Doctor of Philosophy in Urban and Regional Sciences

The Ph.D. in Urban & Regional Sciences program at Texas A&M forms knowledge about some of the most pressing issues our society faces. In this program, you will become a social scientist rooted in the theoretical bases of urban, city, and community planning.

The Ph.D. program provides expertise in the research process and its application to planning, design, and/or land development issues. Using rigorous quantitative and qualitative methodologies, youll examine the interactions among social-ecological systems and the built environment.
Our Ph.D. program is one of the largest in the country, with the most diverse range of research topics available. Because of our size, youll work with a cohort of students working on similar projects. At the same time, youll get to mentor undergraduate students by teaching courses or supervising research projects.

Youll be mentored by a faculty member from the start of your program. Paired based on similar research interests, youll work closely with your mentor throughout your program. Our faculty undertake research funded by federal agencies as well as activist research, where they engage directly with the communities they are studying.

Students must have a master’s degree before beginning the Ph.D. program. Master’s students already in our department may be able to count some courses toward the Ph.D. if accepted.

English proficiency can also be demonstrated by:

Minimum TOEFL i-BT score of 80 (in person or Home Edition) from a test date within two years (Texas A&M University does not accept the MyBest TOEFL score), or
Minimum TOEFL Essentials score of 8.5, or
Minimum IELTS Academic test score of 6.0 overall band (Texas A&M University does not accept the IELTS General test), or
GRE Verbal Reasoning score of at least 146 (subject to departmental approval), or
GMAT Verbal Score of at least 22 (subject to departmental approval), or
Acquiring alternative verification during the admission process from the Graduate and Professional School via a departmental request.

The application deadline is December 1st.

Applications received prior to April 15th may be considered as openings permit.

No applications will be considered after April 15th.