Doctorate in Urban Planning

About Course

Ph.D. (Urban Planning) Courses, Eligibility, Admissions, Syllabus, Career Options, Frequently asked Questions.

Overview and About the Course:

For professionals concerned in the future of cities, a PhD in urban development is the top degree. The study programme necessitates an advanced degree in the subject area and rigorous research methodologies. Graduate-level quantitative research techniques must have been taken for at least two semesters by students who want to pursue a PhD in urban planning. The curriculum is extremely competitive, and graduates may anticipate employment in a highly specialised field for four to five years after graduation.

Allowed to pursue a PhD in urban development are probably required to take courses on the theories behind land use, land-use planning, and zoning regulations. Globalization, equality, public costs, and the role of externalities will all be included in the programme. A lot of college students decide to work in housing and municipal planning. Any of these professions can be prepared for by a PhD in urban planning.

The Ph.D. in urban development is a thorough programme created to train professionals for positions in academia, government, non-governmental organisations, research, and urban planning. Graduates of the course will be equipped with the theoretical knowledge required to solve the complex difficulties now facing cities. Individuals will be able to specialise in any field of urban development with this degree.

The PhD programme is extremely competitive and unique. All students are expected to spend at least two years in residence and often need four semesters of formal education before taking comprehensive examinations. A master's degree in a related discipline, such as but not limited to urban planning, architecture, historic preservation, or landscape architecture, is required of applicants to the PhD programme. Students should have two semesters of graduate-level quantitative research methodologies before beginning a PhD programme.

•    The study of historical and modern urban design challenges is covered under this area of specialty, as well as how codes, recommendations, and review procedures are used to control urban form and design. 

•    The interaction between structures, culture, context, the urban setting, and their impact on the formation of the urban form will be examined by students pursuing this speciality. 

•    In addition to a strong emphasis on design techniques and projects that rejuvenate cities and reduce urban sprawl, this subject emphasises the connection between human behaviour and physical form. 

•    It also looks at how growth control and sprawl may and do influence urban design.

•    This area of expertise focuses on reviving the centre city to make it an even more desirable location to live and work as well as to reduce the outward movement that makes suburban development management necessary.

A Master of Architecture or a Master of Planning degree with an overall score of at least 55% is required for admission to the PhD Urban Planning programme. The degree must have been earned from an accredited university or college. Admissions are made based on merit as well as results from the admission exam and many rounds of in-person interviews.

The curriculum is offered by a number of universities around the nation, and they consistently receive excellent rankings from numerous rating organisations. SPA New Delhi, SPA Bhopal, and IIT are a few of the leading universities. The program's annual course price ranges from 30,000 to 4,00,000. 

The typical placement package ranges from INR 3 lakhs to 8 lakhs per annum. 

Course Highlight of Ph.D. in Urban Planning:

Why to do Ph.D. in Urban Planning:

•    Applicants pick urban planning as a vocation for a variety of reasons, including financial gain, the opportunity to ascend to high positions, etc. There are several other factors that make urban planning the ideal profession for many. Below is a list of a few of the causes.

•    A PhD in urban planning graduate has a wide range of job opportunities at their disposal. One can work as a teacher at institutions, on projects with city governments, or with private businesses on a modest scale.

•    Environmental sustainability is a goal of urban planning. Urban planning is the ideal field to pursue if one is driven to build infrastructure that they can be proud of.

•    The field of urban planning is competitive, fast-paced, and silent. Urban planning is the way to go if one can grow professionally in such a setting and perform at their best.

•    Organizations, both public and commercial, need urban planners to work on large-scale initiatives. Urban planners make a good wage given the size of the projects they work on. For recent grads, the beginning salary will be on the upper side.

Eligibility Criteria Required for the course, Ph.D. in Urban Planning:

The requirements for admission to the doctoral programme in urban planning vary greatly from institution to college. The top-ranked universities, however, have specific requirements for applicants, including the ones listed below.

•    Candidates must hold an M.Arch. or M.Plan degree from an accredited institution of higher learning.

•    For admission, candidates must have a minimum cumulative score of 55%.

•    The following entrance exams are accepted: GATE, BITS Mesra Written Test, VTU ETR, etc.

