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2024-2025 GRADUATE CATALOG
Urban Affairs, (PhD)
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Program objectives are (1) skill development in research, program evaluation, and policy design to address a myriad of socio-economic challenges in communities in the United States; (2) advanced knowledge of urban theory and the ability to apply of critical skills in using major theories, methods, and approaches in urban affairs research; (3) ability to independently conceptualize, design, and implement research on significant urban problems to strengthen communities and present these findings to academic and community audiences (4) prepare students to work with community partners to create actionable and high-quality research to assist in their endeavors (5) show competence in advanced quantitative and qualitative techniques.
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Program Admission
The School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy (SUAPP) admits students for the fall semester of each academic year. Information and application forms can be found on the department website. Applications received after April 1st cannot be guaranteed consideration for an assistantship for the upcoming academic year.
- Fulfillment of university requirements for admission to the Graduate School.
- Applicants must hold the equivalent of the M.A. degree in a related social science field before applying to the program. The Urban Affairs Ph.D. curriculum requires students who enter with a master’s degree to earn a minimum of 48 credit hours beyond the master’s degree. Students who are in the process of completing a master’s degree can apply to the program but will be required to finish their master’s before beginning the doctoral program sequence.
- To meet university requirements for earning a Ph.D., all students will need to have at least 72 credit hours of post-baccalaureate course work (i.e., M.A., plus 48 credits hours in the Ph.D. program).
- Students must provide transcripts of all post-secondary institutions attended.
- A minimum GPA of 3.00 (on a scale of 4.00) will be expected on post-baccalaureate (M.A. and Ph.D.) work.
- A statement of purpose (1000 words or less) that discusses:
- The student’s research interests and motivation for pursuing a Ph.D. in Urban Affairs at the University of Memphis.
- What research questions they would like to explore while a doctoral student at the U of M.
- How the student’s academic and professional experience has prepared them to complete a doctoral program.
- The field areas the student intends to emphasize during their doctoral studies and how they relate to research interests and future career aspirations.
- A current resume or CV
- Provide contact information for at least three references who will be asked to provide letters of recommendation. Applicants can provide up to five references if they choose. (These letters are to be sent directly from the referee to SUAPP via the online application portal).
- Submit one policy-oriented writing sample. Applicants can submit up to three. Examples include journal articles (published or under review), master’s theses, or other professional writings that demonstrate research and analytical capability. Students who provide a co-authored writing sample (i.e., an article) are encouraged to provide a summary of their contributions to the published work.
Retention Requirements
A student will be retained continuously in the program until completion of the degree providing the following conditions are met: - All students will be required to maintain a GPA of at least 3.0. Should the student’s GPA fall below that mark, a probationary period of one semester will be allowed to correct the deficiency. At the discretion of the director and the director of graduate studies, this period may be extended one additional semester.
- Students will be expected to demonstrate satisfactory progress in fulfilling the graduation requirements outlined below.
- Successful annual review of student progress must be submitted by all students in the Spring semester of each year.
General Requirements
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A minimum of 48 hours of graduate credit beyond the master’s degree is required. No more than 6 hours of 6000-level course may be applied to the Urban Affairs Ph.D. degree.
- Graduate credits earned before admission to the Urban Affairs Ph.D. program will not automatically transfer. Students can complete a petition process to have a maximum of 12 such credits applied to the Ph.D. in Urban Affairs degree. Only courses related to the purpose and curriculum of the Urban Affairs Ph.D. program will be considered. Credit can only be granted for courses taken with the time limitations set in the Graduate Catalog (10 years).
- Evaluation of transfer credits is subject to all other University regulations described in the Graduate Catalog.
- Transfer credits can only be counted towards a student’s focus area courses or advanced method requirements. Substitutions will not be allowed for core or dissertation credits.
- The petition for transfer credits must be completed after admission to the Urban Affairs Ph.D. program and before the end of the second semester of enrollment.
- CORE COURSES: All doctoral students must complete the following core courses (13 credits). The core curriculum consists of UAPP 8009, UAPP 8010, UAPP 8011, UAPP 8012, UAPP 8013, UAPP 8014, and UAPP 9300.
- METHODS SEQUENCE COURSES: All students must complete three methods courses (9 credits), including UAPP 8014, a qualitative methods course to be selected from one of the following options: ANTH 8075, SWRK 8030 or SOCI 8025, and one geographic information systems course to be selected from one of the following options: PLAN 7207, ESCI 6430, PLAN/ESCI 6515, ESCI 6525, ESCI 6535, ESCI 7998, ESCI 8504 or ESCI 8613 or another GIS-specific course selected under advisement .
- SPECIALIZATION TRACK COURSES:All students must select a Specialization Area from the following list (15 credits).
