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
- Instruction Mode: In Person
- Location: Ithaca, NY
- Minimum Credits for Degree: 108
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
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.
