PhD Program

Application and Admission

PhD applicants are admitted pursuant to doctoral faculty decisions. In selecting candidates, the College of Technology’s priority is to assemble appropriately diverse PhD student cohorts with significant potential for becoming technology faculty.

Applicants to the PhD program should possess sufficient and relevant prior course work and experience in the discipline to enable faculty to discern a significant potential for success in the program and discipline. Applicants' goals and interests should match the program's intent and also the scholarly interests of the faculty advisor. When faculty, in their judgment, identify deficiencies in either the applicant’s formal education or experiential background, they have a responsibility to require appropriate prerequisite experiences in addition to the standard program requirements.

Admission Criteria

The admissions process selects highly qualified applicants into the college ’s PhD program by considering each of the following criteria in judging the overall strength of the applicant. Typically, no criterion is used as a sole determinant for admission.

• A Graduate GPA of 3.5 or better and an undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or better (or equivalent class rank) from accredited institutions and in programs with specific relevance to technology will be required for unconditional admission
• A relevant earned master’s degree
• GRE or GMAT scores at or above the 50th percentile (for each subscale) are required for unconditional admission.
• At least two years of relevant work experience is preferred as is breadth in educational experience
• Review and recommendation for acceptance by a minimum of two College of Technology doctoral faculty at least one of which is willing to serve as major professor
• A statement of purpose judged to be a good fit for the college’s PhD program mission
• Personal and professional characteristics commensurate with success in the profession
• International applicants whose first language is not English and who have not graduated from a university or college using English as the primary language of instruction, must present a TOEFL score ≥ 550 (paper test or on the computer based examination)
• Demonstration of a high level of competence in written communication as evidenced by a writing sample such as a thesis or other significant and personally written product.

Note: A personal interview may be required by the faculty advisor.

PhD Application Package Components

Applicants must submit the following items to create an application package suitable for review.

• Purdue University Graduate College On-Line Application Form along with the application fee as specified
• A detailed, reflective statement of purpose highlighting career goals, capabilities to be developed, and a self assessment highlighting both strengths and weaknesses
• Detailed resume
• Transcripts of all universities/post-secondary institutions attended
• Official GRE (preferred) or GMAT scores
• A writing sample that documents a high level of competence in written communication such as a thesis or other significant personally written product
• At least three letters of recommendation from faculty with the doctoral degree and others well qualified to judge potential for success in research and PhD program
• Official TOEFL scores (if required)
• Documentation of financial support (required only for international applicants)

Admission Deadlines

Candidates for admission must have submitted all necessary application materials by the deadlines indicated below. Applications will be reviewed expeditiously and admission decisions made within 30 days of each deadline date.

	Summer	Fall	Spring
International Students (applying outside the US)	February 15	April 1	September 1
Domestic Students and International Students (applying from inside the US)	April 1	April 1	October 1