination.

The general examination is given after required subject work is completed and is taken no later than the third year of residency. The general examination is meant to show broad and detailed competence in the student's major field of concentration and supporting areas of study. The content and format of the general examination are decided by the student's advisory committee in consultation with the student. The committee evaluates the examination upon completion and may 1) accept the examination, 2) ask for further evidence of competence, or 3) determine that the examination has not been passed. In the event that the general examination is not passed, the committee may allow the student to repeat the examination or may recommend that the student withdraw from the PhD program.

The PhD dissertation is a major work that makes an original scholarly contribution. It is the main focus of the doctoral program in Design and Computation, and it serves as the primary indicator of a PhD student's ability to carry out significant independent research.

The dissertation committee comprises a minimum of three members — one thesis advisor, who also serves as the dissertation committee chair, and two readers. The chair must be a permanent member of the Computation faculty and the student's advisor. The first reader must be a permanent faculty member of MIT. The second reader may come from Computation or may be a faculty member appointed from outside the department or the Institute. Students may add more members in consultation with their advisor. The student is responsible for arranging meetings with the committee members on a regular basis.

Formal approval of the dissertation topic is gained through a proposal, which the student submits and defends to his or her dissertation committee prior to the completion of the sixth semester of registration. The proposal should contain these elements:

• General statement of scope of the thesis
• Significance of the thesis
• Survey of existing research and literature with critical comments and an assessment of the extent to which this material will be utilized
• Method of the thesis work
• Outline or brief sketch of the thesis
• Working bibliography
• Resources for primary material
• Plan of work, including a timetable

An oral examination in which the candidate meets with the dissertation committee to discuss the proposal marks the formal acceptance of the topic. The result of the defense can be that the thesis proposal is accepted, accepted with revisions or rejected.

Students will often register for Preparation for Computation PhD Thesis (4.589) in the term leading up to their proposal defense. Once the proposal has been approved, the student may register for 4.THG, Graduate Thesis. The student may be asked to present his or her dissertation proposal in the class Research Seminar in Computation (4.582).

Students are advised to meet with committee members to obtain comments and guidance throughout the writing phase of the project. Regular contact with committee members during the process of drafting the thesis can ensure a student's readiness for thesis defense. The final draft should be submitted to committee members at least one month prior to the defense. The defense should be scheduled at least two weeks prior to the published Institute PhD thesis deadline.

The dissertation is defended by oral presentation in front of the dissertation committee. At least three faculty members must be present. If a member of the committee is not able to attend, he or she must contact the committee chair with comments and questions. That member must also inform the committee chair of a vote.

The result of the defense can be that the thesis is accepted, accepted with revisions or rejected. If the thesis is accepted with revisions, the student makes the necessary changes to the document and submits them within an agreed time frame to all or some of the committee members. If rejected, the student must re-defend according to a timetable agreed upon at the defense.

Students are expected to carry out thesis research while in residence at MIT. It is rare that a PhD candidate in Design and Computation will need to apply for nonresident status. However, should a student who has completed all requirements except for the dissertation need to continue thesis research in years beyond the awarded funding, he or she may opt to apply for nonresident research status with the permission of the dissertation advisor.

All students whose first language is not English are required to take the English Evaluation Test (EET) prior to registration at MIT. Even students who satisfy the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) requirement for admission may be required to take specialized subjects in English as a Second Language (ESL), depending on their EET results. These subjects do not count toward the required degree credits but will prove valuable in helping students develop the skills necessary to write a dissertation.

PhD- History, Theory and Criticism

PhD students complete 204 units (not including registration in 4.THG) during their residency at MIT. This is usually accomplished over the first three years of residency by enrolling in an average of 36 units per term, the equivalent of three subjects. The breakdown of required subjects is as follows:

• 4.661, Methods Seminar, is taken each fall term for first two years—2 x 12 = 24 units
• Nine subjects completed by the end of the second year: lecture, seminar and/or independent study—9 x 12 = 108 units
• 4.683, Preparation for HTC Qualifying Paper = 15 units; taken in the 4th or 5th semester
• 4.684 Preparation for HTC Major Exam = 27 units; taken in the 5th semester
• 4.685 Preparation for HTC Minor Exam = 15 units; taken in the 6th semester
• 4.689 Preparation for HTC PhD Thesis = 15 units; taken in the 6th semester

Independent study subjects may be taken with advisor approval after the first year of residency. No more than one independent study project may be taken per term, and no more than 12 units may be devoted to any one research project. Registration for an independent study project requires completion of a departmental Independent Study Project form, this constitutes a contract for the deadlines and deliverables for the subject and the definition of supervisory involvement.

Advancement to Candidacy:

A student is advanced to doctoral candidacy on completion of the following “hurdles,” which should be completed by the end of the third year of studies:

• Qualifying paper—register for 4.683 (15 credit units)
• General exam: major field—register for 4.684 (27 credit units)
• General exam: minor field—register for 4.685 (15 credit units)
• Language requirement
• Dissertation proposal—register for 4.689 (15 credit units)

Students are responsible for planning their hurdles in consultation with their advisor in a timely manner, in order to complete the planner for HTC degree requirements available from the HTC office (Room 3-305). The planner must be submitted in the fall of the second year, with updates submitted as needed. The sequence of hurdles completion can be determined by the student in consultation with his/her advisor. All pre-thesis requirements* must be completed and approved by the first week of the fourth year. Failure to complete pre-thesis requirements by the end of the third year (term 7) may result in the suspension of funding. [* “Pre-thesis” includes the dissertation proposal. When that document is completed and filed, assuming all other hurdles are completed, then the student may enroll in “Thesis,” 4.THG.]

Additional paperwork must be submitted to confirm completion of each of the above hurdles; this paperwork is signed by the student’s advisor and by the Director of HTC. The HTC faculty meet at the end of each Spring semester to review student progress in general and advance students to the status of candidacy (also known as “ABD”). Once approved, copies of the internal HTC documents are submitted to the Department of Architecture degree administrator and filed in the student's official departmental file. The degree administrator communicates with the Registrar when degree requirements have been fulfilled, and allows the Institute to certify candidacy.

