Graduate Programs
Purdue Degree Programs
Master’s Degree Regulations
Advisory Committee
For each prospective candidate for the master’s degree, an advisory committee shall be appointed, consisting of at least three members of the graduate faculty. The duties of this committee are to assist the student in the preparation of a plan of study and to advise him or her during the period of graduate work. In the case of the thesis option, the committee also advises the student regarding research and writing of the thesis. The student, with the approval of the head of the graduate program, shall select a major professor. The major professor/student relationship must be a mutually acceptable one. When selected, the major professor will act as the chair of the student’s advisory committee and be in charge of his or her research. The advisory committee as agreed upon by the major professor and the student, with the approval of the head of the graduate program, shall be presented to the dean of the Graduate School for approval and formal appointment.
Plan of Study
A tentative plan of study should be drawn up in advance of registration for the first semester of graduate work, and the formal plan of study must be submitted to the dean of the Graduate School before the final session, preferably during the first semester in residence.
The plan of study shall be appropriate to meet the needs of the student in his or her chosen field, as determined by the advisory committee and approved by the head of the graduate program, the school dean, and the Graduate School dean. It shall include the specific courses the student is expected to complete and all other requirements of the particular master’s degree being sought. Neither 100- nor 200-level courses may appear on a plan of study. Otherwise, requirements for the numerical level (300 through 600) of courses are determined by each department or administrative unit subject to the restriction that not more than a total of six 300- or 400-level course credit hours may appear on a plan of study. Research credits are not to appear on the plan of study. The quantitative aspects of research registration are controlled by departmental requirements and/or by residence requirements, registration limits, and thesis requirements. Course credits earned by a student whose graduate study and/or professional activity has been inactive for five years or more cannot be used on a plan of study for an advanced degree. A plan of study approved before such a period of inactivity is invalid. Requirements for the specific number of credit hours will be determined by each department or administrative unit that supervises master’s degree programs. For specific requirements, the student should consult the introductory sections of the departmental course offerings under the general heading “Descriptions of Programs and Courses” in this bulletin and request information, from the department, about any additional requirements.
Non-Thesis Master’s Degree
The Graduate School has no general requirement for oral and written examinations for the non-thesis master’s degree. In any department, the final examination may be waived if the student meets the minimum requirements of the department. In some departments, a final examining committee is appointed for each candidate for the non-thesis master’s degree and a final examination report is filed with the Graduate School before the end of the session in which the student is to receive a degree. The committee must certify to the Graduate School either that the student has passed the required examinations of the department or that the committee is satisfied with the accomplishment of the student as determined by a committee conference. In other departments, neither a final examining committee nor a final examination is required. In these departments, the student is certified for the degree by satisfying established graduation requirements of the department.
Thesis Master’s Degree
Every candidate whose plan of study follows the thesis option must prepare an acceptable thesis in residence. Research in absentia is not allowed for the master’s degree. In general, the thesis will be based on work done in connection with the primary area. The work will consist of assigned research, which shall be recorded with no grades given except Satisfactory and Unsatisfactory.
The general schedule for submitting the master’s thesis is similar to the schedule cited on the following pages for the Ph.D., except that only three members of the graduate faculty are required for the final examining committee, and no microfilming fee is required.
After the research has been completed and the thesis written, the candidate shall be given a final examination in which he or she defends the thesis and demonstrates to the examining committee that he or she has all of the capabilities for which the master’s degree is awarded. The dean of the Graduate School reserves the right to appoint additional committee members.
Multiple Master’s Degrees
A student may earn two (2) Purdue master’s degrees provided there is no overlap in the two plans of study. Where the requirements for two advanced degrees are of a nature requiring some overlap, instead of waiving the requirements for one of these degrees (i.e., by dual listing of courses on the plans of study), the departments concerned may involve the student in alternate educational activities. As an alternative to multiple master’s degrees, departments may wish to offer advanced degrees involving joint areas of study.
