Program requirements
The doctoral program has four components: at least 46 hours of coursework, including at least 15 credit hours in the major field, at least nine hours in the minor field, and at least 16 credit hours in the program core; the qualifying paper; the comprehensive exams; and the dissertation. A successful student will demonstrate mastery in these areas and thus be prepared to pursue upper-level careers in government, business, research, and academia. Full details can be found in the Ph.D. Program Handbook.
Coursework
The program of study requires two years of full-time residency (at least four semesters, excluding summer) devoted to coursework and other preparation for advancement to candidacy. Coursework involves a specialized program of study designed by the student and faculty focusing on a major field within city and regional planning, and on a minor field outside the College of Architecture. Students complete at least 46 credit hours in their major field, minor field, and the Ph.D. program core requirements, and in various elective courses. Students complete a minimum of 15 semester-hours of study in their major field, a minimum of 9 hours in their minor field, and a minimum of 16 hours in the program core.
Descriptions of courses offered in city and regional planning and other programs in the College of Architecture can be found in the Institute’s course catalog.
Major fields
Each Ph.D. student is admitted to a major area of study. Any change to the major requires review and approval of the Ph.D. faculty.
Requirements for the major are met by satisfactory performance (B or better letter grade) in courses composing not fewer than 15 credit hours. The student’s Advisory Committee may require other courses within the College or other units within the University System of Georgia consistent with the student’s expressed interest in her selected field of concentration. The courses are expected to provide a full grounding and preparation in both the substance of the field of study and appropriate methods of inquiry and analysis.
Examples majors pursued by doctoral students in city and regional planning include:
Sustainable environmental planning
Urban transportation planning
Regional development planning
Minor fields
The purpose of the minor is for the student to demonstrate competence in inquiry in an area of study related to but outside of the College of Architecture.
Requirements for the minor are met by satisfactory performance (defined as a B or better letter grade) in courses composing not fewer than 9 credit hours.
Examples of minors outside the College of Architecture include:
Regional economics
Public health
Cultural anthropology
Program Core
The Program Core for the city and regional planning consists of six courses. These are:
Advanced Planning Theory, three credit hours.
Advanced Urban and Regional Theory, three credit hours.
Research Design in Planning, three credit hours.
Seminar in Advanced Research Design and Methods, one credit hour per calendar year.
One Ph.D. Program core course from another College of Architecture field, three credit hours.
Ph.D. Seminar in Contemporary Architectural and Planning Issues, one hour for two semesters.
In total, the Program Core for city and regional planning consists of at least 16 credit hours, or 18 credit hours for a student completing the Ph.D. in four years.
Qualifying paper
Doctoral students are expected to be able to prepare written material of high quality germane to their fields. Although the dissertation is an indicator of this quality, it may be unwise to defer assessment until that stage of one’s doctoral studies. Doctoral students in city and regional planning are therefore required to write a qualifying paper prior to advancement to candidacy. The paper can take one of two forms: a paper of publishable quality or a research proposal of fundable quality.
Comprehensive examination
Once students have completed their coursework, with the exception of on-going attendance in Seminar in Advanced Research Design and Methods, and have successfully submitted a qualifying paper, they are ready to take the comprehensive examinations. Students focusing in the city and regional planning field of study will be tested in five areas: the student’s major field, the student’s minor field, planning theory, regional economic theory, and research design and methods. The examination process includes both written and oral testing of a student’s mastery of the subjects. Upon successful completion, the student moves on to the dissertation phase of the program.
Dissertation
The doctoral dissertation is a written piece of original scholarship that represents a significant new perspective or contribution in the chosen field of study. The dissertation must be relevant to the field of planning, and either an addition to the fundamental knowledge base in the field of study or a new and better interpretation of facts already known. It must demonstrate that the candidate possesses powers of original thought, talent for research, understanding of theory and methodology, and ability to organize and present findings.