THE PURDUE POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE
Ph.D. GRADUATE STUDENT HANDBOOK
Assembled by
the Graduate Faculty
in the
Purdue Polytechnic Institute
West Lafayette, IN
July 11, 2022
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
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iii
Purdue Polytechnic Institute Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook
NOTE: This document supersedes the Graduate School Policies & Procedures Guide.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FORWARD ................................................................................................................................................ 1
POLYTECHNIC GRADUATE ASSOCIATE DEAN’S OFFICE CONTACT INFORMATION ..................................... 1
SECTION 1.0. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 2
1.1. GENERAL INFORMATION ............................................................................................................................ 2
1.2. PH.D. PROGRAM VISION ........................................................................................................................... 3
1.3. PH.D. PROGRAM PURPOSE ........................................................................................................................ 3
1.4. PH.D. PROGRAM OVERVIEW ...................................................................................................................... 4
SECTION 2.0. ADMISSION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES ............................................................................ 5
2.1. BACKGROUND ON PH.D. ADMISSION ........................................................................................................... 5
2.2. ADMISSION CRITERIA ................................................................................................................................ 5
2.3. APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS ..................................................................................................................... 6
2.4. ADMISSION PROCEDURES .......................................................................................................................... 7
2.4.1. ADMISSIONS RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................................... 7
2.4.2. Admission Deadlines ...................................................................................................................... 7
2.5. CONDITIONAL ADMISSION ......................................................................................................................... 8
2.6. TIME LIMITATION ..................................................................................................................................... 9
2.7. FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE ............................................................................................................................. 9
2.7.1. Availability ..................................................................................................................................... 9
2.7.2. Assistantship Appointments ........................................................................................................... 9
2.7.3. Fellowships .................................................................................................................................. 10
SECTION 3.0 POLICY ON MONITORING, PROBATION, AND DISMISSAL ................................................... 11
3.1. Minimum Cumulative GPA Requirements (in graduate courses) ..................................................... 11
3.2. Monitoring ...................................................................................................................................... 11
3.3. Probation ........................................................................................................................................ 12
3.4. Dismissal ......................................................................................................................................... 12
3.5. Appeal ............................................................................................................................................. 12
SECTION 4.0. DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAM STRUCTURE ..................................................................... 13
4.3. Program Credit Hour Requirements ................................................................................................ 14
4.3.1 PURDUE POLYTECHNIC TECH PH.D. MAJOR COURSES ................................................................................ 14
4.3.2. COGNATE COURSES ............................................................................................................................. 15
4.3.3. DISCOVERY FOUNDATIONS COURSES....................................................................................................... 16
4.3.4. TRANSFER OF CREDITS ......................................................................................................................... 16
4.3.5. QUALIFYING EXAMINATION FOR DIRECT TO PHD STUDENTS ........................................................................ 16
4.3.6. PRELIMINARY ORAL EXAMINATION ......................................................................................................... 17
4.3.7. DISSERTATION .................................................................................................................................... 17
4.4. RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS ...................................................................................................................... 17
4.5. APPOINTMENT OF A MAJOR PROFESSOR/ADVISOR ....................................................................................... 18
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
4.6. Graduate Advisory Committee ........................................................................................................ 18
4.7. Course Load Recommendations and Requirements ........................................................................ 19
4.7.1. Reduced Course Loads for International Students ........................................................................ 19
4.8. REGISTERING FOR COURSES AS A GRADUATE STUDENT .................................................................................. 19
4.9. TUITION VERSUS FEE-BASED COURSES ....................................................................................................... 20
4.10 DROPPING AND ADDING COURSES ........................................................................................................... 20
4.11. RESEARCH IN ABSENTIA ......................................................................................................................... 21
4.12. RE-ENTRY INTO THE PH.D. PROGRAM ...................................................................................................... 22
SECTION 5.0. ELECTRONIC PLAN OF STUDY REQUIREMENTS .................................................................. 23
5.1. Filing the Plan of Study .................................................................................................................... 23
5.2. Independent Study Credit ............................................................................................................... 24
PER VI. GENERAL ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS & GRADE APPEALS IN THE 2021-2022 UNIVERSITY
CATALOG, .............................................................................................................................................. 25
5.3. Dissertation Research Credit ........................................................................................................... 25
5.4. Examination Requirements ............................................................................................................. 25
5.4.1. Qualifying Examination for Direct-to-Ph.D. Students Only ........................................................... 25
5.4.2. Preliminary Examination Requirement ......................................................................................... 26
5.4.3. Preliminary Examining Committee ............................................................................................... 28
5.4.4. Dissertation Proposal Defense Meeting Requirement .................................................................. 29
5.4.5. FINAL EXAMINATION REQUIREMENT ....................................................................................................... 29
5.4.6. PROPOSAL DEFENSE AND FINAL EXAMINATION COMMITTEE ........................................................................ 29
5.4.7. Rules and Regulations Related to Doctoral Proposals, Research, and Examinations .................... 30
5.5. PUBLICATION REQUIREMENT .................................................................................................................... 30
5.6. Publication of the Research ............................................................................................................. 31
5.7. RECOMMENDED INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE ............................................................................................. 31
SECTION 6.0. REGISTRATION FOR AN INDEPENDENT STUDY COURSE (TECH 69000)............................... 32
SECTION 6.1. REGISTRATION FOR A CURRICULAR PRACTICAL TRAINING (CPT) INTERNSHIP (TECH 69500)
FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ............................................................................................................ 33
7.1. Key Points about the Dissertation ................................................................................................... 34
SECTION 8.0. DISSERTATION PROCEDURES.............................................................................................. 35
8.1. TECH 69900 Research Ph.D. Thesis Enrollment ................................................................................ 35
8.2. Grades for TECH 69900 Ph.D. Thesis Research ................................................................................. 36
8.3. Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal Defense ............................................................................................... 36
8.4. APA and Formatting Requirements for Dissertations ...................................................................... 36
8.4.1. NOTES ABOUT THE TEMPLATES .............................................................................................................. 37
8.5. Preparing the Dissertation Proposal ................................................................................................ 38
8.6. Dissertation Proposal Contents ....................................................................................................... 39
8.6.1. DISSERTATION COVER PAGE .................................................................................................................. 39
8.6.3. ABSTRACT ......................................................................................................................................... 40
8.6.4. CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 40
8.6.5. CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF LITERATURE ....................................................................................................... 43
8.6.6. CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................. 44
8.6.7. LIST OF REFERENCES ............................................................................................................................ 45
8.7. OBTAINING PERMISSIONS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH ....................................................................................... 45
8.8. Preparing the Final Dissertation ...................................................................................................... 45
8.8.1. FINAL DISSERTATION CONTENTS ............................................................................................................ 46
8.8.2. Chapter 4: Presentation of the Data ............................................................................................. 47
8.8.3. Chapter 5: Conclusions, Discussion, and Recommendations ......................................................... 47
8.8.4. Appendices................................................................................................................................... 47
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8.9 Three-Article Dissertation Format (Alternative to the 5-Chapter Format) ........................................ 48
8.9.1 Requirements ................................................................................................................................ 48
8.9.2 Three-Article Dissertation Contents .............................................................................................. 49
