Curtin University

What you'll study

This PhD is a supervised, research-intensive programme in which you design and complete an original thesis that contributes new knowledge to architecture or interior architecture. Research topics span design theory and history, advanced digital design and fabrication, environmental and sustainable design, materiality and construction, heritage and conservation, urban and landscape-scaled design, health and wellbeing in the built environment, and practice-based design research.

Your candidature typically involves:

• Development of a focused research proposal and research questions.
• Regular supervision with an academic team drawn from Curtin’s architecture, interior architecture and allied disciplines.
• A confirmation process early in candidature to establish research viability and methods.
• Methodological training, ethics approvals where applicable, and participation in research seminars and workshops.
• Production of a written thesis and, where appropriate for practice-based research, accompanying creative work or artefacts and an exegesis that contextualises the practice output.

Research training emphasises rigorous methods—qualitative, quantitative, mixed methods, design research, and practice-led approaches—and may include collaborative or interdisciplinary projects with other research centres across Curtin.

Entry requirements

Applicants are expected to hold a relevant master’s degree with a substantial research component or a first-class honours degree in architecture, interior architecture or a closely related discipline. Equivalent professional experience combined with prior research work may be considered in lieu of formal qualifications.

• A detailed research proposal outlining aims, significance, methodology and potential supervisors.
• Academic transcripts and certified copies of prior degrees.
• A curriculum vitae demonstrating relevant professional or research experience.
• Referee reports or academic references that can comment on research potential.
• Evidence of English language proficiency where your previous study was not in English, as per Curtin’s graduate research entry standards.

Meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee admission; selection is based on the clarity and viability of the research proposal and the availability of appropriate supervision and resources.

Career prospects

Graduates of the PhD in Architecture and Interior Architecture move into a range of advanced roles across academia, research and professional practice. Typical career pathways include:

• Academic positions and research fellowships, teaching architecture or interior architecture and leading research projects.
• Senior design and technical leadership roles within architectural and interior design practices, including roles focused on innovation, sustainability, digital fabrication and research & development.
• Consultancy and specialist advisory roles in heritage conservation, urban design, environmental performance and building technology.
• Policy, government and industry roles concerned with planning, building regulation, and the delivery of public space and infrastructure.
• Leadership positions in interdisciplinary research centres, cultural organisations or non-governmental organisations engaged with the built environment.

Why study at Curtin University

Curtin offers an applied, research-led environment with strengths in sustainable built environment research and technology-informed design. As a doctoral candidate you will benefit from access to specialist facilities, including digital fabrication workshops, environmental testing and modelling laboratories, and exhibition spaces used for practice-led research dissemination.

Curtin’s School of Design and the university’s research centres foster interdisciplinary collaboration with engineering, planning, health and materials science, enabling research that addresses real-world challenges in construction, urban resilience and occupant wellbeing. The school maintains industry links and partnerships that support practice-based projects, placements and knowledge exchange, helping bridge academic research and professional application.

Supervision is provided by experienced academics active in international research networks, and doctoral candidates are encouraged to publish, present at conferences, and participate in the school’s seminar and workshop program to develop research impact and career-ready skills.