It is strongly recommended that work on the QP be completed within one month. The paper must be the result of a seminar or directed research conducted during the student's HTC study at MIT and may not be part of thesis research. The instructor for the class administers the paper, but if this faculty member is outside HTC, the paper should also be read by a member of the HTC faculty to administer the grade. The core criterion for the paper is that it should be ready for publication in a scholarly journal. Since this requirement should be completed before the general exams, the paper topic should be discussed with the advisor no later than the third semester. Register for 15 credit units of 4.683 the term in which the qualifying paper is submitted.

General Examination: Major and Minor Fields

The fields of examination are set by mutual agreement between the student and their advisor. The purpose is to demonstrate the breadth and depth of the student's critical awareness of the discipline in which he or she works. Most universities, research institutions and other potential employers require assurance that a graduate has areas of competency beyond his or her specialization.

It is strongly recommended that work on the minor exam be completed in three months. The minor exam may cover a different time period from the major exam, or it may have a theoretical focus that complements the historical focus of the major exam, or it may cover in depth a topic within the broader field covered in the major exam. The minor exam may be a three-hour written test, or it may consist of preparing materials for a subject: specifically, a detailed syllabus, a bibliography, an introductory lecture and at least one other lecture. Register for 15 credit units of 4.685 the term in which the minor is completed.

It is strongly recommended that work on the major exam be completed in three months. The major exam is a three-hour written test covering a historically broad area of interest that includes components of history, historiography and theory. Preparation for the exam will focus on four or five themes agreed upon in advance. Register for 27 credit units of 4.684 the term in which the major is completed.

Although it is possible for one professor to give both exams, such an arrangement limits the student's exposure to the faculty. With approval, a faculty member outside HTC may administer the exam. In this case, an HTC faculty member must also read the exam.

Topics and examiners should be finalized no later than the fourth semester. One exam can be taken as early as the end of the fourth semester.

Language Requirement

It is recommended that students complete their language requirement by the end of the fourth term. Because of the foundational role French and German have played in the discipline of art and architectural history, successful study or testing in these two languages constitutes the usual fulfillment of this requirement. For students working on topics for which there is another primary language, a substitution may be approved by the student’s advisor. The MIT Global Studies and Languages department administers graduate language examinations.

The language exam can only be waived under the following circumstances:

• The student is a native speaker of the language needed
• Two years of university courses (two years minimum) have been completed for a language not administered by the language department, and a “B” or better average grade was maintained

Credits accumulated from language subjects taken to fulfill this requirement cannot be used toward the 204 credits of coursework required for the degree.

A dissertation advisor should be selected by the end of the fourth semester. During the fifth semester, the Thesis Topic Workshop will be held for the student to present the broad outlines of a topic, to identify relevant archives, and to review methodologies. It is estimated that the writing and revising of the proposal should take no more than four months.

Immediately following the Thesis Topic Workshop in the fifth semester, an appropriate dissertation committee should be proposed by the student and approved in principle by the advisor. (The committee may be changed with the approval of the advisor up to the eighth semester.) The dissertation committee comprises a minimum of three members; two must be MIT Department of Architecture faculty members, and the chair must be a member of the HTC faculty (and the student's main advisor). The third member may come from HTC or may be appointed from outside the department or outside the Institute. Students may add additional members in consultation with their advisor.

The dissertation proposal should be drafted and defended by the end of the sixth semester. Formal approval of the dissertation topic is gained through a proposal, which the student submits and defends to his or her dissertation committee prior to the end of the sixth semester of registration. The student is strongly advised to have an informal meeting of the committee some weeks prior to the formal defense, to reach a consensus that the thesis topic is of the right scale and the prospectus itself is ready to be defended. Register for 15 credit units of 4.689 the term in which the dissertation proposal is submitted.

A dissertation proposal (also called a prospectus) should contain these elements:

• General thesis statement
• Scope, significance or “stakes” of the thesis
• Outline or brief sketch of the dissertation, e.g. summaries of proposed chapters
• Archives and proof of access; IRB approval if required

The formal defense of the prospectus consists of an oral examination in which the candidate meets with the dissertation committee; the committee decides whether the prospectus is approved as is, requires further revision, or does not pass the defense.

When the appropriate paperwork is filed with the HTC administrator in acknowledgment of successful completion of this exam, the dissertation topic and proposal are considered approved. The student is passed to candidacy. Once the proposal has been approved, the student may register for 4.THG, Graduate Thesis.

Regular contact with committee members during the process of drafting the thesis can ensure a student's readiness for the final thesis defense. Students are advised to meet with committee members to obtain comments and guidance throughout the writing phase of the project. The final draft should be submitted to committee members no later than one month prior to the defense. The defense cannot be scheduled any later than two weeks prior to the published Institute PhD thesis deadline.

The dissertation is defended in the presence of the full dissertation committee. If a member of the committee is not able to attend or participate by virtual means (speakerphone, video call), he or she must contact the committee chair with comments and questions. That member must also inform the committee chair of a vote.

The result of the defense can be that the thesis is accepted, accepted with revisions or rejected. If the thesis is accepted with revisions, the student makes the necessary changes to the document and submits them within an agreed time frame to all or some of the committee members, as determined at the defense. If rejected, the student must re-defend according to a timetable agreed upon at the defense. Students are strongly advised to set a defense date three months before the Institute’s deadlines to allow for revisions and avoid compressing the time given to the committee to read the dissertation.

The PhD is awarded after two copies of the defended, approved, archival-ready dissertation have been submitted to the Department of Architecture at its headquarters. The copies must be submitted by the Institute deadline for doctoral theses as published in the MIT Academic Calendar. Students must adhere to the Specifications for Thesis Preparation published by the Institute Archives.

Thesis Research in Absentia

Acceptance into the program is granted with the presumption that students will remain in residence at the Institute while completing the degree. However, on occasion, work away from the Institute may be essential for such tasks as gathering data. Students who have completed all requirements except for the dissertation may therefore apply to take one or two semesters in absentia. A proposal for thesis in absentia , which outlines work to be accomplished, should be delivered to the director of HTC no later than the drop date of the semester prior to the one in which the student plans to be away. (The student should consult with the Academic Administrator in Headquarters as well as HTC staff for a review of the financial and academic implications of TIA status.) Both the HTC faculty, the Department, and the dean of the graduate school must grant approval. Students must return to regular registration status for the final term in which the dissertation is to be submitted to the Institute. However, the dissertation draft may be submitted to the student’s primary advisor and committee members at any time during the TIA period. Similarly, the defense can also be scheduled at any time (as long as the committee has at least 4 weeks to read the full and final draft). Regular registration status is required only in order to file the archival copy and apply for the degree.