9.1. CERTIFICATIONS & APPROVALS ................................................................................................................. 51
9.1.1. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) ...................................................................... 51
9.1.2. Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Certification .................................................. 51
9.1.3. Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval ................................................................................... 52
9.2. Resources ........................................................................................................................................ 52
9.2.2. RESPONSIBLE CONDUCT OF RESEARCH (RCR) ........................................................................................... 52
9.2.3. Statistical Consulting Service (SCS) ............................................................................................... 53
9.2.4. Center for Instructional Excellence (CIE) ....................................................................................... 53
9.2.5. SPONSORED PROGRAMS SERVICES (SPS) ................................................................................................. 53
9.2.6. Discovery Park .............................................................................................................................. 54
9.2.7. Purdue Research Foundation (PRF) .............................................................................................. 54
9.3. INTEGRITY............................................................................................................................................. 55
9.3.1. PLAGIARISM, FALSIFICATION, AND FABRICATION ....................................................................................... 55
9.3.2. Self-checking for Plagiarism.......................................................................................................... 56
9.3.3. Copyright Issues with Figures ....................................................................................................... 57
SECTION 10.0. POST-DISSERTATION ACTIVITIES ..................................................................................... 59
10.1. APPOINTMENT OF THE EXAMINING COMMITTEE & SCHEDULING THE FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION
.............................................................................................................................................................. 59
10.2. Declaring Graduation Candidacy ................................................................................................... 59
10.3. Completing the TECH 699 Requirement......................................................................................... 60
10.4. FORMATTING REVIEW FOR DISSERTATIONS ............................................................................................... 60
10.4.1. Formatting ................................................................................................................................. 60
10.4.2. Formatting Your Dissertation ..................................................................................................... 60
10.4.3. Scheduling Formatting Appointment .......................................................................................... 61
10.4.4. Providing an iThenticate Copy .................................................................................................... 61
10.4.5. Attending the Formatting Appointment ..................................................................................... 62
10.4.6. Dissertation Pre-review .............................................................................................................. 62
10.5. THE FINAL ORAL EXAMINATION .............................................................................................................. 62
10.6. UNIVERSITY DEPOSIT OF THE DISSERTATION .............................................................................................. 62
10.7. COLLEGE DEPOSIT OF THE DISSERTATION .................................................................................................. 63
10.7.1. Final Signatures on GS Form 9 .................................................................................................... 63
10.7.2. For Assistance with Submitting to the Purdue e-Pubs Site ......................................................... 63
10.8. COPIES OF FINAL DISSERTATION FOR GRADUATE COMMITTEE ....................................................................... 63
10.9. ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GRADUATION......................................................................................... 63
10.10. PARTICIPATING IN COMMENCEMENT ..................................................................................................... 64
10.11. Hooding Ph.D. Candidates ........................................................................................................... 64
SECTION 11.0. OVERALL DOCTORAL DEGREE PROCEDURAL CHECKLIST .................................................. 65
11.1. FIRST SEMESTER .................................................................................................................................. 65
11.2. SUCCEEDING SEMESTERS ....................................................................................................................... 65
11.3. Final Semester ............................................................................................................................... 67
SECTION 12.0. PROCEDURES FOR REQUESTING CONTINUATION FROM AN M.S. INTO THE PH.D. IN
TECHNOLOGY ......................................................................................................................................... 69
APPENDIX A: .......................................................................................................................................... 71
PH.D. PROGRAM PLANNING TEMPLATE ................................................................................................. 71
APPENDIX B: .......................................................................................................................................... 74
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
GS FORM 12: REQUEST FOR RESEARCH IN ABSENTIA ............................................................................. 74
(AVAILABLE VIA THE ELECTRONIC PLAN OF STUDY GENERATOR ON MYPURDUE) .................................. 74
APPENDIX C: .......................................................................................................................................... 77
HRS FORM 33F: REQUEST FOR CHANGE IN STATION .............................................................................. 77
APPENDIX D: .......................................................................................................................................... 78
SAMPLE PLAN OF STUDY ........................................................................................................................ 78
APPENDIX E:........................................................................................................................................... 81
INDEPENDENT STUDY REQUEST FORM AND INSTRUCTIONS .................................................................. 81
(AVAILABLE AT
HTTPS://POLYTECHNIC.PURDUE.EDU/SITES/DEFAULT/FILES/FILES/690INDEPENDENT_STUDY_AUTH.PDF
.............................................................................................................................................................. 81
APPENDIX F: ........................................................................................................................................... 82
EXAMPLE FORM 23 ................................................................................................................................ 82
APPENDIX G: .......................................................................................................................................... 84
ONLINE THESIS DEPOSIT AND ACCEPTANCE ........................................................................................... 84
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1
FORWARD
This document is intended to clarify and emphasize the expectations that the
Polytechnic has relative to the pursuit of graduate studies. If you have questions about
how to interpret what is in this Handbook, please consult with your major professor, your
Polytechnic Department/School Graduate Program Chair, or the Polytechnic Graduate
Associate Dean’s Office.
Polytechnic Graduate Associate Dean’s Office Contact Information
Kathryne A. Newton
Associate Dean for Graduate Programs
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 765.496.6875
Felicia Anderson
Polytechnic Graduate Program Coordinator
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 765.494.6875
Polytechnic School and Departmental Graduate Chairs
and Administrative Assistants
School of Aviation Technology and Mary Johnson [email protected]
Transportation
School of Construction Management Emad Elwakil [email protected]
Computer Graphics Technology Nicoletta Adamo [email protected]
Jorge Dorribo Camba [email protected]
Computer and Information Tech. John Springer [email protected]
School of Engineering Technology Duane D. Dunlap [email protected]
Graduate Administrative Assis. Niedra McLeland [email protected]
Purdue Online – Polytechnic Institute John Fassnacht jo[email protected]
Tech., Leadership and Innovation Todd Kelley [email protected]
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
SECTION 1.0. INTRODUCTION
Section 1.0 of this document provides an overview to general information
graduate study in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.
1.1. General Information
The Purdue Polytechnic Institute (Polytechnic) offers graduate instruction leading
to the Master of Science (M.S.) and the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees. The
Master’s degree enables students to concentrate on professional development studies in
technology or technology education in any of the disciplinary foci and/or areas of
concentration (see table 1) offered by the college. Note that some areas of concentration
may include more than one area of disciplinary focus. Both thesis and non-thesis routes
are offered through the master’s program. The Ph.D. program’s primary focus is to
prepare faculty, researchers, specialists, managers and administrators for leadership in
technological- and engineering-related careers in academia and industry.
Table 1.1. Disciplinary Foci and Specializations
Disciplines and Accompanying Specializations___________________________________
Aviation Transportation Technology*: Sustainability, Transportation Economics,
Safety Management, Aircraft Capital Asset Management, Human Factors, Workforce
Development, Data Analytics, and emerging multidisciplinary fields. The Ph.D. may be
in Technology, or in Aviation Technology and Management. Each Ph.D. is an approved
STEM program.
Ph.D. in Aviation and Technology Management at West Lafayette web page
https://polytechnic.purdue.edu/degrees/phd-aviation-technology-and-management
Computer Graphics Technology: Computer Animation, Data Visualization, Game
Studies, User Experience (UX) Design and Human-Computer Interaction, and Digital
Enterprise Systems
Computer and Information Technology: Automation, Intelligence, and Robotics,
Cyber forensics, Cyberinfrastructure and Networking, Data Applications, Homeland
Security Information Security, Project Management and Business Analysis, Societal
Applications of IT
Construction Management Technology:
Many construction subsectors and
technologies: Commercial; Civil Infrastructure; Electrical; Healthcare; Disaster
Restoration & Reconstruction; Demolition; Mechanical; Residential; Automation,
Digitalization, & BIM
Engineering Technology:
Electrical, Computer and Mechanical Engineering
Technologies. Industrial Engineering Technology and Supply Chain and Sales
Engineering Technology, Engineering Technology Education and Alternative Energies
3
Technology Leadership and Innovation:
Organizational Leadership, Digital
Innovation, and Engineering/Technology Teacher Education
____________________________________________________________________
Specific information about the Purdue Polytechnic Institute graduate programs,
including Purdue Online graduate program offerings, may be obtained from the web page
at https://polytechnic.purdue.edu/graduate-studies. Written inquiries may be directed to
Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, Purdue Polytechnic Institute, Rm. 150 Knoy Hall,
Purdue University, 401 N. Grant, West Lafayette, IN 47907-2021, phone 765-494-6875.
The document addresses the Doctor of Philosophy and general graduate
procedures. We also have a Doctor of Technology (DTECH) degree that is only taught
through Purdue Online. This document does not contain policies for that degree.
