Design spaces that inspire humans to reach their potential.

Develop deep expertise in the interactions between the design of a built environment and human behavior – and create new design strategies that benefit humanity.

As a student in the multidisciplinary Human Behavior + Design Ph.D. program, you will research environmental settings from both a design and social sciences perspective. Exploring how people use products and spaces – from buildings to cities – differently based on who they are and what they are trying to achieve, you will learn how to make environments more effective for all users.

Through research in the areas of design, environmental psychology, facility planning and management, and human factors and ergonomics, you will discover new ways to support safe, healthy and productive behaviors and enhance comfort and satisfaction.

People who embrace thinking across disciplinary boundaries and who have a passion for teaching and scholarship are encouraged to apply. The strength of this unique program is the integration of scientific and creative expertise within the same department. Applicants' prior disciplines might include (but are not limited to): social science, design, or engineering.

For more information, please contact the Graduate Field Assistant at deagrad [at] cornell.edu (deagrad[at]cornell[dot]edu).

Design and Environmental Analysis

This program is offered through the graduate field of Design and Environmental Analysis.

group of people working together on the model of a building layout

About the program

The Ph.D. in Human Behavior and Design rests on the following basic premises:

  • Development of the knowledge base guiding the planning, design, and management of physical settings requires systematic, empirical research.
  • The physical environment affects the realization of human and organizational potential including health, safety, comfort, productivity and satisfaction.
  • The users of environments are diverse and have different needs. Individual characteristics such as culture, gender, stage in the life course, family structure, role or task affect environmental needs.
  • Organizational culture, goals, and structure help shape building design and use.
  • The planning, design, and management of good environments require consideration of all users.
  • Understanding organizational and human needs is no less critical than understanding financial, technological and aesthetic factors influencing the planning, design, and management of our physical surroundings.
  • Multidimensional spatial experiences are heightened through an understanding of design elements, such as circulation, materials, lighting and acoustics.
  • Theory provides a foundation that both informs and is informed by research and practice.

The program draws its strength from faculty knowledge and research in the following four areas:

  • Design
  • Environmental psychology
  • Facility planning and management
  • Human factors and ergonomics
graduate student working with high schoolers on an art project

Curriculum

The Ph.D. in Human Behavior + Design is a four-year graduate program. The first two years are dedicated primarily to course work in your major field and two minor fields.  At the end of year 2, Ph.D. students complete qualifying exams (“A Exam”). Years 3 and 4 focus primarily on research and the completion of the dissertation. For more information, see the DEA Graduate Student Handbook.

A. Required core DEA field courses

  • DEA 7100: DEA Graduate Pro Seminar (1 credit/semester × 4 semesters = 4 credits)
  • DEA 6100: Studies in Design Thinking (3 credits)
  • DEA 6200: Studies in Human-Environment Relations (3 credits)

B. Research methods

C. Statistics

  • One 3-4 credit (5000-level or higher) course such as BTRY 6010, BTRY 7180, ILRST 5100, ILRST 6100, PSYCH 6750 or HD 6750

D. Choose one 5000-level or higher DEA graduate course

  • DEA 5304: Design Accountability: Evaluation of the Physical Environment (3 credits)
  • DEA 5520: Virtual Experience of Designed Environments (3 credits)
  • DEA 5560: Health Impact Assessment (3 credits)
  • DEA 5700: Designing Age Friendly Environments (3 credits)
  • DEA 6025: Designing Decolonial Futures: Imagining the World Differently (3 credits)
  • DEA 6040: Future Body Craft (3 credits)
  • DEA 6055: Hospitality, Health and Design Industry Immersion Seminar 1 credit
  • DEA 6210: Architectural Robotics (3 credits)
  • DEA 6250: Human Dimensions of Sustainable Building (3 credits)
  • DEA 6500: Problem-Seeking through Programming (3 credits)
  • DEA 6510: Human Factors and Inclusive Design (3 credits)
  • DEA 6520: The Ambient Environment (3 credits)
  • DEA 6550: Healthcare Innovations (3 credits)
  • DEA 6610: Environments and Health (3 credits)
  • DEA 6650: Poverty, Children and the Environment (3 credits)
  • DEA 6700: Applied Ergonomic Methods (3 credits)
  • DEA 6800: Ethical Design: Engine of Positive Change (3 credits)

