PhD in Urban and Public Affairs

The Department of Urban and Public Affairs offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Urban and Public Affairs. The PhD in Urban and Public Affairs is an interdisciplinary degree that prepares graduates for careers in teaching and research, policy analysis, public administration, land use and environmental planning, and economic development.

Program Overview

The PhD program consists of a core curriculum and a field area of specialization. The core provides a broad orientation within the discipline, while the field areas enable students to develop expertise in a particular subfield. Although full-time study is encouraged, a limited number of highly qualified part-time students are admitted. The program has placed many of its recent graduates in teaching positions at respected universities across the U.S. and abroad.

For bio information of the current Ph.D. students in the program click here.

Core Curriculum

The PhD degree plan consists of 48 credit hours of coursework, including 24 hours (8 classes) in the core curriculum, 9 hours (3 classes) in a field area of chosen by the student, 9 hours (3 classes) of methods courses, and 6 hours (2 classes) of electives. In addition students will complete 12 hours of dissertation research.

For detailed information on the courses available and required within the curriculum, consult the UofL Graduate Catalog.

Field Areas

Students will pursue a specialization within a field area -- Public Administration, Sustainability, or Urban Planning -- and must take 9 credit hours (3 classes) within that field area. For additional information on the courses available and required for the different field areas, see the UofL Graduate Catalog.

Doctoral Candidacy

Once a student completes all required coursework, the student must take a comprehensive examination prior to entering doctoral candidacy. In general, this exam will occur between May 1 and June 15 following the student's fourth semester. Each student will assemble an advisory committee that is tasked with determining the structure and timeline for the students' comprehensive exam, within guidelines set by the department. For additional information on the comprehensive exam, please contact the Program Director.

Students who complete all required coursework -- including 12 credit hours of dissertation research -- and pass the qualifying examination are admitted to candidacy. A student admitted to candidacy must maintain continuous enrollment in the UPA 700 course until they graduate.

Admissions

Applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university. Required admissions materials include (1) a completed application form to the graduate school, (2) transcripts of all prior undergraduate and graduate work, (3) at least two academic letters of recommendation, and (4) a personal statement describing your background, interest in the program, future career goals, and any faculty with whom you would like to work. GRE scores or scores from a similar standardized test (e.g., GMAT, LSAT) are not required for admission. However, submission of standardized test scores is encouraged, particularly for students seeking fellowships or other financial support.

The UofL Admissions website references a supplemental application available on the department website. The supplemental application is the personal statement described in item (4) above. This statement can be submitted along with the application, or can be submitted directly to the Program Director.

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 complete the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a score of (approximately) 100 or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a score of (approximately) 7.5. Applicants may also submit the results from the Duolingo English exam.

Tuition/Financial Aid

Current tuition rates for University of Louisville students are here .

The Department of Urban and Public Affairs administers a number of Graduate Assistantships (GAs) that are competitively awarded and which are intended to support full-time study. GAs will work approximately 15-18 hours/week in a research or teaching capacity for a UPA faculty member or the department. GRAs are provided with an annual stipend of $19,000, as well as tuition remission and health insurance. To be considered for a GRA position beginning in the Fall semester, students should apply by the end of the preceding January. Students in the Ph.D. program normally receive a maximum of four years of support through a GRA position.

The University also offers financial support for graduate students, including University Fellowships. Interested students should check the Graduate School Financial Support website regularly for financial aid opportunities.

Contact

Margath Walker, Ph.D., Program Director
Phone: (502) 852-2694
Email: margath.walker@louisville.edu