NOTE: All schools and departments in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute have their own
M.S. degrees. If you are interested in those specific MS degrees, please find them listed at
Graduate Studies - Purdue Polytechnic Institute
1.2. Ph.D. Program Vision
The Purdue Polytechnic Institute is committed to its graduate program and to
offering the technology profession’s leading Ph.D. and master’s programs. These
graduate programs have been designed to advance the disciplines of technology and to
develop advanced level professionals who engage in technology, technological education,
and related leadership. The faculty recognizes a genuine responsibility to prepare future
scholar-practitioners for the technological enterprise in both public (education and
government) and private sector environments. The Ph.D. program represents the
college’s most advanced manifestation of this commitment.
1.3. Ph.D. Program Purpose
Through the doctoral program faculty seek to provide degree candidates with the
knowledge and skills necessary to advance the discipline and its practice. The primary
purposes of the program are to prepare scholarly faculty to serve higher technology
education programs throughout the nation and world, and advanced leader/researchers for
public and private sector environments employing such levels of personnel. In doing so,
the program also develops the concomitant skills involved in technology-relevant
knowledge development, synthesis, and assessment. Candidates may also prepare for
leadership roles in fields such as technology transfer, technology human resource
development, technology teaching, or supervision of technology in private and public
sector agencies.
Graduates of the program are expected to demonstrate an appropriate level of
mastery of the discipline of technology, both in general and with respect to the
technological focus built into their program. Given this, the program is structured to
enable the development of the technological focus as well as a broad understanding of the
discipline.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
Successful Ph.D. candidates will demonstrate advanced ability to:
1. Envision, plan and conduct research and development activities;
2. Identify, comprehend, analyze, evaluate and synthesize research;
3. Evaluate technologies and technology-related programs;
4. Assess individual performance with, and understanding of, technology;
5. Communicate effectively and employ constructive professional and
interpersonal skills; and
6. Function in one or more of the technology disciplines.
1.4. Ph.D. Program Overview
The Purdue Polytechnic Institute’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’s 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.
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SECTION 2.0. ADMISSION POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Section 2.0 of this document provides an overview to the requirements, types of
admission, time limits and opportunities for financial assistance relative to graduate study
in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.
2.1. Background on Ph.D. Admission
Ph.D. applicants are admitted in each School/Department through a holistic
graduate faculty evaluation process using Purdue’s Slate admission platform. A
controlled enrollment approach ensures that only a manageable number of highly talented
degree aspirants with genuine academic leadership potential are admitted. The
Polytechnic’s goal that every admitted Ph.D. graduate student has the opportunity to be
supported by one of the Polytechnic’s research and development projects or teaching
assignments.
Persons seeking admission to the program should have relevant prior coursework
and experience in the discipline to ensure a significant potential for success in the
program. Additionally, a requirement for acceptance is that a match exists between the
applicant’s goals and interests and that of the program’s intent and the faculty research.
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. Please note,
an earned MS degree from the Purdue Polytechnic does not guarantee acceptance into the
Ph.D. Program.
2.2. Admission Criteria
The admissions process selects highly qualified applicants into the Polytechnic’s
Ph.D. 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.
• For students holding a qualified M.S. degree, 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. For students entering from a qualified bachelor’s
degree, an undergraduate GPA of 3.5 or better (or equivalent class rank) from
accredited institutions and in programs with specific relevance to technology will
be required for unconditional admission.
• A four-year undergraduate degree or an undergraduate degree that conforms to
the Bologna Accords.
• GRE or GMAT scores at or above the 50th percentile (for each subscale) are
required for unconditional admission for applicants holding a qualified M.S.
degree. For direct admission from a B.S. degree, GRE or GMAT scores at or
above the 60th percentile (for each subscale) are required for unconditional
admission for applicants. Note, pursuant to ETS’ recommended practice, the
program does not require a specific minimum score.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
• For direct admission from a B.S. degree, applicants should show substantial
evidence of undergraduate research experience.
• At least two years of relevant work experience is preferred as is breadth in
educational experience.
• Review and recommendation for acceptance by the relevant department’s
graduate faculty and 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 Ph.D. program
mission.
• A positive admission interview report evidencing both preparation for doctoral
studies and oral English proficiency
• 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 provide proof of English proficiency for admission in one of the
following ways:
o TOEFL
o IELTS
o English Course – Intensive English Language Programs
o Waiver – Citizen of or Degree from English Speaking Country
o Waiver – Current Purdue University Students
• The Ph.D. Technology uses the Purdue University Graduate School minimums for
satisfying the Graduate School’s English Proficiency Requirements -
https://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/admissions/how-to-apply/apply-toefl.html
2.3. Application Requirements
All applicants are required to submit the following items to create an application
package suitable for effective review of the applicant’s potential for success in the Purdue
Polytechnic Institute’s Ph.D. program (may vary by School/Department):
• Purdue University Graduate School online application form and applicable fees.
• A detailed reflective Statement of Purpose highlighting career goals, capabilities
to be developed, and a self-assessment highlighting both strengths and
weaknesses.
• A detailed resume or curriculum vitae.
• Transcripts of all universities or 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.
• Applicant interview form completed by faculty member if applying to SOET.
• At least three letters of recommendation from faculty with an earned doctoral
degree or others deemed qualified to judge potential for success in research and
Ph.D. programs.
• Official TOEFL score (if required).
• Documentation of financial support (required only for international applicants).
7
2.4. Admission Procedures
The procedures for admission to the Polytechnic Ph.D. program include the
following steps:
• Applicants complete Purdue University’s on-line electronic application and
submit the Graduate School’s application fee.
• Applicants submit all other application materials to the Polytechnic Graduate
Studies Office.
• The Polytechnic Graduate Studies Office assembles complete application package
for internal review.
• The completed application package is routed to the relevant School/Department in
the Purdue Polytechnic Institute for review.
• At least one of the reviewers interviews the candidate, if possible. Although in-
person interviews are desirable from both the Polytechnic and applicant
perspective, alternative procedures (such as telephone interviews) may be
employed.
• Faculty review package and report assessment to the Polytechnic Graduate
Studies Office.
NOTE: It is the responsibility of every international student applicant to
supply all documentation needed by the United States Immigration and
Naturalization Service and Purdue University to establish eligibility for
entrance into the USA as a student. This necessarily includes
documentation of sufficient financial resources to sustain the anticipated
period of study. International graduate students must not begin to travel
to Purdue University until formally notified of their acceptance by the
Graduate School.
2.4.1. Admissions Recommendations
Departmental admission recommendations to the Polytechnic Graduate Studies
Office may be one of the following:
• Admit without conditions,
• Admit with conditions (and these conditions must be specified), or
• Deny.
Departmental admission recommendations are forwarded to the Purdue Polytechnic
Institute (Polytechnic) Associate Dean for Graduate Studies for review and
recommendation to the Purdue University Graduate School.
2.4.2. Admission Deadlines
It is recommended that candidates for admission must have submitted all
necessary application materials by the following deadlines (there may be a high degree of
flexibility depending on demand):
• February 15
th
for summer admission (for international students applying from
outside the US).
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
• April 1
st
for summer admission (for domestic students and international students
applying from inside the US).
• April 1
st
for fall admission (all students).
• September 1
st
for spring admission (for international students applying from
outside the US).
• October 1
st
for spring admission (all domestic students and international students
applying from inside the US).
• For consideration in highly competitive Purdue fellowships, please have the
application completed by as soon as as the callout is available for admission to the
following year’s Fall semester (typically late fall or early spring).
2.5. Conditional Admission
For those students admitted who do not meet unconditional admission criteria to
the Ph.D. program, certain other performance elements may be considered. For example,
substantial career accomplishment as evidenced by the resume or high performance on
the Graduate Record Examination may indicate that student potential for success is not
adequately reflected in their prior academic record.
In particular, faculty reviewers of graduate applicants note the level of
communication (oral and written) proficiency documented by the applicant and in cases
where performance is below expectations, e.g., as demonstrated by a low GRE Verbal
score, faculty may consider establishing English development experiences in addition to
the program’s normal requirements.
Conditional admission requires that certain minimum performance standards be
established, such as "must achieve at least a 3.00/4.00 graduate index at the completion of
the first 12 credits following admission to the degree program." In addition, admission
committees may require certain prerequisite coursework to satisfy a deficiency in the
student’s background.
