College-level Statistics (3 units)
Urban or Regional Studies (3 units)
Expected GRE Level: 1200 (Combined score for verbal and quantitative sections) and a 3 or better on the writing assessment section are recommended for acceptance into the Planning Degree Program.
Minimum TOEFL Level: 573 or 233 CBT
GPA of 3.1 based on 4.0 (Last 60 hours of undergraduate or 12 of graduate credit).

An applicant may be admitted with a maximum of six units of deficiencies which must be completed in the first year of study.


ADMISSION PROCESS
Domestic Applicants
(U.S. citizens/legal residents)

A. Domestic students must submit the following to:

Graduate Admissions Office
Graduate College Administration Bldg, Room 322
University of Arizona Tucson, AZ 85721

1. Completed Graduate College Application Form.
2. $50 Admission Fee. The appropriate fee must be enclosed in order for the application to be processed. Checks should be made payable to "The University of Arizona".


B. Domestic students must submit the following to:

University of Arizona Planning Degree Program
PO Box 210076
Tucson, AZ 85721

1. One complete set of official College Transcripts for all prior undergraduate and graduate coursework. These documents should be sent directly from the issuing institution to the Planning Program. Faxed documents will be accepted for review purposes only; an official document must be submitted before formal admission to the Graduate College will be granted.
2. Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Scores
3. Three Letters of Recommendation to support application for admission to the Planning Program.
4. A Statement of Intent for the Planning Program which should indicate: a) why you selected this program; b) your academic and professional background; c) your specific areas of interest in planning; d) your future goals and objectives; and e) Planning, Adjunct Planning and other faculty members with whom you would like to work.
5. Financial Assistance Application (optional) The admission deadline for domestic applicants for receipt of all application forms and the $50.00 fee are February 1st, April 1st, and June 1st for Fall semester and November 1st for Spring semester. February and April applications are eligible for financial aid. Once the application file is complete, the Student Affairs Committee (comprised of three Planning faculty members and one Planning student) will review the application. The committee will make a recommendation to the Graduate College that the applicant be admitted or denied admission to the Planning Degree Program. Upon review of the file, the student will be sent an official letter of acceptance.

Download Financial Aid Request form here: (Word Doc, 32.0 kb)


Request for Change of Degree Program
Students may transfer to the Planning Degree Program from another graduate degree program at The University of Arizona. A Graduate College Request for Change of Degree Program form must be completed and approved by the Planning Degree Program and the Graduate College.


ADMISSION PROCESS
International Applicants

A. International students must submit the following to:

Graduate Admissions Office
Graduate College
Administration Building Room 322
University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona 85721

1. Completed Graduate College Application Form
2. $50.00 Admission Fee. The appropriate fee must be enclosed in order for the application to be processed. Checks should be made payable to "The University of Arizona".
3. One complete set of official College Transcripts for all prior undergraduate and graduate coursework (diplomas, titulos). If these original documents are not in English, official English translation must also be included. Send these documents directly from the issuing institution to the Graduate Admissions Office. Faxed documents will be accepted for review purposes only; an official document must be submitted before formal admission to the Graduate College will be granted.
4. Financial Guarantee. Applicants must submit a Financial Guarantee form. This form is located at:
http://grad.admin.arizona.edu/gradadm/fingua.pdf.
If the student receives a fellowship or an assistantship, the amount of the award will constitute part of the financial guarantee.
5. TOEFL Scores. TOEFL scores are required of applicants who speak English as a second language unless they have completed at least two academic years of full-time study or have received a Bachelor's or higher degree at a postsecondary academic institution in which English is the spoken tongue and medium of instruction. TOEFL results are valid for two years only. Only scores of 80 or greater are acceptable. Writing and speaking sections must have scores of 22 or higher. The Center for English as a Second Language (CESL) at The University of Arizona offers full-time English-lanuage training for students who have not attained the required scores.
6. The deadline (international) for receipt of all application forms and the $50.00 fee is December 1 for Fall semester and June 1 for Spring semester. B. International applicants must submit to:

Planning Degree Program
PO Box 210076 University of Arizona
Tucson, Arizona 85721

1. Three Letters of Recommendation to support application for admission to the Planning Program.
2. A Statement of Intent for the Planning Program which should indicate: a) why you selected this program; b) your academic and professional background; c) your specific areas of interest in planning; d) your future goals and objectives; and e) Planning, Adjunct Planning and other faculty members with whom you would like to work.
3. Expected Graduate Record Exam (GRE) results: 1200 (Combined score for verbal and quantitative sections) and a 3 or better on the writing assessment section are recommended for acceptance into the Planning Degree Program.

