At the College of Design, there are about 185 graduate and post-graduate students, accounting for about 25 percent of the total student population. Graduate students pursue professional master’s degrees in five discipline areas: Architecture, Art & Design, Landscape Architecture, Graphic Design and Industrial Design. Entering graduate students may hold undergraduate degrees in design, but many do not. They are scientists, communication specialists, educators, engineers and others who are pursuing a new field of study for changing careers.

The mission of the Doctor of Philosophy in Design program in the College of Design at North Carolina State University is to advance knowledge in design through research and scholarship. This mission is built on the recognition of fertile common ground between the design disciplines and on the need for specificity and depth within them. The PhD program, therefore, values a broad range of research interests that aim to improve the human condition. Program information is at: http://www.ncsu.edu/www/ncsu/design/sod5/phd/index.html

The Research, Extension and Sponsored Programs unit offers a vibrant training ground for scholarly and professional work. Here faculty researchers assist communities across North Carolina and beyond. They are called upon for expertise in land use planning, watershed planning, environmental design, design of public spaces, universal design, computer modeling technology, and more. All projects utilize the energetic network of design faculty and students, an important resource to the state’s Cooperative Extension program.