Students are expected to carry out thesis research while in residence at the Institute. However, should a student who has completed all requirements except for the dissertation need to continue thesis research in years beyond the awarded funding, he or she may opt to apply for nonresident research status with the permission of the dissertation advisor (the student should consult with the Academic Administrator in Headquarters as well as HTC staff for a review of the financial and academic implications of non-resident status).

Doctoral Degrees

A doctoral degree requires the satisfactory completion of an approved program of advanced study and original research of high quality..

Please note that the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) and Doctor of Science (ScD) degrees are awarded interchangeably by all departments in the School of Engineering and the School of Science, except in the fields of biology, cognitive science, neuroscience, medical engineering, and medical physics. This means that, excepting the departments outlined above, the coursework and expectations to earn a Doctor of Philosophy and for a Doctor of Science degree from these schools are generally the same. Doctoral students may choose which degree they wish to complete.

Applicants interested in graduate education should apply to the department or graduate program conducting research in the area of interest. Some departments require a doctoral candidate to take a “minor” program outside of the student’s principal field of study; if you wish to apply to one of these departments, please consider additional fields you may like to pursue.

Below is a list of programs and departments that offer doctoral-level degrees.

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The Art, Culture, and Technology (ACT) program at MIT offers a Master of Science in Art, Culture and Technology (SMACT), a rigorous and selective two-year graduate program.

At MIT, admission to each graduate program is coordinated by the academic department to which the graduate program belongs. The Art, Culture, and Technology program is a discipline group within the Department of Architecture. Therefore, all applicants seeking admission to the SMACT degree program apply through the Department of Architecture admissions office. Application information can be found on the Architecture website .

Learn more about ACT’s admissions process by reviewing our Frequently Asked Questions . Prospective students are encouraged to attend our fall Open House before applying. If you have questions email us at [email protected].

ACT Graduate Open House Fall 2023

Applicant Mentorship Program (AMP)

ACT 2nd Year Merit Fellowship

Cross-Registration

Degree Requirements

SMACT Thesis

AKPIA@MIT Website

Academic programs, students and alumni, current lectures, lectures on youtube, post-doctoral fellows, publications, aga khan program for islamic architecture.

View of the demolished Tomb of the Unknown Soldier , Baghdad, 1959

Amir Khayrbak Funerary Complex , Cairo, 1502

The Flying Carpet airplane, aloft over Samarra, Iraq, north of Baghdad, 1931

Mosque-Madrasa of Sultan Hassan , Cairo, 1363

Diana Rooney AKPIA Discipline Group Assistant [email protected]

Established in 1979 through an endowment from His Highness the Aga Khan, the Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture (AKPIA) at MIT is a leading international graduate program designed to promote, sustain, and increase the study and teaching of architecture in the Islamic world. It prepares students for careers in research, design, and education. AKPIA@MIT concentrates on the critical study of the history and historiography of Islamic architecture and urbanism; urgent issues facing cities and landscapes in the contemporary Islamic world; heritage issues; the problems of mass urbanization, informal settlement, migration and forced displacement in the global context ; and the quality and conditions of civic space . The siting of AKPIA in MIT's Department of Architecture is intended to challenge the polarizing dichotomy between the discipline of architecture and Islamic Architecture as a field of research and study.  The program has strong links with the Department of Urban Studies and Planning, at MIT, the Aga Khan Programs at Harvard, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC), and the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN).

See the  AKPIA@MIT website  for extended current and historical information about the Aga Khan Program at MIT. 

AKPIA offers an advanced SMArchS degree for students specializing in the architecture and urbanism of the Islamic world, and a PhD degree within the framework of the History, Theory & Criticism program with a focus on the history, theory, and criticism of Islamic architecture or urbanism. Undergraduates may concentrate in Middle Eastern Studies using subjects offered by AKPIA. Program funds are offered to graduate students admitted to both SMArchS and PhD AKPIA programs. However, since funds are very limited, no student should expect full support. Currents students and alumni can be found on the AKPIA website .

See  Graduate Programs  for degree requirements.

PhD in History and Theory of Architecture or History and Theory of Art

HTC offers two tracks of study within the PhD program: History and Theory of Architecture and the History and Theory of Art. Degree requirements and admissions procedures for both tracks are the same.

The program in History, Theory and Criticism (HTC) draws from the unique range of disciplines and professions within the Department of Architecture. The program emphasizes the study of art, architecture, and urbanism, past and present, produced in a broad range of geographic areas, as well as methodological issues that inform or link the history of ideas and practices. HTC was founded in 1975 as one of the first PhD programs of its kind in a school of architecture. Its mission is to promote critical and theoretical reflection within the disciplines of architectural and art history. HTC differs from other architectural programs in that it has art historians on its permanent faculty. Visiting scholars are annually invited to teach, supplementing the core faculty.

Continuous registration is required until completion of the dissertation. Generally all subject/course work is completed by the end of the second year of residency and all other requirements, except for the dissertation, are completed by the end of the third year. The final two years are devoted to dissertation research and writing culminating in a defense at the conclusion of the fifth year.

Islamic Architecture and Urbanism Concentration

Within the History and Theory of Architecture or Art PhD, there is a concentration in Islamic Architecture, urbanism, and Art. The History, Theory and Criticism Section at MIT was the first Ph.D program of its kind in the nation. Its mission is to encourage advanced historical research and to promote critical and theoretical reflection within the disciplines of architectural and art history. The concentration on Islamic architecture and urbanism is an integral part of the HTC section. One student each year is admitted to work on an Islamic subject and funded through the Aga Khan Program endowment.

Research projects vary in scope, method, and range from the classical period to the present. Recent Ph.D. topics can be found on the HTC Dissertation and Theses section of this website.

