We are always looking for passionate students interested in our Ph.D. program in the Department of Industrial Design at KAIST (ID KAIST) and eager to work on topics such as interactive systems and digital fabrication. Applications are accepted throughout the year and finalized in admission for the next available term (spring or fall semester).
The Ph.D. program at KAIST is fully funded, and it typically ranges between 3-5 years, with 4 years being the typical length of the program. In the first two years, you will focus on coursework and passing a qualifying exam while also starting your dive into research. In the last two years, you will work on publications and on preparing your dissertation.
Ideal candidates for the Ph.D. program should have some prior research experience (preferably in the field of HCI) and technical capabilities in designing or building interactive systems (e.g., programming, electronics, mechanical design, fabrication, user studies) demonstrated through their personal work or portfolio. We encourage students from a variety of majors to apply. Current and past lab members came from diverse fields such as design, art, business, architecture, computer science, and mechanical engineering.
Students are encouraged to express their intention to apply by filling out this form. Please note that this form is just a preliminary and optional expression of interest, while for the admission, you will still have to go through the official application process via the KAIST admission system. Students interested in obtaining a degree under my supervision should apply to the Department of Industrial Design at KAIST and indicate Prof. Andrea Bianchi as a potential advisor.
Make Lab in the department of Industrial Design at KAIST (ID KAIST) offers a fully-funded Master’s opening position every spring and fall semesters. Similarly to the doctorate progra, also the Master’s program is research-oriented, which means that on top of your coursework, you are expected to conduct research. The Master’s program lasts two years. We also offer a Masters+Ph.D. integrated program (1 year Master’s followed by 4 years for Ph.D.). Strong candidates are encouraged to fill this form for an expression of interest or go ahead and directly apply here.
For the application process, please refer to the KAIST admission site. You might want to let us know in advance about your interest in applying by filling out this form.
To further clarify how admissions work at KAIST, labs cannot directly accept students. Instead, students interested in our graduate programs should apply to KAIST and indicate in which department and lab they would like to work (e.g., Professor Andrea Bianchi’s Make Lab). A committee composed of all the professors will judge each candidate and grant or deny admission through the reviewing process.
Admitted graduate students receive a basic scholarship from KAIST and a stipend from the lab, depending on the availability of projects and student involvement (a minimum national stipend is always guaranteed by law). For further questions, please refer to this list of Q&As.
If you are currently registered as a KAIST student (including students visiting for a semester/year from other universities) and are interested in an internship in our lab or in starting a URP (Undergraduate Research Program) under the supervision of Professor Bianchi, please fill out this form.
Our lab welcomes visiting researchers from other institutions in Korea or abroad with a similar research interest to ours. However, we only consider applicants recommended by colleagues or peers in the HCI field. We also only consider international applicants that can commit to staying for at least 6 months. If you are a foreigner, you also need to obtain a valid VISA through our school’s Visiting Research Program. For further information, please contact KAIST International Office.