E. Dissertation courses

  • DEA 9990 Ph.D. Thesis and Research (typically 32-48 credits; actual credits determined at the discretion of dissertation committee)

F. Minor courses x2: Determined by minor members

  • 1-3 courses for each minor (6-24 credits)

Design studio/design methods elective options

  • DEA 5210 Interaction Design Studio (4 credits)
  • DEA 5305 Health and Healing Studio (4 credits)
  • DEA 5540 Workplace Strategy Studio (4 credits)
  • DEA 6406 Generative Design Studio (4 credits)

Summary

CategoryNumber of coursesCredits
A. Required core DEA field courses310
B. Research methods27-8
C. Statistics13-4
D. One 5000-level or higher DEA graduate course13
E. Dissertation courses432-48
F. Minor courses2-66-24
Total13-1761-97

Semester 1 (Fall)

  • DEA 6560: Research Methods (4 credits)
  • DEA 6200: Studies in HER (3 credits)
  • Statistics (4 credits)
  • DEA 7100: Grad seminar (1 credit)

Total 12 credits

Semester 2 (Spring)

  • DEA 6100: Studies in Design Thinking (3 credits)
  • Minor A course 1 (3-4 credits)
  • DEA Grad course (3 credits)
  • Minor B course 1 (3-4 credits)
  • DEA 7100 grad seminar (1 credit)

Total 13-15 credits

Semester 3 (Fall)

  • Research methods course 2 (3-4 credits)
  • Minor A course 2 (3-4 credits)
  • Minor A course 3 (3-4 credits)
  • Independent study (2 credits)

Total 12-15 credits

Semester 4 (Spring)

  • Elective (4 credits)
  • Minor B course 2 (3-4 credits)
  • Minor B course 3 (3-4 credits)
  • Independent study (1 credit)

Total 12-14 credits

Semesters 5-8

  • Dissertation credits (32-48 credits)

Notes: 

  • Students are advised to take three courses (12-13 credits) if TA’ing; otherwise 4 courses (12-17 credits).
  • The number of courses required for a minor is determined by your minor member (or the graduate field they represent). Three courses is common.

How to apply

Applications are due December 1. Applications are accepted for fall admission only.

In addition to the online application via the Graduate School website, the following required documents must be submitted online:

  • Academic Statement of Purpose (within 500 words)
  • Personal Statement (limit 500 words)
  • 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—for the new scoring system effective November 2011—or, a combined score of 1200 for the old scoring system.)
  • English Language Proficiency Requirement - as an international applicant, you must demonstrate proficiency in the English language by taking a TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) or IELTS (International English Language Testing System) exam. (See exceptions)
    • TOEFL - test for International students (DEA overall minimum: 105, plus Graduate School minimums must be met for each section: writing: 20; listening: 15; reading: 20; speaking: 22)
    • OR IELTS - The Graduate School requires an overall band score of a 7.0 or higher on the IELTS

For additional information on how to apply, please visit Graduate School Admissions.

Financial support, in the form of teaching assistantships, graduate research assistantships or fellowships, is offered with acceptance to Ph.D. students only. Full assistantships include tuition, fees and individual health insurance. Assistantships and/or fellowships are offered for four years. Continued funding is contingent upon acceptable academic performance constituting good standing in your graduate field and satisfactory fulfillment of any teaching or research responsibilities as defined by your assistantship supervisor.

