PhD in Urban and Regional Planning in Madison United States | University of Wisconsin-Madison

The PhD program accepts a select group of exceptional students aspiring to careers in academia, research institutions, or major planning organizations. Typically, candidates complete two years of intensive coursework before achieving candidacy, followed by one to two years dedicated to dissertation research and defense. While the program emphasizes cultivating universal planning skills and analytical mindsets, each student must focus on a specific planning specialization aligned with their interests.

We seek candidates with outstanding academic records and strong potential to excel as professional planners. The department particularly encourages applications from women and underrepresented minorities. With limited undergraduate planning programs nationwide, our students originate from diverse academic fields. Recent cohorts have predominantly featured social science backgrounds—especially geography, economics, political science, and sociology—though applicants' undergraduate disciplines span from the arts to the sciences.