Academic conditions of admission for all conditionally admitted students will be
monitored by the Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s Graduate Studies Office and/or the
Graduate School, depending on who has imposed the condition. Each semester the
Graduate School will remove the eligibility to register for future sessions for all students
who failed to satisfy their conditions of admission in the previous session. Thus, there is a
grace period of one semester.
Departments are to justify and indicate any conditions under which these students
should have their eligibility to register restored and be allowed to continue to study for
the degree. This is requested by a memo from the major professor and routed through the
college’s Associate Dean for Graduate Studies, detailing reasons why the student should
be permitted to continue. Upon Graduate School approval, the eligibility to register will
be restored.
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2.6. Time Limitation
Students pursuing the Ph.D. degree have up to eight years to complete their
program. If the student exceeds these limits, the student may be dismissed for lack of
satisfactory progress or, when circumstances are justified, may be required to retake some
courses or take new courses to replace out-of-date courses. Typically, Master’s plus
students (those entering the program with a qualified master’s degree) complete their
coursework in three (3) years, and complete their preliminary examination at the end of
that period. The research proposal and the final dissertation are typically completed in the
subsequent two (2) years.
Direct to Ph.D. students (those entering with a qualified bachelor’s degree)
typically complete their coursework in four (4) years. After the first year, but before the
third, students must pass qualifying examinations. In their final year, students complete
the preliminary examination. The research proposal and the final dissertation are typically
completed in the subsequent two (2) years.
NOTE: Continuous registration is required once the student begins
coursework with the exception of a break for a maximum of 3 semesters
before they must reapply. Students deemed not to be making satisfactory
progress will be afforded one opportunity to justify progress to their
program committee. To continue in the program, such students require the
consent of their Ph.D. committee and the Associate Dean for Graduate
Studies. Otherwise they will be dropped from the program.
2.7. Financial Assistance
The following two sections describe the availability of financial assistance and
information about assistantship appointments and fellowships.
2.7.1. Availability
A limited number of graduate teaching and research assistantships from
departments within the Purdue Polytechnic Institute are available. All assistantship
applications are to be directed to the School/Department Head of the appropriate
department. Additional appointments are available from other elements of the university,
such as the library system and student housing. Details on assistantships and fellowships
outside the Purdue Polytechnic Institute are available at Purdue University’s Graduate
School web site at https://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/fellowship/funding-resources-for-
students/index.html . Additional information may be available from the Purdue
Polytechnic Institute department heads.
2.7.2. Assistantship Appointments
In order to provide opportunity for the student to progress satisfactorily toward
the degree objective, graduate appointments will ordinarily be for no more than one-half
time and for a maximum of three (3) academic years for Ph.D. students. Renewal of
graduate appointments for additional time will be based on satisfactory performance in
the position and academic performance toward plan of study requirements, as well as
availability of positions.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
Graduate Teaching assistantships (GTA) and Graduate Research Assistantships
(GRA) include a tuition waiver during the semester the student has the assistantship.
Normally, teaching assistantships are not available in the summer. However, if a student
has a teaching assistantship in the spring and the following fall semester, a tuition waiver
for the summer is still available to the student.
NOTE: Assistantships DO NOT cover the cost of student fees assessed
each semester.
2.7.3. Fellowships
Purdue University’s Graduate School administers many university-wide and
national fellowship and scholarship programs. Students are advised to access Overview
of Student Funding Resources - Fellowship Office - Purdue University for the latest
information on such opportunities.
11
SECTION 3.0 POLICY ON MONITORING, PROBATION, AND DISMISSAL
Section 3.0 provides an overview to the monitoring, probation, dismissal and
appeal policies in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.
3.1. Minimum Cumulative GPA Requirements (in graduate courses)
The Purdue Polytechnic Institute has specific a GPA requirement for graduation
as shown in Table 3.1. This is the same as the university requirement. Also shown are the
GPA requirements for probation and dismissal relative to the college’s programs.
Sections 3.2 thru 3.5 outline the policies and procedures relative to probation and
dismissal.
Table 3.1. Graduation, Probation and Dismissal GPA Thresholds
Graduation
3.00/4.00
Probation
2.75/4.00
Dismissal
2.50/4.00
NOTE: University requirements state that no grade of “D” or “F” is
allowed in a course on the plan of study. Any plan of study course in
which a grade of “D” or “F” is received must be repeated and completed
successfully; it cannot be dropped from the plan of study.
3.2. Monitoring
Each fall and spring semester, graduate student performance is evaluated to
ensure that the student is performing well and will graduate with a 3.00/4.00.
Procedurally this is done in the following way:
• Graduate student grades and academic progress will be monitored at the
departmental level.
• Monitoring will begin after six (6) credit hours have been attempted and every
semester thereafter in which the student is enrolled.
• Students are expected to maintain a cumulative grade point average of at least
3.00 /4.00 with no grade less than “B” and earn grades of “Satisfactory” in core
courses and dissertation research credit hours.
NOTE: There is an expectation that grades should not be below a B-, (B
minus) in his or her core courses.
• If a student has a semester GPA less than 2.75/4.00 or a cumulative GPA less
than 3.00/4.00, a letter will be drafted by the department head to the student, with
a copy to the major professor, to the Graduate School, and to the student’s file,
indicating the last semester was determined unsatisfactory and that they are being
placed on probation.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
NOTE: Graduate students that receive an incomplete in a course will
have one semester and 12 weeks into the following semester to complete
the course. If that is not done, the Registrar automatically makes the grade
a failure.
3.3. Probation
Probation occurs when a student performs below the Polytechnic standards in a
fall or spring semester. Procedurally probation means:
• If a student’s semester GPA falls below 2.75 or if a student’s cumulative GPA
falls below 3.00/4.00, the student will be placed on academic probation.
• The Polytechnic Associate Dean for Graduate Studies will generate a letter
informing the student, major professor, and department head of the probationary
status. A copy will also be forwarded to the Graduate School and placed in the
student’s file in school or department.
• The student will have two semesters to raise their cumulative GPA to the
required level and return to good standing. If they do not, they will not be able
to register for classes the subsequent semester and will be dismissed from the
program.
• Eligibility for an assistantship while on probation will be left to the
School/Department Head’s discretion.
3.4. Dismissal
• If a student’s semester GPA is below a 2.50 or if a student’s cumulative GPA
falls below 2.75, the student will be immediately dismissed from the program.
• A student will be dismissed from the program if they remain on probation for two
consecutive semesters without improvement. This policy is independent of any
assistantship the student may hold.
3.5. Appeal
• A student may appeal their probationary or dismissal status by contacting the
Associate Dean for Graduate Studies in writing within thirty (30) days of the date
of the requisite notification letter. The appeal should include the student’s specific
reasons for exception to the aforementioned policies.
• The appeal will be reviewed by a subcommittee of three (3) members of the
Purdue Polytechnic Institute Graduate Education Committee (excluding the
Graduate Education Committee representative from the student’s home
department).
• If the review committee recommends reinstating the student, the student’s
graduate advisor/chair must approve. If the graduate advisor does not approve, the
Associate Dean for Graduate Studies will render a final decision.
• In cases where a student is reinstated without approval of the graduate advisor, a
new advisor may need to be assigned.
• The decision of the appeal subcommittee and/or Associate Dean for Graduate
Studies will be considered final and will be delivered within thirty (30) days of
the student’s request for exception to probation.
13
SECTION 4.0. DOCTORAL DEGREE PROGRAM STRUCTURE
The Purdue Polytechnic Institute offers two options for the pursuit of a PhD: a
direct to PhD (from a qualifying B.S. degree) and a “Master’s plus” PhD (where
coursework from an existing M.S. degree counts towards the requirements for the PhD.
Both options require 75 credit hours of coursework and 15 research credit hours that
result in the completion of a doctoral dissertation.
