Graduate School - The University of Akron

34 The University of AkronDoctor of Philosophy in Urban StudiesThe Department of Public Administration and Urban Studies of The University ofAkron offers a program leading to the Ph.D. in Urban Studies (joint with ClevelandState University). Students admitted to the program may take courses at eithercampus and all doctoral committees contain members from both universities.The program is designed to train professionals interested in the areas of policyanalysis and evaluation, public administration, and urban and regional planning foruniversity and profess1onal appointments.AdmissionAdmission to the Ph.D. Program involves faculty consideration of all of the followingcriteria which, taken together, present evidence of the likelihood of successin advanced study:• Grade point average from previous Master's Degree Program. Students will normallynot be admitted with a GPA below 3.5. Having a 3.5 GPA, however, is notsufficient, in itself, for admiss1on.• Graduate Record Examination General Test Scores. The applicant is expected tosubmit a score on both the verbal and quantitative portions of the GRE.• Three letters of recommendation from persons familiar with the applicant'srecent performance and abilities.• A sample of the student's written work. Generally, this should be a thesis or finalproject paper from the Master's Program. Students who did not have such arequirement in the Master's Program are free to submit several samples of writtenwork- for example, term papers, professional reports, published articles.• A personal statement from the applicant detailing area of intended specializationand career aspirations (form available in application packet). A student willbe considered for admission only if faculty resources are available in the student'sindicated area of specialization.• Those whose native tongue 1s not English must also demonstrate proficiency inthe English Language by scoring a minimum of 570 on the Test of English asForeign Language (TOEFL) and submitting an acceptable score from the Test ofWritten English (TWE) and a minimum score of 220 on the Test of Spoken English(TSE)A student may be required to appear before the Doctoral Committee before adecision is made on admission to the Program.Entering students will also have successfully completed the following Master'slevel social science prerequisites (or equivalents) before formal admission:3980:600 Bas1c Analytical Research 33980:601 Advanced Research and Statistical Methods 33980:611 Introduction to the Profession of Public Administration 33350:6303980:6403980:643orIntroduction to Planning TheoryF1scal Analys1sIntroduction to Publ1c Pol1cyThe Doctoral Committee may also require an applicant to take an admissionexamination, either written or oral, or both. A student may be admitted to the doctoralprogram subject to completing graduate-level bndge-up courseworkdesigned to make up deficiencies in previous coursework. Bridge-up courseworkwill not count toward doctoral degree course requirements.Degree RequirementsThe Ph.D. Program 1n Urban Studies has a required core of four courses consistingof two courses 1n advanced quantitative methods and two courses in urbantheory. In addition, students must complete a major consisting of 24 credit hours(eight courses); and a minor consisting of 12 credits (four courses). The majormust be taken from one of the following specializations: Policy Analysis and Evaluation,Public Administration, and Urban and Regional Planning. The minor consistsof an integrated set of courses offering a specializatiOn in either a set ofmethodological tools such as advanced statistics, a body of theory, or an area ofapplication such as health policy.The doctoral major and minor can be completed through a combination ofrequired courses, elective courses, and tutorials. The tutorials allow students towork in close cooperation with an individual faculty member to pursue researchinterests shared by the student and the faculty member.Students must pass written and oral comprehensive examinations on the quantitativecore courses and on their major area of specialization.A minimum of 63 credits beyond the master's degree is required, 48 hours ofcoursework, and 15 hours of dissertation.333MASTER'S DEGREEPrograms of advanced study leading to the master's degree are offered by thedepartments of biology, chemistry, economics, English, geography, geology (earthscience), history, mathematical sciences, modern languages (Spanish), physics,political science, psychology, sociology, and urban studies. Before undertakingsuch a program, the student must show that the general requirements for admissionto the Graduate School have been met, and the standard requirements foran undergraduate major in the area of the proposed graduate specialty have beenmet or that the student has performed work which the department approves asequivalent to an undergraduate major.BiologyAdmission Requirements• Possess the equivalent of a biology undergraduate major with a GPA of 3.00 orhigher 1n biology courses.• Submit three letters of recommendation.• Submit scores for Graduate Record Examination (Aptitude and Advanced BiologyTests)• Submit a letter of proposed area of specialization within biology.• Non-active speakers of English must submit a TSE score of 220 or above (minimumscore of 50 on TSE, revised 1995) to be considered for a graduate assistantship.Master of ScienceThesis Option IThe program is primarily for the student who will pursue a research career, includingthe student who intends to enter a doctoral program in the biological sciences.• Course work in addition to the master's research and seminars (must beapproved by the student's advisory committee) - 24 credits.• Research and thesis - minimum of 12 credits.• Participation in seminars -a maximum of four credits.• The student's advisory committee may require the demonstration of readingproficiency in a fore1gn language appropriate to the field of study.A minor may be taken in approved graduate courses including education. Summerstudy at a biological station is available.Thesis Option IIThis program is intended for Medical Doctors and Doctors of Osteopathic Med~cine who have graduated from an accredited U.S. medical school.• Course work in addition to the master's research and seminars (must beapproved by the graduate officer)- 16 credits (no transfer credits are allowed forthis option).• Research and thesis- minimum of 12 credits.• Participation in sem1nars- a maximum of two credits.Nonthesis OptionThis program is designed exclusively for secondary school teachers for whom theM.S. probably will be a terminal degree and who do not need research experience.The program is open only to applicants possessing a teaching certificate orthose coregistering with the College of Education and shavving normal progresstowards qualifying for a certificate.The requirements are the same as the research option except that no thesis andresearch is undertaken, but a total of 40 credits of approved coursework (includinga maximum of four credits for seminar participation) is required.For additional details concerning admission standards, degree requirements andselection of options, refer to the Department of Biology Graduate Student Guide.ChemistryMaster of Science• Chemistry coursework -with the approval of the adviser, up to 12 credits maybe taken in related areas- 24 credits.• Research and thesis- six credits.• Participation in departmental seminars.• Demonstration of reading proficiency in a foreign language appropriate to thefield of study prior to the last semester of enrollment.