Two semesters of residence credit may be allowed for a Master’s degree from another institution of approved standing.
At least four semesters of resident credit, two of which must be consecutive in one academic year, must be earned from this University.
Specific Requirements
The specific admission requirements for the Ph.D. Program in Design and Planning are as follows:
1. Degree
A. Minimally, to be a successful applicant, you must have a Bachelor's degree. However, it is strongly advised that students entering the program will have completed both a bachelor's and a master's degree.
Field specialization and background are open. However, you will preferably have completed a professional (master's or bachelor's) program in planning or a design-related field, such as:
- Architecture
- Landscape Architecture
- Architectural Engineering
- Urban Design
In combination with a degree in an area, such as:
- Geography
- Urban Economics
- Environmental Law
- Urban Sociology
- Real Estate
- Management Science
- Computer Science
- Public Administration
- Environmental Psychology
2. Knowledge From Prior Course Work
The applicability of your prior course work will be decided by the Program Committee upon review of your transcript and additional materials. If you do not have the requisite educational background, grade point average, or GRE scores, you may be admitted on a conditional or provisional basis and additional course work may be required in accordance with Graduate School rules.
A. Design and Planning
- You can satisfy this requirement by virtue of having completed either a professional or a pre-professional degree program in these areas.
- If you do not have such prior qualifications, you must complete 12 hours of upper level undergraduate course work in the College of Architecture and Planning, while obtaining in each of these courses a grade of ‘B’ or higher.
- These courses are to be chosen from a selected list, in consultation with your faculty advisor, and are to be completed within two years after admission to the Program, and may count towards fulfilling the degree requirements.
B. Undergraduate Work
You must have completed 12 credit hours of undergraduate work in one of the following areas:
- Social and Behavioral Sciences
- Environmental and Natural Sciences
- Engineering
- Humanities
C. Prerequisites
You must also have completed one of the following prerequisites with a grade of "B-" or above (the choice depends on your area of specialization):
- Statistics. Including probability theory, parametric and nonparametric methods, and acquaintance with basic multivariate techniques. A minimum of 3 hours.
- Mathematics. Including differential equations, finite mathematics, algorithms, data structures or other appropriate courses. A minimum of 3.
- Language. Ability to read at least one foreign language relevant to the Area of Specialization.
- Computer Applications. Background in Computer Aided Design (CAD) or Geographic Information Systems (GIS). A minimum of 3 hours.
3. Demonstrated Academic Achievement
- Academic achievement as evidenced by an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or better, and a graduate grade point average of 3.5 or better.
- A 575 TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score is required if you are a foreign applicant whose native language is not English.
4. Materials to Submit
You need to submit:
- At least three letters of reference
- An official transcript of past academic work (to be sent directly from the issuing institution/s)
- A sample of written work and any other evidence relevant to admission to the Program
- A statement of purpose that summarizes
- Your career objectives
- Reasons for pursuing doctoral education
- Your proposed areas of specialization
- If possible, overlap of research interests with program faculty
- Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores.
The doctoral program draws students from a wide variety of disciplines. Students admitted to the program will typically pursue the degree requirements on a full-time basis. Qualified applicants who wish to pursue part-time study may also be considered.
Transfer Credits
Transfer of credits requires the approval of the Program Director and will occur in a manner consistent with the applicable rules of the Graduate School of the University of Colorado Denver. Up to 18 transfer credits may be awarded for a master's degree.
More on Curricular Aims of the Program
The doctoral curriculum integrates a rigorous understanding of urbanization dynamics, an examination of broader social processes and policies, analytical methods and research design. Students address complex systems that typically encompass an array of spatial, environmental, social, political, technical and economic factors. Each student is also expected to demonstrate an understanding of the literature, theory and research in a specialization area as mentioned above.
The highly individualized course of study operates under the premise that concepts and methods from a wide range of professions and academic disciplines are applicable to urban and regional systems and/or the history of architecture. Accordingly, students rely on faculty resources not only from the College of Architecture and Planning, but also from other schools, colleges, departments and institutes of the University of Colorado campuses in Denver AND Boulder. Students commonly take courses in the social sciences (such as sociology, anthropology, history and political science) and in the professional schools (such as architecture, business administration, engineering, natural resources and the environment, public policy, public health and social work). This emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration, and on the links between theory and policy, are defining characteristics of doctoral studies in design and planning at the University of Colorado Denver.