Applicants admitted to the PhD Program must already hold a Master's degree and will normally have completed the requirements for the Master of Architecture, Master of Planning, Master of Landscape Architecture, Master of Geography, or a related program. Students from allied fields are also encouraged to apply, and field specialization and background are open.
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.
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): International transcripts: An International Credential Evaluation Report is required for any applicant who attended one or more academic institution(s) located outside the United States. All international credentials from the academic institution(s) located outside the United States will need to be verified for authenticity and evaluated by CU Denver or an external evaluation provider (ECE or WES).
Statement of Personal and Professional Goals (Statement of Purpose)
An official conferred degree transcript is required by the university.
Academic achievement as evidenced by an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale) or better, and a graduate grade point average of 3.5 or better.

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. The minimum TOEFL score required for acceptance by the University of Colorado at Denver is 80 or higher on the TOEFL (sub-scores of 20 in Reading, Listening, and Speaking, and 24 in Writing) or 6.5 on the IELTS (sub-scores of 5.5 in each area). However, the Ph.D. program typically does not accept a student with a score lower than 85 on the TOEFL and 6.8 on the IELTS.