- Urban Cultures and Societies Track:
- ANTH 8200 Roots of Anthropology Theory
- SOCI 8210 Sociology Theory Seminar
- And three courses from ANTH and SOCI
- Urban Governance and Planning Track:
- PADM 8600 Administrative Theory and Ethics
- PLAN 7002 Planning Theory and Perspectives
- And three courses from PADM and PLAN
- Urban Policy and Services Track:
- CJUS 8541 Criminology Theory
- SWRK 8040 Advanced SW Theory
- And three courses from CJUS and SWRK
- Urban Political Development and Urban Economics Track:
- POLS 7100 or POLS 6222
- PADM 7224 Seminar in Urban Problems or PLAN 7208 Economics of Cities
- And three courses from PADM, POLS, or PLAN
For all specialization tracks at least six of hours must be interdisciplinary (i.e., outside the students’ master’s degree area), and only six hours can be taken at the 6000-level. Up to 6 hours can come from outside departments if a transfer is requested during a student’s first year. Students may request substitutions within each specialization so long as these come from fields within the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy under advisement.
6. Students must take UAPP 9001 (1 credit) prior to beginning their dissertation research. The remaining eight dissertation hours (UAPP 9000) can be taken when a student has successfully defended their dissertation proposal. No more than 9 credit hours of dissertation (UAPP 9000 and UAPP 9001) will count towards satisfying the total number of graduate hours required for the Ph.D. Students may, however, accrue more dissertation credits if needed, but only 9 credit hours will apply to the degree.
Residency Requirements
Students enrolled in the doctoral program must also meet the university residency requirements as defined in the Minimum Graduate Degree Requirements section of this catalog. Comprehensive Examination Requirements
- Students must pass a comprehensive exam before enrolling in dissertation credit hours (UAPP 9000) and the dissertation workshop (UAPP 9001). The exam should be taken when a student in good standing has completed all required coursework (core and methodological courses).
- Students must pass a Comprehensive Exam before being considered “late-stage” doctoral students and proceeding to the Dissertation Proposal and Dissertation phase.
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Students will take their comprehensive examination after completing the following classes: UAPP 8009, 8010, 8011, 8014, one qualitative methods course, and one GIS course. Students will form a Comprehensive Exam Committee consisting of three to five faculty members. The committee should occur be formed after the student has completed at least18 credit hours and no later than when a student has completed 27 hours of coursework in the program.
- The program’s graduate student handbook contains more information on the Comprehensive Exam Committee and Exam Procedures.
Analytical and Methods Requirements
Students are encouraged to take SUAP 7100/SUAP 8100 or UAPP 8100 Public Policy Statistics to prepare for courses that cover statistical methods beyond ordinary least squares regression if they have not already had exposure to quantitative methods in their master’s program. Other substitutions for basic quantitative methods may be allowable under advisement.
Dissertation Requirements
- Dissertation Committee— After successfully passing Comprehensive Exams, the student must select a dissertation committee of at least four faculty members. This committee may have the same composition as the Comprehensive Exam Committee. The chair of the Dissertation Committee must hold full graduate faculty status and only one external graduate faculty member (i.e., a tenure-track faculty member at another university) may serve as a voting member of a dissertation committee. Students should submit a completed Dissertation Committee Appointment Form to the Graduate School once members have been selected.
- Dissertation Proposal Defense—The student will submit a proposal for the dissertation to the committee and defend the proposal before the committee. UAPP 9001: Dissertation Proposal Workshop should be taken during the semester when the student is developing their dissertation proposal. Once the dissertation proposal is successfully defended, the student can proceed with data collection and writing. Students should submit a completed Dissertation Proposal Defense Form and Doctoral Degree Candidacy form to the Graduate School upon successfully defending the dissertation proposal.
- If the research proposal includes any research activity including the use of human subjects, approval must be obtained from the university’s Institutional Review Board (IRB) before the research begins.
- Dissertation Defense—The Urban Affairs Ph.D. requires completing at least 9 hours of dissertation credit, and doctoral candidates must register for at least one hour of dissertation credit each academic semester (fall and spring) until the dissertation is completed.
- The dissertation committee will schedule a defense of the completed dissertation in coordination with the chair and graduate studies coordinator. Notice will be given, copies of the dissertation will be made available, and public oral defense of the dissertation will be held. The candidate must complete the Dissertation Defense Announcement form three weeks before the date of the defense. Upon approval of the dissertation committee and faculty, the dissertation will be submitted to the Graduate School, and the degree will be awarded.
- Students should familiarize themselves with the Thesis/Dissertation Preparation Guide before beginning to write.
Time Limit
All requirements for the degree must be completed in 12 calendar years. Academic Program Requirements
This curriculum requires 48 hours for student entering with a master’s degree. Those entering without a master’s degree would be required to earn a master’s degree in one of the host disciplines on the way to the PhD. To meet University requirements, all students would need to have at least 72 hours of postbaccalaureate course work. Preferred Sequence of Pre-Dissertation Coursework for Full-Time Students:
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