Urban Studies

Overview

To augment the core Ph.D. course requirements, these doctoral students pursue two of the following specializations: Planning, Community Development, Economic Development, Environment, Gerontology, Social Demography, or Transportation.

The Ph.D. Urban Studies program from Portland State University explores these issues from multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary points of view.

Regional Science brings a variety of social science perspectives to bear in analyzing the growth and development of metropolitan areas, states, and regions. The regional science program shares the same core requirements as the Urban Studies Ph.D. Beyond these, students in regional science design a program around two field areas.

The first field should be Transportation or Economic Development unless an alternate field is approved by the student's committee. The second field should emphasize methodology and coursework specific to Regional Science. This field will be developed by the student and advisory committee.

Career

Master of Urban Studies graduates generally work in applied research and community-based advocacy settings. Some MUS students also choose to continue their studies in the Urban Studies Ph.D. program. Since the core curriculum of the MUS program mirrors that of the Urban Studies Ph.D. program, MUS students can make a relatively easy transition into the doctoral program.

Through participation in classes and seminars, and supervised research and teaching activities, Ph.D. students are prepared for careers in institutions of higher education and in research organizations. Our graduates pursue academic and professional careers, most often in the fields of applied social research.