The first PhD by practical design work graduated from the Faculty of Design in 2004. Several students are currently pursuing doctoral research in the Faculty. The PhD through practice entails a practitioner producing a body of work within a critically reflective frame of enquiry with the intention of extending and innovating an area of design practice or addressing a specific design question or area of strategic design thinking and research.
NCAD is currently seeking applications for PhD study in:
* Ceramics, Glass and Metals
* Fashion and Textiles
* Industrial Design
* Visual Communication
In the context of the new National Digital Research Centre (NDRC), research proposals are welcomed on innovations in digital technologies including:
* User-studies
* Content development
* Service design
* Collaboration-based design research
Further opportunities for funded NDRC research placements will be posted regularly on the NCAD website.
The written component of the PhD submission is typically 20,000 to 40,000 words in length. The Faculty welcomes proposals which address contemporary design practice and is interested in innovative approaches to design practice. Applicants interested in discussing the possibility of pursuing PhD studies in Design should contact the Head of Research & Postgraduate Development at
NCAD PhD researchers currently work in:
* Emergent critical practices in computer gaming design.
* Context specific public signage.
* Proto-textual signs and expressive mark-making.
* Design and Affect.