Clemson University’s School of Architecture is offering a new hybrid Ph.D. option aimed at working professionals and researchers who wish to earn a terminal degree without relocating to campus.
The Ph.D. in Design and the Built Environment was designed to prepare future academics, researchers and industry leaders in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, planning, historic preservation, real estate development and other fields, according to a news release.
The Ph.D. in Design and the Built Environment is co-directed by Dina Battisto, Vincent Blouin and Ufuk Ersoy.
The program’s new hybrid option will allow candidates to complete their coursework through synchronous online learning while only requiring participants to be on campus once a year for key milestones such as dissertation proposal presentations and final defenses, the release said.
“Our new hybrid option is ideal for working professionals who value flexibility, independence and the ability to pursue a Ph.D. without disrupting their careers, family lives or financial stability,” Battisto said in the release.
The hybrid option requires 61 credit hours, including core courses, electives and dissertation research. Students can enroll full-time, which requires completing 20 credits per year over three years, or part-time, taking 12 to 14 credits annually over four to five years.
“Interested students will be able to gain expertise in a specific area or transition to a higher-level position,” Blouin said in the release. “Many professionals are already established in their fields but desire further academic credentials to boost their expertise, leadership capabilities or credibility.”
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The program leverages HyFlex, a dual-mobility format where students join synchronously online alongside traditional face-to-face instruction, ensuring remote students can engage with their professors and program colleagues in real time, the release stated.
“This hybrid option allows professionals working anywhere in the United States to obtain a Ph.D.,” said Ersoy in the release. “Students will still benefit from being part of a vibrant research community and be supported by a close-knit network of faculty from various academic programs.”
Applications for the fall 2025 cohort are open. Interested candidates must have a master’s degree in a design-related field and meet all application requirements, including submission of a research statement, academic transcripts, recommendation letters and GRE test scores.
“The School of Architecture is committed to expanding access to high-quality doctoral education while maintaining the collaborative, interdisciplinary approach that defines it,” Jim Stevens, director of the School of Architecture, said in the release. “The new hybrid option for the DBE program allows working professionals and researchers to engage in rigorous scholarship and contribute to the advancement of the built environment without having to relocate or impact their career.”
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