Doctor of Philosophy in Urban and Regional Planning - Transportation Planning

Transportation is essential to the function of cities and the well-being of their residents. Transportation systems make the exchange of goods and services possible, and they help shape the form of the built urban environment. The ways we design and use the transportation system affect all other aspects of planning, from the environment to housing and community development to health and land use development. Transportation planners draw on insights and tools from a variety of academic disciplines, including planning, geography, economics, public administration, engineering, and the design disciplines to examine, design, plan, and manage the multimodal transportation system in a way that is safe, efficient, effective, equitable, and sustainable. Transportation planning students take courses that enable them to work as professionals in a variety of contexts at all geographic scales, domestically and internationally. The curriculum covers all surface urban transportation modes: highway/automobile, public transit, pedestrian, and bicycling.
The doctoral (Ph.D.) program in the Department of Urban and Regional Planning educates scholars to teach, conduct research, and carry out service that contributes to a better understanding and shaping of resilient communities and ecosystems in order to promote human capabilities, social justice, sustainable livelihoods, and community health and safety. Our faculty conduct research in the following areas: Planning for an Aging Population, Planning for Health and Resilient Communities, Transportation Land Use and Accessibility in the Modern City, Sustainable Communities, Collaborative Environmental Management, Community Neighborhood Change, and Human Settlements and Institutions in the Context of Global Change. Florida State University is an excellent place for doctoral study. Our energetic, internationally recognized faculty is committed to training and mentoring our doctoral students as they become future teachers, scholars, and leaders in their various fields. Our low student-faculty ratio and small doctoral class sizes (typically 3-5 students enter the doctoral program each year) enable close collaboration in teaching and research between students and faculty. Our doctoral program's alums include deans, department chairs, program directors, distinguished scholars, and a Fellow of the American Institute of Certified Planners College of Fellows.

A bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution, or a comparable degree from an international institution, with a minimum 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) grade point average (GPA) in all coursework attempted while enrolled as an upper-division undergraduate student working towards a bachelor's degree.
Applications for admission to the doctoral program are welcome from persons holding a master's degree from an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States, or the equivalent from an institution abroad. No specific major is required. Our students come from a wide diversity of majors in the social sciences, design professions, sciences, business, and humanities.
GRE scores (including the analytic writing score). All applicants should have official scores mailed directly to the University Office of Admissions.
Letters of Recommendation via the University Graduate Application Form These recommendations should come from instructors who can speak to your performance as a student and your ability to complete graduate-level coursework.
Master's level applicants should submit 2 letters
Doctoral level applicants should submit 3 letters
Internet based TOEFL (IBTOEFL): 80, Paper based TOEFL (TOEFL): 550, International English Language Testing System (IELTS): 6.5.