Ph.D. in Planning, Design and Construction

The Ph.D. in Planning, Design and Construction (PDC) program prepares students for advanced research careers and teaching in universities. We train researchers and professionals to address the planning, design and construction of the built environment —buildings, facilities, interior spaces, infrastructure, neighborhoods, and communities — an integral part of our society.

The PDC program offers three concentrations for the PhD degree:

Construction management (CM)
Environmental design (ED)
Urban and regional planning (URP)

Degree Requirements

The Ph.D. degree requires completion of 45 credits with a minimum 3.0 GPA and culminates in a dissertation of original research which makes a significant contribution to knowledge.

Detailed degree requirements please see PhD Student Handbook

Please contact the Ph.D. Program Director for academic, research and program-related inquiries.

How to Apply

Applicants to the Ph.D. program must obtain a master’s degree in a related discipline and demonstrate strong capabilities to succeed in graduate study.

Applicants are highly encouraged to reach an agreement with an Advisory Faculty Member (listed below) in a desired concentration to serve as Major Professor and to secure possible funding support such as graduate assistantship.

Application deadline is February 1. Perspective applicants should complete their application by January 1 for full consideration for financial aid including fellowships, assistantship, and scholarship which are often very competitive.

Detailed application requirements please see Admissions Requirements.

Please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator for application, admission and administrative inquiries.

START YOUR ONLINE APPLICATION HERE

Once you submit an application for admission, you will receive a confirmation email. You should then log into the student portal to see the status of your application and upload any needed documents.

Dong Zhao LEED®AP

Director, Planning, Design and Construction Doctorate Program
dz@msu.edu

Graduate Program Coordinator

Jordan Kenyon

Graduate Program Coordinator
kenyonj6@msu.edu

Advisory Faculty for PhD Concentrations

Xiaowei Li

Assistant Professor, Landscape Architecture
xiaoweil@msu.edu
(517)353-9207
Trish Machemer

Associate Professor, Landscape Architecture Program and Urban & Regional Planning Program
machemer@msu.edu
517-353-9047
Sinem Mollaoglu, LEED®AP, CGP

Professor, Construction Management
sinemm@msu.edu
517-353-3252
Deyanira Nevarez Martinez

Assistant Professor, Urban and Regional Planning
nevarez1@msu.edu
517-432-1148
Linda Nubani

Associate Professor and Program Director, Interior Design; Program Coordinator, Crime Prevention through Environmental Design Program
nubanili@msu.edu
517-432-2330
Laura A. Reese

Professor, Urban & Regional Planning
reesela@msu.edu
517-353-5942
Fatemeh Saeidi-Rizi, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Landscape Architecture
saeidiri@msu.edu
517-432-6379
Wonmin Sohn

Assistant Professor, Landscape Architecture
wonmin@msu.edu
517-353-0677
Matt Syal, LEED©AP, CPC, CGP

Professor, Construction Management; Adjunct Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
syalm@msu.edu
517-432-2951
Mark Wilson

Professor, Urban & Regional Planning
wilsonmm@msu.edu
517-353-9056