Ph.D. Urban Systems

Degree Overview

Offer advanced graduate education to develop a knowledge base in urban systems or elements of the built environment, including buildings, infrastructure, transportation, humans, socio-economics, and the interconnections between them, through original research.
Prepare students for extensive research and careers in academia, industry, or government to provide visionary leadership in the fields of urban technology, urban environment, and global urban studies.
Progress as an apprentice scholar, and graduate as a colleague of his or her mentor.

An ability to demonstrate an extended knowledge of urban problems in particular areas of the student’s choice and how those problems have been studied in the past.
An ability to synthesize, in a thorough and analytic manner, research conducted by others and detect both strengths and weaknesses in the framing of that research, the methods used for collecting and analyzing the data, and its interpretation.
An ability to devise one’s own research questions to frame a short-term or a long-term research project and to select the appropriate sources of information and data collection instruments to answer those questions.
An ability to present and communicate effectively in written and graphic forms and in oral presentations.
An ability to teach at the collegiate level and recognize ethical and professional responsibilities.
An ability to collect and analyze empirical data from various sources and instruments and present the findings from that analysis in graphic and narrative forms to answer the research questions posed.