PhD in Geography, Planning, and Design Admissions

Application Information

Admission to the PhD in Geography, Planning, and Design program is competitive and based on merit. We do not admit students directly into research groups; all prospective students go through a single application process. If your background and qualifications are a good fit to the current needs and interests of the program’s faculty, they may accept you with funding from one of their research projects. In your statement of interest, please be sure to describe your research interests and skills, as they will be important for determining whether you receive an offer of admission. GRE scores are not required for admission.

Consistent with the University requirements, applications are evaluated on previous work/life experience, research interests and abilities, prior academic success, and, where applicable, Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) scores. Applicants whose native language is not English must take either the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam, or have a graduate degree from a university in the U.S. or another English-speaking country.

For more information, please visit our International Admissions office.

Application Requirements

• Online Application
• Application Fee
• Three Letters of Recommendation: You will submit the contact information in your application for three instructors or other professionals who can attest to your potential for our PhD program. They will receive an email from CU Denver with a link to upload their letters directly to your application.
• Examples of previous research and written works
• Transcript(s):
  • Domestic transcripts: Transcripts from each institution you have attended, except for study abroad courses, should be sent to the following:
    • Electronic Transcripts: cap-admissions@ucdenver.edu
    • Mailing Address:
      College of Architecture and Planning
      University of Colorado Denver
      Campus Box 126
      P.O. Box 173364
      Denver, CO 80217-3364
  • International transcripts: Do not submit transcripts from foreign (non-US) institutions to CU Denver. Instead, you must provide an international credential evaluation report from Educational Credential Evaluators (ECE) or World Education Services (WES). You will send your transcripts to the evaluation provider of your choice, and the provider will send their evaluation report to CU Denver. After you submit your application, our International Admissions office will send you an email with a link to the specific landing pages where you can order your report for CU Denver’s use. ECE or WES will charge you for this service. The cost is $163 to $208, depending on your chosen service, plus delivery fees. If this cost is prohibitive, please contact us at intldocuments@ucdenver.edu. If you have questions about the international credential evaluation, please contact International Admissions at intldocuments@ucdenver.edu or read our FAQs.
  • Students who are admitted and enrolled in the program will be required to subsequently submit official college transcripts. Notifications will be sent out prior to the start of the semester.
• Statement of Personal and Professional Goals (Statement of Purpose)
• Scores of Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for non-U.S. residents whose native language is other than English. For more information, please visit our International Admissions office 
• Students admitted into this program must have completed a Bachelor’s degree before they will be able to begin this program. An official conferred degree transcript is required by the university.

Meet Our PhD Students

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