PhD Design in Lancaster United Kingdom | Lancaster University

At Lancaster, your Design PhD allows you to specialize in a specific area of Design or pursue an interdisciplinary research topic. You'll typically work with two supervisors who provide dedicated guidance and constructive feedback throughout your studies. When needed, your second supervisor may come from another discipline within LICA or a different university department to ensure the best support for your research.

Our program has overseen PhD projects across diverse fields including design management, urban planning, speculative design, user experience design, healthcare design, sustainable design, traditional craft studies, and digital fabrication. Many students have conducted fieldwork both within the UK and internationally, in locations such as the US, Turkey, Malaysia, Thailand, and China. We actively support our PhD candidates in presenting their research at global conferences and publishing in academic journals.

Your Design PhD at Lancaster offers flexibility in format - you can choose between a traditional written dissertation or a combined approach incorporating both written analysis and creative practice. Our faculty includes practicing researchers in design, arts, theater, and film, supported by technical staff and well-equipped facilities including workshops and editing suites for student use.