PhD Program Overview
The College of Technology’s Ph.D. program is based on practices at Purdue University and other leading institutions. These include a requirement for a minimum of 90 credit hours above the bachelor degree, maintenance of a B or better grade point average, and satisfactory progress each semester. At least one third of the total credit hours used to satisfy the degree requirements must be earned in continuous residence at Purdue. Historically the college’s Ph.D. was designed for individuals who entered with an obtained M.S. degree (“master’s plus Ph.D.”). However, the college also offers a Ph.D. for students entering directly from a bachelor’s degree (“direct to Ph.D.”).
Ph.D. advisors, working interactively with the student, will consider all prior graduate coursework accepted for transfer into the program while developing the Plan of Study (POS). In addition to a technology focus, each plan of study will include a solid discovery foundation sequence of research courses and a cognate, which is designed to add depth and a second discipline’s perspective to the student’s research or professional goal-related field. A dissertation will serve as both a culminating synthesis experience and a visible demonstration of performance.