Faculty Advising

Each student is assigned an HTC faculty advisor upon admission. Generally it is the same faculty member designated to supervise research, and students are encouraged to work with HTC faculty members as a whole. The advisor will consult on the initial plan of study and on each subsequent term's selection of subjects. The advisor monitors the student's progress throughout each phase of the degree and will assist the student in selecting a dissertation committee. Students generally select their dissertation advisor by the end of the fourth semester.

Master of Science in Architecture Studies

The Master of Science in Architecture Studies (SMArchS) is a two-year program of advanced study founded on research and inquiry in architecture as a discipline and as a practice. The program is intended both for students who already have a professional degree in architecture and those interested in advanced non-professional graduate study.

Within the HTC discipline, there are two areas of study for SMArchS students: - History Theory and Criticism of Architecture and Art - Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture

SMArchS in Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture

The Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture (AKPIA) at MIT is a leading international graduate program designed to promote, sustain, and increase the study and teaching of architecture in the Islamic world. It prepares students for careers in research, design, and education. AKPIA@MIT concentrates on the critical study of the history and historiography of Islamic architecture and urbanism; urgent issues facing cities and landscapes in the contemporary Islamic world; heritage issues; the problems of mass urbanization, informal settlement, migration and forced displacement in the global context ; and the quality and conditions of civic space . The siting of AKPIA in MIT's Department of Architecture is intended to challenge the polarizing dichotomy between the discipline of architecture and Islamic Architecture as a field of research and study.

Nasser Rabbat

Azra Akšamija

James Wescoat

Please see the Faculty page on the AKPIA@MIT website for further in information.

Our current graduate students ( SMArchS and PhD ) can be found  here .  The AKPIA@MIT alumni list  showcases the varied work and research of our former students and it includes thesis abstracts and available bios.

See here for current events hosted by AKPIA@MIT or in the events tab of this site

Every semester the Aga Khan Program hosts a Lecture Series  with scholarly speakers that have achieved regional to international recognition. The program also hosts Conferences, usually during the Spring Semester.

For a history of AKPIA@MIT's past lectures, conferences and other events please see here . 

Akpia talks series in the akpia @ mit youtube channel.

Raya Ani SMArchS '94 Named to Forbes 50 Over 50

Courtney Lesoon and Elizabeth Yarina win Fulbright-Hays Scholarships

Explore Imprint 02

More AKPIA@MIT community news here.

AKPIA@MIT has a fellowship program intended for scholars with a Ph.D. in any field related to architecture.  Fellows are expected to engage in research, give at least one public lecture, submit an article at the end of their fellowship, and participate scholarly and academic activities during their stay at MIT.   

A history of past postdoctoral fellows and their topic of research while in AKPIA residence can be found here .

• 2018 (Hamad bin Khalifa University Press) The Architecture of the Dead City: Toward a New Reading of Syrian History Nasser O. Rabbat
• 2010 (Ashgate) The Courtyard House: From Cultural Reference to Universal Relevance Edited by Nasser O. Rabbat
• 1996 (E. J. Brill) The Citadel of Cairo: A New Interpretation of Mamluk Architecture Nasser O. Rabbat
• 2015 (Cambridge University Press) The Cambridge Companion to Modern Arab Culture Edited by Dwight Reynolds
• 2014 (Ulrich Haarmann Memorial Lecture) Staging the City: The Urban Character of Mamluk Architecture Nasser O. Rabbat

See here for all AKPIA related publications.

The Aga Khan Documentation Center of the MIT Libraries (AKDC@MIT) is a research center focused on the built environment of Muslim societies, broadly defined. AKDC@MIT supports teaching of and scholarship on the history and theory of architecture, urbanism, environmental and landscape design, visual culture, and conservation. With particular focus on the research and teaching activities of the faculty, students, and post-doctoral fellows of the  Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture (AKPIA) at MIT and Harvard . 

Archnet, developed by the  Aga Khan Trust for Culture  and the Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT, is an open-access resource focused on architecture, urbanism, environmental and landscape design, visual culture, and conservation issues, with a particular focus on Muslim societies. Archnet presents visual and material culture within historic, cultural, and geographic contexts, and contains over 120,000 images, publications, video, and pedagogical tools.

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A doctoral program that produces outstanding scholars who are leading in their fields of research.

Bring a business perspective to your technical and quantitative expertise with a bachelor’s degree in management, business analytics, or finance.

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PhD Program

Program overview.

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Rigorous, discipline-based research is the hallmark of the MIT Sloan PhD Program. The program is committed to educating scholars who will lead in their fields of research—those with outstanding intellectual skills who will carry forward productive research on the complex organizational, financial, and technological issues that characterize an increasingly competitive and challenging business world.

Start here.

Learn more about the program, how to apply, and find answers to common questions.

Admissions Events

Check out our event schedule, and learn when you can chat with us in person or online.

Start Your Application

Visit this section to find important admissions deadlines, along with a link to our application.

Click here for answers to many of the most frequently asked questions.

PhD studies at MIT Sloan are intense and individual in nature, demanding a great deal of time, initiative, and discipline from every candidate. But the rewards of such rigor are tremendous:  MIT Sloan PhD graduates go on to teach and conduct research at the world's most prestigious universities.

PhD Program curriculum at MIT Sloan is organized under the following three academic areas: Behavior & Policy Sciences; Economics, Finance & Accounting; and Management Science. Our nine research groups correspond with one of the academic areas, as noted below.

MIT Sloan PhD Research Groups

Behavioral & policy sciences.

Economic Sociology

Institute for Work & Employment Research

Organization Studies

Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Strategic Management

Economics, Finance & Accounting

Accounting  

Management Science

Information Technology

System Dynamics  

Those interested in a PhD in Operations Research should visit the Operations Research Center .  

PhD Program Structure

Additional information including coursework and thesis requirements.

MIT Sloan Predoctoral Opportunities

MIT Sloan is eager to provide a diverse group of talented students with early-career exposure to research techniques as well as support in considering research career paths.

Rising Scholars Conference

The fourth annual Rising Scholars Conference on October 25 and 26 gathers diverse PhD students from across the country to present their research.

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The goal of the MIT Sloan PhD Program's admissions process is to select a small number of people who are most likely to successfully complete our rigorous and demanding program and then thrive in academic research careers. The admission selection process is highly competitive; we aim for a class size of nineteen students, admitted from a pool of hundreds of applicants.

