Planning and Public Affairs (PhD)

The UO PhD program in Planning and Public Affairs trains students to conduct rigorous, original research to inform scholarship, policy, and practice. Students must have a Masters degree in a related field to be admitted to the program;. Key aspects of our program include:

• Innovative: Focused around research groups working to address key societal issues with a high potential for academic employment
• Interdisciplinary: Flexible structure allows students to access a range of disciplines across our School and the University 
• Engaged: Draws upon our international reputation of engaged teaching and scholarship in collaboration with agencies, cities, and communities
• Inclusive: Builds on our dedication to equity and inclusion and our diverse faculty

Each admitted student must choose a primary disciplinary track, which can be fulfilled with a previous graduate degree or coursework at Oregon.

1. Community and regional planning
2. Nonprofit management
3. Public administration and public policy

The program focuses on three, cutting-edge research areas that are strengths among the PPPM faculty. Students work with advisors based in these research groups, and may also engage with other faculty across campus:
• Sustainable Cities and Transportation: Analyzing the emerging trends related to technology and cities such as: land use, urban form, street design, new mobility, active transport, micromobility, public policy, and public budgeting/finance.
• Access and Equity: Issues of access, equity, social justice, representation, and power for under-represented and under-served communities. This work crosses planning, community engagement, community development, urban design, non-profit management, and public policy disciplines
• Nonprofit, Philanthropic and Social Enterprise: Innovative trends related to management, arts and cultural leadership, philanthropy and social enterprise. This work focuses in particular on issues such as social entrepreneurship, high impact philanthropy and the economics of nonprofit organizations

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Develop expertise in a disciplinary track for future research and teaching, while also developing in depth knowledge in a chosen concertation area(s) for the purpose of informing future scholarship, policy, and practice.
• Acquire and master a range of skills in research methods appropriate to a discipline and concentration area.
• Practice different pedagogical skills in a range of contexts, while being able to articulate a research based pedagogical philosophy and applied framework.
• Acquire and develop a range of professional skills for an academic and/or research career.
• Cultivate hard and soft skills to engage with communities and clients as partners.
• Practice and refine writing skills for publications and grant proposals.

Planning and Public Affairs Major

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Approved by the student's Pre-Dissertation Advisory Committee based on field of study.

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Disciplinary Track coursework must be approved by the student's Pre-Dissertation Advisory Committee.  Concentration coursework is determined by the student in consultation with their advisor.

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Academic Career Development: may also substitute PS 602/608 teaching and professionalization seminars (or equivalent class with approval)