Future Planning Scholars Program
The Future Planning Scholars (FPS) Program aims to inspire and equip underrepresented students from the United States (US) to pursue careers as educators and researchers in the field of urban and regional planning.
FPS Program participants learn about what obtaining a PhD in urban planning entails, and specifically about the Urban and Regional Planning (URP) PhD program at the University of Michigan, Taubman College.
You will meet individual URP faculty aligned with your research interests, talk with current URP PhD students about their experience in the program, and gain tips about the PhD application process, alongside feedback on your draft application materials. The program is free to participants.
Who Should Participate?
We are particularly interested in applicants who want to explore attending Taubman College’s URP PhD Program and who want to begin a PhD program Fall of 2027. Applicants must meet these additional criteria to apply:
- Hold a Master’s degree or completing a Master’s degree within the coming year (in any field)
- Be a US citizen, permanent resident, or student with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA)*
- Identify strongly two or more of the following:
- Led and/or demonstrate a sustained commitment to reduce educational disparities based on race, ethnicity, first generation status, familial income, or gender, working in the US with US citizens, permanent residents, or DACA recipients.
- Experienced financial hardship as a result of family economic circumstances (e.g. Pell Grant)
- Participated in programs open to students from disadvantaged backgrounds (e.g., SROP, McNair);
- Are a first-generation U.S. citizen in your family;
- Are the first-generation in your family to graduate from a four-year undergraduate college;
- From an educational or geographic background that is underrepresented in graduate study in urban planning in the United States; and/or
- Hold membership in a federally recognized tribe.
* Due to funding restrictions, the FPS Program is only open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents or students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA). International applicants should consider the virtual Pre-Doctoral Workshop for Underrepresented Students of Color and LGBTQIA+ Students, or the International Planning Students Workshop, both held by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Planning. The MIT student-run Graduate Application Assistance Program and Peer Application Support Service are also excellent resources for US and international applicants.
What’s the time commitment?
The FPS Program is a virtual experience that runs from September to November each Fall. The program includes three meetings, including a kickoff meeting and faculty panel discussion, a session with current students and alumni, and a CV/resume and personal statement workshop, as well as one-on-one meetings with a faculty member and current URP PhD student mentor who matches your research interests. Participants also receive feedback on draft application materials.
When is the Program?
The FPS Program is an extended, virtual experience that runs from September to November each fall. See the schedule.
What does it cost?
The virtual program is completely free to participants.
How to Apply
Please fill out the application and submit your resume or CV by September 7, 2026 to indicate your interest in the program. Decisions will be communicated by September 14.
Questions
Questions can be directed to the URP Director of Doctoral Studies, Lesli Hoey at lhoey@umich.edu.
