Dual-Degree

Master of Architecture | Master of Historic Preservation | Juris Doctor Joint Degree | Ph.D. in Policy Sciences Cooperative Program

Ph.D in Policy Sciences Cooperative Program

Ph.D. in Policy Sciences / Master of Community Planning Cooperative Program

Urban Studies and Planning and the Policy Sciences Ph.D. program at the University of Maryland at Baltimore County (UMBC) have a cooperative agreement whereby M.C.P. students interested in pursuing a Ph.D. can save approximately one year of coursework in UMBC's Policy Sciences Program.

Applicants must apply to each program separately, and be accepted by both programs. Students may apply jointly to both programs or may apply to the UMBC Ph.D. program after having been enrolled in or having completed the M.C.P. at College Park.

Credits from the following UM courses can be counted towards the 30 hours of required core and disciplinary concentration course credits in the UMBC Ph.D. program: URSP 600/Research Methods, URSP 601/Research Design, and URSP 606/Urban Economics and Public Policy. Additional appropriate and relevant courses may be acceptable substitutes for UMBC Policy Sciences core and disciplinary concentration courses with the agreement of the Policy Sciences Ph.D. Director.

In addition, with the approval of the UMBC advisor in the policy track in which the student chooses to specialize, it may be possible for a student to transfer into the Ph.D. program additional credits for UM courses that are appropriate and directly related to that track. The student should discuss these courses with the track advisor at UMBC and, if still at UM, obtain the UMBC track advisor's permission prior to taking the courses.

The maximum number of UM credits that can be transferred to the UMBC Ph.D. Policy Sciences program is 24.

Up to 9 hours of credit for coursework taken in the UMBC Ph.D. program may be transferred to the UM M.C.P. program if the courses are relevant to the M.C.P. program. If the maximum number of credits are transferred from both institutions, a student could receive an M.C.P. from UM with 42 course credits at UM (instead of the normal 51) and 9 credits transferred from UMBC. A student could receive a Ph.D. from UMBC with 24 course credits at UMBC (instead of the normal 48) and 24 credits transferred from UM, plus the dissertation. Students who have completed the M.C.P. degree are eligible.

For more information about the Policy Sciences program, contact:
Sally Helms, Administrator of Academic Affairs
Policy Sciences Program, UMBC
410-455-3202
helms@umbc2.umbc.edu