4.1 Process for Direct Admission Ph.D. Students
1. Coursework (24 credit hours – assume end of first year)
a. Appointment of major professor
b. Selection of a committee (two people in addition to a chair)
c. Filing of the Electronic Plan of Study (EPOS)
i. Draft of the Plan of Study must be submitted by the end of the first
semester of study.
ii. A final Plan of Study must be submitted by the end of the second
semester of study.
d. Successful completion of 24 credit hours with minimum B- or better grades.
i. Must include TECH 60100, STAT 50100 (or equivalent), TECH
64600, MET 52700, & major courses (up to 24 credit hours)
2. Qualifying Examination
a. If failure, student completes MS requirements and leaves with an MS.
3. Coursework Completion (51 credit hours)
4. Preliminary Oral Examination
5. Dissertation Research Project (15 credit hours)
a. Dissertation research proposal
b. Proposal defense meeting
c. Obtain appropriate certifications for research (RCR, CITI, HIPAA, FERPA,
etc.).
d. Execution of research
6. Final oral defense of dissertation research
4.2 Process for M.S. Degree Holding Students
1. Coursework (45 credit hours plus 30 from a qualified M.S. degree)
a. Appointment of major professor
b. Selection of a committee (two people in addition to a chair)
c. Filing of the Electronic Plan of Study (EPOS)
i. Draft of the Plan of Study must be submitted by the end of the first
semester of study.
ii. A final Plan of Study must be submitted by the end of the second
semester of study.
d. Successful completion of all courses
2. Preliminary Oral Examination
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
3. Dissertation Research Project (15 credit hours)
a. Dissertation research proposal
b. Proposal defense meeting
c. Obtain appropriate certifications for research (RCR, CITI, HIPAA, FERPA,
etc.).
d. Execution of research
4. Final oral defense of dissertation research
4.3. Program Credit Hour Requirements
The Purdue Polytechnic Institute Ph.D. requires a minimum of 90 graduate
semester credit hours (beyond the bachelor’s degree but counting up to a maximum of 30
for an appropriate master’s degree). Table 4.1 provides a detailed listing of credit hour
requirements.
Table 4.1. Program Credit Hour Requirements
Component
Direct to PhD
Master’s Plus
Technology (the major/field of specialization)
30 cr min
21 cr min
Discovery Foundations (research methodology,
statistics and experimental design)
18 cr min
12 cr min
Cognate (from any other appropriate Purdue
College/School or a department other than the
Polytechnic)
27 cr min
12 cr min
Dissertation Research
15-30 cr
15-30 cr
Total Hours beyond prior degree
90 cr min
60 cr min
Master’s degree
---
30 cr max
Total Graduate Study
90 cr min
90 cr mini
NOTE: Appendix A provides a template that can be used for course
planning for the Ph.D.
4.3.1 Purdue Polytechnic TECH Ph.D. Major Courses
The central component of the Ph.D. program is intended to be used to flexibly add
depth and breadth as appropriate to the student’s professional goals and simultaneously
be consistent with the program’s mission. The Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s Ph.D.
program Technology Major seeks to develop 21st century cognitive skills by means of a
ten (10) hour set of core courses and an additional set of courses creating a technology
focus. In addition to the ten (10) hour core, students may take any appropriate number of
other Purdue Polytechnic Institute graduate courses to create a focus.
The core courses are intended to represent the basics recommended for Ph.D.
students. These may be substituted for more advanced courses or similar courses within
a student’s School/Department per Advisory Committee approval:
• STAT 50100 Experimental Statistics 1 or equivalent
15
• MET 52700 Technology from a Global Perspective
• TECH 60100 Research Seminar in Technology
• TECH 64600 Analysis of Research in Industry and Technology
Technology Major component courses are typically 500- or 600-level courses.
They may include undergraduate courses (300- or 400-level) only when followed by
appropriate 500- and 600-level courses and are subject to the approval of the student's
advisory committee, department/school graduate head, and the Associate Dean for
Graduate Programs. Undergraduate courses used must be in excess of baccalaureate
degree requirements and not already included in M.S. courses being counted toward the
Ph.D. Graduate School policy stipulates that 100- and 200-level courses may not appear
on a plan of study and that no more than six (6) semester hours of 300- and 400-level
courses may be applied to graduate work and a grade of “B” or better (course grade at
least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale) is required.
NOTE: If a students holds an M.S. degree, courses included on the M.S.
degree should not be retaken for the Ph.D. degree. For example, if the
student had TECH 64600 in their M.S. program, it should not be taken
again for the Ph.D.
A maximum of twelve (12) hours of TECH 59000 or 69000 – Independent Study
may be included on the plan of study. A minimum number of credit hours of TECH or
Purdue Polytechnic Institute department prefixed courses (other than TECH 69900) must
be a part of the program as shown in table 4.1. Section 6.0 provides information about the
requirements for independent study.
4.3.2. Cognate Courses
The Cognate consists of any coherent set of courses in addition to the primary
area of study in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute that creates competence in a field that is
rationally related to the candidate’s career objective. A doctoral level graduate faculty
member representing the cognate must serve on the candidate’s Ph.D. program
committee. The intent of the cognate component in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s
Ph.D. program is to enable candidates to establish a support area of competence relevant
to the candidate’s career objective. Typically, a cognate consists of 9 to 12 semester
credit hours of coherent courses. Thus, a student may have multiple cognate areas. The
validity of the cognate is attested to by a doctoral level graduate faculty member who
serves on the candidate’s Ph.D. program committee. Some possibilities for cognate areas
include, but are not limited to, the following:
• Science, Technology and
Society
• Business/Management
• Engineering
• Human Resource Development
• Safety/Human Factors
• Quality
• Instructional Technology
• Curriculum & Instruction
• Higher Education Administration
• Psychology
• Computer Science
• A language. Meeting (by testing or
coursework) a foreign language
department’s requirement for reading
proficiency in a language other than
either the student’s native language
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
or English will be considered the
equivalent of a cognate. Students
must meet overall program credit
hour requirements.
• International Studies
• Art & Design
4.3.3. Discovery Foundations Courses
All Ph.D. graduates from the Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s Ph.D. program are
expected to not only be able to critically evaluate and utilize research, but also be able to
design, conduct, and report appropriate research in the technology disciplines. To this
end, students must demonstrate proficiency in research and experiment design,
multivariate statistics, and various research methods. The minimum core will be
supplemented by additional study relevant to the specific requirements of the candidate’s
proposed dissertation research project.
The intent of the Discovery Foundations component in the Purdue Polytechnic
Institute’s Ph.D. program is to develop mastery of a solid set of research, knowledge
development and discovery skills sufficient to enable the candidate’s dissertation research
project and the critical evaluation of other’s research. Both qualitative and quantitative
skills are to be developed by coursework in this component as are statistical
methodologies including at least multivariate techniques. Therefore, students will take as
a minimum:
• A course in multivariate statistics
• A course in quantitative experimental design
• A course in qualitative research methods
NOTE: Examples of multivariate statistics courses include STAT 50200,
STAT 51200 as well as an advanced statistics course. Various quantitative
and qualitative courses exist in the schools and departments of the
Polytechnic as well as other university departments.
4.3.4. Transfer of Credits
A standard maximum of 30 non-specific semester credit hours will be permitted for credit
from completion of a committee-approved master’s degree, and is subject to
department/school graduate head recommendation for approval, and approval by the
Polytechnic Institute Associate Dean for Graduate Studies. Research credits cannot be
transferred; only course credits can be transferred. Of the 90 graduate semester credits
required for a Ph.D., at least 33 credits, plus all dissertation research credits, must be
earned under the supervision of the student's committee at Purdue University.
4.3.5. Qualifying Examination for Direct to PhD Students
To demonstrate to the faculty that a student is qualified to continue in the Ph.D.
program in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute, the student is required to take and pass
written qualifying examinations. These qualifying examinations are offered once each
semester (except summer) at approximately mid semester. The student must take the
qualifying examination after the second semester of enrollment in the Ph.D. program.
Exceptions to this may be granted at the request of the advisor/chair and approval of the
Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. However qualifying exams should occur no later
than the fourth semester of study. See section 5.3 for more information.
