Ph.D. in Urban Systems
Ph.D. in Urban Systems
The Joint PhD Program in Urban Systems offers students opportunities to examine the complex relationships between physical, cultural, ecological, political, social, and economic aspects of cities in the U.S. and other countries, and to specialize in those topics of particular interest to them. With the exception of students pursuing a specialization in Urban History, the research approach in the program is based in the social sciences. Two senior public research universities in Newark co-sponsor the program: New Jersey Institute of Technology and Rutgers University-Newark. All students in the program have full access to library, computing, and other student services at both campuses.
The program gives students the tools to develop research-based knowledge in urban systems, to take an analytic view toward urban problems and to participate in the development and evaluation of policy and services for urban populations. The program consists of two tracks and one sub-specialization: (1) Urban Environment and a possible sub-specialization in Urban History in the School of Architecture at NJIT and (2) Global Urban Studies in the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers-Newark. All students in the program complete a 51-credit curriculum.
Urban Environment Track
Students in this track come to the program with previous degrees in architecture, landscape architecture, urban planning, political science and economics. Once in the program, they focus on the physical and spatial aspects of cities and larger metropolitan areas, taking a contemporary perspective, a historical perspective or a combination of both. They choose dissertation topics in architecture, landscape architecture, urban design, infrastructure, urban development, and urban agriculture, and pursue those topics in relation to social, cultural, ecological, and regulatory issues. Those who choose a sub-specialization in Urban History take courses in research methods related to that while other students in the track take research methods courses in the social sciences.
For information about Global Urban Studies at Rutgers-Newark, please see https://sasn.rutgers.edu/academics-admissions/graduate-programs/global-urban-studies-gus.
Admission to the Program
Criteria for admission to the program include a record of academic achievement, previous research experience, and a clear expression of research interests that are compatible with faculty expertise in the two universities. A completed master's degree is normally required of all applicants. Those applying directly from a Bachelor's degree program must have a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.75 or higher.
Students who are interested in the Urban Environment Track (including a specialization in Urban History) apply to NJIT (http://www.njit.edu/admissions/how-apply-graduate-admissions). Those interested in Global Urban Studies apply to Rutgers-Newark (https://sasn.rutgers.edu/academics-admissions/graduate-programs/global-urban-studies-gus). Acceptance into the program is decided jointly by coordinators of the two tracks.
The following items are required for application to the Urban Environment Track at NJIT:
Scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE)
Scores from Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for international students
Official transcripts of all prior academic work
Three letters of recommendation (faculty preferred)
Written statement of purpose, including description of research interests
Interview (optional, at the discretion of track director)
More Information
For questions regarding the Urban Environment Track at NJIT please contact:
Fred Little, Graduate Program & Admissions Coordinator, School of Architecture, little@njit.edu 973.642.7576
Karen A. Franck, Professor, Coordinator of Urban Environment Track, School of Architecture, franck@njit.edu 347-229-2418.
For questions regarding the Global Urban Studies track at Rutgers-Newark, please contact the track coordinators:
Jamie Lew, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, jamieLew@rutgers.edu 973-353-5130
Mara Sydney, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, 973-353-5787 msidney@rutgers.edu
Degree Requirements
The curriculum for all Urban Systems students consists of a 9-credit core curriculum, a 12-credit research core, 18-credits of elective courses and a 12-credit dissertation sequence. Following completion of the core curriculum and the two required research courses, all students in the program must take and pass the qualifying examination in order to advance to doctoral candidacy and dissertation. Admission to the Urban Systems PhD Program is not a guarantee of success on the qualifying examination, or a guarantee of advancement to doctoral candidacy.
PhD Faculty, NJIT
Maurie Cohen, Professor, Department of Humanities, PhD, University of Pennsylvania
Zeynep Celik, Distinguished Professor, School of Architecture, PhD, University of California--Berkeley
Gabrielle Esperdy, Associate Professor, School of Architecture, PhD, City University of New York
Karen A. Franck, Professor, School of Architecture, PhD, City University of New York
Neil Maher, Professor, Federated Department of History, PhD, New York University
Stephen Pemberton, Professor, Federated Department of History, PhD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Anthony Schuman, Professor, School of Architecture, M.Arch, Columbia University
Darius Sollohub, Associate Professor, School of Architecture, M.Arch, Columbia University
Georgeen Theodore, Professor, School of Architecture, M. Arch, Harvard University
PhD Faculty, Rutgers Newark
Leyla Amzi-Erdogdular, Assistant Professor, Federated Department of History, PhD, Columbia
University
Ariane Chebel d’Appolonia, Professor, School of Public Affairs and Administration, PhD, Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Paris
Jamie Lew, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Anthropology, PhD, Teachers College, Columbia University
Sean T. Mitchell, Associate Professor, Department of Anthropology and Sociology, PhD, University of Chicago
Arthur Powell, Associate Professor, Department of Urban Education, PhD, Rutgers University, New Brunswick
Alan Sadovnik, Board of Governors Distinguished Service Professor, School of Public Affairs and Administration PhD, New York University
Mara Sydney, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, PhD, University of
Colorado
Nükhet Varlık, Associate Professor, Federated Department of History, PhD, University of Chicago
Core Curriculum
Urban Systems Curriculum (all courses are three credits) | Semster | University |
Core (9 credits) | ||
History of the Global Metropolis (Arch 662-102)OR The Good City (USYS 711) | Fall | NJIT |
Globalization, International Migration and Contemporary Cities (RU 26:834:690)OR Urban Governance in Global Perspective (RU 26:977:624:02) | Fall | Rutgers |
Urban Theory and the Contemporary City (Arch 662-102) | Spring | NJIT/Rutgers |
The Good City: Environmental Design and the Quality of Urban Life (USYS 711) OR History of the Global Metropolis (Arch 662-101) | Spring | NJIT |
Urban Governance in Global Perspective (RU 26:977:624:02)OR Globalization, International Migration and Contemporary Cities (RU 26:834:690) | Fall | Rutgers |
Core (9 credits) | ||
Qualitative Methods (RU 26.977.620) | Spring | Rutgers |
Quantitative Methods (URB 6103) | Fall | RBHS |
Additional research methods course | ||
Additional research methods course | ||
Electives (18 credits)Chosen in consultation with academic advisor and, eventually,dissertation advisor | ||
Dissertation research (12 credits) | ||
Total credits (51) |