Ph.D. Program in Urban Systems
The mission of NJIT and Rutgers University-Newark (RU-N)’s joint Doctorate in Urban Systems is to prepare students to produce original research that responds to the challenges cities and urban areas face through an individualized, multidisciplinary curriculum.
Our doctoral students engage in research to demonstrate a knowledge base in urban systems, their elements, and the interconnections between them. Urban systems embrace buildings, infrastructure, transportation, human dynamics, as well as social, economic, and political structures.
The Joint Ph.D. offers three tracks:
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Technology at NJIT
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Environment (including an Urban History sub-specialization)
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Global Urban Studies (including an Urban Humanities sub-specialization) at RU-N
Technology Track
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Students in the Technology track come to the program with previous degrees in architecture, engineering, science, or other related fields. Once in the program, they focus on the development and/or application of advanced building and digital technologies for the design of urban systems or elements of the built environment based on multidisciplinary approaches.
Environment Track
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Students in the Environment track come to the program with previous degrees in architecture, landscape architecture, or urban planning. 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.
Degree Requirements
To graduate, students in the Technology track or the Environment track must have an approved dissertation and complete a total of 51 credits, which consists of a 14-credit core curriculum, a 21-credit elective component, and a 16-credit dissertation research. Students need to get departmental approval for the courses they take for their degree requirements. In rare circumstances, highly-qualified students without a master's degree may be admitted and asked to take additional courses.
Curriculum
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Core |
14 |
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Qualitative methods (3 Credits) 1 |
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Quantitative methods (3 Credits) 1 |
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Additional research methods or theory course (3 Credits) |
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Additional research methods or theory course (3 Credits) |
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USYS 791 Colloquium (2 Credits) 2 |
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Electives 3 |
21 |
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Dissertation Research 4 |
16 |
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USYS 792 |
Pre-Doctoral Research (6 Credits) |
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USYS 790 |
Dissertation Research (10 Credits) |
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Total Credits |
51 |
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1 |
Students pursuing a sub-specialization in Urban History within the Environment Track take research methods in architectural and urban history in place of the two core methods courses (i.e., qualitative methods and quantitative methods). The courses that fulfill this requirement will be determined by the student's dissertation advisor. |
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2 |
Ph.D. Students must register two semesters for 1 credit of colloquium (i.e., total 2 credits). |
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3 |
Electives are chosen in consultation with the program director and, eventually, the student's dissertation advisor. No more than 6 credits may be USYS 725 Independent Study I or USYS 726 Independent Study II. |
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4 |
Ph.D. students must register for 3 credits of pre-doctoral research (USYS 792) until they successfully defend the dissertation proposal. |
For general information or admissions questions, contact:
Hyojin Kim, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Architecture
Director, Ph.D. Program
Hillier College School of Architecture and Design
Phone: (973) 642-7199
Email: hyojin.kim@njit.edu