PhD Regional Planning at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Programme overview

Students, together with their faculty adviser and program committee, select theory, methods, and specialization courses to meet the Ph.D. requirements and prepare for a successful career of advanced research and teaching. A successful dissertation in planning reports original research on a subject appropriate to the field, the results of which produce significant advances in knowledge.

Faculty: College of Fine and Applied Arts | Study mode: full-time | Location: Champaign, IL, United States

What you will study

Required courses listed include UP 599 Thesis Research (min/max applied toward degree).

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

We welcome applications from people from a wide variety of backgrounds who have demonstrated potential for extraordinary professional achievement. Students seeking a graduate degree in planning come from a diverse range of academic backgrounds. The most frequent are sociology, economics, political science, geography, environmental sciences, architecture, engineering, public administration, urban planning, and public policy, but the natural sciences, humanities, and other fields also provide excellent foundations for graduate study in planning. Prospective students must have a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 computed from the last 60 hours of undergraduate work and any subsequent graduate study, but the average GPA of admitted students is considerably higher. International applicants must meet additional minimum requirements based on their country of origin, including

Domestic applicants: USD 16,092 a year (2026-27). Illinois resident rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Non-Illinois U.S. resident tuition for this programme: $33,388. Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insura Source

International applicants: USD 33,388 a year (2026-27). International rate. Tuition only for new and continuing graduate students, Fall 2026-Spring 2027 at full-time (12 credit hours per term). Excludes campus and mandatory fees, health insurance, housing and other expenses as the source states them separately Source

Not all graduate programmes offer admission in all terms; term availability is set by each programme of study.

Graduate applicants apply online through the Graduate College application; deadlines and term availability are set by each programme. Medicine, law and veterinary medicine applicants apply directly to their colleges.

Apply through the official page: https://urban.illinois.edu/programs-applying/phd-regional-planning/how-to-apply-phd/

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