Degree requirements are set both by the Graduate School at the University of Colorado Denver and the Ph.D. program within the College. Degree requirements are divided into two parts: pre-candidacy and candidacy/dissertation research. The former involves course work, qualifying examinations, and a dissertation prospectus. Candidacy is certification that all requirements have been met except the dissertation. The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in Design and Planning is granted upon the successful completion and defense of the dissertation.
Students meet these requirements through coursework and exams over a two year period. During this time, a student’s cumulative grade point average may not fall below a B without academic discipline or probation.
The Advisor and Advisory Committee
The program director approves the appointment of an advisor for you during the first semester in residence, based on your interests and background. By the end of the first semester of residence, in consultation with the advisor, you select the remainder of your advisory committee, which consists of three faculty members who must be members of the program faculty from within the College. The committee chair must hold a regular appointment with a doctoral endorsement.
The committee assists you in developing a program planning form, which should be filed in consultation with your advisory committee and completed in advance of your preliminary review. The advisor and advisory committee also oversee your progress through the Ph.D. program and conduct the Preliminary Review.
The Dissertation Committee
After passing the Preliminary Exam and before the Comprehensive Exam (see below), you will select a dissertation committee in consultation with your advisor. The dissertation committee may include any or all members of your advisory committee, and must have at least five faculty members. Two of these faculty members may be -- and one must be -- from outside of the College. The dissertation committee conducts the Comprehensive Examination, reviews drafts of the dissertation, and evaluates its public defense (see below).
The chair of the committee must be a program faculty member with a Ph.D. degree, and is responsible for overseeing the research and writing of your dissertation. A written agreement will ensure that the Ph.D. Director and committee chairperson are in agreement with your progress throughout the program and will commit the time necessary for your dissertation work.
Examinations and Dissertation
Each student must successfully complete three points of evaluation.
Preliminary Review
The Preliminary Review (PR) provides an opportunity to assess students’ progress in the program at the conclusion of the first academic year and consists of two parts.
The first part requires successful completion (a grade of B or higher) of each course in the student’s core curriculum (successful completion of the third installment of the colloquium is exempted).
The second part consists of the final preparation and formal presentation of the First Year Research Paper/Proposal. This paper serves a handful of purposes, namely to provide an opportunity for the student to:
(1) weave together the substantive knowledge and skills gleaned from completion of the core
curricula
(2) delve into a specific area of research that is significant, original, and of intense personal
interest, perhaps as a precursor for a dissertation topic
(3) demonstrate intimate familiarity with the existing literature surrounding their precise area
of interest
(4) craft an original and researchable question (or set of questions) that is placed in the
context of the available knowledge of the subject
(5) offer a preliminary plan for how the question would be researched (e.g., what data,
approaches)
The First Year Research Paper/Proposal is not intended to serve as a formal dissertation proposal or prospectus. It will likely be related to your dissertation topic but certainly does not have to be based on what you plan to research in detail over the next phases of the program. Rather, the exercise is intended to serve the above mentioned purposes, provide you with experience crafting a researchable question, and interact with and receive feedback from your preliminary committee. The paper should run approximately 20 single-spaced pages (including tables, figures, and references) and speak to the latter four criteria as outlined above.
The student is expected to formally present their paper to their advisory committee during the last week of classes on the Denver campus (not exam week). The specific time should be scheduled by the student (feel free to consult the PhD Program Administrative Coordinator for assistance) and the final version of the paper needs to be furnished to the committee at least one week prior to the presentation. The presentation should be scheduled for at least 75 minutes and contain an approximate 20 minute overview of the paper from the student (visuals would be expected), followed by a question and answer session between the student and the committee.
Students are responsible for downloading and printing the Preliminary Review Form and bringing it to their exam.
Comprehensive Exam
The Comprehensive Exam consists of four related elements: (a) preparing a minimum of two review papers, (b) completing an oral exam based on the review papers, (c) preparing a written dissertation proposal, and (d) orally defending the dissertation proposal. It is pursued after the student completes minimally required coursework, typically after the second year or at the beginning of the third year of study.
Click here for details about the format and procedure of the Comprehensive Exam.
Dissertation
After students pass their Comprehensive Exam, they prepare a dissertation proposal comprising:
- a description of the question of hypothesis that the student wishes to research for the dissertation;
- an explication of the proposed design, methods, and data sources for the research; and
- an assessment of the proposed project’s contribution to the field.
The proposal must be presented to and approved of by the student’s Advisor and Dissertation Committee. The dissertation should be an original contribution to the students’ chosen field. This may involve adding new bodies of knowledge to the field, offering insightful reinterpretations of existing bodies of knowledge, or developing new procedures and methods. The student’s Advisor and Dissertation Committee periodically review drafts of the dissertation and offer suggestions for its completion. Students complete the final degree requirement with a successful public defense overseen by the Dissertation Committee. In this public defense, the student must be able to justify the originality and significance of the contribution and how it advances the field.
Residency
To graduate, you will have to meet the academic residency requirement, which requires six semesters of scholarly work beyond the attainment of an acceptable Bachelor’s degree.
- 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 the University of Colorado Denver.
Graduation Requirements
In order to receive the Ph.D. in Design and Planning, you must successfully complete the curriculum and meet the pertinent requirements of the Graduate School for graduation.
- Fulfilling the academic residency requirement
- Completing any foreign language requirement that has been determined by you and your Ph.D. dissertation committee, according to your particular research needs
- Making acceptable progress through the program by successfully completing the curricular requirements and passing the Preliminary Review
- Passing the Comprehensive Examination
- Completing and successfully defending the Doctoral Dissertation
- Maintaining the academic standards of the Graduate School of the University of Colorado Denver
A Quick Outline of Progressive Steps Toward Your Ph.D. Degree:
Stage One
• Core Curriculum (two tracks available, depending on your area of study):
Included in the core curriculum: Program-Wide Colloquia DSPL 7004 (3 hours): A graduate colloquium of one credit hour, providing a forum for faculty, guest speakers, and graduate student research presentations and discussions, offered each semester. Three hours are required for graduation.
• Preliminary Review (see above specifications)
Stage Two
• Additional coursework on your research area of specialization and research methods.
Stage Three
• Research Application, Minor Field of Study (12 hours): The minor field of study provides students with a strong substantive background supportive of their chosen research emphases.
• Elective Course Work (12 hours): Elective course work consists of additional courses in areas related to the dissertation topic.
• Comprehensive Exam: Takes place no sooner than after two semesters of residency and before the student becomes a candidate for the Ph.D. degree.
Stage Four
• Doctoral Dissertation Research (30 hours): By this stage, students are expected to have defined a research question in planning and design and identified the research strategy to be used for answering this question. This phase focuses on conducting the research and preparing the written portion of the project in the form of a dissertation.
• The Doctoral Dissertation and the Final Defense: Select a Dissertation Committee (that may include any or all members of the Student's Advisory Committee) that includes at least five faculty members, within the college and one outside of the college.
For information on applying to the program, see the three steps of the application process.