The SALA Design, Technology and Society (DTS) Ph.D. program will train designers who will become leaders in advanced specialized research within the design disciplines, develop innovations in technological applications, and create inclusive solutions towards understanding the complex social, cultural, economic and political forces that inform and shape the built environment.
The program provides rigorous research training that will result in the rethinking of the design disciplines through a new generation of scholars and professionals. The program will not separate design disciplines, nor isolate concerns of architecture or landscape architecture from ethics, socioeconomics, environmentalism, and engineering. Interdisciplinary research across design, technology, and society will frame every DTS Ph.D. scholar, from the projects they undertake, the supervisors that will guide them, and the research grants that will support them.
The Ph.D. program builds upon the strengths of SALA as an interdisciplinary hub for design research and experimentation, where experts in architecture, landscape architecture and urban design work collaboratively to address the pressing challenges of our time and apply rare cross-disciplinary research expertise.
SALA faculty investigate design, history, theory, science, and state-of-the-art solutions to ‘grand challenges’ through the School’s core research themes: housing & diversity, healthy & resilient environments, design & the future of construction, and form & aesthetics. The questions are by their nature cross-disciplinary, demanding knowledge sharing and collaboration with allied disciplines, but SALA’s research uniquely frames these topics within the established disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture and urban design.
As a School we take full advantage of Vancouver’s position as a locus for innovative sustainable design. In addition to our internationally-renowned faculty, we routinely collaborate with industry, government, non-profits and First Nations partners. Study topics often enable our students to engage with the diverse communities in our city, as well as those further afield.
The Ph.D. in Design, Technology and Society is a four to five year course of study and research. Doctoral students work under the guidance of a Supervisory Committee consisting of at least three faculty members, including the Research Supervisor.
Candidates are required to complete a minimum of 15 credits of course work. These credits will be completed as follows:
DES 562: Research seminar (3 credits)
DES 565: Research colloquium (6 credits)
A minimum of 6 credits of elective coursework (6 credits)
DES 699: Doctoral dissertation (0 credits)
Each candidate may choose their electives in consultation with their supervisor(s).
Students enrolled in the Ph.D. program will be required to complete a qualifying, comprehensive exam within the first two years of their study, and preferably within the first 18 months. In advance of this exam, students will be required to prepare and submit two written documents: a literature review and a dissertation proposal.
The SALA Ph.D. Program is governed by the general policies and procedures of the UBC Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS) and their more specific elaboration by SALA.
Applications for the 2026/27 academic year will open in fall 2025.
Each year, SALA may admit a select number of PhD students to conduct research on projects advised and funded by a SALA faculty member. Applicants are strongly encouraged to reach out to prospective supervisors well in advance to determine if there is overlap in research interests and intellectual approach and to see if prospective supervisors are taking on PhD students in any given year.
Beyond this, the SALA Admissions Committee considers many factors in making admissions decisions. These factors include academic preparation, academic capability, experience, and fit with a prospective research supervisor and with the School.
We will share a list of prospective supervisors in fall 2025. When applications open, please contact one of the faculty listed with your cv and a proposal letter outlining how your research aligns with and is informed by their scholarly activities. Applicants who are considered promising by a prospective supervisor will be invited to submit a full application before January 15.
Eligibility:
See the minimum admissions criteria for graduate studies at UBC.
Previous degree:
Applicants to the Program should hold a master’s degree at an approved university and in a course of study relevant to the disciplines of architecture, landscape architecture, and/or urban design. Accepted prior degrees include: M.Arch., M.L.A, or M.U.D. Eligible candidates may alternatively possess a master’s degree in Engineering, Geography, Art History, and similar subjects. Candidates must demonstrate clear evidence of research ability or potential. Transfer from a master’s program to the Ph.D. program is permitted under regulations set by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies.
Academic Achievement:
Canadian or American university, you must have a B+ average in your third- and fourth-year-level coursework. international university, you must have a B+ average in all coursework. Also see the UBC minimum admissions criteria for international degree holders.
English Language Proficiency:
Applicants from a university outside Canada in which English is not the primary language of instruction must provide results of an English language proficiency examination as part of their application. Tests must have been taken within the last 24 months at the time of submission of your application.
The minimum scores are:
TOEFL – 100 iBT or 600 paper based
IELTS – Overall band score of 7.0 with a minimum score of 6.5 in each component of the academic (not general) test.
Athena Leong
Student Services Coordinator, PhD
phd@sala.ubc.ca