Skills for the course, Ph.D. in Urban Planning:

PhD holders in the Urban Planning need a combination of hard talents and soft skills to succeed in their jobs. It's possible that these skills can't always be taught within the constraints of the school system. Practice is the only way to hone these abilities. Students should thus seize any chance to extend their perspectives and acquire new knowledge. Only a handful of these skills include:

•    Observation Techniques

•    Progress Tracking

•    Thinking Techniques

•    Skills in Communication

•    Skills for Dealing Pressure

•    Instructing Human Development 

•    Guide Wisely 

•    Hard Working 

Admission Process for the course, Ph.D. in Urban Planning:

Most colleges and universities that offer PhD programmes in Urban Planning admit candidates based on how well they performed on their Master's degree examinations. To assess a candidate's ability and skill set, certain colleges do provide entrance examinations.

•    Candidate must first apply to the institute for the course he wishes to take.

•    To pursue a Ph.D. in Urban Planning, a student must do well in the entrance tests for the appropriate Universities, such as the GATE and BIT Mesra, etc. Students must also do well in the round of individual interviews.

•    Following the outcome of the exam, candidates must advance to the interview stage or participate in a group discussion.

•    The next stage in counselling or enrolment in the college comes after the interview procedure.

•    Students must submit the necessary paperwork in accordance with the college's criteria in order to enrol.

Admission Based on Entrance Exam for Ph.D. in Urban Planning:

The following are the entrance-based admission requirements for a PhD in Urban Planning:

•    To successfully register, candidates must submit an application through the entrance examination organization's official website.

•    The authorities will announce the examination date, and applicants must appear for the test.

•    The applicants need to achieve a good grade or CGPA in the relevant exams in order to be accepted to the PhD in Urban Planning programme.

•    The authorities will present a merit list of the chosen applicants and assign the pupils the necessary college seats.

•    In order to be admitted, the candidates must pass additional rounds of personal interviews.

Tips to get Admission in the college for the course, Ph.D. in Urban Planning:

Obtaining entrance to a reputable college is crucial for a higher education research programme like a PhD in Urban Planning. Here are a few key ideas to remember when you seek admission to a reputable university.

•    If you are fervently interested in applying for a PhD in Urban Planning, you must achieve a respectable grade in your Post Graduate level of study.

•    If you are getting ready to take an entrance exam, you must also get a high CGPA on that exam to be admitted to a reputable PhD in Urban Planning College.

•    Please investigate the prospective college before making any plans to attend any college or institution.

•    Ensure that university offers the ideal curriculum and adequate facilities to train you to master a PhD in Urban Planning.

Entrance exams for the course, Ph.D. in Urban Planning:

Admission is done on the basis of merit at the majority of leading universities that offer PhD programmes in urban planning. These admission tests are acceptable for the other institutes.

GATE:

Indian Institutes of Technology that offer programmes in architecture and planning take the Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering. Each year, one of the seven IITs conducts the online exam. The 180-minute test is given in more than 199 cities.

Test BIT Mesra:

For admission to its PhD programmes, Birla Institute of Technology, Mesra holds a written exam and a round of individual interviews. Analytical ability, logical thinking, English language, and questions drawn from pre-selected research subjects are the three components of the written exam.

Tips to prepare the entrance exam for the course, Ph.D. in Urban Planning:

The following information can aid applicants in getting ready for the entrance exam.

•    First of all, Create a schedule for your study time. You will be able to concentrate on each subject and give each topic equal time.

•    Go through the exam's syllabus in detail. Instead of studying a completely unrelated subject, it will assist you in focusing on key themes.

•    Examine the question papers from the prior year to have a better grasp of the admission tests. There are several books for entrance exams that include previous year's test questions and the solutions.

•    It's crucial to comprehend the fundamentals of the subjects rather than memorising the answers. You may use it to help you answer challenging queries.

•    Every admission test consists of MCQs with a single right response. Additionally, there is a failing grade.

•    It's crucial to only answer questions you are certain of. Considering that there is a negative marking, speculation is to be avoided.

Top Colleges for the course, Ph.D. in Urban Planning:

Check out the list of top colleges with their locations for the course, Ph.D. in Urban Planning. 

Syllabus to study for the course, Ph.D. in Urban Planning:

Check out the list of the topics to be study in the duration of the course, Ph.D. in Urban Planning. 

