Urban Studies, Ph.D.

Core Master’s Program Curriculum (12 Credit Hours)

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The core master’s program curriculum consists of four 3 credit hour courses. Students may document completion of the core curriculum through coursework taken elsewhere or may select from the courses listed in the current master’s program of the Urban Studies Institute. Alternative courses considered be taken with permission of the graduate programs director.

• URB 8010 - Urban Theory and Praxis 3 Credit Hours
• URB 8020 - The Remaking of Cities 3 Credit Hours

Doctoral Core Curriculum (12 Credit Hours)

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Building on skills developed at the master’s level, the doctoral core curriculum provides students with an in-depth analysis of urban theory and contemporary debates; extended research methods experience; design and demonstration of empirical research; and a research design class to prepare for the dissertation. Core courses are generally offered once a year. Students must earn a grade of B or higher in all core courses to maintain their doctoral candidacy. Students are required to take two Advanced Urban Theory seminars (selecting from URB 9010 , URB 9011  and URB 9012 ) but may take a third as an elective.

• URB 9010 - Seminar in Inclusive Urbanism 3 Credit Hours
• URB 9011 - Seminar in Urban Environmental Sustainability 3 Credit Hours
• URB 9012 - Seminar in Urban Economics Resilience 3 Credit Hours

Elective Courses (9 Credit Hours)

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Students will select three electives totaling at least 9 credit hours. Courses may be substituted with alternative courses or directed reading on a topic related to the field through a petition to the GPD Chair. Options include:

• URB 8040 - Urban Policy Analytics 3 Credit Hours
• URB 8097 - Urban Special Topics 3 Credit Hours
• URB 8140 - Directed Studies 1 to 3 Credit Hours
• URB 8660 - Urban Environments 3 Credit Hours or GEOS 6020 - Urban Environments  3 Credit Hours
• URB 8661 - Housing Markets and Housing Policy 3 Credit Hours or PMAP 8361 - Housing Markets and Housing Policy  3 Credit Hours
• URB 8670 - The Interdisciplinary City 3 Credit Hours
• URB 8680 - Community Development & Affordable Housing Finance 3 Credit Hours
• ANTH 6200 - Urban Anthropology 3 Credit Hours
• ECON 8300 - Urban Economics 3 Credit Hours
• GEOS 6515 - Qualitative Methods in Geography 3 Credit Hours
• GEOS 6764 - Urban Geography 3 Credit Hours
• GEOS 6768 - Metropolitan Atlanta 3 Credit Hours or HIST 6320 - Metropolitan Atlanta   3 Credit Hours
• GEOS 8007 - Urban Political Ecology and Environmental Justice 3 Credit Hours
• GEOS 8010 - Seminar in Urban-Economic Geography 3 Credit Hours
• HIST 8630 - The American Built Environment 3 Credit Hours
• [LAW 7251] - Law & Social Welfare 3 Credit Hours
• PHPH 7340 - Built Environment and Health 3 Credit Hours
• PHPH 7300 - Urban Health 3 Credit Hours
• PMAP 8010 - Social Policy 3 Credit Hours
• PMAP 8021 - Scope and Theory of Planning 3 Credit Hours
• PMAP 8311 - Urban Demography and Analysis 3 Credit Hours
• PMAP 8321 - Economic Development Policy 3 Credit Hours
• PMAP 8331 - Urban Development and Sustainable Cities 3 Credit Hours
• SOCI 8212 - Race and Ethnic Relations 3 Credit Hours
• SOCI 8226 - Urban Sociology 3 Credit Hours
• SW 7300 - Methods of Community Research 3 Credit Hours
• SW 8350 - Economic Justice, Inequality, and Poverty 3 Credit Hours
• SW 8440 - Global Social Work Practice, Policy, and Research 3 Credit Hours
• WGSS 8002 - Globalization and Gender 3 Credit Hours

Full-time Residency Requirement

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Before taking the final written qualifying examination, a student must complete one year (two consecutive semesters) of full-time residency. For this requirement, full-time enrollment is 12 credit hours per semester and must include three credit hours of research assistantship or directed research experience. In addition, throughout the period before completing the prescribed coursework, a student must take at least 12 credit hours in every twelve-month period.

