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 areas of specialization. The core provides a broad orientation within the field, while the specializations enable students to develop expertise in a particular area. 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 21 credit hours (7 classes) in the core curriculum, 15 credit (5 classes) in an area of specialization chosen by the student, and 12 credit hours of dissertation study. Students with limited statistical training may be required to take an introductory statistics course; this course does not count toward the 48 credit hour requirement.

Specializations

Students must pursue an area of specialization that includes 9 credit hours of required courses and 6 credit hours of elective courses. Elective courses must be related to the area of specialization and approved by the Program Director.

The PhD Student Guide provides the schedule of course offerings for both full-time and part-time students, along with more detailed information about the PhD program.

Doctoral Candidacy

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 should hold a master's degree or equivalent, although exceptions may be made for qualified students. A completed application form to the graduate school, a supplemental application form to the department, transcripts of all prior undergraduate and graduate work, GRE scores, and at least two academic letters of recommendation are required. 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 100 or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) with a score of 7.5.

Tuition/Financial Aid

Current tuition rates for University of Louisville students are here .

Tuition for Kentucky residents for academic year 2020-2021 is $7,530 per semester for full-time (9 or more credit hours) or $837 per credit hour. Tuition for out-of-state residents is $14,587 per semester for full-time or $1,621 per credit hour. Tuition for students in doctoral candidacy is $1,474 per semester.

The Department of Urban and Public Affairs administers a number of Graduate Research Assistantships (GRAs) that are competitively awarded and which are intended to support full-time study. 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 must 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

Matthew H. Ruther, Ph.D., Program Director
Phone: (502) 852-8151
Email: matthew.ruther@louisville.edu