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Ph.D. minor in Philanthropic Studies

The Ph.D. minor in Philanthropic Studies enables the advanced graduate student in other departments to take an organized body of courses focusing on the history, culture, and values of philanthropy, defined broadly as “voluntary action for the public good.” The Ph.D minor will be available to doctoral students in other departments and schools of Indiana University, and will be offered through the University Graduate School Indianapolis. The minor field advisor must be a philanthropic studies faculty member.

Requirements for the doctoral minor will include 12 credit hours, which usually will comprise four three-credit, graduate-level courses. A grade of B or higher (not B-) must be earned in each course counted toward the minor.

Courses will normally include those listed below. The student is required to include Philanthropic Studies P521 (or SPEA V521), which is a prerequisite for other philanthropic studies courses. The student must take at least one of the doctoral core courses and two additional graduate philanthropic studies courses.

Courses other than those listed (e.g., special topics courses) may also be accepted toward completion of the requirement, if written consent to count such courses toward the minor is obtained in advance from the Philanthropic Studies Director of Graduate Programs. Because the subject of philanthropy is inherently interdisciplinary, no more than two courses may be taken in any one department. No more than six credit hours of work transferred from another university may be applied toward this requirement, and such credit must be approved by the Philanthropic Studies Director of Graduate Programs.  

Students will be required to answer a philanthropic studies question for their qualifying exams, if their principal department permits a minor field question. Such questions will be supplied by the minor field advisor.

Students intending to pursue the doctoral minor should declare such intentions in a letter addressed to the Philanthropic Studies Director of Graduate Programs.

Upon completion of the course work and a minor field question (if applicable), the student’s philanthropic studies advisor will attest to the successful completion of the minor.