PhD City and Regional Planning at The Ohio State University

Programme overview

The PhD trains students for interdisciplinary, independent, applied research on urban and regional problems and planning processes. It has three stages: coursework culminating in the Candidacy Examination, a dissertation proposal approved by the committee, and dissertation research ending in the Final Oral Examination.

Faculty: Knowlton School | Department: City and Regional Planning | Duration: Coursework stage minimum four full-time semesters with a relevant bachelor's; about two fewer semesters with a relevant master's | Study mode: full-time | Location: Columbus, OH, United States

What you will study

Coursework in planning theory and analytical tools, candidacy exam, dissertation proposal and defence.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Graduate School (all programmes): cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for the last bachelor's or advanced degree, from a four-year bachelor's-equivalent degree; GRE/GMAT only if the programme requires it or the GPA is below 3.0 or the degree is from an unaccredited institution. International applicants: TOEFL iBT 79 (4.0 on the TOEFL launched January 2026), IELTS Academic 6.5, or Duolingo 120 under Graduate School minimums unless exempt; many programmes set higher scores. Three-year bachelor's degrees are not equivalent to a US four-year degree.

Requirements published at program group level.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Duration: Coursework stage minimum four full-time semesters with a relevant bachelor's; about two fewer semest

Apply through the official page: https://gpadmissions.osu.edu/

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