What We Seek

• Outstanding intellectual ability
• Excellent academic records
• Previous work in disciplines related to the intended area of concentration
• Strong commitment to a career in research

MIT Sloan PhD Program Admissions Requirements Common Questions

Dates and Deadlines

Admissions for 2024 is closed. The next opportunity to apply will be for 2025 admission. The 2025 application will open in September 2024. 

More information on program requirements and application components

Students in good academic standing in our program receive a funding package that includes tuition, medical insurance, and a fellowship stipend and/or TA/RA salary. We also provide a new laptop computer and a conference travel/research budget.

Funding Information

Throughout the year, we organize events that give you a chance to learn more about the program and determine if a PhD in Management is right for you.

PhD Program Events

May phd program overview.

During this webinar, you will hear from the PhD Program team and have the chance to ask questions about the application and admissions process.

June PhD Program Overview

July phd program overview, august phd program overview.

Complete PhD Admissions Event Calendar

Unlike formulaic approaches to training scholars, the PhD Program at MIT Sloan allows students to choose their own adventure and develop a unique scholarly identity. This can be daunting, but students are given a wide range of support along the way - most notably having access to world class faculty and coursework both at MIT and in the broader academic community around Boston.

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Profiles of our current students

MIT Sloan produces top-notch PhDs in management. Immersed in MIT Sloan's distinctive culture, upcoming graduates are poised to innovate in management research and education.

Academic Job Market

Doctoral candidates on the current academic market

Academic Placements

Graduates of the MIT Sloan PhD Program are researching and teaching at top schools around the world.

view recent placements 

MIT Sloan Experience

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The PhD Program is integral to the research of MIT Sloan's world-class faculty. With a reputation as risk-takers who are unafraid to embrace the unconventional, they are engaged in exciting disciplinary and interdisciplinary research that often includes PhD students as key team members.

Research centers across MIT Sloan and MIT provide a rich setting for collaboration and exploration. In addition to exposure to the faculty, PhD students also learn from one another in a creative, supportive research community.

Throughout MIT Sloan's history, our professors have devised theories and fields of study that have had a profound impact on management theory and practice.

From Douglas McGregor's Theory X/Theory Y distinction to Nobel-recognized breakthroughs in finance by Franco Modigliani and in option pricing by Robert Merton and Myron Scholes, MIT Sloan's faculty have been unmatched innovators.

This legacy of innovative thinking and dedication to research impacts every faculty member and filters down to the students who work beside them.

Faculty Links

• Accounting Faculty
• Economic Sociology Faculty
• Finance Faculty
• Information Technology Faculty
• Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER) Faculty
• Marketing Faculty
• Organization Studies Faculty
• System Dynamics Faculty
• Technological Innovation, Entrepreneurship, and Strategic Management (TIES) Faculty

Student Research

“MIT Sloan PhD training is a transformative experience. The heart of the process is the student’s transition from being a consumer of knowledge to being a producer of knowledge. This involves learning to ask precise, tractable questions and addressing them with creativity and rigor. Hard work is required, but the reward is the incomparable exhilaration one feels from having solved a puzzle that had bedeviled the sharpest minds in the world!” -Ezra Zuckerman Sivan Alvin J. Siteman (1948) Professor of Entrepreneurship

Sample Dissertation Abstracts - These sample Dissertation Abstracts provide examples of the work that our students have chosen to study while in the MIT Sloan PhD Program.

We believe that our doctoral program is the heart of MIT Sloan's research community and that it develops some of the best management researchers in the world. At our annual Doctoral Research Forum, we celebrate the great research that our doctoral students do, and the research community that supports that development process.

The videos of their presentations below showcase the work of our students and will give you insight into the topics they choose to research in the program.

How Should We Measure the Digital Economy?

2020 PhD Doctoral Research Forum Winner - Avinash Collis

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Catherine Ingraham: Architecture as theory A is for Architecture

Episode 30ish/3 of A is for Architecture is a conversation with Catherine Ingraham, writer and scholar, about Architecture’s Theory, part of MIT Press’ Writing Architecture Series.  As the publisher’s spiel has it, ‘architecture as a thinking profession materializes theory in the form of built work that always carries symbolic loads’. But can there even be architecture without theory?  Catherine is a professor in the department of Graduate Architecture and Urban Design at the Pratt Institute, New York, where she was Chair of Graduate Architecture, between 1999-2005. Other significant written works by her include Architecture, Animal, Human: The Asymmetrical Condition (Routledge 2006) and Architecture and the Burdens of Linearity (Yale University Press 1998). From 1991 to 1998, with Michael Hays and Alicia Kennedy, Catherine edited Assemblage: A Critical Journal of Architecture and Design Culture. Heavy stuff indeed. Thanks for listening. +  Music credits: Bruno Gillick

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For MIT students, there is much to learn from crafting a chair

Students in 4.500 begin their journey by considering the experience they want to design for their chairs. For example, second-year student Wonu Abiodun (right) envisioned a unique lounging chair inspired by yoga poses. Also pictured: Marco Arias (top left) and Brenda Hernandez. Photos courtesy of the students.

In class 4.500 (Design Computation), Professor Larry Sass teaches the thoughtful and experimental process of design through the familiar idea of a chair, while exploring “foundational technologies.”

Michelle Luo | MIT Morningside Academy for Design

Design spans disciplines and schools at MIT as a versatile mode of inquiry. Whether software, furniture, robots, or consumer products, design classes at MIT guide students through the iterative process of ideation, planning, and prototyping.

“Design is 80 percent problem-setting and 20 percent problem-solving,” says MIT Professor Larry Sass SM ’94, PhD ’00, designer and researcher in the  Department of Architecture . In many MIT classes, “problem-setting” typically brings to mind a weekly sheet of exercises calling for a mathematical proof or circled answer. But in design courses, problem-setting refers to the process of defining the needs and functions to be addressed with an effective solution.

Sass is the designer and instructor of class 4.500 (Design Computation) , a course centering the role of computational tools like 3D modeling, rendering, and animation in design. As a course in the Department of Architecture, 4.500 focuses on the creation and experience of an object in the built environment — in this case, the chair.