17
4.3.6. Preliminary Oral Examination
Following the completion of the coursework for the Ph.D., students are expected
to pass a preliminary oral examination. The examination includes both a written and oral
component. The exam covers all the coursework the student has undertaken as a Ph.D.
student. The preliminary oral examination requires the physical presence of all three
graduate committee members. See Section 5.4 for more information.
4.3.7. Dissertation
The Ph.D. dissertation must demonstrate the candidate’s ability to conduct
substantial and significant research in the technology disciplines and/or related
disciplines that intersect with them. Candidates are expected to demonstrate mastery of
the key literature in the field and use this to situate the specific project they propose.
Students must enroll in TECH 699 Ph.D. Thesis Research for a minimum of 15
semester credit hours to receive credit for their dissertation research. This enrollment is to
be distributed commensurately with the amount of work performed in the semester.
Continuous enrollment in TECH 699 is required until the degree is earned.
NOTE: There are times when the term “thesis” is associated with
doctoral classes or work (such as the title of the course TECH 699). While
the term thesis is typically associated with master’s degrees and the term
dissertation is typically associated with doctoral degrees, the terms are
sometimes used synonymously.
4.4. Residency Requirements
The total number of hours of academic credit used to satisfy residency
requirements consists of all course credit hours that appear on the plan of study, other
graduate course credit hours with grades of “C” or better that appear on the Purdue
University transcript, and research credit hours with grades of “S” that appear on the
Purdue University transcript.
Doctoral degree students must have at least one-third of the total credit hours used
to satisfy degree requirements earned while registered for doctoral study in continuous
residence on the Purdue University campus where the degree is to be granted. At least 90
credit hours are required; however, some program areas may require more than 90 credit
hours. A Master’s degree from any accredited university is considered to contribute 30
credit hours toward satisfying this residency requirement.
In fulfilling these requirements, a maximum of 18 credit hours will be allowed
from any one semester (maximum hours proportional to length of summer session equals
nine (9) credit hours).
NOTE: If a student completes all the academic requirements but has
insufficient residence credits, a letter of explanation justifying the
deficiency should be forwarded to the Dean of the Graduate School. If
justification is sufficient, the Dean of the Graduate School may waive part
of the residency requirement.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
4.5. Appointment of a Major Professor/Advisor
Each graduate degree plan of study is unique to the individual student and his/her
background, experience, and degree objectives. To guide in the development of a degree
plan, a major professor (advisor) will be appointed to chair the student's advisory
committee and will assist the student through the program. A student may request a major
professor in their application materials; but this request may not always be possible,
based on advisement load, research commitments, and other factors. The major professor
will become the most important contact person, and the major professor/student
relationship must be a mutually acceptable one. The major professor of the doctoral
committee must hold an earned doctorate. The major professor serves concurrently as
advocate, mentor, and supervisor of the graduate student.
4.6. Graduate Advisory Committee
The student and the major professor are responsible for the selection of an
advisory committee. The duties of that committee are to assist the student in the
preparation of the plan of study and to offer advice during the period of graduate work. It
is important that the initial advisor, whether or not she or he continues as the permanent
advisor, initiate activities to assist students in becoming acquainted with potential faculty
to serve on the advisory committee.
NOTE: The student’s doctoral advisory committee begins with three
members of the graduate faculty, at minimum. After the preliminary oral
examination, a fourth member must be added. The fourth member remains
through the dissertation proposal creation, approval and defense process.
The major professor and one other member of the committee should be from the
Purdue Polytechnic Institute graduate faculty whereas the third may represent a cognate
area but must also be a member of the Purdue University graduate faculty. Members of
the committee need not be faculty with whom the student has taken coursework. A co-
advisor may be designated when advantageous to the student and where it can build
faculty experience. Students and major professors should note that if a student’s plan of
study and/or research project would be significantly improved by the expertise of a
faculty member or a person outside of the university, they may request consideration for
special certification for such service. Such requests require a rationale and description of
the expertise and are routed to the Graduate School via the Polytechnic Graduate Studies
Office. The request for appointment of the advisory committee is made on the same form
(and at the same time as) the request for approval of the student's plan of study (refer to
the section 5 on the Electronic Plan of Study Requirements).
The initial advisory committee should be selected preferably during the first
enrollment semester, but not later than the end of the second enrollment semester.
The committee will then be in place to help the student develop the plan of study and
review/approve the student's dissertation proposal, which must be approved before actual
work on the project may begin. The student should discuss the plan of study with their
preferred potential advisory committee members and secure their permission to list them
on the plan of study before the plan is submitted for signature. The fourth member of the
doctoral committee may be added after the preliminary oral examination, but before the
dissertation research proposal.
19
4.7. Course Load Recommendations and Requirements
The maximum course load for graduate students is 18 credits (and occasionally 19
credit hours with special permission).
Typically, 18 credit hours translate into six (6) courses. Eight (8) credit hours is
considered the full-time certification standard for graduate students by the Graduate
School.
NOTE: To maintain full time status, international graduate students must
take eight (8) credit hours per semester.
Students inquire as to how many classes they should take when they have an
assistantship. Table 4.2 provides some recommendations as to how many credit hours are
typical when also working as a teaching or research assistant.
Table 4.2. Recommended Course Loading for Assistants
Assistantship Load
Recommended Course Load
¼-time assistant
12 to 15 cr. hrs.
½-time assistant*
9 to 12 cr. hrs.
¾-time assistant
6 to 9 cr. hrs.
*Assumes ½-time is equivalent 20 working hours.
NOTE: A candidate for the doctoral degree is expected to complete all
requirements for the degree within eight years from the completion of the
oldest course on the plan of study.
4.7.1. Reduced Course Loads for International Students
To maintain visa status, international students are expected maintain a fulltime
load. Purdue’s Office of International Students and Scholars (ISS) provides information
about this requirement and offers a means for international students to request permission
to take a reduced courses load. Appendix B provides a visual example of the form.
Graduate students desiring a reduced course load should work with ISS to request this
before their course load is reduced below that required by U.S. Immigration rules. See the
ISS web site for more information: http://www.iss.purdue.edu/.
4.8. Registering for Courses as a Graduate Student
Purdue University provides online scheduling of courses for all of its students via
the myPurdue system. Typically, the student works with his or her advisor to determine
the appropriate courses to take for a given semester. Then the student works with the
graduate coordinator in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute to sign up for courses. Students
may self-register through the Student Scheduling Assistant on the Registration tab of
myPurdue under the Register for Classes banner.
A registration PIN is required to perform self- registration. You will be informed
of your PIN at the time of admission from the Polytechnic Graduate Studies Office. You
may also find your pin on the Registration tab of myPurdue under the Register for
Classes banner. However, at times students may need an ‘override’ to be able to register
for certain courses. More information about registering for classes can be found at the
Registrar’s web site: http://www.purdue.edu/registrar/.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
The graduate students have the responsibility to keep track of specific dates
relative to course scheduling. These include deadlines for registration, deadlines for
dropping courses and the like. The Graduate School announces these dates on its web site
(https://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/about/calendar/index.html) and typically the
deadlines are emailed to students each semester at appropriate times.
4.9. Tuition Versus Fee-Based Courses
Any student who pursues a tuition-based residential degree that requests a fee-
based distance learning course as part of their Plan of Study, may enroll in the fee-based
distance learning course given the following:
1. There is sufficient availability of open seats such that no fee-based student would
be prohibited from enrolling in the course.
2. The tuition-based residential student pays the required fee for the distance
learning course. The fee will be in addition to the university charged tuition rates.
3. The student enrolls in the fee-based distance learning course through the Purdue
Online Polytechnic Institute enrollment process for undergraduate/graduate
programs.
4.10 Dropping and Adding Courses
To drop or add a course, the students may use the Scheduling Assistant found in
the myPurdue system on the Registration tab. All variable credit courses will require the
Polytechnic Graduate Studies Office to provide an override for the student to enroll in the
course. The Polytechnic Graduate Studies Office must also set the desired credit hours
(when a student enrolls, the default is one (1) credit hour). Subsequently, be sure to
confirm that a dropped or added course has been officially recorded by checking
myPurdue.
