Urbanism Concentration
While students may custom design their areas of specialization in consultation with their program of study committee, they may also opt for the urbanism concentration option. The concentration in urbanism is a mechanism for organizing varied perspectives on urbanism into a collective body of scholarship.
The study of public administration is enriched by grounding it in a comprehensive understanding of the characteristics of urban context and the dynamic forces that shape them. The concentration in urbanism leverages the varied interests in urbanism and help emerging scholars as they attempt to compare, contrast, and take stock of urbanism. Working with faculty from across a range of departments and programs at ASU, doctoral students will be able to capture the creative tensions that scholarship on urbanism has inspired in order to stimulate a provocative, constructive kind of inquiry.
In addition to the required doctoral core courses, students take a required concentration core course (GCU 516 Principles of Urbanism) and also take 15 credit hours selected from an approved list of applicable courses related to the four areas below.
Natural environment – includes global, ecological, biological and other environmental and natural systems and resources.
Built form – includes architecture, urban design, urban morphology, urban planning, and transportation and infrastructure.
Institutions and governance – includes public policy, politics, and other governmental, economic, legal, and political institutions.
Culture and society – includes historical, cultural, and sociological aspects of urbanism.
Applicants must apply to the Graduate College for admission to the Urbanism concentration program under the Ph.D. in Public Administration degree and meet the Graduate College criteria as well as PhD program criteria for admission. The successful candidate for admission to the Ph.D. degree has a Master of Public Administration or Master of Public Policy degree. Other master’s degree may qualify, although students are required to cover certain prerequisite courses. The additional expectation for admission to the concentration is a strong interest in urban affairs as indicated in the applicant's written statement of educational and career goals.
Applicants are admitted for Fall only. Admission is competitive; a limited number of well-qualified applicants will be admitted each year. A completed application packet is due by January 15.