Chairs are a powerful pedagogical tool posing a challenging, scoped, and specific exercise for new designers. They have a particular and intuitive function addressing the universal need to rest and take countless shapes encouraging a variety of experiences, whether a short break or a lengthy lounge. Designers revisit the chair as an iconic object at the intersection of aesthetics and function, making dozens of careful design decisions that inform its visual and somatic experience.

“A chair is the best product for learning design,” affirms Sass. “Learning how to design a chair is hard for designers across all scales, from the nanoscale designer of instruments to the macro-scale architect of skyscrapers,” he adds. For him, a well-designed chair is “firm, affordable, and delightful.”

“I wanted to make something with a unique form that would be challenging to recreate using traditional woodworking techniques. That meant creating unnatural, curved shapes using methods exclusive to modeling software,” says junior Frankie Schulte, whose design is seen at top right. Additional student chair designs by Hazel Mann (top left), Max Reese (bottom left), and Angelica Zhuang (bottom right).

Photos courtesy of the students.

Reinventing the chair

Insights from students who took the course during the fall 2023 term show the thoughtful and experimental process of design. The course leaves students with not only a new piece of furniture, but also new skills and reflections on design. “The best [outcome] is that the students learn about design as the creation of an experience as part of a function,” says Sass.

Students in 4.500 begin their journey by considering the experience they wanted to design for their chairs. Junior Shruthi Ravichandran designed a chair around the experience of “gentle containment,” influenced by OTO , the “hugging chair.”

“I was very inspired by the idea of creating a chair that is both rigid and flexible at the same time — by conforming to the user’s body and offering a sense of comfort and security,” says Ravichandran.

Another student, second-year Wonu Abiodun, who was previously part of the DesignPlus First-Year Learning Community, envisioned a unique lounging chair drawing from precedents of existing seats and evocative images of yoga poses. It encourages users to “sit criss-cross and lean back to stretch their spine, creating a kind of meditative pose to drain stress from a busy day,” Abiodun explains.

The geometry of a chair ties directly into its success, motivating the use of computational modeling tools. “We need to know the heights, widths, and details of our ideas to ensure comfort and safety,” says Sass. Student designers use a suite of design software including Rhino, AutoCAD, and 3D Studio Max to realize their concepts in geometry.

Sometimes, the technology itself acts as an inspiration. For junior Frankie Schulte, the digital software and computer numerical control (CNC) fabrication — a computerized process that uses software and code to control production equipment — used in the course informed his chair design choices. “I wanted to make something with a unique form that would be challenging to recreate using traditional woodworking techniques. That meant creating unnatural, curved shapes using methods exclusive to modeling software,” says Schulte.

Making it real

After producing an initial digital model of their chair, students assemble quarter-scale models out of laser-cut masonite, a sturdy engineered wood material. Creating scale models (small but exact copies) helps students identify aspects to improve in their chair designs under material and physical constraints. Finding that some pieces would break or fall apart while building scale models, Abiodun would strengthen those parts of the design before moving on to the final chair.

Though there’s a lot of digital modeling, it doesn’t stop there because there’s also the physical aspect of sanding and routing parts, fitting them together, and testing — fingers crossed — the stability of the final product, she explains. Scale models also allow for shape exploration. Ravichandran found that each scale model of hers differed significantly.

“My models ranged from a chair that was fully made up of spheres to a chair that only had flat pieces. My final model and chair ended up in what I think is a happy middle — the seat and armrests are flat for containment and comfort, and the sides evoke the sentiment of a cloud,” she says.

Once satisfied with their scale models, students produce the full-scale prototype, keeping in mind a material limit — a single half-inch thick, 4-foot by 8-foot plywood board to be cut with a CNC machine.

Having never used such equipment before, Ravichandran sought guidance from teaching assistants and made a test object. “I built a little cloud desk organizer to test out the tolerances of the machine and see how well it could navigate around tight curves and points. This was super useful, as it helped me understand how to redesign the final file so that parts fit together snugly,” she says.

Schulte’s completed chair boasts bright colors evoking a Bauhaus-style sun. The careful arrangement of concentric circular pieces forms a seat suitable for a brief rest. “My initial precedents never had comfort in mind, and the final sitting experience certainly reflected that fact,” said Schulte. The chair has found a place in his living community lounge.

Sass has taught 4.500 (Design Computation) for the past 22 years to students across the Institute. He joined MIT's Department of Architecture faculty after earning his MS in 1994 and PhD at MIT in 2000, and 4.500 was the first course he designed as a new professor. For his long-held commitment to excellent undergraduate education, Sass was recently honored as a 2023 MacVicar Faculty Fellow, a prestigious award informed by student, colleague, and alumni letters of support.

While the course focuses on the design and fabrication of chairs, Sass emphasizes: “Everyone who completes my course can create a 3D model and prototype almost anything.”

Published March 22, 2024

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Is it the school, or the students?

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Are schools that feature strong test scores highly effective, or do they mostly enroll students who are already well-prepared for success? A study co-authored by MIT scholars concludes that widely disseminated school quality ratings reflect the preparation and family background of their students as much or more than a school’s contribution to learning gains.

Indeed, the study finds that many schools that receive relatively low ratings perform better than these ratings would imply. Conventional ratings, the research makes clear, are highly correlated with race. Specifically, many published school ratings are highly positively correlated with the share of the student body that is white.

“A school’s average outcomes reflect, to some extent, the demographic mix of the population it serves,” says MIT economist Josh Angrist, a Nobel Prize winner who has long analyzed education outcomes. Angrist is co-author of a newly published paper detailing the study’s results.

The study, which examines the Denver and New York City school districts, has the potential to significantly improve the way school quality is measured. Instead of raw aggregate measures like test scores, the study uses changes in test scores and a statistical adjustment for racial composition to compute more accurate measures of the causal effects that attending a particular school has on students’ learning gains. This methodologically sophisticated research builds on the fact that Denver and New York City both assign students to schools in ways that allow the researchers to mimic the conditions of a randomized trial.

In documenting a strong correlation between currently used rating systems and race, the study finds that white and Asian students tend to attend higher-rated schools, while Black and Hispanic students tend to be clustered at lower-rated schools.