Doctoral Comprehensive Examinations (6 Credit Hours)

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Each student must pass a comprehensive examination before proceeding to formal work on their dissertation. The purpose of the comprehensive examination in Urban Studies is twofold: (1) to ensure that the student has sufficient knowledge of the broad fields in which their research and future teaching is situated; and (2) to ensure that the student is capable of engaging in a sophisticated way with the current theoretical, methodological, and empirical debates that constitute those fields. The examination thus tests both knowledge of the field and the ability to independently critique, synthesize and frame an argument. Students who successfully complete their comprehensive exam will be able to articulate how their own doctoral research will contribute to their major of field of study. It is anticipated that students will typically pass their comprehensive exam within one year of completing the prescribed coursework. The comprehensive examination consists of:

a. Written Qualifying Examination

Students will take one written comprehensive exam covering their field of study. The exam will consist of a take-home exam developed by an Examination Committee, under direction of the Committee Chair and in consultation with the student.

Examination Committee: The comprehensive exam will be administered and assessed by an Examination Committee. The Committee will consist of three tenured or tenure-track faculty members, two of whom need to be GSU faculty and at least one of whom must be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member whose primary appointment is in the Urban Studies Institute. Students are recommended to discuss their plans and proposed research area with prospective committee members, in consultation with their Advisor. Students may keep members of the Exam Committee on the Dissertation Supervisory Committee, but the composition of each committee can vary at the discretion of the student’s Dissertation Advisor.

Field Description: The range of topics on which the student will be examined will be described in a brief Field Description. The substantive content of the Field Description will be determined by the student in conjunction with the Examination Committee and must be approved as appropriate by the Examination Committee Chair.

The Field Description is expected to include 3-4 substantive and distinct areas of specialization. The conceptual and topical breadth of each will be agreed upon by the student and members of the Exam Committee. Field Descriptions are expected to be no more than 10 pages in length and include a bibliography for each area of specialization (not included in the page count). The Field Description is not a traditional literature review. Rather it serves to set the parameters of the major field that the student on which the student will be tested, and justify the inclusion of materials in the bibliography. While the exact composition of comprehensive exam bibliographies will vary based on disciplinary norms and areas of specialization, students are expected to include approximately 1,500 pages of material (approximately 75-100 articles or book chapters [@ c.15-20 pages] or 25 complete books).

Enroll for Comprehensive Exam Credit Hours: In order to develop their Field Description and prepare for their written exam, students will register for 6 Comprehensive Exam credits (URB 9300 - Comprehensive Exam Development ). These may be taken concurrently or in consecutive semesters prior to taking the exam (students can take the exam during a semester in which they have registered for URB 9300 credit hours). Students must be given a minimum of 3 months between the time of the approval of the Field Description and the administration of the Comprehensive Exam.

The Examination: The written portion of the comprehensive examination will typically be completed over a 72-hour period. However, at the discretion of the Committee Chair, these hours can be broken up over a period of no more than one week. The exam is open book and can be completed at home.

The Committee Chair will provide the student with a set of examination questions via email by 9am on the first day of the exam. Exam questions will be collaboratively developed by the Examination Committee and approved by the Committee Chair. Students will typically answer one question for each of the sub-fields described in their Field Description (although the exact structure of the written exam will be agreed upon between the student and Committee in advance). Students will email their final answers to the full Examination Committee by the agreed deadline. The Exam Committee will review all the student’s answers, taking the lead on grading questions where appropriate.

Grading and Notification: The comprehensive examination will be graded by the examination committee and be graded: pass with distinction, pass, pass with remediation, or fail. The Chair will convene a meeting with the Examination Committee to discuss the results of the exam prior to notifying the student of their decision.

Students will be permitted a second attempt to pass any comprehensive examination they fail upon the recommendation, by majority vote, of the group of faculty members who graded the examination. A maximum of two attempts is permitted. Failure to satisfactorily complete the comprehensive exam after two attempts will require withdrawal from the program.

b. Oral Qualifying Examination

At the discretion of the Examining Committee, under direction of the Committee Chair, an oral examination may be required as part of the Comprehensive Exam process prior to a determination as to whether the written examination is satisfactory. The oral qualifying exam will be graded by the Examination Committee and be graded: high pass, pass, pass with remediation, or fail.

Dissertation Proposal and Oral Defense (3 Credit Hours)

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In consultation with the Dissertation Committee and the Committee Chair, the student will develop a dissertation proposal. The proposal should not exceed 40 pages. Students must also register for URB 9400 - Dissertation Proposal and Research Design , to satisfy this requirement in consultation with the program director. Normally, the proposal should include a summary of the following (students should consult their Dissertation Committee Chair on individual preferences):

• the purpose of the study;
• the nature of the subject to be investigated and its importance;
• a brief review of the literature;
• the theory, if any, to be developed;
• empirical methodology, techniques, and data sources, if any, to be used;
• the nature of the hypotheses to be developed and tested;
• a time frame for completion of the dissertation.

