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PhD of Industrial Design
Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University
- Suzhou, China
- 3 years
- English
- On campus
- PhD
About the program
Four-year design degree in product, Furniture and systems design.
Program highlights
- Internship available: no
- Placement support: yes
- Work during study: yes
- Post-study work rights: no
- PR pathway friendly: no
What you will learn
- Apply concepts and methods in Industrial Design to solve relevant problems. Develop competence in Four-year programme. Year 1: form and structure
- Drawing. Present findings clearly and consider professional or research ethics.
Career outcomes
- Consumer and commercial product design
- Furniture design
- Systems and service design
- Emerging technologies
- Interaction design
- Health and wellness products
- Automotive and transportation design
- Toy design
Curriculum
- Four-year programme. Year 1: form and structure
- Drawing
- Communicating through form
- Visual and material culture. Year 2: emerging technology
- 3D drawing
- Materials
- Design theory. Year 3: design for health
- Design research
- Experience design
- Professional preparation. Year 4: major design project shown at GradEx
- Minors possible.
Entry requirements
Academic
- Bachelor and master degrees in a relevant field: UK first or 2:1 bachelor and Pass with Merit master
- North America 3.0/4.0
- or China 75-85% weighted average
- Exceptional bachelor-only candidates are considered individually.
Accepted academic background
Bachelor and master degrees in a relevant field, Exceptional bachelor-only candidates considered individually
Language tests
- IELTS 6.5 - 7.0 (min 6.0 - 6.5 per band)
- TOEFL iBT 88 - 100 (or 4.5 - 5.0 overall on the new scale from 2026-01-21)
- PTE Academic 61 - 69
Documents you’ll need
- Research proposal
- Bachelor and master degree transcripts and certificates
- English proficiency results
- Statement of purpose
- CV
- Two signed academic reference letters
- Passport copy for international applicants
- Translations where needed
- Additional writing sample if programme requests
How to apply
- Contact potential research supervisors and identify an available project in the doctoral programme. Check the programme entry criteria and choose an existing funded project or another permissible research funding route. Prepare a research proposal
- academic qualifications
- English proficiency evidence
- references
- a CV
- passport documents. Apply through the doctoral application portal. For a funded project beginning in Sep-2027
- the published general deadline is 30/04/2027; self-funded and merit-based applications follow a different schedule. Monitor the portal and respond to any request for additional documents.
Other costs
| Tuition per year | ¥99,000 CNY |
|---|---|
| Application fee | _ |
| Deposit | _ |
Program details
| Campus | Suzhou Campus |
|---|---|
| Faculty or school | Design School |
| Department | _ |
| Teaching language | English |
| Credit value | _ |
| Study pace | _ |
| Post-study stay | _ |
| Scholarship note | _ |
Intakes and deadlines
Program starts
June 2027
Apply by
15 Jan 2027
63 days leftProgram starts
September 2027
Apply by
30 Apr 2027
168 days leftProgram starts
March 2027
Apply by
No deadline listed
Frequently asked questions
The program takes 3 years.
The next deadline is 15 Jan 2027. Apply early, because some programs close when places fill up.
Tuition is ¥99,000 CNY per year. The estimated living cost is ¥77,400 CNY.
Accepted language tests: IELTS 6.5 - 7.0 (min 6.0 - 6.5 per band), TOEFL iBT 88 - 100 (or 4.5 - 5.0 overall on the new scale from 2026-01-21), PTE Academic 61 - 69.