NetherlandsThe research carried out by the Department of Architectural Engineering + Technology seeks for resilience, innovation and sustainability at various scales within the design of buildings and the built environment. The strength of the programme lies in an interdisciplinary approach and direct interaction between a broad range of expertise domains represented within the research programme.
Resilience, innovation and sustainability are focal points within the research programme. More specifically, the research programme is seeking resilience, innovation and sustainability at a variety of scales, ranging from the building product scale, via the façade and structural assembly, to the overall building physical, indoor environment and climate design of buildings and the built environment.
This is addressed through an integrated approach across the six expertise fields that are represented within the research programme, which are Climate & Resources, Comfort & Health, Facades & The Making, Structures & Materials, Computational Performance and Heritage & Architecture. By combining the core competences that are embedded within these expertise domains and through direct collaboration with the market, progressive research results are obtained on a variety of research themes, such as energy transition, climate adaptation, health and comfort of occupants, new material applications, heritage, circular design, intelligent skins and additive manufacturing and many others as indicated in the figure below.
Societal/scientific quality and relevance of the research
The research is closely linked to societal issues in the field of sustainable development, climate adaptation and the ageing of the population. All these with the user of the building in focus and in direct interaction with the existing technology and technological innovations. Many of its research projects are initiated with parties from the public and commercial market and serve both scientific development in new areas and dissemination in the built environment or building industry. This is facilitated through a solid foundation of financial, material and human resources.
The research programme has strong links with the market, public and private. In fact, the results are adopted by stakeholders outside the university, such as in the design, engineering, planning and manufacturing sectors. Also, the results are actively communicated to the general public and published in high level scientific publications.
The future
The competencies of the Architectural Engineering + Technology department and the department’s research themes are specialist areas that are under continuous development and enhancement. The research themes are subject to particular attention because of their societal and market urgency.
PHD ADMISSIONS
The admission requirements for doctoral candidates are recorded in Article 2 of the TU Delft Doctoral Regulations.
More detailed information can be found in the back of the Regulations, in section A of the Implementation Decree.
Admission requirements
According to Dutch law and the TU Delft Doctoral Regulations a doctoral candidate should be in possession of a Dutch Master’s degree. This may be a Master of Science or a Master of Arts degree from a University or College of Higher Education.
Naturally, doctoral candidates with foreign Master degrees are also admitted to TU Delft. Some foreign degrees are evaluated by the TU Delft Admissions Office. This office determines whether the foreign degree can be considered as an equivalent of the Dutch Master degree.
N.B. TU Delft Faculty Graduate Schools (FGS) may have additional admission requirements. Therefore, please visit the webpage of your intended FGS.
Preparation and paperwork
For every would-be doctoral candidate of TU Delft, a check of their eligibility is standard procedure. This means that, besides a letter and a CV, all applications must include scans of the (highest) diploma and transcript. Furthermore, at the start of their Doctoral Programme all doctoral candidates must be registered as such at the TU Delft Graduate School. For more information about registration and the required documents see Intake Meeting.
According to Dutch law and the TU Delft Doctoral Regulations a doctoral candidate should be in possession of a Dutch Master’s degree. This may be a Master of Science or a Master of Arts degree from a University or College of Higher Education.
Naturally, doctoral candidates with foreign Master degrees are also admitted to TU Delft. Some foreign degrees are evaluated by the TU Delft Admissions Office. This office determines whether the foreign degree can be considered as an equivalent of the Dutch Master degree.
N.B. TU Delft Faculty Graduate Schools (FGS) may have additional admission requirements. Therefore, please visit the webpage of your intended FGS.
Article 2 Doctorate
2.1. The degree of Doctor can be obtained at TU Delft following the public defence of a doctoral dissertation before the Board for Doctorates or the doctoral committee appointed by it. The Board for Doctorates will award the degree of Doctor. By way of a departure from that stipulated in the other Articles in these Regulations, the provisions of Article 21 will apply to the awarding of the honorary doctoral degree.
2.2. Admission to the doctoral defence ceremony will be open to anyone:
– who has been awarded the degree of Master in accordance with Section 7.10 a, paragraph 1, 2 or 3 of the WHW, and
– who, as proof of competence to practice science independently has written a doctoral dissertation, and
– has met the other requirements set in these Doctoral
Regulations with regard to, among other things:
– completing a Doctoral programme,
– following a DE programme and
– the quality and content of the doctoral dissertation.
2.3. In exceptional circumstances, the Board for Doctorates can, on his request, admit access to the doctoral programme and the doctoral defence ceremony to a person who is not in possession of the required degree but who meets the requirements stipulated in Article 2.2b and c, if the person requesting this demonstrates in some other way, and to the satisfaction of the Board for Doctorates, that he has sufficient knowledge. The Board for Doctorates can determine more specific rules for this in the Implementation Decree.
Article 4 Start of Doctoral Programme
4.1. A person who wishes to complete a Doctoral Programme in order to obtain a doctorate must:
– enter into consultations with the most appropriate full professor or the most appropriate staff member with a doctorate to whom the ius promovendi has been awarded in view of the field of science involved and reach agreement on the subject of the doctoral research, the title of the doctoral dissertation and his willingness to act as promotor, and
– register as a doctoral candidate at the TU Delft Graduate School by submitting valid proof of identity and a certified copy of a degree certificate as defined in Article 2.2a or a copy of the awarding of access pursuant to Article 2.3.
4.2. When the conditions stipulated in 4.1 have been met, the TU Delft Graduate School will ensure that a statement is issued as soon as possible on behalf of the Board for Doctorates detailing the registration as a doctoral candidate and the appointment as intended promotor of the person referred to in 4.1a, and, if applicable, the appointment of an intended copromotor.
4.3. Within three months of the start of the Doctoral Programme, the doctoral candidate must have made agreements with his intended promotor on his supervision and the content of the DE Programme to be followed by him, and this must be recorded in a PhD agreement and submitted to the Faculty Graduate School.
Article 5 Doctoral candidate and preparation of doctoral dissertation
5.1. The doctoral candidate will conduct independent scientific research. He will also maintain the customary academic contacts with his fellow scientists.
5.2. The doctoral candidate is responsible for producing the doctoral dissertation as a contribution to science and for ensuring that the research is conducted:
– in accordance with the code of conduct and professional code that apply to professional activities in the area of science concerned;
– according to the statutory regulations and university regulations applicable, in all events, for research involving animal testing, hazardous (e.g. radioactive) materials, hazardous (e.g. biological) substances; and c. without the imposition of any limitations that conflict with academic freedom on the research and the freedom of publication of data and results from the research, also insofar as (part of) the research is funded by third parties.
