Program Overview
The PhD in Planning at UMass Amherst is a research-intensive program for students aspiring to academic or research careers. The program offers expertise in various planning areas, including community engagement, technological innovation, and regenerative urbanism. Students benefit from opportunities to enhance their research skills through elective coursework and graduate certificate programs. Upon completion, graduates are well-prepared for research-oriented positions in academia, public agencies, and private corporations.
Program Outline
Degree Overview:
The PhD in Planning at UMass Amherst is a research-forward degree ideal for students interested in careers in the academic world or in research in public agencies or private corporations. The program focuses on research in most areas of planning, plus some areas where planning and landscape architecture overlap. Faculty have areas of expertise in community engagement; technological innovation and regional economy; culture, heritage, and society; design exploration; regenerative urbanism; and regional and greenway planning. Students can use their elective coursework to build their pedagogical and other professional research skills at schools and colleges throughout the university, such as the College of Education. UMass Amherst also offers many graduate certificate programs that could enhance your academic pursuits, such as Cultural Landscapes Management; Climate Change, Hazards, and Green Infrastructure Planning; Public History; Heritage Studies; Geographic Information Systems; Feminist Studies; and more. All doctoral candidates must have a minimum of one year of full-time residence (two consecutive semesters), after which you may choose to go part-time.