A program of study involving the Ph.D. degree and two or more master’s degrees may be approved, provided it meets all of the existing requirements and provided that any overlap between courses listed on the plan of study for the Ph.D. degree and those listed for the master’s degrees involves only one of the master’s plans of study.
Ph.D. Degree Regulations
The degree of Doctor of Philosophy is the highest earned degree conferred by Purdue University and is awarded only to those who have demonstrated superior ability in a recognized academic discipline. Each student’s doctoral program must specify course work that is rationally related, should be highly research oriented, and should culminate in a thesis of literary and scholarly merit that is indicative of the candidate’s ability to conduct original research in a recognized field of specialization.
Doctoral programs are composed of formal courses, guided individual study in a chosen field or discipline, study in such cognate subjects as may be required by the candidate’s advisory committee, and original research that serves as the basis of a scholarly thesis.
Before being admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. degree, each student is required to pass a series of comprehensive examinations. Individual departments may require both qualifying and preliminary examinations and may require competence in one or more foreign languages.
A second Ph.D. degree program generally is not permitted at Purdue, but exceptional circumstances may be considered by the Graduate Council.
Advisory Committee
Each prospective candidate for the Ph.D. degree, with the approval of the head of his or her graduate program, shall select a major professor who will act as the chair of the advisory committee and who will direct the research. An advisory committee of not fewer than three members of the graduate faculty will then be appointed. The composition of this committee must be mutually acceptable to the student and the committee and should be representative of the general field of study in which the student expects to do work. The advisory committee as agreed upon by the major professor and the student, with the approval of the head of the graduate program, shall be presented to the dean of the Graduate School for approval and formal appointment. The dean may appoint additional members if it seems advisable.
Plan of Study
A plan of study should be prepared by the student and the advisory committee at the earliest practicable time. It is recommended that the plan of study be submitted before the end of the first semester following the acceptance of the student to work toward the Ph.D. degree, and all plans of study must be filed with the Graduate School before the preliminary examination is requested.
The plan of study shall specify the area or field of interest in which the student proposes to study and to conduct research. It shall meet the needs of the student as determined by the advisory committee by including the specific courses that the student is expected to complete and all specific course, seminar, language (if any), and research requirements of the department in which the student is a doctoral candidate, indicating the manner in which these requirements are to be met. Neither 100- nor 200-level courses may appear on a plan of study. Otherwise, requirements for the numerical level (300 through 600) of courses are determined by each department or administrative unit subject to the restriction that not more than a total of six 300- or 400-level course credit hours may appear on a plan of study. Research credits are not to appear on the plan of study. The quantitative aspects of research registration are controlled by departmental requirements and/or by residence requirements, registration limits, and thesis requirements. Course credits earned by a student whose graduate study and/or professional activity has been inactive for five years or more cannot be used on a plan of study for an advanced degree.
A plan of study approved before such a period of inactivity is invalid. A preliminary examination passed before such a period of inactivity is invalid. Requirements for the specific number of credit hours will be determined by each department or administrative unit that supervises doctoral programs.
The plan of study must be approved by the head of the graduate program, the school dean, and the Graduate School dean. The dean of the Graduate School reserves the right to refer any or all plans of study to the Graduate Council for review and approval when deemed advisable. The Graduate Council has the final authority to supervise the quality of all graduate programs.
Qualifying Examinations
Qualifying examinations for the Ph.D. degree are required in some departments. These examinations are for the purpose of determining the student’s qualifications to continue graduate study toward the Ph.D. degree.
Preliminary Examinations
After the student has completed most of the formal study to the satisfaction of the advisory committee and met the language requirement(s), if any, he or she becomes eligible to take the preliminary examinations. The results of these examinations, written and/or oral, will be reported to the Graduate School by the examining committee with an appropriate recommendation for the student’s admission to candidacy, continued preparatory study, or discontinuation of study. The dean of the Graduate School reserves the right to appoint additional members to the preliminary examining committee. The dean must be informed of the date and place of the examination and the membership of the examining committee at least two weeks before the examination. No examining committee shall have fewer than three members of the graduate faculty.
