Fully Funded PhD in Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy at University of California Irvine

About PhD Program,

Today’s complex environmental, social and urban issues are best understood by researchers who can work across disciplinary boundaries, and who understand the relationship of research to action. The Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy (UEPP) doctoral program at UCI trains scholars in the analysis of social problems related to the built, natural, and institutional environments. The UEPP Ph.D. is based on the department’s internationally prominent research and teaching strengths in environmental policy, urban and community development and design.

The Ph.D. Program in Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy (UEPP) is a part of the Department of Urban Planning and Public Policy (UPPP). We invite you to dive deeper in to learn more about UPPP. Take a look at the message from our Chair, Professor Walter Nicholls, and explore our News section and Events listing, where you’ll find highlights of the many accomplishments and activities being undertaken by our faculty, students, and alumni. Our Research page showcases centers and initiatives UPPP faculty and students engage in to address significant issues throughout the world.

Note: The official name of our department changed in 2017 from “Planning, Policy, and Design” to “Urban Planning and Public Policy.”  The name of the doctoral degree conferred is now “Ph.D. in Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy.”

PhD Program Degree Eligibility with GPA,   

General requirements for admission include the completion of a Bachelor’s degree or its equivalent and a minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or its equivalent.

The Ph.D. program consists of four primary components: course work, comprehensive exams, advancing to candidacy and dissertation research, writing, and defense. A typical pattern for completion of requirements is the following:

• First and Second Years: Take required departmental courses supplemented by electives.
• September after Second Year: Take comprehensive exams.
• Third Year: Write and defend dissertation prospectus, advance to candidacy. Begin dissertation.
• Fourth through Sixth Years: Dissertation research and writing (students are expected to complete and defend their dissertations within nine quarters of advancing to candidacy).

The normative time for completion of the Ph.D. in Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy is six years.

PhD Funding Coverage,

Students who are admitted into the Ph.D. Program in Urban and Environmental Planning and Policy are offered a commitment of funding support for years 1-5, composed of a combination of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and fellowships to provide graduate student tuition, most fees*, and a stipend.

View tuition and fees charts at the UCI Registrar’s website.

• Teaching assistantships are the most common form of support.
• UCI’s Graduate Division and the School of Social Ecology offer a variety of fellowships for doctoral students at various stages of the program.
• The school and department may provide supplemental funding for students who have been awarded external fellowships that do not include tuition coverage.
• Students have opportunities to work as research assistants for faculty with research grants.

Application Requirement,

Complete and submit your Application for Admission online

• The GRE requirementvaries per program:
• The following programs DO NOTrequire the GRE: PhD in Psychological Science, PhD in Psychological Science (Clinical), PhD in Urban & Environmental Planning & Policy, PhD in Criminology, Law & Society, MA in Urban & Regional Planning, MAS in Criminology, Law & Society, MA in Legal & Forensic Psychology.
• The GRE requirements for applicants to the MA in Public Policy are as follows:
• The GRE is recommended, but not required, for any student that has completed all the requirements for their high school diploma, bachelor’s degree, or an advanced degree in an educational institution where the primary and/or dominant language of instruction is English.
• All other students are required to complete the GRE before being considered for admission into the MPP.
• If you are submitting a GRE score, please use 4859 as the UCI institution code. If you are applying to the PhD in Psychological Science and/or Psychological Science with a concentration in Clinical Psychology program, the GRE Psychology subject test is not required. There is no minimum campus GRE score requirement.
• English Proficiency requirement: Applicants who have earned an undergraduate or master’s degree from an institution at which English was the sole language of instruction according to the World Higher Education Databaseare waived from the English Language Proficiency requirement. Otherwise, applicants may be required to submit English-proficiency test scores (TOEFL or IELTS) for admissions purposes. The UCI institution code for the TOEFL is 4859. An institution code is not required for the IELTS.
• Visit the Graduate Division English Proficiencysection and the Graduate Division FAQs page for additional information.
• Please note that English proficiency requirements for teaching assistants may differ from admission requirements.
• All applicants must submit a Statement of Purpose (1200 words max unless otherwise indicated below) and a Personal History Statement (1200 words max unless otherwise indicated below).
• The MAS in Criminology, Law & Society requires applicants to respond to specific promptsfor the statements:
• Two formal statements demonstrating your writing ability and clarity of thought which includes a personal history describing your previous professional and academic achievements, and a formal statement of purpose, detailing current goals, and specifically how and why the MAS program will help you achieve them. In your statement of purpose you must also describe a potential capstone paper topic (required in the second year of study), including what you intend to study, why the subject is of interest to you, and how the topic relates to the MAS curriculum more generally. Your statement will be formally evaluated and is a significant part of your application. The Personal History and Statement of Purpose writing samples are submitted electronically as part of your online application. The Personal History should be 600 words or lessand the Statement of Purpose should be 800 words or less.
• The PhD programs in Psychological Science encourage applicants to include the following in the statements:
• Statement of Purpose
• In your statement, please indicate what faculty member(s) with whom you are interested in working. Your statement should describe your background, research experience, current and future research interests, future goals, and how you see yourself fitting in our department.
• Personal History Statement (please use the sentences as a guide and not a limit to the length of your statement)
• Please describe any experience you have in advocating for diversity in organizations or communities of which you have been a member (3-5 sentences). Describe a significant challenge you have faced and your ability to demonstrate resilience and achievement despite the challenges (3-7 sentences). Describe your interest in an academic career in teaching and research (3-5 sentences).
• Please visit the Graduate Division websitefor more information.
• Provide letters of recommendation
• Each program has its own requirements; to see how many letters your program requires, please see here.
• Letters of Recommendation letters mustbe uploaded digitally –  paper LORs will not be accepted.
• Letters that speak to your academic and/or professional achievement, describe your strengths and weaknesses,
  and comment on your character, integrity and motivation are especially useful.
• The application will accept Interfolio.  If you need any support or have questions regarding Interfolio, please contactthem directly.

Additional information regarding letters of recommendation can be found here.

• Scan and upload transcripts to the online application from ALL institutions attended after high school.
• Upload both the FRONTand the BACK side of the transcript.
• Uploaded transcripts should be recent and include the following:
  your name, dates of attendance, grades/marks received, credits and grading legend.
• DO NOTsend official transcripts until they are requested.
• Any supplemental materials your program requests may be uploaded to the online application.
• The MPP program requires the submission of a resume or CV.
• The MAS program requires the submission of a resume or CV.
• The MLFP program requires the submission of a resume or CV.

For questions regarding program or application requirements, please email seambassador@uci.edu

If you have any technical difficulties submitting your application, please email gradapplicant@uci.edu

Application Deadline,

Jan 15, 2025

Application Fee,  

Submit your non-refundable application fee ($135 for U.S. Citizens & U.S. Permanent Residents and $155 for all other applicants as of 10.2.2024)

Application Fee can be paid by credit card only; checks will not be accepted.