The student will present and defend the dissertation proposal in a public presentation of less than one hour, which will be open to faculty and graduate students from both schools and announced two weeks prior to the date it is scheduled. To set up your defense, students must do the following:

1. Coordinate with your committee on a date and time to hold the defense.
2. Schedule your defense through WebEx, click here for instructions. NB: Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, until further notice, all dissertation proposal defenses will be held online.
3. Email OAA at least two weeks prior to your defense date so that a room may be scheduled and an announcement circulated. The email must include the following information:
   • The link to your scheduled WebEx defense.
   • Date and exact time of your defense.
   • The working title of your dissertation
   • The list of your dissertation committee members

*Note: If you do not contact OAA two weeks before your defense you may be required to select a different date and postpone your defense.

The Dissertation Committee will question the student in an oral examination, and then vote to determine if the student has a satisfactory research topic and design. A unanimous decision by the student’s Dissertation Committee is required. A unanimous decision by the student’s Dissertation Committee is required to approve the proposal. The approving members will sign a Record of Proposal Defense form (also called a pass sheet) to acknowledge that the defense has been successfully completed. This form will be provided to the Chair by OAA prior to the defense.  The chair should submit this form to the Office of Academic Assistance for your permanent file. Upon submission of the proposal defense approval form, the student is admitted to candidacy for the degree.

Submission of the approval form does not constitute a contractual agreement between the students and the Dissertation Committee.

The Dissertation (15 Credit Hours)

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The dissertation allows the Ph.D. candidate to demonstrate his or her ability to conduct a research program leading to a significant contribution to the candidate’s discipline. Students must obtain approval of their dissertation proposal within one calendar year after completing their comprehensive exams. Dissertation guidelines are available at aysps.gsu.edu/oaa/dissertation-guidelines. Students must also register for URB 9500 - Dissertation Research , to satisfy this requirement in consultation with the program director.

At the time the electronic version of the student’s dissertation (ETD) is posted on the Georgia State University Library server, students must choose the availability option, “Release the entire work immediately for access worldwide,” unless they have received approval to restrict distribution from the AYSPS Associate Dean. A letter showing this approval, which will be granted only for a maximum of one year, must be on file in the Office of Academic Assistance prior to graduation.

The Dissertation Committee

After successfully completing the Comprehensive Exam, the student and his/her advisor/Chair form a Dissertation Committee. The Dissertation Committee consists of a chair plus at least two additional members. Up to two additional members of the Committee may be chosen (for a total maximum of five members). At least one member of the Dissertation Committee must be a core, tenure-track faculty member of the Urban Studies Institute. Students will choose the remaining members of the Committee with the advice and approval of the Committee Chair. The Dissertation Committee Chair must be a tenured or tenure-track faculty member at GSU and the majority of members must be GSU representatives.

Once the Committee is chosen, students should send an email to the Graduate Programs Director and the Office of Academic Assistance (copying their Dissertation Committee Chair) listing their Committee Chair and members.  Once approved, an official memo appointing them will be sent out.  

Once finalized, the Graduate Programs Director must approve any changes in the composition of a student’s Dissertation Committee. Students and Chairs are encouraged to choose USI core and affiliate faculty.

The Final Dissertation Defense

When the candidate’s Dissertation Committee judges that the dissertation is complete, the student must defend it orally in a final dissertation defense, subject to rules governing Georgia State University graduate study. 

The conduct of the exam will be decided by you and your dissertation chair. Usually a half-hour presentation is made, followed by questions. You are not expected to explain all the details of your research, but to give a broad overview, and to answer questions. The following topics are often addressed:

• What was the objective(s) of your research?
• What research methods were used and why did you choose that approach?
• Were the objectives realized?
• What were your major findings and conclusions?
• How does your research expand on or differ from earlier research?
• What are the implications for further research?

You will present and defend your final dissertation in a public presentation that will be open to faculty and other graduate students in the program. The final defense is not an examination of the merits of the dissertation; it is a formal presentation of the results. You should be prepared to discuss and answer questions about the objectives of your research, research methods you used, major findings, conclusions, and implications of the findings. If you have been meeting regularly with your chair and committee members, there should be no surprises at the final defense. Once you and your chair believe your dissertation is in final form, a copy is circulated to each committee member for review and comments. Only after all comments have been addressed to the satisfaction of your committee should you schedule the final defense.