Courses may be added or dropped per the Registrar’s calendar. Typically, during
the Fall and Spring semesters, courses dropped during the first two weeks of classes will
not appear on the student’s transcript. Courses dropped during weeks three and four will
be recorded as a “W” grade on your permanent record (withdraw). Courses dropped
during weeks three and four will be recorded as a “W” grade on the student’s transcript.
Weeks five through nine require the signature of both the instructor and the Polytechnic
Graduate Coordinator. In such a case, the instructor must assign a grade of “W,” “WF,”
or “WN.” The end of this period is the final deadline for withdrawing from a class.
NOTE: A “W” simply records the fact that the student withdrew after the
second week of the semester. A “WF” records that the student was failing
a graded course. “WF” grades are not included in computing the GPA. A
“WN” records failing status in a course being taken Pass/No Pass. “W,”
“WF,” and “WN” grades are recorded on your permanent record.
Courses added during weeks two through four require the approval and signature
of the instructor and personnel in the Polytechnic Graduate Studies Office. Courses may
be added during weeks five through nine, but only under extraordinary circumstances.
Courses added after the fourth week requires the approval and signature of the instructor,
21
the Polytechnic Graduate Coordinator, and the head of the department where the course is
offered (for non-Polytechnic courses).
NOTE: Graduate students that receive an incomplete in a course will
have one semester and 12 weeks into the following semester to complete
the course. If that is not done, the Registrar automatically makes the grade
a failure.
4.11. Research in Absentia
Under circumstances often beyond their control, graduate students sometimes find
it necessary to attempt completing their research in absentia. Experience has indicated
that it is very difficult to complete research in absentia status, and it is seldom a
recommended course of action. At the very least, research in absentia should only be
considered if a student appears to be within one year of completing his or her research.
Permission for research in absentia status must be obtained from the Graduate
School. The request for research in absentia is initiated by the student’s major professor
on GS Form 12: Request for Research in Absentia (see Appendix C). The Graduate
School must receive the request form at least one month prior to the beginning of the
initial absentia session. Research in absentia is not permitted until after a student has
completed all course work, passed the Preliminary Exam, and made substantial progress
on the Ph.D. thesis research (TECH 69900). In addition to the Graduate School
regulations governing research in absentia, as outlined in the Graduate School Bulletin,
the Polytechnic requires that the official request form must be accompanied by a
statement, approved by all members of the Doctoral Advisory Committee, clearly
identifying the reason(s) for the request. All requests for research in absentia must also be
approved by the Associate Dean of Graduate Programs in the Purdue Polytechnic
Institute.
When approved, permission to register for research in absentia will be valid for an
initial period of one calendar year. A request for an extension beyond the approved year
of research in absentia initiates a Formal Review by the Associate Dean of Graduate
Programs in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute. As part of the Formal Review, the student
must submit a written progress report and a complete explanation of why the deadline for
completion within one year was not met. In addition, the Doctoral Advisory Committee
must be convened to conduct a Formal Review Examination. The committee will
recommend a) a one-year extension of the research in absentia status, b) termination of
the research in absentia status (requiring the student to return to Purdue), or c)
termination of the student’s doctoral program. Students granted an extension of the one-
year limit must submit a written progress report to their Doctoral Advisory Committee
and to the Polytechnic Graduate Studies Office prior to all subsequent registrations for
research in absentia. Additional requests for an extension of research in absentia status
are subject to the same review procedures. A student must register for research in
absentia every semester (summer sessions are not included) from the initial approval until
all requirements are completed.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
If your research merely requires the use of facilities that are available elsewhere,
but not available at Purdue, you should not apply for research in absentia. Rather, retain
your Purdue University appointment, register as a regular student, and file a request for
“Change of Duty Station.” Information regarding the process can be found at:
https://www.purdue.edu/newsroom/purduetoday/releases/2020/Q2/updates-made-to-form,-process-for-
change-in-duty-station.html)
4.12. Re-entry into the Ph.D. Program
If a Ph.D. student fails to register at the West Lafayette campus for three or more
consecutive academic sessions, he or she must submit a new application for re-entry into
the doctoral program and obtain approval from the Polytechnic Graduate Studies Office
and the Graduate School before any subsequent registration will be permitted.
Registration for Research in Absentia, it should be noted, is considered to be registration
at the West Lafayette Campus.
A student seeking to re-enter the Ph.D. program is required to submit a new
application as well as updated transcripts (if the applicant has pursued any academic
studies in the interim). The student may also be required to submit a personal statement
and new letters of recommendation.
The Graduate School has a policy that 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. III. Admissions - Purdue
University - Acalog ACMS™ A plan of study approved prior to such a period of
inactivity is deemed invalid. Likewise, a Preliminary Examination passed prior to such a
period of inactivity must be repeated.
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SECTION 5.0. ELECTRONIC PLAN OF STUDY REQUIREMENTS
The philosophy of the Graduate School of Purdue University is that advanced
study should be tailored to the individual and his or her professional and intellectual
objectives. Thus, the plan of study is unique to each student's needs and desires within the
framework set forth by requirements for the Polytechnic doctoral degree.
The development of the plan of study begins as part of the initial course
registration. The major professor will discuss the student's background, interests, and
degree objectives as part of the preparation for the first enrollment. Based on this
discussion, the major professor will request spaces in the appropriate courses. The major
professor will also recommend possible cognate areas and advisors.
In addition to course work requirements, each student must complete and
successfully defend their dissertation research (see section 7.0). The plan of study should
be developed to support this research requirement.
The plan of study must list all courses the student will take to meet the degree
requirements. These include the names for the primary and cognate areas of study; the
course number, course title, and credits for each course; the date when the course was or
will be completed; and the research area. The plan of study is electronically signed by
each member of the advisory committee and the student. After review, the plan is
electronically signed by the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs. The plan is then
submitted to the Graduate School for formal approval. After an approved Plan of Study is
on file, committee and course changes can be made at any time up until graduation. This
can be accomplished by clicking on the Create Change Request link available next to an
Approved plan of study. The Change Request link will initiate a Change Request form.
5.1. Filing the Plan of Study
The following instructions detail how to set up and file your plan of study.
1. Go to myPurdue at https://mypurdue.purdue.edu. (If you have never set up your
Purdue Career or Email Accounts, you must that first).
a. To activate your Purdue Career Account, visit
https://www.purdue.edu/apps/account/AccountSetup and fill in the
requested information.
b. For Email Account setup information, visit
https://www.itap.purdue.edu/index.html .
c. For additional information and help related to myPurdue or your Purdue
Accounts, contact the Purdue Help Desk at (765) 494-4000 or
2. Click on the Academic tab of myPurdue.
3. Click on the Graduate School Plan of Study link to log in.
4. Click on the Plan of Study Generator (POSG) link.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
5. Click on Create New Plan of Study.
6. Once in the POSG, refer to the Help buttons located on each page to assist you.
You may save your POS and return to it later if you cannot complete it in one
sitting.
a. Students are not permitted to list master`s coursework in the Ph.D.
course section of this plan. The Chair will list the number of credit hours
allowed from an earned MS in the space titled "Total Master`s Credits
Allowed" in the Graduate course tallies section of the plan at the time of
approval. The maximum credit hours per MS degree is 30. The Graduate
School can also make the update if necessary.
7. Once you are completed with your plan of study, finalize it to submit it.
Be sure to review the Plan of Study Checklist to verify completeness of your
EPOS before submitting it in final form:
https://polytechnic.purdue.edu/degrees/phd-technology/resources/forms-and-
documents
Upon approval by the Graduate School, the plan of study becomes a contract
among the student, the Purdue Polytechnic Institute, and the Graduate School. When all
requirements of the plan of study are completed satisfactorily, the student is awarded the
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree. Refer to the sample plan of study form in Appendix
E. Appendix F shows a flowchart of the EPOS creation and approval process.
NOTE: If a course in the plan of study is not available when the student
needs it, or if the direction of the student’s research topic changes,
students can submit an EPOS change of plan of study. Once filed, the
change request requires prior signatories to approve the requested
change.
