Initiated in 1982, the program leading to a Doctor of Philosophy degree in the College of Architecture was developed to enable students of exceptional ability to undertake advanced study and original research in the fields of planning and architecture. It is a unique program designed to foster interaction between planning and architecture, allowing students the flexibility of self-directed study and program development. Currently, there are five major fields from which the students plan their program of study.

Five major fields in the College of Architecture:

• Architecture, Culture, and Behavior

• Architecture History, Theory, and Criticism

• Building Technology

• City and Regional Planning

• Design Computing

The program expects entering students to have completed the requirements for an accredited graduate degree in planning, architecture, or a related field. Students admitted to the program who do not hold such a degree may be required to fulfill additional background requirements prior to or concurrent with the pursuit of doctoral studies. The doctoral program has four components: the program of study, 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.

Program of Study

The program of study requires two years of full-time residency (not fewer than 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 in one of the five major fields of study, and a minor field of study outside the College of Architecture. Students normally complete not less than 46 credit hours in their major field, minor field, and the Ph.D. program core requirements prior to advancement to candidacy. Students complete a minimum of 15 hours of study in their major field and a minimum of 9 hours in their minor field.

Qualifying Paper

Doctoral students are expected to be able to prepare written material of high quality germane to their fields. Coursework and comprehensive examinations are not necessarily good indicators of this quality. 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 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 Examinations

Once students have completed a program of study and successfully submitted a qualifying paper, they are then ready to take the comprehensive examinations. Students focusing in the city and regional planning field of study will be tested in four substantive areas: planning theory and process, urban and regional development theory, a minor field of study, and planning research 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.

The 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/or architecture 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.