Human Ecology: Design Studies, Ph.D.

Program Overview

The Design Studies doctoral program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers three concentrations: Design History, Environmental Design Research, and Textile Science. Students develop research and communication skills through core courses, concentrations, and specializations. The program prepares graduates for careers in design practice, research, teaching, museum work, community engagement, and entrepreneurship.

Program Outline

Outline:

Content:

The Design Studies graduate program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison offers a doctoral program that prepares students for professional design careers, specialized research, college teaching, museum or archival work, community engagement, and entrepreneurial endeavors. The program is grounded in the production of original and rigorous research. Students are encouraged to shape their own approaches as they develop mastery of the research and communication skills necessary to complete their research agendas. Through a combination of core courses, concentrations, major specializations, and minor specializations, students acquire content knowledge, theoretical foundations, and methodological approaches needed for their work.

Structure:

The Ph.D. program currently offers three areas of concentration: Design History (DH Track) Environmental Design Research (EDR Track) Textile Science (TS)

Individual Modules with Descriptions:

Design History (DH Track)

• Design History seeks to understand design in its historical context, as both a process and a product.
Our program defines design broadly to include architecture, interior design, industrial design, decorative arts, and other areas of material culture. The Design Studies department offers many opportunities for interdisciplinary study on the UW–Madison campus and has strong ties to other disciplines including art history and landscape architecture. Design History Ph.D. students also have access to coursework and faculty members from allied programs, including the Material Culture Studies Certificate and the Buildings–Landscapes–Cultures Program (a collaborative research degree offered through UW–Madison and UW–Milwaukee).

Environmental Design Research (EDR Track)

• Environmental Design Research addresses the interaction between people and their built, natural, and/or virtual environments with a clear goal to create environments that are sustainable and responsive to human needs.
The faculty and graduates of the program have pioneered studies in environment-behavior, evidence-based design, building evaluation, sustainability, aging and environment, children’s environment, environments for special population, and emerging technologies and applications of virtual reality. While drawing from campus-wide resources, the faculty and students in EDR closely work with its allies within the School of Human Ecology, which include community psychologists, developmental psychologists, and scholars from consumer science. EDR students also have the opportunity to work with the Department of Planning and Landscape Architecture, and with the UW–Milwaukee School of Architecture and Urban Planning.

Textile Science (TS)

• Textile Science investigates the interaction of dyes and finishes with fibers, yarns, and fabrics.
Faculty and students in this program focus on sustainability and work to develop chemicals and processes that are safer for the end-user, textile workers, and the environment. Students achieve this by developing and using chemicals, dyes, and finishes, and by reducing the amount of chemicals, water, and energy used in these processes. The DS Textile Lab offers equipment for textile quality control, dyeing, finishing, and plasma. The Materials Science Lab offers analytical equipment such as ESCA, an Atomic Force Microscope, an Electron Microscope, and FTIR.

Faculty:

The Design Studies department offers a doctoral program with the aim of preparing students for professional design careers, specialized research, college teaching, museum or archival work, community engagement, and entrepreneurial endeavors. The graduate faculty is comprised of interdisciplinary scholars, designers, scientists, and artists who mentor and assist graduate students as they build individual programs of study.

Careers: