Degree Requirements
The Graduate School recommends that those who intend to continue graduate
work toward the Ph.D. degree elect one of the traditional master’s degree
programs requiring a thesis or a foreign language or both.
The number of credit hours required by the Graduate School for master’s
degrees varies according to the department in which the degree is granted.
However, with the exception of the Dual Master’s Program, the requirements for
all master’s degrees must be completed within five consecutive years.
A thesis or reading knowledge of a foreign language is normally required for
a master’s degree (see departmental entries for exceptions). If a thesis is
not required, departments are encouraged to substitute some other type of
special project that is creative, exploratory, or experimental in nature. In
lieu of the traditional thesis, for example, the department might require
seminar papers, presentations, publishable reports, artistic performances, or
exhibitions. The thesis or alternative project should be equivalent to no fewer
than 3 and no more than 9 hours of graduate credit; such credit should be
granted under an appropriate departmental course or independent study number.
Departures from traditional thesis requirements prescribed by the individual
departments must be approved by both the department and the dean.
If a thesis is submitted, the student must file the original and one copy
(both bound) with the Graduate School. These copies will later be placed in the
University Library. At least one additional (bound) copy must be filed with the
major department. The title page must bear the statement: "Submitted to the
faculty of the Indiana University Graduate School in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree Master of ______ in the Department (or School) of
______________ , Indiana University." At least three members of the faculty
shall normally participate in the approval of the thesis and must sign an
acceptance page which appears after the title page. The statement,
"Accepted by the faculty of the Indiana University Graduate School, Indiana
University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of
___________ ," should precede the signatures on the acceptance page. Each
copy of the thesis is to be accompanied by the student’s vita sheet inserted
at the end. For details regarding the typing and duplication of theses, see the
"Preparation of Theses and Dissertations" section below.
Three or more faculty members should participate in certification of the
student’s fulfillment of the requirements for a master’s degree. Their
participation may take any of several forms, such as administering a final or
comprehensive examination, reviewing the candidate’s academic record, or
evaluating the candidate’s thesis or alternative project. In instances where
shortcomings are apparent, the student may be required to complete additional
course work or assignments.
At least thirty (30) credit hours are required for the M.A., all of which may
be taken in a single department; at least 20 of these credit hours must be
earned in the major field. A minimum of 9 credit hours of course work or at
least three courses in the major field (excluding thesis) must be numbered 500
or above.
General requirements for the M.S. are identical to those for the M.A. (see
above).
Dual Master’s Program
Students who are concurrently enrolled in two departments may qualify for two
master’s degrees under a provision that allows credit earned to satisfy the
major requirements of one department to count as elective credit in a second
department. To be eligible for this program, a student must be formally admitted
by both departments and by the Graduate School. All requirements of both degrees
must be met, including passing any departmental examinations and satisfying
foreign language/research-skill requirements. If both departments require a
thesis, the student may write a single thesis that meets the requirements of
both fields. The thesis committee will comprise an equal number of
representatives of both departments, and the thesis credit will be split between
the two. All course work for the program must be completed within a period of
six years.
In the case of the Dual Master’s Program certain reductions are allowed in
the total number of hours required if the two degrees had been taken separately.
The Dual Master’s Program involves two degrees at the master’s level; the
degrees may be under the jurisdiction of the Graduate School or of another
school (e.g., Public and Environmental Affairs or Library and Information
Science).
Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree
The Ph.D. degree requires completion of at least 90 credit hours of an
advanced course of study. The degree is awarded in recognition of a candidate’s
command of a broad field of knowledge and accomplishment in that field through
an original contribution of meaningful knowledge and ideas.
The student will select a major subject from the departments and programs
listed in this or a departmental bulletin. The major department or program is
responsible for monitoring the student’s progress toward the degree and for
making recommendations to the Graduate School regarding the nomination to
candidacy, the appointment of a research committee, the defense of the
dissertation, and the conferring of the degree.
The student will select at least one minor subject. A minor provides
additional breadth and depth to the individual’s program. It must be taken
outside the major department from among those areas of study listed in this or a
school’s bulletin or in a specifically approved inter- or intra-departmental
area (see individual departmental entries or school bulletins)1. The
determination of the minimum requirements and examination procedure (if any) for
the minor is entirely at the discretion of the minor department or program. In
certain cases, special interdepartmental minors (12 or more credit hours of work
in two or more departments) or minors not specifically listed in this bulletin
may be approved by the dean upon recommendation of the student’s advisory
committee, provided such approval is requested prior to pursual of any of the
proposed courses of study. Examination procedures (if any) or other requirements
(for example, stipulation of the minimum grades acceptable) should also be
specified in the proposal to the dean.
Students may pursue two majors in two departments simultaneously, if so
recommended by both departments and approved by the dean of the Graduate School.
Two general requirements pertain to double majors:
- there must be a
substantive relationship between the two major fields, particularly with respect
to the topic of the student’s dissertation; and
- all degree requirements
for each major must be fulfilled, including the passing of two sets of
qualifying examinations
In some instances it may be possible to count the same
work toward requirements in both departments (e.g., a specific foreign language
acceptable in both programs). The exact courses of study and examinations
required are to be determined by members of the research committee from each of
the majors. Any area of substantial overlap in the two courses of study or in
the examinations is to be negotiated by the committee as a whole and approved by
the dean.
There must be at least four faculty members on both the advisory and research
committees for a double major, with two from each of the majors. If other minor
fields are involved, a representative must also be present from each of these.
A total of 90 credit hours is required for the Ph.D. degree with a double
major. While judicious program planning may permit completion of some double
majors within the 90 credit hours, other students may accrue additional hours
due to the programs of study required for each major. In recognition of such a
possibility, students in the program will be allowed one additional year before
they must take the qualifying examinations. For a complete set of rules relating
to double majors, students should consult their department or the IUPUI Graduate
Office.
The School of Medicine, the School of Dentistry, and the Graduate School
offer selected students an opportunity to pursue the M.S. or Ph.D. degrees,
concurrently or sequentially, with a coordinated and flexible program leading
also to the M.D. or D.D.S. degree. Combined degree programs are available in
anatomy, biochemistry, dental science, medical biophysics, medical genetics,
medical neurobiology, microbiology and immunology, pathology, pharmacology,
physiology, and toxicology. The combined degree program is designed to meet the
student’s particular objectives and needs and is planned by the student and an
advisory committee of faculty representing the School of Medicine or the School
of Dentistry and the respective department or program.
Entry into a combined degree program requires approval of both the School of
Medicine or the School of Dentistry and the Graduate School. Two applications
are necessary: one to the School of Medicine or of Dentistry, and another to the
Graduate School via the sponsoring department or program.
The School of Medicine has established an Indiana Medical Scientist Program
for fellowship and tuition support of students in the combined M.D./Ph.D.
program. A faculty committee nominates students for the program based on
commitment to a career as a physician scientist, research experience,
undergraduate grade point average, and MCAT scores. A flexible entry program
allows students up to one year to identify a research laboratory and degree
program. Information can be obtained from the Graduate Division of the School of
Medicine.
Completion of the program entails meeting all requirements for both degrees.
Many nonclinical courses of the curriculum of the School of Medicine satisfy
course requirements for both degrees, and credit given for graduate study may
fulfill some of the School of Medicine requirements. The combined degrees may
thus be acquired in less time than would be required if both were taken
separately.
As well as fulfilling requirements for the M.D. program, a minimum of 30
credit hours of graduate study is required for the combined M.S./M.D. degree. Of
these, 10 credit hours may be transferred from exclusively School of Medicine
courses with the approval of the student’s advisory committee and the Graduate
School. Similarly, a minimum of 90 credit hours of graduate study is required
for the combined Ph.D./M.D. degree. A maximum of 30 credit hours of exclusively
School of Medicine courses may count toward the Ph.D. degree.
The student’s major department or program shall assign the student to an
advisory committee no later than one year after admission to the Ph.D. program.
The advisory committee must include at least two members from the major area and
one from another area. At least two members of the advisory committee must be
members of the graduate faculty. The names of faculty members nominated to serve
on the advisory committee shall be forwarded to the student’s school or
college for approval no later than one year after the student has been admitted
to the Ph.D. program. The advisory committee shall approve the student’s
program of study and counsel the student until the passing of the qualifying
examination.
This examination, given at such time and in such manner as the major
department shall determine, shall be written, although additional oral
examinations may be required. The qualifying examination shall cover the major
subjects and may, at the discretion of the minor department(s) or the
interdepartmental committee, cover the minor subjects as well.
Normally, the qualifying examination is taken after the student has completed
all course work for the Ph.D. All such work offered in partial fulfillment of
degree requirements must either have been completed within seven consecutive
calendar years of the passing of the qualifying examination (nine years for
combined degree students) or have been revalidated according to procedures
outlined in this bulletin. Reading proficiency required in one or more foreign
languages must also have been demonstrated, whether by course work or
examination, no more than seven years before the passing of the qualifying
examination. In the case of an examination of more than one part, the date of
passing is regarded as the date of passing the final portion of the examination,
typically the oral examination. Students who fail the qualifying examination are
normally allowed to retake it only once. The qualifying examination must be
passed at least eight months before the date the degree is awarded.
Following the passing of the qualifying examination and the completion of all
course work and departmental language or research-skill requirements (if any),
the student’s advisory committee will submit a Nomination to Candidacy Form to
the Graduate School. Upon approval of the dean, the student will be admitted to
candidacy and awarded a Certificate of Candidacy. The date of successful
completion of the qualifying examinations (not the date of final approval of
candidacy) is the one used in determining the seven-year periods for currency of
courses (see "Revalidation") and completion of the dissertation (see
"Defense of Dissertation").
Students who have passed the qualifying examination must enroll each semester
(excluding summer sessions) for any remaining required course work or
dissertation credits. Once such students have accumulated 90 credit hours in
completed course work and deferred dissertation credits, they must enroll for a
minimum of 1 hour of graduate credit each semester until the degree is
completed. Failure to meet this requirement will automatically terminate the
student’s enrollment in the degree program. Students who have completed all
requirements for the Ph.D. except the dissertation are eligible to enroll in
G901 Dissertation Research (6 credit hours) for a flat fee of $100 per semester.
Enrollment in G901 is limited to a total of six semesters. (For students not on
campus, enrollment may be completed by mail.)
A candidate who will graduate in June, July, or August of any year must
enroll in a minimum of 1 hour of credit as described above in either the current
or the immediately preceding summer session.
The culmination of the Ph.D. program is the writing of the dissertation,
which is required of all doctoral students. The dissertation must be an original
contribution to knowledge and of high scholarly merit. The candidate’s
research must reveal critical ability and powers of imagination and synthesis.
The dissertation is written under the supervision of a research director and a
research committee, as described below. Although work published by the student
may be incorporated into the dissertation, a collection of unrelated published
papers alone is not acceptable. There must be a logical connection among all
components of the dissertation, and these must be integrated in a rational and
coherent fashion. It is the responsibility of the student’s research committee
to determine the kind and amount of published materials which may be included in
a dissertation.
To initiate research for the dissertation, the student chooses a full member
of the graduate faculty who will agree to direct the dissertation. The
department shall then recommend to the dean for approval a research committee
composed of the chosen director (who will also normally serve as chairperson of
the committee), two or more additional faculty members from the major
department, and a representative of each minor. The committee should be selected
from the members of the graduate faculty who are best qualified to assist the
student in conducting the research for the dissertation. In the event that the
dissertation research does not involve the area(s) of the minor(s)—whether
outside or inside the department—the major department may request, with the
consent of the minor-field representative(s), the substitution of a
representative or of representatives from some other field(s) more appropriate
to the topic of the dissertation. The committee has the responsibility of
supervising the research, reading the dissertation, and conducting the final
examination.
All chairpersons of research committees and directors of research must be
full members of the graduate faculty. If, however, special expertise in an area
is held by an associate or an affiliate member which is not held by a full
member, the departmental chairperson may request that the dean approve such an
individual as research committee chairperson or director of the dissertation
research.
All members of a research committee must be members of the graduate faculty.
At least half of the members of the committee must be full members of the
graduate faculty; others may be associate or affiliate members.
After consultation with and approval by the dissertation director and
research committee, the student will submit to the Graduate School a one- or
two-page prospectus of the dissertation research. If the proposed research
involves human subjects, animals, biosafety, or radiation, approval from the
appropriate university committee must also be obtained. The membership of the
research committee and the dissertation prospectus must be approved by the
Graduate School at least six months before the defense of the dissertation.
Defense of the Dissertation
When the dissertation has been completed, the student should submit an
unbound copy to each member of the research committee as the initial step in
scheduling the defense of the dissertation. All members of the research
committee should read the dissertation in its entirety before attending the
defense. At this stage both the student and the faculty members must extend
certain courtesies to each other. It is the responsibility of the student to
give faculty members sufficient time to read the dissertation without making
unreasonable requests of them based upon time limitations set by the Graduate
School, immediate job possibilities, contract renewal, or other reasons.
Similarly, a faculty member should not keep a student’s work for an inordinate
period of time because of the press of other duties. Once a faculty member
assumes membership on a research committee, it becomes another part of his or
her teaching assignment, comparable to conducting regularly scheduled classes.
After the committee members have read the dissertation, there should be
direct communication (either in writing or orally) between the research
committee chairperson and the other committee members about its readiness for
defense. Readiness for defense, however, is not tantamount to acceptance of the
dissertation; it means that the committee is ready to make a decision. The
decision to hold a doctoral defense, moreover, is not entirely up to the
research committee. If a student insists upon the right to a defense before the
committee believes the dissertation is ready, that student does have the right
to due process (i.e., to an oral defense) but exercises it at some risk.
If the decision to proceed with the defense of the dissertation is made
against the judgment of one or more members of the committee, or if one or more
members of the committee disapprove of parts or all of the dissertation, the
committee member(s) should not resign from the committee in order to avoid
frustration or collegial confrontation. The Graduate School urges that such
committee members, after ample communication with both the student and the
chairperson, remain on the committee and thus prevent the nomination of a
committee that might eventually accept what could be unsatisfactory work. Such a
committee member could agree that a dissertation is ready for defense but should
not be passed (or should not be passed without substantial modification). There
will, of course, be situations in which the membership of research committees
should or must be changed (e.g., turnover of faculty), but changes because of
modifications in the dissertation topic or some equally plausible reason should
be made early in the writing of the dissertation.
Thirty days prior to the scheduled defense of the dissertation, the candidate
must submit to the Graduate School a one-page announcement of the final
examination. This announcement must be typed and follow the format outlined by
the Guide to the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations. The
announcement should contain, among other things, a summary of the dissertation
(not less than 150 words) which is informative and contains a brief statement of
the principal results and conclusions. The announcement must bear the signature
of the research committee chairperson. If the candidate has published any
scholarly articles relevant to the topic of the dissertation, bibliographical
references should be included in the summary. A copy of such announcements will
be sent to any member of the graduate faculty upon request.
Once the final examination has been scheduled, the announced time and place
of the defense must not be changed without the approval of the dean. Any member
of the graduate faculty who wishes to attend the final examination is encouraged
to do so; it is requested, however, that the faculty member notify the
chairperson of the research committee in advance so that space can be arranged.
With the approval of the research committee and the consent of the candidate,
other graduate students may attend the defense of the dissertation; normally
such students will act as observers, not as participants.
At the end of the oral examination, the research committee must vote upon the
outcome of the examination. Four options are available to the committee:
- pass
- conditional pass
- deferred decision, and
- failure
If the
decision to pass is unanimous, the dissertation is approved once it is received
by the Graduate School along with an acceptance page signed by the members of
the research committee. If the decision is not unanimous, majority and minority
reports should be submitted to the dean who, within 10 working days, will
investigate and consult with the research committee. Upon completion of the dean’s
investigation and consultation, another meeting of the research committee will
be held, and if a majority votes to pass, the dissertation is approved when it
is received by the Graduate School with an acceptance page signed by a majority
of the members of the research committee.
The student must have received acceptance of his or her dissertation and must
submit a copy to the Graduate School within seven years after passing the
qualifying examination. Failure to meet this requirement will result in the
termination of candidacy and of the student’s enrollment in the degree
program. Any student whose candidacy lapses will be required to apply to the
Graduate School for reinstatement before further work toward the degree may
formally be done. To be reinstated to candidacy in the Graduate School, the
student must
- obtain the permission of the departmental chairperson;
- fulfill the departmental requirements in effect at the time of the
application for reinstatement
- pass the current Ph.D. qualifying examination
or its equivalent (defined in advance)2; and
- request
reinstatement to candidacy from the dean. Such reinstatement, if granted, will
be valid for a period of three years, during which time the candidate must
enroll each semester for a minimum of one credit.
