DEPARTMENT OF

Design and Environmental Analysis

 
 
Two-Year Graduate Program
 
Program Philosophy
The research tradition within the Human Environment Relations major is based in the social sciences, and particularly on environmental psychology and human factors and ergonomics. Using a systematically-generated knowledge base to guide the search for an evaluation of appropriate design solutions and methods is fundamental to the major. The underlying premise is that systematic, empirical research based in the social sciences--when combined with imagination--can contribute to the planning, design, and management of environments that enhance the individual and organizational effectiveness.
 
Program Focus

The program brings together faculty and students with expertise in the fields of interior, industrial, and graphic design, architecture, art, design history, planning, building technology, environmental psychology, human factors and ergonomics, economics, and facility planning and management to work on problems related to the interior environment.

The Human Environment Relations major rests on the following basic premises:

  • Development of the knowledge base guiding the planning, design, and management of physical settings requires systematic, empirical research.
  • Individual and organizational behaviors are affected by the form of the environment.
  • The users of environments are diverse and have different needs. Individual characteristics such as gender, stage in life cycle, family structure, role or task affect our environmental needs. In addition, organizational characteristics such as organizational culture, goals, and structure help shape building form and use. 
  • The planning, design, and management of good environments require consideration of all users, from the president, housing manager, hospital administrator, and principal to the clerk, tenant, patient, and student.
  • Understanding organizational and human needs is no less critical than understanding financial, technological and aesthetic factors influencing the planning, design, and management of our physical surroundings.
  • The processes through which environments are planned, designed, and managed are as important as the physical designs themselves.
 
Areas of Study

There are three concentrations within the Human Environment Relations major:

 
M.S. Degree

This two-year degree program is intended for students with a wide variety of undergraduate degrees who want to study the relationship between people and their physical surroundings, some aspect of facility planning and management, human factors, or housing and design.

M.S. candidates must also select a minor from fields throughout the University. Students should identify their minor committee members early on in the program to ensure they have time to take the minor’s required courses, typically 1-2 courses total.

 
M.S. Requirements

See requirements for each concentration.

NOTE: Effective as of Fall 2007, a minimum grade of B- is required for courses taken within this major.

 
Application

To find out more, visit the Graduate School web site http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/.

 

Apply on line http://www.gradschool.cornell.edu/?p=1.

 

The Department of Design & Environmental Analysis requirements

  • Statement of purpose
  • Three letters of recommendation with forms (paper or online).  Letters arriving without forms will not be evaluated
  • GRE's
  • Official transcripts
  • TOEFL - International students