Design, Environment and the Arts (Healthcare and Healing Environments), PhD

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.

Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a master's degree in the field of design, interior design, architecture, nursing or other related fields from a regionally accredited institution.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program or a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

1. graduate admission application and application fee
2. official transcripts
3. GRE scores
4. three letters of recommendation
5. a statement of purpose summarizing career objectives and the reasons for pursuing doctoral education
6. an indication of proposed area of concentration (design, history, theory and criticism; digital culture in design; or health care and healing environments)
7. an indication of a potential mentor
8. a sample of sole-authored written work in English or any other evidence relevant to admission to the program (i.e., master's degree thesis, research paper or published articles)
9. proof of English proficiency

Additional Application Information
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency. Admission to doctoral programs in The Design School requires a minimum TOEFL iBT® score of 4.5, or 90 (taken at testing center) if taken before January 21, 2026; a minimum IELTS overall band score of 7.0; a minimum PTE score of 65; a minimum Duolingo English Test score of 115; or a minimum Cambridge English exam score of 185.

International applicants who are interested in receiving funding as teaching assistants must take the Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit, administered at ASU, and become certified. Additional information is available on the department website.

ASU does not accept the GRE® General Test at home edition.

Ideal candidates must already hold a master's degree in design, interior design, architecture, nursing or other related fields. A statement of intent should express interest in the health care research and design concentration. If students enter the program with no design or health care background, they must take certain additional courses.

The letters of recommendation preferably would be academic, although they could be professional. Applicants provide the names and contact information of three recommenders at the time of their online application. Recommenders receive an email with a link to the online letter of recommendation to complete. Applicants are able to see which recommenders have already completed their recommendation by logging into the My ASU system and viewing their To Do list. Once a recommender has submitted the letter of recommendation, the recommender's name is removed from the To Do list. All letters must be in English.

Applicants should identify a proposed research topic, or list of possible topics, that aligns with the research mission of the program and the research interests of faculty.

Applicants must have identified a doctoral program faculty member who has agreed to serve as a mentor. The faculty mentor should be from the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts. Applicants are recommended to introduce themselves by email to the faculty members who they feel have related research interests and to inquire about their availability to be mentors.

The application is considered incomplete if any of the application items is missing.

The doctoral executive committee evaluates the applications and supporting materials. Admission decisions are based on the ability of the potential mentor to devote time to the student, the compatibility of the applicant's career goals with the purpose of the degree program, GRE scores, previous academic training and performance, recommendation letters, and the research mission of the institute and the research interests of faculty. The recommendations of the committee are forwarded to the program director for approval. Upon the written recommendation from the program director, the dean of the Graduate College notifies all applicants, in writing, of the admission decision.