The Doctor of Philosophy is offered in three fields: Architecture, Engineering, and Construction Management (AECM); Building Performance and Diagnostics (BPD); and Computational Design (CD), for those who wish to specialize in research and to prepare for academic careers as well as leadership in industry and practice. These programs share:

• A firm commitment to the highest standards of research among institutions of higher education and of practice in the field of design of the built environment;
• Leadership provided by the mature and highly qualified faculty of the School, augmented by their colleagues in other departments of the University; and
• A well prepared and qualified student body undertaking programs of study with strong technical and analytical requirements.

The PhD program in Building Performance and Diagnostics merges fundamental knowledge in building science and environmental physics (energy conservation, lighting, acoustics, indoor air quality) with advance building systems integration and innovative design processes. Pursuing parallel goals of human ecology, environmental sustainability, and advanced building design and construction, the faculty of the Center for Building Performance and Diagnostics (CBPD) possess an interdisciplinary and complementary range of expertise, from professional practice to fundamental and applied research.

In 1988, the Center established the Advanced Building Systems Integration Consortium (ABSIC), a university-industry-government partnership that supports the collaborative research of the CBPD. The National Science Foundation has designated the CBPD as an Industry/University Cooperative Research Center. The Center is instrumental in the application of major systems integration concepts and advanced technologies to significant building project in the USA and around the world, in China, Korea, France and Germany. Together with ABSIC, the CBPD has constructed the Robert L. Preger Intelligent Workplace. This demonstration facility is a "living" and "lived-in" laboratory for teaching and research in the performance of innovative building products and assemblies integrated into an actual working office. Equipped with advanced computer and diagnostic equipment, the facility informs education and professional practice.

The PhD program in Computational Design started in the late 1960's and is among the best known in the country. From the beginning, the program has benefited from close cooperation with other units in the university, especially the School of Computer Science and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Research has always concentrated on fundamental issues that arise in connection with the emergence of computers as a new design and decision-making tool and medium. Its general mission is to advance the state-of-the-art in computing technology and building design and to contribute to the establishment of a rigorous foundation for its use.

Current research exploits the potential of computation in researching and developing systems, methods, and tools for design that surpass limitations inherent in more traditional media. Principal areas of concentration have been formal grammars applied to the analysis and generation of designs, knowledge-based design systems, integrated design systems, and cognitive studies of the way designers and architects perform their tasks. The School's research is recognized internationally for its rigor and interdisciplinary orientation. Sponsored research in computational design includes work funded by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute for Standards and Technology. Faculty members also conduct collaborative research through their affiliations with the Institute for Complex Engineering Systems (ICES) and other Carnegie Mellon departments. Graduates of the program have gone on to become leaders in the industry and education.