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
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
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George Berghorn, LEED AP BD+C, CGP
Assistant Professor, Construction Management and Research Director for Mass Timber at MSU
berghorn@msu.edu
517-353-8756
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Si Chen
Assistant Professor, Urban & Regional Planning
chensi8@msu.edu
-
Noah Durst
Associate Professor, Urban & Regional Planning Program
durstnoa@msu.edu
517-353-3184
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Mohamed El-Gafy, PE
Associate Professor, Construction Management
elgafy@msu.edu
517-432-6512
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Zenia Kotval, Ph.D., FAICP
Professor and Program Director, Urban & Regional Planning
kotval@msu.edu
517-353-9362
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Zeenat Kotval-Karamchandani, AICP
Associate Professor, Urban & Regional Planning
kotvalze@msu.edu
517-353-5460
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Jesus J. Lara, Ph.D.
1855 Professor, Urban & Regional Planning
jjlara@msu.edu
(517)884-7742
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Eunsil Lee
Associate Professor, Interior Design
leeeunsi@msu.edu
517-432-3249
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Jisun Lee
Assistant Professor, Interior Design
leejisu4@msu.edu
517-884-7882
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Xiaowei Li
Assistant Professor, Landscape Architecture
xiaoweil@msu.edu
(517)353-9207