Following acceptance by the research committee, the dissertation is submitted
to the Graduate School. Each dissertation must include a title page bearing the
statement: "Submitted to the faculty of the Indiana University Graduate
School in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of
Philosophy in the Department (or School) of ____________ , Indiana
University." The date of this page should be the month and year in which
the degree will be granted. Following the title page there must be an acceptance
page with the statement: "Accepted by the faculty of the Indiana University
Graduate School, Indiana University, in partial fulfillment of the requirements
for the degree Doctor of Philosophy"; the acceptance page must be signed by
members of the research committee. For guidelines regarding the typing and
duplication of dissertations, see below under "Preparation of Theses and
Dissertations."
The original (unbound, in a box suitable for mailing) and one copy (bound) of
the dissertation must be filed with the Graduate School (Union Building 518),
and one copy (bound) must be filed with the major department. (The copies filed
with the Graduate School will later be placed in the University Library.)
The candidate must also submit to the Graduate School a 350-word abstract of
the dissertation that has been approved by the research committee. This abstract
will appear in Dissertation Abstracts International, published by University
Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The original copy of the final, approved
version of the candidate’s dissertation will be submitted on loan to
University Microfilms for complete microfilming, the resulting copy or copies to
be available for purchase by all who request them. Copyright may be secured; see
the department or IUPUI Graduate Office for details. University Microfilms will
return the original copy to the library, where it will be bound. The required
fee for publishing the abstract and for microfilming the dissertation is $55
(see IUPUI Graduate Office for current rate).
Preparation of Theses and Dissertations
Theses and dissertations must be typewritten. The text may be either
one-and-a-half- or double-spaced and should not extend into the one-inch margins
required on the three nonbinding sides (one-and-a-half inches required on the
binding side). Only minor corrections are acceptable in the final copy; these
must be typewritten or corrected on a word processor (handwritten corrections
are not acceptable). If more substantial corrections need to be made, the page
or pages should be retyped. Page numbers must be consecutive throughout, with
Arabic numerals used for the body of the work and Roman numerals for the front
matter.
The paper must be watermarked, 100-percent rag bond, on paper measuring 8 1/2
by 11 inches (legal-size paper is not acceptable). Photocopies may be used for
additional copies. If photographs are a part of the work, original prints or
scanned photos must be included in each copy (photocopy reproductions of
photographs are not acceptable). Any deviations from the above guidelines must
be approved in advance by the dean of the Graduate School. Additional
information regarding the typing and duplication of theses and dissertations may
be found in The Guide to the Preparation of Theses and Dissertations,
which is available from department offices or the IUPUI Graduate Office.
The Graduate School will recommend the candidate to the Board of Trustees for
the degree only upon completion of all the requirements stated previously.
Degrees are awarded on the last day of each month of the year.
For all students seeking a master’s degree, an application for the degree
must be filed with the Graduate School at least 60 days before the date
anticipated for degree conferral. All degree requirements must be completed at
least 30 days prior to the date of expected degree conferral, including
submission to the Graduate School of the bound copies of the master’s thesis
(if required for degree). Upon completion of degree requirements, the student’s
advisor should submit to the Graduate School a recommendation for the degree.
For doctoral students, submission to the Graduate School of the copies of the
completed dissertation and abstract as described under "Submission of the
Dissertation" constitutes an application for conferral of the Ph.D. degree.
The dissertation in its final form and the abstract must be submitted to the
Graduate School at least 30 days before the expected date of degree conferral.
Doctoral students are reminded that
- the 30-day announcement deadline prior
to the defense of the dissertation and the 30-day deadline prior to degree
conferral are nonoverlapping time periods; and
- research committees
frequently require revisions and corrections after the defense of the
dissertation and that these revisions must be made before the dissertation is
ready for binding and submission to the Graduate School.
All graduate students are encouraged to participate in the commencement
ceremonies. The solemn yet colorful academic pageantry can provide a fitting
culmination to a period of intense study and work. In addition, all Ph.D. and
master’s candidates are hooded by their professors. Information will be sent
out to students and their departments several months prior to Commencement.
Footnotes
1 As an exception to this rule, Indiana University doctoral students
may take a minor in Purdue University graduate-degree programs.
2 A department must define in advance specifically what is meant if an
"equivalent" examination is to be used, and that definition must be
approved by the dean of the Graduate School.
