Human Behavior and Design (PhD)
Graduate School
Graduate Field
Design and Environmental Analysis
Program Description
The Ph.D. in human behavior and Design at Cornell University is a multidisciplinary program integrating the social sciences and design. Research focuses on environmental settings across a range of scales (from products to buildings to cities), that support safe, healthy and productive behaviors and foster sustainable design and lifestyles.
The program brings together faculty and students with expertise in the fields of interior, industrial and graphic design, architecture, art, design history, historic preservation, design with digital media, building technology, environmental psychology, human factors and ergonomics, economics, and facility planning and management to work on problems related to the interior environment.
For more information, visit the Ph.D. in Human Behavior and Design website.
Research Opportunities
Much of the research occurs in the field. The department also has a computer-aided design and facility management lab, human factors and ergonomics research labs, an art and environmental design gallery, and a wood workshop.
Concentrations
- Human behavior and design
Program Information
- Program Mode of Delivery: In Person
- Program Location: Ithaca, NY
Program Requirements
- 32-48 credits of DEA 9990 Ph.D. Thesis and Research
- 6-24 credits of courses determined by minor members of the student's Special Committee
- Minimum Semesters for Degree: 8
Graduate School Milestones
- Responsible Conduct of Research Training: Required
- Open Researcher and Contributor ID (ORCID): Required
- Student Progress Reviews (SPR) begin: First Year
- Examination for admission to candidacy (A Exam): Usually fourth or fifth semester
- Defense of Dissertation (B Exam): Spring of fourth year
Field Specific Milestones
- One semester of teaching assistantship required
Course Requirements
Additional course requirements may be set by the student’s Special Committee. Program specific requirements that apply to all students are included below.
Required Courses
- DEA 6100 Studies in Design Thinking
- DEA 6200 Studies in Human-Environment Relations
- DEA 7100 DEA Graduate Pro Seminar (2 semesters)
Research Methods
- DEA 6560 Research Methods in Social Sciences
- Additional research methods course 5000-level or higher
Statistics
- 3-4 credit 5000-level or higher statistics course
5000-Level DEA Course
Choose one of the following:
- DEA 5304 Design Accountability: Evaluation of the Physical Environment
- DEA 5500 Designing for Material Affect
- DEA 5520 Virtual Experience of Designed Environments
- DEA 5560
- DEA 5700 Designing Age Friendly Environments
- DEA 6025 Design for Change: Imagining Decolonial Futures
- DEA 6040
- DEA 6055 Hospitality, Health and Design Industry Immersion Seminar
- DEA 6210 Architectural Robotics
- DEA 6250 Human Dimensions of Sustainable Building
- DEA 6500 Problem-Seeking through Programming
- DEA 6510 Human Factors and Inclusive Design
- DEA 6520 The Ambient Environment
- DEA 6530 Planning and Managing the Workplace: Evidence-based Design and Organizational Ecology
- DEA 6550 Healthcare Innovations
- DEA 6610
- DEA 6650 Poverty, Children and the Environment
- DEA 6700 Applied Ergonomic Methods
- DEA 6800 Ethical Design: Engine of Positive Change
Design Studio/Methods Electives
- DEA 5210 Designing Devices for CyberPLAYces
- DEA 5305 Health and Healing Studio
- DEA 5540 Workplace Strategy Studio
- DEA 6406 Generative Design Studio
Graduate School Enrollment Requirements
Course Requirements
- Course requirements are determined by the student’s Special Committee.
- Enrollment in a GRAD research course or the equivalent field specific research course is expected of all students each semester through graduation. These courses include:
University Graduation Requirements
Requirements for All Students
In order to receive a Cornell degree, a student must satisfy academic and non-academic requirements.
Academic Requirements
A student’s college determines degree requirements such as residency, number of credits, distribution of credits, and grade averages. It is the student’s responsibility to be aware of the specific major, degree, distribution, college, and graduation requirements for completing their chosen program of study. See the individual requirements listed by each college or school or contact the college registrar’s office for more information.
Non-academic Requirements
Conduct Matters. Students must satisfy any outstanding sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed or agreed to under the Student Code of Conduct (Code) or Policy 6.4. Where a formal complaint under the Code or Policy 6.4 is pending, the University will withhold awarding a degree otherwise earned until the adjudication process set forth in those procedures is complete, including the satisfaction of any sanctions, penalties or remedies imposed.
Financial Obligations. Outstanding financial obligations will not impact the awarding of a degree otherwise earned or a student’s ability to access their official transcript. However, the University may withhold issuing a diploma until any outstanding financial obligations owing to the University are satisfied.
Learning Outcomes
- Make an original and substantial contribution to the discipline.
- Think originally and independently to develop concepts and methodologies.
- Identify new research opportunities within one's field. - Demonstrate advanced research skills.
- Synthesize existing knowledge, identifying and accessing appropriate resources and other sources of relevant information and critically analyzing and evaluating one's own findings and those of others.
- Master application of existing research methodologies, techniques, and technical skills.
- Communicate in a style appropriate to the discipline.
- Develop and conduct empirical research of publishable quality. - Demonstrate commitment to advancing the values of scholarship.
- Keep abreast of current advances within one's field (e.g., environmental psychology, design research, facility planning and management, ergonomics, etc.) and related areas.
- Show commitment to personal professional development through engagement in professional societies, publication, and other knowledge transfer modes.
- Participate as an active contributor to the field through conference presentations, attendance at professional meetings, etc. - Demonstrate professional skills.
- Adhere to ethical standards in the discipline.
- Listen to, give, and receive feedback effectively.
- Develop grant proposal and apply for extramural funding. - Demonstrate teaching skills.
- Be an effective teacher both in the classroom and in mentoring students.
- Organize and deliver a course to undergraduates.
- Learn and practice student evaluation techniques.
Admissions
Application Requirements and Deadlines
Application Deadlines
Fall, December 1; no spring admission
Requirements Summary
A student who wishes to enroll in the Ph.D. program in human behavior and design must apply to and be accepted by the field of design and environmental analysis. Prospective graduate students will complete and submit an online application with the required documents outlined below. Applicants who embrace thinking across disciplinary boundaries and who have a passion for teaching and scholarship are encouraged to apply. The strongest applicants are those who have a foundation in research (e.g., have completed a research thesis (undergrad or graduate), have participated in a lab as a research assistant, have perhaps taken a social science research methods class). Applications will be reviewed by the members of the graduate field. Only students with outstanding records will be admitted to the program.
Outstanding students with a B.S. or B. A. degree in human factors, psychology, facility planning and management or related areas such as industrial design, interior design or architecture, engineering, or anthropology may be admitted into the Ph.D. program depending on the relevance of their background to the research specialty they will pursue. Since human behavior and design is a highly interdisciplinary field, decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis.
The following documents are required to apply to the Ph.D. program in human behavior and design:
- Academic statement of purpose
- Personal statement
- Three letters of recommendation
- Official transcripts
- Writing sample
- Curriculum vitae
- GRE general test (the desired combined score should be greater than or equal to 310)
- English language proficiency requirement for all applicants
Admissions Contact Information
Email: deagrad@cornell.edu
Phone: 607-255-2809
Campus Address: 1411 Martha Van Rensselaer Hall
Website: https://www.human.cornell.edu/hcd/academics/graduate-study/human-behavior-and-design-phd