Doctorate in Urban Planning & Policy
The PhD program in Urban Planning and Policy at UIC has a traditional research focus, preparing students for university faculty positions as well as careers as urban policy analysts and researchers. The UPP Scholar Award is available to select students, who receive four years of funding for the program. A productive research faculty and multiple research centers in the College of Urban Planning and Public Affairs provide students with numerous research opportunities, while our undergraduate program offers meaningful teaching opportunities to talented students. The program offers advanced study of critical urban development challenges facing cities and metropolitan areas in the 21st century blending urban planning and public policy perspectives. The Program provides a unique and powerful resource for the advanced study of challenging urban problems and their complex remedies. Students participate in an interdisciplinary learning community of faculty and research staff conducting a mix of applied and theoretical studies. Graduates will leave as scholars well prepared for positions as university professors and as professional researchers.
Program Overview Heading link
The Ph.D. curriculum combines core requirements in theory and methods with more specialized course work in each area. Students learn advanced theory, methods and related research literature in one of five areas of specialization:
- Globalization and International Planning
- Economic Development
- Community Development
- Spatial Planning and Design
- Urban Transportation
- Environmental Planning
- Other faculty approved specialization
Engaged Research Heading link
Opportunities for advanced research training and faculty supervised research projects are available within the following research centers at UIC:
- Great Cities Institute
- Center for Urban Economic Development
- Voorhees Center for Neighborhood and Community Improvement
- Urban Transportation Center
- Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy
- Institute for Policy and Civic Engagement
- UPP’s Urban Data Visualization Laboratory
- Institute for Environmental Science and Policy
The program also builds on the University of Illinois Great Cities Initiative, providing students with a variety of research related training opportunities to engage in urban issues in the Chicago metropolitan region, the nation and the world.
Degree Requirements Heading link
Please consult the Graduate Catalog and the PhD Handbook for degree requirements. Degree-seeking students are governed by the policies articulated in the PhD Handbook in effect in their first semester registered in the program.