Download Financial Aid Request form here: (Word Doc, 32.0 kb)


ADMISSION STATUS

Regular Graduate Status:
Student meets all admission requirements.

Admission with Deficiencies: Undergraduate courses may be required when previous coursework does not meet Planning Program requirements. A maximum of six (6) units of deficiencies may be permitted and completed after admission. If undergraduate courses are taken, they will not count towards degree completion.

Provisional Admission: This status indicates to the Graduate College that the Planning Program has reservations concerning the ability of the student to undertake graduate work. A student who has been granted provisional admission will be in good academic standing following completion of twelve credit hours of graduate work with a CUM GPA of 3.0 or better. A Provisional to Regular Graduate Status Request form must be completed and approved by the Planning Program and the Graduate College to change a student from Provisional to Regular Graduate Status. Only students in Regular Graduate Status may graduate.


Re-Admission
An applicant who was once admitted to the Graduate College but who was not enrolled during the previous regular semester must apply for readmission. The applicant must submit a Graduate College application form and a processing fee of $50.00 to the Graduate Admissions Office. A letter of intention to accept the student from the Department Head must accompany the re-admission application. If the applicant has taken additional coursework at another institution since his/her last enrollment at The University of Arizona, new transcripts must be submitted with the application; if not enrolled at another institution, transcripts are not required for the readmission process. When applying for readmission, the Planning Degree Program does not require a new Statement of Purpose and recommendation letters.


Transfer Coursework
Students transferring to The University of Arizona with graduate credits from other universities can petition to apply those graduate credits to their program of study. Only 6 credit hours of a student's degree program can be credits transferred from another institution. Approval of transfer coursework requires review by the Student Affairs Committee and the Graduate College Degree Certification officers.


Non-Degree Units
A maximum of 6 credit hours of coursework, taken at The University of Arizona while in Graduate Non-degree status, may be applied, with the approval of the Planning Degree Program, to a student's program of study. It is wise to coordinate courses taken as a Non-degree student with those courses required for the regular Program.


The University of Arizona Research Support Office
The Research Support Office (1203 N. Mountain Avenue) maintains a reference library of works relating to research grants and support and provides grant application forms and guidelines for various funding agencies. They are open to faculty, staff and students Monday through Friday from 8-12 and 1-5. The Research Support Office publishes the biweekly Research Review which lists funding opportunities available to individuals in the university community, with a section on "Fellowship and Student News." The Research Review is available online at http://vpr2.admin.arizona.edu/rso/rrev.htm.


Student Participation
Graduate Planning students are represented on the Student Affairs Committee, Curriculum Review Committee and Professional Advisory Committee. The Planning Program has a representative on the University's Graduate and Professional Student Council.

The Planning graduate students have formed an organization, the Graduate Planning Society (GPS), of and for the students in the Planning Degree Program. Officers are elected annually and membership meetings are held monthly. The GPS encourages an active participation in Planning activities that involve students, alumni, faculty and local professionals and active involvement in the community.

The Graduate Planning Society Newsletter: The Planning Degree Program's biannual publication for students, alumni, faculty and local professionals has a student editor. Articles from all students are welcome.

Both the Arizona Planning Association (AzPA) and the Southern Section of the Arizona Planning Association require representation from the Planning Degree Program. All Planning students are encouraged to attend the monthly meetings of the AzPA's Southern Section and the Arizona Planning Association (AzPA) and American Planning Association's (APA) annual conferences.

GPS has built a fund through fundraising activities to assist students in attending conferences. Annual participation in the University of Arizona's Student Research Showcase is a tradition. Information on entering this annual Homecoming event is available through the ASUA office in the Student Union.






To receive information about the Planning Degree Program, please contact:

Planning Degree Program
Harvill, Room 341D
University of Arizona
Tucson, AZ 85721-0076
Phone: 1+ 520.621.9597
FAX: 1+ 520.621.9820
Email us: planning@u.arizona.edu