“Simple measures of school quality, which are based on the average statistics for the school, are invariably highly correlated with race, and those measures tend to be a misleading guide of what you can expect by sending your child to that school,” Angrist says.

The paper, “ Race and the Mismeasure of School Quality ,” appears in the latest issue of the American Economic Review: Insights . The authors are Angrist, the Ford Professor of Economics at MIT; Peter Hull PhD ’17, a professor of economics at Brown University; Parag Pathak, the Class of 1922 Professor of Economics at MIT; and Christopher Walters PhD ’13, an associate professor of economics at the University of California at Berkeley. Angrist and Pathak are both professors in the MIT Department of Economics and co-founders of MIT’s Blueprint Labs, a research group that often examines school performance.

The study uses data provided by the Denver and New York City public school districts, where 6th-graders apply for seats at certain middle schools, and the districts use a school-assignment system. In these districts, students can opt for any school in the district, but some schools are oversubscribed. In these circumstances, the district uses a random lottery number to determine who gets a seat where.

By virtue of the lottery inside the seat-assignment algorithm, otherwise-similar sets of students randomly attend an array of different schools. This facilitates comparisons that reveal causal effects of school attendance on learning gains, as in a randomized clinical trial of the sort used in medical research. Using math and English test scores, the researchers evaluated student progress in Denver from the 2012-2013 through the 2018-2019 school years, and in New York City from the 2016-2017 through 2018-2019 school years.

Those school-assignment systems, it happens, are mechanisms some of the researchers have helped construct, allowing them to better grasp and measure the effects of school assignment.

“An unexpected dividend of our work designing Denver and New York City’s centralized choice systems is that we see how students are rationed from [distributed among] schools,” says Pathak. “This leads to a research design that can isolate cause and effect.”

Ultimately, the study shows that much of the school-to-school variation in raw aggregate test scores stems from the types of students at any given school. This is a case of what researchers call “selection bias.” In this case, selection bias arises from the fact that more-advantaged families tend to prefer the same sets of schools.

“The fundamental problem here is selection bias,” Angrist says. “In the case of schools, selection bias is very consequential and a big part of American life. A lot of decision-makers, whether they’re families or policymakers, are being misled by a kind of naïve interpretation of the data.”

Indeed, Pathak notes, the preponderance of more simplistic school ratings today (found on many popular websites) not only creates a deceptive picture of how much value schools add for students, but has a self-reinforcing effect — since well-prepared and better-off families bid up housing costs near highly-rated schools. As the scholars write in the paper, “Biased rating schemes direct households to low-minority rather than high-quality schools, while penalizing schools that improve achievement for disadvantaged groups.”

The research team hopes their study will lead districts to examine and improve the way they measure and report on school quality. To that end, Blueprint Labs is working with the New York City Department of Education to pilot a new ratings system later this year. They also plan additional work examining the way families respond to different sorts of information about school quality.

Given that the researchers are proposing to improve ratings in what they believe is a straightforward way, by accounting for student preparation and improvement, they think more officials and districts may be interested in updating their measurement practices.

“We’re hopeful that the simple regression adjustment we propose makes it relatively easy for school districts to use our measure in practice,” Pathak says.

The research received support from the Walton Foundation and the National Science Foundation.

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Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory

2024 phd graduate – cyber physical systems security researcher.

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Do you love developing proofs-of-concept and prototypes of control systems and technologies?

Are you a skilled researcher passionate about analyzing control systems for cyber vulnerabilities?

Are you searching for meaningful work defending critical infrastructure from persistent threats?

If so, we’re looking for someone like you to join our team at APL.

We are seeking a PhD Cyber Physical System (CPS) Security Researcher to create game-changing capabilities that enable U.S. infrastructure to be robust in the face of complex threats and determined adversaries.

Our group is a team of computer, system, and cybersecurity researchers designing, building, hacking, destroying, and inventing to advance the state of the art in CPS cybersecurity. We are not satisfied with producing laboratory-only capabilities. We are continuously deploying our work out into operational facilities to truly support our missions. Our group’s work protects U.S. citizens on a daily basis, as they fly in our national airspace, and ensures resources such as water and power are delivered continuously and safely. As a member of our team, you will have access to, and the ability to shape, premier research facilities such as our CYPRESS Laboratory .

We champion creativity, diversity, and boldness, empowering our staff to design, develop, and pursue in their own unique ways. We embrace a high performing hybrid work environment, allowing our team to work flexibly so long as the job gets done. We are a caring and fun community that works hard because we love what we do and we want to make a difference.

As a CPS Security Researcher…

• Your primary responsibility will be conducting independent research and development to advance state of the art for cyber-physical systems to be self-aware, self-organized, self-healed, and self-optimized. Key research areas include assurance, digital twins, and decision science
• You will Collaborate with sponsors to understand their missions and success criteria
• You will be part of site deployment teams that will migrate technology from laboratory to practice
• You will have a say in the projects you are a part of and contribute to what matters to you. Work closely with interdisciplinary teams to design and engineer cutting edge resilience solutions for cyber-physical systems
• You will reverse engineer control system network protocols
• You will engage in red teaming exercises and adversary emulation
• You will design, integrate, test and scale-up end-to-end cyber situational awareness capabilities
• You will perform gap analysis on commercial tools for government use
• You will test solutions on in-house hardware testbeds representing Critical infrastructure sectors

You meet our minimum qualifications for the job if you…

• Have a PhD in Computer Science or related field
• 4+ years of relevant research experience
• Have familiarity with Cyber Physical Systems, and critical infrastructure systems
• Have experience as a self-directed engineer / research scientist who excels at driving new research ideas from conception and experimentation to prototyping
• Have knowledge of IP networking, virtualization, and Industrial Control Systems (ICS) protocols
• Have strong programming skills with general purpose languages in production environments
• Are comfortable with modern software engineering practices such as version control
• Have outstanding technical leadership and excellent communication skills (verbal, written, PC, presentation) to lead new research areas and multi-team cross-functional collaborations
• Have interest and demonstrated experience with IT and OT domains
• Have strong familiarity with operating systems (e.g., Linux), embedded systems, and protocols
• Are able to obtain Secret level security clearance. If selected, you will be subject to a government security clearance investigation and must meet the requirements for access to classified information. Eligibility requirements include U.S. citizenship.

