The PhD in Human Centered Design program will prepare students to analyze, create, and evaluate artifacts and/or socio-technical systems, with emphasis on the dissemination of research findings to scholarly outlets as well as practical implications to society. The program encompasses a broad range of topics including the learning sciences, computer science, human computer interaction, game development and psychology.

Students can be considered for part-time admission. See below for details. 

Application Deadlines

The Human Centered Design PhD admits students twice a year, in the Fall and Winter quarters. Applications and all supporting documents should be submitted as early as possible, but not later than:

• Fall quarter deadline: January 15
• Winter quarter deadline: October 1

PhD Funding

Please visit our PhD Funding page for full details. Only full-time applicants for Fall admission are considered for funding.

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor's degree awarded from a college or university with institutional accreditation. Degree may be earned in any field.
• Research statement. A 2-page statement that speaks to the applicant's research-related experiences to-date, a potential research question you are interested in exploring, how you see your research supported in the School of Design and by your selected faculty advisor, and future goals and how a PhD helps you achieve this.
• Resume or CV
• Three letters of recommendation
• Identify potential faculty advisor(s). Review the HCD PhD Faculty Advisor List and list up to two potential PhD advisors in your online application.
• Test of English Proficiency for international students. We require at least a 92 on the internet-based TOEFL*, a 6.5 on the IELTS Academic, or a 125 on the Duolingo English Test (DET).

*The ETS TOEFL iBT score scale has changed as of January 21, 2026. For exams taken on or after January 21, 2026, the minimum score requirement is a 4.5 with no sub scores below 4.5 (on the new 1–6 scale). Exams taken prior to January 21, 2026 (with scores on the 0–120 scale) are still valid for two years from the exam date, and will be accepted until expiration.

Steps to Apply

1. Complete an online application and submit application fee ($25 application fee for domestic applicants, $75 for international applicants).
2. Submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. One must show conferral of a Bachelor's degree from a college or university with institutional accreditation.
   • U.S. college and university transcripts should be submitted electronically (preferred) or mailed to:
     • admission@cdm.depaul.edu
       CDM Graduate Admission Office 
       1 E. Jackson Blvd., Suite 8500 
       Chicago IL 60604
   • Individuals submitting international transcripts must have a course-by-course transcript evaluation completed by DePaul's internal transcript evaluation team or by one of three external evaluation companies that DePaul University accepts. For more information about this process please visit the Transcript Evaluation webpage.
   • DePaul alumni/undergraduate students applying for graduate admission must also submit a DePaul transcript. You can request a free electronic transcript on the Student Records webpage.
3. Submit all application materials listed above, under Admission Requirements.

When required application materials are missing, the College is compelled by University regulations to withdraw the application from consideration for admission. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that all materials are submitted on time.

All submitted application materials will become part of your application file and cannot be returned. Please retain your own copies.

The program is highly selective.The Ph.D. Admissions Committee determines which applicants will be admitted to the program. Because the School admits only a limited number of students to the Ph.D. program, meeting the admission requirements outlined above does not guarantee acceptance.

Submitting Application Materials

Most materials (excluding official transcripts and test scores) can be submitted through the online application.

If providing GRE or TOEFL scores, please note that GRE and TOEFL scores must be official copies sent directly to CDM Graduate Admission Office by ETS:

• The Institution Code for the GRE is 1165
• The Department Code for the GRE is 0402
• The Institution Code for the TOEFL is 1165

Any materials not submitted through the online application may be submitted electronically (preferred) or mailed to:

admission@cdm.depaul.edu

CDM Graduate Admission Office 
1 E. Jackson Blvd., Suite 8500 
Chicago IL 60604 

Part-Time Admission

In keeping with the CDM philosophy of blending academic and professional pursuits, students employed full-time will be considered for admission as part-time doctoral students. However, these applicants must have sufficiently flexible work schedules to allow them to attend required meetings and academic seminars that occur during daytime working hours throughout their degree program.