The final defense is announced to faculty and doctoral students via e-mail approximately one week prior to the date it is scheduled. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, until further notice, all final dissertation defenses will be held online. To set up your defense students must do the following:

1. Coordinate with your committee on a date and time to hold the defense.
2. Schedule your online defense through WebEx, click here for instructions.
3. Email OAA at least two weeks prior to your defense date so that a room may be scheduled and an announcement circulated. The email must include the following information:
   • The link to your scheduled WebEx defense.
   • Date and exact time of your defense.
   • The final title of your dissertation.
   • The list of your dissertation committee members.

*Note: If you do not contact OAA two weeks before your defense you may be required to select a different date and postpone your defense.

At least two weeks before the final dissertation defense, the student must submit an abstract of the dissertation to the Degree Programs Committee Chair, who will issue an announcement of the scheduling of the candidate’s dissertation defense. The final defense will be announced to faculty and graduate students via email and posted on the web approximately two weeks prior to the date it is scheduled. Once you and your committee have decided on a date, it is the student’s responsibility to notify the OAA so that a room may be scheduled and an announcement circulated. Students should also assume responsibility for other procedural details, such as bringing the required paperwork, requesting any special equipment you need, and checking the conference room assigned before the exam.

At the completion of the oral defense, members of the Dissertation Committee will vote on the dissertation’s approval or disapproval. Unanimous approval is required.

Once the student has passed the final defense, the chair will ask the committee members to sign the appropriate paperwork. The following should be signed and submitted to OAA for record keeping and verification:

• Final Defense Pass Sheet: to be emailed to the Chair by OAA a few days before the defense.
• Acceptance sheet: Students should prepare this sheet and bring it with them to their final defense. If any changes to your dissertation are requested as a result of the final defense, your chair may hold the acceptance sheet until s/he believes the dissertation is in final form.

Candidates are generally expected to complete their dissertations and defend them with 18 months of defending their proposals. In the case of candidates doing extensive field work, the expectation is no more than 24 months.

Graduate Assistantship

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Graduate assistants are required to enroll for a minimum of 12 credit hours each semester. These credit hours consist of courses required for the prescribed 30 credit hours program of study, as well as additional hours of URB 8999 - Graduate Research in Urban Studies .

Regulations for the Degree

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1. Oversight.
   An Admissions and Coordinating (A & C) Committee, consisting of six tenure-track faculty has jurisdiction over and is chiefly responsible for policy relating to admissions, program curriculum, rules and regulations, and operations of the joint degree program. The faculties of the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies and Urban Studies Institute, in accordance with their procedures and bylaws, select members of the A & C Committee.
2. Scholastic Warning and Termination.
   The doctoral grade-point average (GPA) is defined as the GPA for all courses numbered 6000 or higher taken after admission to the doctoral program. Each student must maintain a 3.00 doctoral GPA (B average). For graduation, a student may have a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or above in all courses at Georgia State taken at the graduate level, regardless of the degree program.
3. Standards of Performance.
   To continue in the program, a student must make reasonable and timely progress toward the degree in terms of coursework completed and examinations. A determination that a student is not making satisfactory progress and should be terminated from the program may be made at several points in his or her program, including failure to achieve and maintain a doctoral GPA of at least 3.00, failure to pass 12 credit hours within a twelve-month period, failure of the comprehensive qualifying examination, or failure to successfully defend a dissertation proposal or dissertation. In all such cases, a recommendation of dismissal must be made to the Admissions and Coordinating Committee, which will review the case and issue a final decision regarding termination from the program.
4. Appeals.
   All student appeals regarding grades and other faculty actions affecting students will be adjudicated through the appeals process governing the School where the action occurred. If the appeal concerns an A & C Committee action or other joint program action, the student must appeal the action first to the faculties of both schools (with approval from both required to overturn the action), then to the graduate committees of both institutions (with approval from both required to overturn the action).
5. Time Limits for the Degree.
   These time limits should be interpreted as the maximum amount of time students may take to complete each of the degree requirements. It is anticipated that most students will complete the requirements much earlier than the maximum time limits specified below:
   1. All required coursework and both written examinations must be completed within three years from the semester of entry into the doctoral program.
   2. Qualifying examinations must be successfully completed, the Dissertation Committee must be appointed, and the dissertation proposal must be defended and approved within one year after completion of coursework.
   3. All requirements for the degree, including the dissertation, must be completed within seven years from the semester of entry into the doctoral program.