The Doctor of Philosophy in Planning degree is under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School. Students should also refer to the Graduate School section of this catalogue for general regulations. All courses applied toward the degree must be courses accepted by the Graduate School.

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Planning emphasizes a rigorous program of advanced study and research, stressing qualitative or quantitative analysis and the theoretical dimensions of planned intervention and social change. Specialization and expertise in a substantive field such as transportation, history, housing, community development, environmental analysis, urban design, real estate development, social policy planning theory or international development is required.

Curriculum Requirements

The Doctor of Philosophy in Planning degree is administered by the doctoral committee of the school. Each student initially plans an interdisciplinary program comprising a set of core courses and two fields (inside and outside) of interest developed by the student with assistance from faculty advisors. The student must complete sufficient course work to prepare for written and oral qualifying examinations covering his or her field of interest. The student then completes the program with a dissertation which focuses on a research problem in an area related to planning or urban policy. The program requires the completion of 60 units of course work, comprising the following elements: Master of Planning core (12 units), doctoral core (12 units), methodology (4 units), fields of study (28 units) and dissertation (4 units minimum).

Core Curriculum

Doctoral core provides foundation in plannning theory and research design:

PLUS 601	Advanced Planning Theory I	4
PLUS 602ab	Research Design	2-2
PLUS 605	Advanced Planning Theory II	4

Methodology

Select one methodology course:

PLUS 606	Advanced Research Methods in Planning: Multivariate Statistical Methods, or
PLUS 607	Advanced Research Methods in Planning: Optimization and Matrix Methods, or
PLUS 608	Advanced Research Methods in Planning: Survey Research Methods, or
PLUS 609	Advanced Research Methods in Planning: Qualitative Methods, or another approved methods course from another academic unit at USC	4

While a Master of Planning degree is not a prerequisite for admission, those students entering the doctoral program without a master’s degree in planning will be required to complete 12 units of the 16-unit M.Pl. core curriculum: PLUS 501 (2), PLUS 502 (4), PLUS 505 (2), PLUS 506 (2), PLUS 507 (2) and PLUS 509 (2) or PLUS 510 (2). Students entering with an M.Pl. or equivalent degree will receive 20 units of advanced standing.

Fields of Study

Students will take course work in two disciplines or substantive areas according to particular interests and needs. There is ample opportunity to shape a degree program to each student’s background, needs and interests, while drawing upon the diversity of resources available at USC. Twenty-eight units of course work are required for the fields of study. Students entering with a master’s degree, whether in planning or another discipline, will receive eight units of advanced standing applied toward the field of study portion of the doctoral curriculum. Students are expected to actively participate in one of the five research workshops directed by faculty and to seek teaching experience.

Screening Procedures

Prior to screening, the student should have completed 12 units of the Doctor of Philosophy core. The student is also expected to have completed the research methods course.

Prior to screening, each student prepares a resume and a preliminary statement describing the fields of specialization. After passing the written screening examination, the student meets with the faculty committee to discuss the proposal for course work, fields of specialization and research interests. Once the student passes screening, a guidance committee is formed and its chair serves as the student’s principal advisor in preparing for the qualifying examination.

Guidance Committee

Following screening, each student selects a guidance committee, which officially oversees the development of the student’s academic program through the qualifying examination. Five committee members are designated to provide guidance in the field developed by the student. A minimum of three members, including at least one tenured member, must be from among the faculty participating in this Doctor of Philosophy program, and at least one member must be from outside the School of Urban Planning and Development.

Qualifying Examination

The guidance committee prepares a comprehensive written examination covering the fields of study. The exact format for the written portion is determined by each committee in advance. Answers to the questions in the written portion are graded by all committee members. Following completion of the written portion, the entire committee conducts an oral examination of the student, focusing on material both complementary and supplementary to the written examination but relevant to the field and overall program selected by the student. Upon passing both portions of the qualifying examination, the student becomes a candidate for the Doctor of Philosophy degree.

Course Exemption and Transfer of Units

Graduate work may be accepted by transfer from approved graduate schools as determined by the USC Office of Admission upon recommendation of the dean of the school.

Students entering the doctoral program with a master’s degree in a field other than planning or who have completed graduate course work may receive up to 12 units of advanced standing toward the Ph.D. in planning. Students entering with a Master of Planning degree or its equivalent may receive up to 20 units of advanced standing. In all cases, students must complete a minimum of 30 units of doctoral classes, plus dissertation, at USC. Evaluation of advanced standing is normally conducted as part of the student’s screening.

Some applicants for admission to the school will have been engaged in work in planning or closely related activities. Although this experience should be of benefit to the students involved, it cannot be considered equivalent to academic education.

Doctoral Dissertation

The dissertation is based on original research on a planning or urban/regional policy issue requiring an interdisciplinary perspective. The research is supervised by a dissertation committee of three or more regular USC faculty, at least one of whom must be from outside the School of Urban Planning and Development. A two semester minimum registration in PLUS 794 (2) is required of all candidates. Students must maintain continuous registration until completion of the dissertation.

Defense of the Dissertation

Oral defense of the dissertation before the dissertation committee is usually made on a preliminary draft.

Format for Theses and Dissertations

All theses and dissertations submitted in fulfillment of requirements for graduate degrees must conform to university regulations with regard to format and method of preparation. See Regulations for Format and Presentation of Theses and Dissertations available from the Graduate School, Grace Ford Salvatori 315.

General Requirements

Refer to the Graduate School section in this catalogue for policies regarding time limits, leave of absence, scholarship standing and probation.