Faculty you'll work with

portrait of a man in a blue button down shirt
Gary Evans
Elizabeth Lee Vincent Professor
Focus areas Children's environments (e.g. schools, housing), Environment of childhood poverty, Development of environmental attitudes/behaviors in children
Keith Evan Green headshot
Keith Green
Jean and Douglas McLean Professor, Director of Undergraduate Studies in Design + Environmental Analysis
 
Focus areas Intersection of design + robotics + psychology, Robot “living rooms” interacting/adapting with inhabitants, Robots that improve community, learning and health
woman wearing glasses sitting in a bright blue chair
Ying Hua
Professor
Focus areas Practice + approaches to creating optimal work + learning, Research methodology for post-occupancy evaluation (POE), Sustainable and resilience building practices in US + Asia
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Saleh Kalantari
Associate Professor
Focus areas Wayfinding + spatial cognition using VR + simulation, Predictive design tools evaluating human responses to design, Human-environment interaction: built and virtual environment
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Cindy Hsin-Liu Kao
Associate Professor
Focus areas Wearable technology and on-skin interfaces, Designing skins across scales, Social perceptions towards on-body technologies
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Sang Leigh
Assistant Professor
Focus areas Accessible interactive technologies, Human-computer interaction, Design innovation – bridging art, technology and UX
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Renata Leitao
Assistant Professor
Focus areas Design for Indigenous empowerment, Transformational design for societal + environmental change, Intercultural design knowledge
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Janet Loebach
The Evalyn Edwards Milman Assistant Professor in Child Development
Focus areas children's environments, participatory research & design, behavior mapping
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Anthony Ong
Professor
Focus areas Health + aging, emotion, relationships, race + social class, Developmental psychology, Vunerability and adaptation across the lifespan
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Karl Pillemer
Hazel E. Reed Professor, Professor of Gerontology in Medicine
Focus areas Aging and the life course, Sociology of the family, Intervention research
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Nancy Wells
Senior Associate Dean for Research + Graduate Education, Professor
Focus areas Environmental psychology, Effects of the built and natural environment on human health, Environmental design + policy impacts on consumption + reuse
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Jay (JungKyoon) Yoon
Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies in Design + Environmental Analysis
Focus areas Experience-driven design, Design for emotion, subjective well-being + behavior change, Product design + development
So-Yeon Yoon headshot
So-Yeon Yoon
Professor
Focus areas Human-computer interaction in virtual environments, Large-scale interface/interaction design, Interior design
Rana Zadeh
Rana Zadeh
Associate Professor
Focus areas User-centered design in healthcare, Systems approach, Healthcare entrepreneurship

Frequently asked questions

First, you should read papers written by faculty with whom you might like to work to see if your interests align. Carefully review the websites and online materials provided by the program. In your application, describe your experience related to research, statistics, design, etc. Demonstrate your research experience. Describe you interests – possible dissertation research directions. Indicate your goals following the Ph.D. Request letters of recommendation from people who can speak to your research aptitude, commitment, preparedness, work ethic.

First, you should read papers written by faculty with whom you might like to work to see if your interests align. Carefully review the websites and online materials provided by the program. In your application, describe your experience related to research, statistics, design, etc. Demonstrate your research experience. Describe you interests – possible dissertation research directions. Indicate your goals following the Ph.D. Request letters of recommendation from people who can speak to your research aptitude, commitment, preparedness, work ethic.

No, you must make a choice at the time of application.

Yes. The Graduate School can help with this, but you must still adhere to our requirements and deadlines. 

No, we only have one admission cycle. Applications are due December 1 for the Ph.D. program; students start in the fall semester of the following year.

All application materials are submitted online via the Graduate School’s application system.

No, a portfolio is not required for the Ph.D. degree.

No, but scholarly writing sample submissions are preferred (e.g., master’s thesis; peer-reviewed journal article, senior honors project).

One writing sample is sufficient.

The Department of Human Centered Design provides four years of funding to Ph.D. students, as long as students’ progress and performance is satisfactory. This funding may take the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, fellowships or some combination and is typically for the nine-month academic year.

No, it is not necessary to have a M.S. or M.A. before beginning the Ph.D. 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).

A background in both design and research is preferred, but students come from a variety of disciplines.

