Organization of Education:

All aspects of the DSD program are organized around Graduate level electives in the Graduate School MSc 3&4 track, participation in Research Projects (see: Research Portfolio), and independent development of a candidates dissertation work. 
Candidates will be guided by DSD Faculty and Advanced Research and Teaching staff. External Faculty members from Leiden University, Department of Architecture History and Theory, will contribute  teaching as well.

Over the first year the dissertation work must exhibit progressive development and refinement. At the end of the first year, candidates will be required to submit a report documenting the results of the course work carried out. Candidates who successfully meet the standards of research capabilities as defined by the course work, and/or those who provide equivalent proof of these capabilities, will be asked to submit a definitive dissertation draft within the following six months.

Candidates will subsequently present the results of dissertation research to a research review committee in order to determine if the work is sufficient to continue with further development. This evaluation will be based on a go/no go policy (pass/fail). This process will conclude the first one-and a half year period of the DSD PhD program.

Approval for continuing with the PhD program will be given to candidates whose dissertation work has been evaluated by the review committee as both worthy of Doctoral staus research and feasible for completion in the two-and a half year period remaining.

Naturally, the final phase of the DSD PhD program will result in the Defense of the candidates Dissertation Manuscript.  The Dissertation Defense is a publicly held and highly ceremonial  event with procedural guidelines applicable to all PhD candidates at the TU Delft. 

Note: The DSD PhD program will meet with all  requirements as laid out by the  Executive Board of the Delft University of Technology. Candidates accepted to the DSD PhD program will be provided with all relevant official documentation.

Course Curriculum:

In addition to the necessary deepening of knowledge required to become an expert in the student's chosen field, the Ph.D. education provides broad-based training towards becoming an accomplished researcher. Core seminars will be offered which address methodological and technical problems, as well as  presentation and writing skills every PhD candidate must cope with. Advanced research seminars and lectures will also be offered by both DSD faculty and affiliate university faculty members.