Planning and development are critical concerns of the nation and the world at the end of the 20th century. Whether redesigning the health care system, reproducing economic innovation in our central cities, or facilitating economic and social relationships across the globe, planners and developers are on center stage.

Leading the way into the next century will be a group of experienced practitioners who have updated and expanded their professional achievements by developing additional conceptual and research competency through the Doctor of Planning and Development Studies (DPDS).

The goals of the program are: to create a unique educational environment that will forge these professionals into a cadre for urban change; to develop urban professionals who can merge development and planning tools to design new integrative policy planning and implementation systems; to establish a set of new problem solving paradigms for examining and altering planning and development decision-making and to equip professionals with sophisticated analytical tools and a sharper cultural awareness so they can practice planning and development anywhere in the world.

Admission

The program is intended for people with considerable professional experience and intellectual interests. Requirements for admission include: GPA of 3.0 (A = 4.0) for all post-high school academic work, submission of GRE and, for international students, TOEFL scores; five letters of recommendation, including at least one academic and one professional; five or more years of professional experience; a resume and, if appropriate, a portfolio; and a study prospectus detailing a proposed field of study. Guidelines for preparing the prospectus are included in the application package. Additional requirements for international students are listed under Admission of International Students. Each application will be examined with the aim of admitting an applicant whose study prospectus suggests the ability and focus to produce an innovative approach to professional practice.

Applicants are expected to hold a master’s degree in architecture, landscape architecture, public administration, real estate development, urban/city/regional planning, urban design or a closely related field. Applicants with master’s degrees in other fields will be expected to complete foundation courses prior to entering the degree’s core classes.

Upon admission to the program, each student will be assigned a faculty advisor who will oversee his or her program.

Curriculum Requirements

The Doctor of Planning and Development Studies is administered by the School of Urban Planning and Development for full-time and part-time students. The DPDS requires completion of 60 units of course work comprising the following elements:

Requirements	Units
Foundation courses	20
DPDS courses	8
Methods course	4
Field of study	20
Conspectus Preparation	4
Planning, design and development project	minimum 4

Foundation Courses

Up to 20 units of foundation courses are required. These courses may be taken from the school’s master’s degree programs or, with prior approval, from other USC graduate degree programs. Students who hold a related master’s degree and have previously fulfilled the foundation course requirements may be awarded up to 20 units of advanced standing to fulfill the foundation course requirements. Such decisions will be made as part of the admissions process by the school’s faculty.

Required Courses		Units
PLUS 603	Planning and Development Paradigms	4
PLUS 623	Politics of Planning and the Urban Environment	4
PLUS 692	Conspectus Preparation	4

Methods

A student's methods course should be approved by the student's Profrssional Advisory Committee. Possible courses include:

PLUS 573	Design Skills for Planners	4
PLUS 574	Planning Analysis and Evaluation	4
PLUS 608	Advanced Research Methods in Planning: Survey Research Methods	4
PLUS 609	Advanced Research Methods in Planning: Qualitative Methods	4
PLUS 612	Analysis of Quantitative Data for Planning and Development	4

Screening Process

As quickly as possible, the student will form a Professional Advisory Committee consisting of the student’s advisor and two other school and USC faculty and up to five professionals whose activities are related to the student’s. This commitee shall oversee the student’s program to its conclusion.

At the completion of no more than 16 units beyond the foundation courses and/or PLUS 603 and PLUS 623, students will complete a program statement which will consist of responding to a short list of specific planning and development problems using appropriate professional paradigms. The student will then meet with the Professional Advisory Committee to formally review the student’s progress toward the degree.

Field of Study

In consultation with their faculty advisors and Professional Advisory Committee, students will craft a field of study related to the professional arena of practice. The field may or may not reflect standard academic boundaries, such as transportation and land use planning. Students should take advantage of USC’s resources in developing the field, especially taking into consideration the relationship of practice to theory and context. Twenty units of course work are required for the field of study, eight of which may be taken outside the School of Urban Planning and Development.

Conspectus Preparation

In PLUS 692 students complete a professional conspectus that defines their field of study, its structure and place within professional practice, and other related questions. The conspectus will be presented to the student’s Professional Advisory Committee for acceptance. Only after it is accepted may the student proceed to the Planning, Design and Development Project.

Planning, Design and Development Project

The capstone project of the DPDS is the student’s completion of the Planning, Design and Development Project (PDDP). The PDDP is a study of an aspect, site, issue or other such element of professional practice. Each PDDP should be designed to present an innovative or original contribution to the practice of planning and development. The parameters of the PDDP are intentionally left wide, allowing the project to be produced as solely text, or text in conjunction with film, computer program, design or another multimedia format.

The PDDP is supervised by the student’s Professional Advisory Committee. Students must maintain continuous registration in the PLUS 694 series until completion of the PDDP. Upon completion of an approved draft of the PDDP, students will present their findings in an open session, but the Professional Advisory Committee is the sole evaluator.

General Requirements

This degree is administered by the School of Urban Planning and Development. At least
24 units must be fulfilled in residence at USC. The total length of the study must not exceed six academic years. Students are encouraged to actively participate in a non-credit School of Urban Planning and Development doctoral workshop. Policies regarding time limits, leave of absence, scholarship standing, academic warning, and other issues not directly addressed are consistent with those of the Graduate School. Please consult the Academic Policies and the Graduate School sections of this catalogue for additional information.