Yes. However, if substantial progress has not been made on their master’s, then it’s a long shot. Applicants should understand two things: 

  1. Their Ph.D. work will take four years to complete.
  2. Lack of substantial progress on their master’s thesis will be viewed as a liability.

No. Academic letters of recommendation are valuable; however recommendations should be from people who can best assess the qualities, characteristics and capabilities of the applicant. 

Cornell’s institutional test code for ETS is 2098. DEA’s department code is 4499.

DEA recommends a combined verbal/quantitative GRE score of 310 but this is not an absolute cutoff. Candidates with strong applications, but scores below 310, may be considered. You may submit scores to DEA more than once if you re-take the test. Your scores may not be older than 5 years. Please plan to take the GRE in time to submit your scores by the application due date. 

Yes, scores need to be submitted.  The GRE can be retaken, but scores must be submitted by the application deadline. 

We strongly encourage you to take the GRE and TOEFL/IELTS tests early enough that your scores will be received by our application due date. We may allow some latitude, however. If your official scores have not arrived by the due date, but your unofficial scores have, we may hold your application if approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. Your scores are automatically reported to Cornell by the testing service (ETS) as soon as they are ready, and the Graduate Field Assistant will automatically add them to your application packet.

Please see the graduate school's website.

DEA recommends a GPA of 3.0 (minimum), but this is not an absolute cutoff. 

The online application requires you to upload an unofficial copy of each official transcript from each college or university previously attended. Admitted students who accept the admission offer are required to submit an official transcript prior to matriculation. For more information visit the Graduate School transcripts page.

We recommend that you periodically check your application online to see if it is complete, especially if you are waiting for letters of recommendation to be uploaded. DEA’s Graduate Field Assistant may, as a courtesy, send you a reminder if you have missing information when the committee begins to review applications. If you have questions, please contact DEA’s Graduate Field Assistant at deagrad [at] cornell.edu.

We expect admitted Ph.D. students to begin in the term for which they are admitted. Deferments are not guaranteed.
A one-year deferment may be granted by exception only. The applicant must first accept our offer and submit a written request by the reply-by date (typically April 15), with official documentation (for example, medical or legal records).
Requests are reviewed by the DGS in consultation with the Graduate School, and any approval depends on reconfirmed funding and advisor availability for the new start term.
Applicants whose deferment request is not approved must reapply in a future cycle if they wish to be considered again, and applicants cannot defer admission after declining our offer.
 

Yes, but this is on a case-by-case basis, and the DEA Graduate Faculty will make decisions as to what is allowed or not allowed. Typically, you will need to provide a syllabus for your prior course(s).

If you would like to schedule a visit, you should first make an appointment with DEA’s Director of Graduate Studies. If you would like to meet with other D+EA Faculty, you could also schedule meetings with them while you are on campus. Many students also enjoy taking a walking tour of campus while they are here. Other useful links include the campus map and Visit Ithaca.

Our Ph.D. students often find jobs in academia but some choose to pursue jobs in industry (e.g. Apple, Google) or as design researchers/environmental psychologists within large architecture firms.

Yes, The Graduate School regularly collects and shares information on graduate student experiences and outcomes to support prospective applicants in their decision-making process. For more information please see their program metrics.

No, DEA does not offer online classes for the Ph.D. program.

Yes, the Ph.D. program is STEM certified.

The first two years are dedicated primarily to course work (in your major field and two minor fields). At the end of year 2, Ph.D. students complete qualifying exams (“A Exam”).  Arrangements for your A-Exam are made with your dissertation committee. A dissertation is required. Years 3 and 4 focus primarily on research and the completion of the dissertation. The “B Exam” is the dissertation defense. 

4 years

Yes, Ph.D. students are expected to be on campus for the duration of the 4-year program. For more information please see Residential Life.

This depends on what sort of funding is awarded to the doctoral student. In most cases, Ph.D. students will be asked to function as a teaching assistant for at least part of their time in the program.

Yes.