You’ll go above and beyond our minimum requirements if you…

• Have expertise in AI/ML, real-time operating systems, data science, or autonomous systems
• Have previously worked with Allen Bradley, RSLogix, or Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs)
• Have research experience and publications in relevant fields or Tech Lead experience
• Have Active Secret or above clearance

Why work at APL?

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) brings world-class expertise to our nation’s most critical defense, security, space and science challenges. While we are dedicated to solving complex challenges and pioneering new technologies, what makes us truly outstanding is our culture. We offer a vibrant, welcoming atmosphere where you can bring your authentic self to work, continue to grow, and build strong connections with inspiring teammates.

At APL, we celebrate our differences and encourage creativity and bold, new ideas. Our employees enjoy generous benefits, including a robust education assistance program, unparalleled retirement contributions, and a healthy work/life balance. APL’s campus is located in the Baltimore-Washington metro area. Learn more about our career opportunities at http://www.jhuapl.edu/careers.

APL is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, age, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, occupation, marital or familial status, political opinion, personal appearance, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

APL is committed to promoting an innovative environment that embraces diversity, encourages creativity, and supports inclusion of new ideas. In doing so, we are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals of all abilities, including those with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in any part of the hiring process, please contact [email protected]. Only by ensuring that everyone’s voice is heard are we empowered to be bold, do great things, and make the world a better place.

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As a Berkeley graduate student, you’re part of a diverse community of change-makers known worldwide for innovation and academic excellence. At the College of Environmental Design, we’re committed to launching our students to be agents of environmental and social change, poised to make a tangible impact on our world. We offer six professional degrees and five academic graduate degrees, as well as opportunities for earning concurrent degrees within the college and with other Berkeley departments. Whichever you choose,  your CED degree will set you the path to succeed in your chosen field.  

Professional Degrees 

Our top-ranked, rigorous MArch prepares you for the practice of architecture in an environment that fosters design excellence and encourages multidisciplinary collaboration and experimentation. The nationally accredited professional program is committed to addressing the most pressing issues of our time, including the climate crisis, housing affordability, and the integration of technology into both research and practice. As an MArch student, you’ll be part of an international cohort of motivated and talented design students from diverse backgrounds and work with faculty who are leaders in their fields.

Master of City Planning (MCP)

Berkeley’s top-tier MCP is a two-year nationally accredited STEM program that empowers you to successfully practice planning in a variety of urban, metropolitan, and regional settings. As an MCP student, you’ll develop analytical, research, and communication skills, as well as expertise in various fields and subfields of city and regional planning. Berkeley’s MCP is distinguished by its focus on the human impacts of planning decisions, with particular attention to equity, diversity, and social justice.

Master of Landscape Architecture (MLA)

Berkeley’s MLA program is known for centering ecological integrity and social equity. It offers accredited degrees in landscape architecture and environmental planning, which focuses on land use and the management of natural resources. You’ll study with faculty who have expertise in design, planning, urbanism, history, sustainability, hydrology, ecology, geographic information science, landscape modeling, and social practices. Your MLA will prepare you to serve as a leader in the field, building thriving communities in a world of rapid political, economic, and environmental change.

Master of Urban Design (MUD)

Berkeley’s MUD, the only degree program of its kind in California,  is a one-year interdisciplinary program of advanced study for architects, landscape architects, and planners who already hold professional degrees. As a MUD student, you’ll innovate design strategies for sites at the urban, suburban, and territorial scales and develop a practice supported by research and analysis that is grounded in economic, political, and social contexts.

Abbey Master of Real Estate Development + Design (MRED+D)

Integrating design with the fundamentals of real estate markets, the one-year Abbey MRED+D prepares you to build sustainable, equitable, and prosperous cities. The curriculum focuses on finance, urban economics, property and land use law, and project feasibility analysis, as well as  excellence in urban design, planning, and sustainability. As an MRED+D student, you’ll discover how  design thinking is foundational to producing the most valued — and valuable — real estate projects.

Master of Design (MDes)

A three-semester professional graduate program jointly offered with the College of Engineering, the MDes prepares you to be a thought leader in the area of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and the internet of things. You’ll develop core skills in design process, prototyping, and communication, as well as a critical lens on technology and design. You’ll leave the program as an engaged and responsive designer with an informed awareness of people, contextual needs, and societal impacts.

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Master of science in architecture (ms).

Our MS in Architecture is an academic, nonprofessional degree program that offers you the opportunity to engage in advanced research in the ever-broadening and increasingly complex subfields within architecture. Two tracks are offered:  Building Science, Technology and Sustainability , focused on how the environmental conditions and processes of buildings affect occupants, and History, T h eory and Society , which situates a history of the built environment in broad social, political, and cultural frameworks.

If you already have a professional degree in architecture and wish to continue to explore current design issues in a stimulating, rigorous, and experimental studio setting, our one-year MAAD post-professional program is for you. A year-long studio is at the core of this non-accredited program, and it’s integrated with seminars and lectures in design theory, history, digital applications, and building technology.

PhD in Architecture

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. You have the option to choose between two areas of focus: Two tracks are offered:  Building Science, Technology and Sustainability , focused on how environmental conditions and processes of buildings affect occupants,  and  History, Theory and Society , which situates a history of the built environment in broad social, political, and cultural frameworks.

PhD in City & Regional Planning

The PhD in City & Regional Planning provides training in urban and planning theory and the practice of planning. You’ll work with faculty who have expertise in community and economic development, transportation planning, urban design, international development, environmental planning, and global urbanism. 

PhD in Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning

Berkeley’s PhD in Landscape Architecture & Environmental Planning focuses on the theories and methods that underlie the field and the processes of planning and design as they relate to the solution of problems in the natural and urban environments. 

Concurrent Master of Architecture/Master of City Planning

Concurrent Master of Architecture/Master of Landscape Architecture

Concurrent Master of Architecture/ Master of Science in Engineering

Concurrent Master of City Planning/Master of City Landscape Architecture

Concurrent Master of City Planning/Master of Public Health

Concurrent Master of City Planning/Master of Science in Transportation Engineering

Concurrent Master of City Planning/Juris Doctor (Law)