The Ph.D. program prepares students for careers as professors, researchers, and public servants in the fields of Urban Policy and Administration and Urban Planning and Sustainable Development.

Students are required to complete 48 credit hours of study. This requires a sequence of core courses consisting of 18 credit hours. Students must complete 18 credit hours in an area of specialization including three required courses. Two field specializations are offered: Urban Planning and Sustainable Development and Urban Policy and Administration. Twelve credit hours of dissertation research are also required. Students must pass a qualifying examination before commencing formal dissertation work. Students should consult the Program Guidelines for details.

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA (on 4.0 scale);
• Master's degree in an appropriate field with at least a 3.5 GPA (on a 4.0 scale);
• GRE score of at least 153 Verbal, 144 Quantitative, and 4.0 Analytical (or equivalents).
• TOEFL: Those applicants whose native language is not English and who do not hold a degree from a university where the language of instruction is English must also submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language, with a minimum score of 78 on the internet-based test, or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), with a minimum score of 6.5.
• A personal interview with members of the Ph.D. Admissions Committee also may be required for applicants not fully satisfying admissions requirements.  Interviews will be conducted in-person when feasible or via internet video when in-person interviews are not feasible.

Applications must include:

• all transcripts from all institutions attended;
• supplemental application (available from department web site);
• at least two letters of recommendation (preferably from former professors).

Part-time students:

The program gives preference to applicants who intend to study full-time and who can be supported with financial aid (a Graduate Research Assistantship or a Fellowship). A few part-time students may be admitted if they can demonstrate they have very flexible schedules and can attend daytime courses and fully participate in program and department functions. The Graduate School requires every Ph.D. student to complete at least one year of full-time study.

Admission deadlines:

Fall Admissions - July 15

Febraury 1 to be considered for a University Fellowship

March 1 to be considered for a Graduate Assistantship (February 1 recommended)

Spring Admissions - November 15

Academic Policies

Waivers And Prerequisites

Students who have recently and satisfactorily completed equivalent courses elsewhere may request that up to nine hours of course work count towards their 48 hours of required Ph.D. study. Students who are not prepared for advanced study or do not hold the prerequisites for a particular course will be required to complete remedial work. Such courses do not count toward degree credit.

Dismissal and Academic Standing

Any student with a grade point standing below 3.0 will be placed on academic probation by The School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies (SIGS) until the student regains a 3.0 average or is dismissed.  Students are ordinarily not permitted to continue on academic probation for more than one semester.  Students receiving more than two course grades below a "B" (C+ or lower) in any required or elective course will be dismissed from the program.  No grade below a C- will be counted towards the fulfillment of degree requirements. The Admissions and Review committee will review performance of students each semester to ensure students are making satisfactory progress.  Students not making satisfactory progress are subject to dismissal from the program.

Qualifying (Comprehensive) Exam

To qualify for Ph.D. candidacy, students must satisfactorily complete a Comprehensive (or Qualifying) Examination. Students must sit for this exam as soon as they are eligible.  The Comprehensive (Qualifying) Examination is held in May each year.  Consult with the Program Director and refer to the Program's Student Guide for details about the exam.

The Ph.D. in Urban and Public Affairs consists of 48 credit hours of study including 18 hours of core courses, 18 hours in a field specialization, and 12 hours of dissertation research.

Core Courses (18 Credits)

UPA 602 Urban Policy and Governance

UPA 603 Urban Economics

UPA 606 Research Methods ***

UPA 610 Urban Theory and Public Affairs

SOC 610 Seminar in Statistics II ***

UPA 632 Independent Study (on Comprehensive Exam Reading Lists)

Note : Students with no prior study of statistics are required to take PADM 601/PLAN 602 (Statistics for Public Affairs) and SOC 609 (Seminar in Statistics I) prior to enrolling in SOC 610.  These courses do not count toward the 48-semester-hour requirement.

***UPA 606 and SOC 610 require a grade of a full "B" or better (not a B-) to demonstrate proficiency.  Students may repeat either of these courses only once.

Field Area Courses (18 Credits)

Students must pursue one of the two specialty areas, including 9 hours of required courses and 9 hours of elective courses.  Elective courses must be compatible with track and must be approved by the Program Director.

Urban Planning and Sustainable Development Option

Required Courses (9 Credits)

UPA 623 Comparative Urban Development

UPA 683 Land Use Planning

UPA 684 Planning Theory

Elective Courses (9 Credits)

Urban Policy and Administration Option

Required Courses (9 Credits)

UPA 621 Policy Analysis and Program Evaluation

UPA 630 Politics and Urban Policy

UPA 660 Advanced Organizational Behavior

Elective Courses (9 Credits)

Workshops (0 Credits)

Students must complete two workshops satisfactorily.  Each workshop (Fall and Spring) will be convened by the Ph.D. director and will normally meet 4-6 times a semester.  Fall: Dissertation Research Workshop.  Students who have recently advanced to candidacy will present dissertation proposal ideas to other students and interested faculty.  Spring: Professional Development Workshop.  Topics may include: academic publishing, undergraduate teaching, and the academic job market, among others.

Dissertation (12 Credits)

UPA 700 Dissertation Research

Doctoral Candidacy

After completing all required coursework, including 12 credits of dissertation research, and passing the qualifying exam, each student is required to maintain continuous enrollment in DOCT 600 Doctoral Candidacy until he or she graduates.