Role of research in the Ph.D. program

The nexus of theory and practice

Our goal is to introduce students to the professional field of urban affairs and public policy through direct engagement in research activities. Students are given opportunities to develop and apply their research skills through a combination of course work and practical experience. The practice component, mostly through research assistantships, involves work on actual research projects (both faculty and student-initiated). Students are encouraged to co-author research papers and reports, share grant-writing responsibilities, and make professional presentations. Faculty members serve as research instructors and advisors, as well as collaborators.

Student involvement in research centers

There are five research centers associated with the School of Urban Affairs and Public Policy. They provide a physical and ideological home for focused research, strong support infrastructures for dissertation work, and sources of funding for research assistantships. All of the centers are interdisciplinary and do a wide range of contract and grant work for public agencies, major foundations and nonprofit organizations.

Center for Applied Demography and Survey Research (CADSR) provides demographic and survey data, geographic information systems applications, and is a basic data source for other faculty and staff and public, nonprofit, and private agencies and policymakers.

Center for Community Research and Service (CCRS), conducts a variety of research and evaluation programs in the areas of local and community-based economic development, housing, poverty, crime and justice, urban and neighborhood planning and governance, utilization of nonprofit and private resources for community and human capital and family development.

Center for Energy and Environmental Policy (CEEP) focuses on regional, national, and international research related to energy, environment and sustainable development often conducted in collaboration with Asian, African, European and Latin American universities and research institutes.

Center for Historic Architecture and Design (CHAD) engages is research and analysis related to historic architectural landscapes, historic preservation planning, public policy design, and the documentation of architectural and cultural resources.

Institute for Public Administration (IPA) provides state and local governments with a wide range of services and research work including land use planning, direct staff assistance, professional training, telecommunications, transportation, and infrastructure projects, and organizing state-wide public policy forums.

School of Urban Affairs & Public Policy
184 Graham Hall | University of Delaware | Newark, DE 19716
phone 302 831 1687 | e-mail suapp@udel.edu | fax 302 831 3296