PhD in Urban and Regional Planning and Design Courses

Typically, students in the URPD program take URSP804 and URSP810 in the first semester and URSP805 in the fourth semester; all must be taken before taking the comprehensive exam. In addition to these courses, students are required to take an advanced methods course.

Students may use the remaining program credits to develop their major and minor specializations with the support of their advisor(s). These courses may be taken within the School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, or through courses from other University departments.    

To view current course offerings visit Testudo; for more detailed information on courses, please visit University of Maryland's Graduate Course Catalog.


 

PhD Curriculum graphic
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URSP804 Advanced Planning Theory (3 Credits)
Relations between theory and practice in planning. Ways of developing and using knowledge in collective action. Challenges to organizing for planning, finding knowledge useful for planning and balancing social attachments with free inquiry.

 

URSP805 Seminar in Research Design (3 Credits)
Addresses fundamental aspects of research desing for Ph.D students in urban planning and policy-related fields. Topics include principles of research design, formulating a feasible hypothesis and identifying appropriate methodology for testing hypotheses eg. qualitative methods, quantitative methods, survey research. Writing of proposals and dissertation. Publication, presentation, and funding.
Prerequisite: URSP804 and URSP810.

 

URSP810 Contemporary Metropolitan Issues (3 Credits)
Introduces Ph.D. students to current metropolitan issues. Focus is on the historical development of the issue, problem definition, methodological approaches to its study, methodological dilemmas, and the ways that different conclusions are translated into policy. Topics vary from semester to semester but include such topics as the spatial mismatch hpothesis, the impact of urban design and form on travel behavior, the impact of technology on urban form, the justification for historic preservation, and sustainable development.
Restriction: Must be in Urban and Regional Planning and Design (Doctoral) program.

 

URSP898 Pre-Candidacy Research (1-8 Credits)
Selected topics in Urban Studies and Planning. Topics will vary with the instructor.
Repeatable to: 6 credits if content differs.

 

URSP899 Doctoral Dissertation Research (1-8 Credits)
This course is a required course for the Ph.D program in Urban and Regional Planning and Design.

View all Urban Studies & Planning Program courses.