The preliminary examination will be conducted by the examining committee. In some cases, parts of the examination may be delegated to certain other staff members, but the final responsibility for the examination rests with the student’s examining committee.
Departments need not offer written preliminary examinations more than once a semester, and it will be the responsibility of the student to learn in advance when these examinations are to be given.
If the student does not pass the preliminary examinations, at least one semester must elapse before reexamination is permitted. Should the preliminary examinations be failed twice, the student may not be given a third examination, except upon the recommendation of the examining committee and with special approval of the Graduate Council.
After admission to candidacy, the candidate must devote at least two semesters to research before taking the final examination.
Thesis
The special research carried on as part of the doctoral work is expected to make a definite contribution to the candidate’s chosen field of knowledge, a contribution of sufficient importance to merit publication. The candidate must, therefore, prepare a thesis showing the results of his or her research. Following is the schedule that should be adhered to with regard to the submission of the dissertation and final examination:
- A first draft of the thesis should be in the hands of the major professor at least six weeks before the end of the session in which the degree is to be granted.
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The thesis must be prepared according to departmental format requirements (available in departmental graduate studies offices)and university format requirements as described in the Manual for the Preparation of Graduate Theses, a copy of which may be obtained in departmental offices or online at http://www.gradschool.purdue.edu/downloads/thesis/graduate-thesis-manual.pdf.
The thesis must bear the written approval of the professor who has directed the research before it is submitted to the final examining committee. - The final examining committee for the doctoral candidate shall consist of a minimum of four members of the graduate faculty. The formal request for the appointment of the examining committee must be received in the Graduate School not later than two weeks preceding the final examination. This formal request must specify the time and place of the examination.
- Generally, each member of the examining committee must receive a copy of the thesis at least two weeks before the date of the final oral examination.
- Approval of departmental format requirements must be obtained before the thesis is delivered to the Library Thesis Deposit Office. University format requirements will be checked in the Library Thesis Deposit Office at the time the thesis is deposited.
- The final examination must be taken and passed, and the report of the examination must be filed in the Graduate School before the last week of classes.
- The completed and corrected deposit copy of the thesis, along with an extra copy of the title page and the abstract, must be deposited in the Library Thesis Deposit Office and a receipt thereof delivered to the Graduate School before the end of the first working day following the last day of classes of the session in which the degree is expected. Doctoral students must also submit one unbound copy of the thesis to the Library Thesis Deposit Office. The unbound copy will be sent to University Microfilms International for microfilming.
- The sum of $65 must be paid to the Office of Student Account Services (http://www.osas.iupui.edu) before the end of the session to pay for the cost of microfilming.
Final Examination
After the research has been completed and the dissertation written, the candidate shall be given a final examination in which he or she defends the thesis and demonstrates to the examining committee that he or she has all of the capabilities for which the Doctor of Philosophy degree is awarded. The examining committee shall consist of no fewer than four members of the graduate faculty. The dean of the Graduate School reserves the right to appoint additional committee members.
Publication and Use of Thesis
The results obtained and the thesis prepared for an advanced degree are the property of the university. Except for the standard arrangement for the publication of Ph.D. theses on microfilm (see the following paragraph), no part of the thesis may be reproduced or published without the authorization of the president of the university or his designee. Unless otherwise named, the head of the department supervising the work shall act for the president. No part of the thesis may be used, directly or indirectly, in support of or in condemnation of any product or procedure referred to therein.
Purdue University has an agreement with University Microforms International, Ann Arbor, Michigan, for microfilming Ph.D. theses. The availability of the dissertation in film form will be announced by a listing of the title and a reproduction of the thesis abstract in Dissertation Abstracts International, a monthly journal distributed to leading libraries here and abroad. The thesis fee covers the cost of microfilming and the publication and distribution of the abstract. A film copy or paper enlargement of all or part of the thesis may be ordered by anyone from the publishers of Dissertation Abstracts International. The original thesis and one unbound microform copy will be deposited in the University Library. Publication by microfilm does not preclude the printing of a dissertation in whole or in part in a journal or monograph.