•    Sampling
•    Probability and Sampling
•    Measures of association and hypothesis testing
•    Correlations and Regression
•    Rural Planning
•    Infrastructure & Transportation Planning
•    Participatory Planning
•    Environmental Management and Impact Assessment

•    Formulating Problem Statement
•    Literature Survey
•    How to study a scientific paper
•    Publishing a paper
•    How to present a scientific paper
•    Applied Statistics
•    Modeling and Prediction of Performance
•    Developing a research proposal
•    Quantitative, Qualitative and Spatial Analysis
•    Phenomenological, Behavioral Science and Environmental Psychological Study

•    Concepts and Research Methods in Psychology
•    Decision Making Models
•    Research Problem
•    Basic Instrumentation
•    Graph theory
•    Social and Visual research Methods
•    Urban Planning and Design
•    Genesis of Architectural Research
•    Research Topologies in Architectural Research
•    Tools for data collection

Job Prospects and Career after doing the course, Ph.D. in Urban Planning:

•    For many people, a career in urban development as a PhD may be financially rewarding. The course combines in-depth knowledge of urban issues with meticulous research, analytical techniques, and consideration of more general social ideas. 

•    Graduates are qualified for positions in academic institutions, governmental organisations, and consulting businesses. Graduates with a Ph.D. in urban development will be qualified to work as researchers and teachers. 

•    With a degree, you could have more professional alternatives.

•    The advanced training in urban planning and design is the main emphasis of the Ph.D. programme. Graduates will gain skills in multidisciplinary research, various analytical techniques, and research designs. 

•    In the end, the curriculum equips students to work as professionals in the United States, Europe, and Asia as urban planners. The decision to pursue a Ph.D. in urban development has several advantages.

Job Profiles after doing the course, Ph.D. in Urban Planning:

Sustainability Advisor:

Companies engage a sustainable consultant to help them develop and implement environmentally friendly business strategies.

Traffic Engineer:

Building transportation networks according to city demands is done by transport planners. The major emphasis is on the transportation requirements of bikes and pedestrians.

Urban Designer:

Urban planners collaborate with government representatives to create plans for institutional, institutional, commercial, and transportation regions. In-depth study is also done by the planner before creating the plan.

Urban Planner:

Urban designers also work in general architecture, city and urban planning, and landscape design. They create plans for cities, towns, villages, etc.

Interior designer:

Designers design new structures, commercial projects, change old structures, and renovate existing structures, among other things.

Benefits after doing the course, Ph.D. in Urban Planning:    

•    The Ph.D. in urban development programme offers a distinctive path to professional advancement and leadership development. Numerous destinations are available for students to study, and they may benefit from numerous chances to network internationally. 

•    You will get the ability to network with other urban development experts in addition to the local learning opportunities. 

•    You can participate in events that are particularly created to help MSc students if you join the IHS community as a PhD student. They will be allowed to oversee Master's theses and attend guest lectures, for instance.

•    Graduates of the Ph.D. degree in urban development will be prepared for leading positions in academic research and policy. 

•    They can pursue careers as professors and researchers in the area thanks to it. A graduate with this degree will be able to find employment in academic institutions, non-profits, and the public sector. 

•    The programme is well known for the calibre of its research and teaching outputs. Graduates are also given the abilities to put their advanced knowledge and talents to use.

Scope after doing the course, Ph.D. in Urban Planning:    

•    Applicants can start working for organisations right away after finishing and getting a PhD in urban planning. While enrolled in a PhD programme, certain institutions, like the SPA in New Delhi, require its PhD applicants to instruct Masters-level students. 

•    A graduate of urban planning may find employment with firms that specialise in planning and architecture, construction, design, town and rural planning, institutions and universities, etc.

•    The greatest level of education one may attain in India is a PhD in urban planning. After earning their degree, students have two options: change careers or enrol in alternative programmes. The aforementioned programmes are available for selection if desired.

Frequently asked Questions:

Question. What is the typical programme course cost?

Answer, The typical course price ranges from 60,000 to 1.5 lac rupees.

Question. What is the procedure for programme admission?

Answer. Merit-based admissions are made based on entrance exam results, and candidates must submit their research projects to a round of personal interviews.

Question. What is the eligibility criteria required for the course?

Answer. The requirements for admission to the doctoral programme in urban planning vary greatly from institution to college. The top-ranked universities, however, have specific requirements for applicants, including the ones listed below.

•    Candidates must hold an M.Arch. or M.Plan degree from an accredited institution of higher learning.

•    For admission, candidates must have a minimum cumulative score of 55%.

•    The following entrance exams are accepted: GATE, BITS Mesra Written Test, VTU ETR, etc.

Question. What is the average course fee for the course?

Answer. The average course fee for the course is in between 20,000 to 4,00,000.

Question. What is the pay scale after doing the course?

Answer. The average pay scale after doing the course, Ph.D. in Urban Planning is in between 3 lakhs to 8 lakhs per annum.