NOTE: See section 4.1.5 for information about transfer credit.
5.2. Independent Study Credit
A maximum of (12) semester hours of independent study credit (e.g., TECH 59000
or 69000 or departmental 59000 or 69000) may be included in a plan of study. Independent
study courses require a specific proposal and approval process as defined in section 6.0 of
this handbook.
On this form:
https://polytechnic.purdue.edu/sites/default/files/files/690INDEPENDENT_STUDY_AU
TH.pdf
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Per VI. General Academic Requirements & Grade Appeals in the 2021-2022 University
Catalog,
“Before the end of the 2nd week of each session of registration for XXXX69800
and XXXX69900, a written set of minimum expectations (e.g. data set, draft of
chapter, sampling plan, IRB, lit review, manuscript, objectives of proposal) will be
submitted to the student by the departmental/program representative (faculty
member, program chair) supervising the credits. Ideally these expectations would be
discussed and developed jointly by the student and departmental representative. The
expectations and deliverables should align with the number of credits that the student
is registered for (i.e. greater expectations for more credits). The student should
acknowledge receipt of the expectations. If questions or concerns surface regarding
expectations and credit load at any time throughout the semester, the student and
departmental/program representative must discuss and record the concern to an
agreed upon endpoint. For a description of the grades, please see
catalog.purdue.edu (Policy Section: Grades and Grade Reports).”
The general TECH690 form does not require information on how the grade is determined
and grading scale. Could be opening us up to grade appeal.
5.3. Dissertation Research Credit
Doctoral students in the Polytechnic are required to have a minimum of 15 credit
hours of TECH 69900 Ph.D. Thesis Research. This course and its respective credit are
not shown in the listing of courses on the Plan of Study. Instead, it is acknowledged in
the notes field. For example, the notes field in the EPOS may include the following:
“The student will complete 15 credit hours of TECH 69900 over 3 or more
semesters to satisfy the dissertation requirement.”
5.4. Examination Requirements
The Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s Ph.D. program requires students to
successfully demonstrate an adequate level of competence as documented by their
individual performance on examinations. Both Master’s plus and direct to Ph.D. students
take preliminary examinations near the end of their coursework. Direct to Ph.D. students
take an additional qualifying examination.
5.4.1. Qualifying Examination for Direct-to-Ph.D. Students Only
To demonstrate to the faculty that a Direct-to-Ph.D. student is qualified to
continue in the Ph.D. program in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute, the student is required
to take and pass written qualifying examinations. These qualifying examinations are
offered once each semester (except summer) at approximately mid semester. The student
must take the qualifying examination after the second semester of enrollment in the Ph.D.
program. Exceptions to this may be granted at the request of the advisor/chair and
approval of the Associate Dean for Graduate Programs. However qualifying exams
should occur no later than the fourth semester of study.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
5.4.1.1. Examination Timing, Scoring and Reporting
The qualifying exam will be offered on November 1st and April 1st of each
academic year (or the Monday closest to that day). The student will take the Minor exam
from 8:30 AM to 12:00 PM and the major exam from 1:00 PM to 4:30 PM. The
Associate Dean for Graduate Programs (or designee) will administrate the exam.
Examinations are prepared and graded by the appropriate doctoral graduate
committee in the student’s home department. The scores and a recommendation for
continuation or dismissal are forwarded to the student's major professor and the Associate
Dean for Graduate Programs. The Associate Dean for Graduate Programs notifies the
student of the results of her/his examination.
5.4.1.2. Composition of the Exam
Examinations are offered in each of the following areas:
1. Research Design (i.e., TECH 64600)
2. Quantitative Research Methods or Qualitative Research Methods (i.e.,
TECH 62100, EDCI 61500 or equivalent)
3. Technology from a Global Perspective (MET 52700) or approved
substitute
4. Specific Major area of Interest (e.g., CIT, CGT, MET, etc.).
The student shall be required to take examinations in: research design,
quantitative or qualitative research, technology, and major area of interest. To take the
qualifying exam, the student must have completed nine (9) credit hours in Discovery
Foundations including TECH 64600 or equivalent research methods course AND STAT
50100 or equivalent introductory statistics AND a specific research methods class
(quantitative or qualitative). The student must have completed MET 52700 or equivalent
and 2 classes in their major area of specialization in order to sit for the qualifying exam.
5.4.1.3. Failure of the Qualifying Exam
In the event that a student fails one or more of the examinations, s/he must repeat
that examination or examinations the next time they are offered. If, upon repeating the
examination, the student still fails to achieve acceptable scores, s/he will be dismissed
from the Purdue Polytechnic Institute Ph.D. program at the end of the semester in which
the qualifying exams were taken a second time. There will be no appeal process if a
student is dismissed following failure of the qualifying exams a second time. An MS
degree may be awarded if the student has enough credit hours to qualify in lieu of
continuing the Ph.D. program of study.
5.4.2. Preliminary Examination Requirement
The purpose of the preliminary examination is to comprehensively assess the
student’s mastery of the knowledge base(s) encompassed by the plan of study. Successful
performance on the comprehensive examination admits the student to candidacy for the
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Ph.D. Unsuccessful performance can result in assignment of additional requirements or
dismissal from the program.
One of the major outcomes of the preliminary examination is that students work
actively to synthesize knowledge and skills learned while completing the courses
required by their plan of study. To this end, major advisors need to work carefully with
advisees over an extended period of time to enable them to evolve such integrated
capabilities. It is also recommended that students at similar stages in their pursuit of the
Ph.D. form independent study groups to help each other employ peer learning to
assemble such capabilities.
Purdue University Graduate School policy states that “To become eligible to take
the examination, the student must have filed a plan of study, satisfactorily completed
most of the formal study, and satisfied any foreign language requirements (if required).
The examination should be scheduled as soon as possible and must be completed at least
three sessions before the expected date of the Ph.D. final examination.”
The Preliminary examination should be designed by each student’s Ph.D.
committee to assess the student’s:
• Mastery of the technology focus area consistent with the student’s plan of study,
their articulated purpose for pursuing Ph.D. study, and the Ph.D. program’s mission.
• Understanding of the cognate discipline and its interface with the student’s
technology focus area consistent with their articulated purpose for pursuing Ph.D.
study, and the Ph.D. program’s mission
• Ability to assess, design and conduct research appropriate to the student’s
articulated purpose for pursuing Ph.D. study, and the Ph.D. program’s mission
While the form(s) of this exam is subject to specification by each student’s Ph.D.
committee, it is intended to systematically assess integrated competence in the
technology major, discovery foundations and cognate components of the plan of
study. Performance will be judged by the student’s graduate committee and will be
reported to the Graduate School. The Preliminary Exam is NOT intended to be a
Dissertation Proposal Meeting.
Typically, this examination will be scheduled during the semester in which the
student completes their coursework. This examination must consist of both a written
examination and a subsequent oral component. Typically, the written examination is
comprised of questions provided in advance by the committee to which the student
formally responds outside of the classroom setting over a defined, two-to-four-week
period. If a conventional test is used, two days of assessment are typical, and the major
professor is responsible for proctoring the exam. The student’s Ph.D. committee faculty
may specify what, if any, resources the student will be permitted access to during each
portion of the examination.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
Faculty on the student’s Ph.D. committee are to be provided with a complete copy
of all the student’s written responses to all portions of the examination. Committees may,
however, divide the formal assessment tasks as they deem appropriate. It is recommended
that faculty communicate their assessment of the examination to the major advisor at
least one week in advance of the oral portion of the examination. The major advisor may
use, as appropriate, any of this input while working with the student to help prepare for
the oral examination.
It is recommended that at least a two-hour time block be scheduled for the oral
portion of the preliminary examination. To schedule the preliminary exam, a
Graduate School Form 8: Request to Appoint an Examination Committee needs to be
electronically filed by the student in myPurdue a minimum of two (2) weeks prior to
the scheduled examination date.
To ensure that student knowledge is current, the Graduate School stipulates that
“A preliminary examination passed by a student whose graduate study and/or
professional activity has been inactive for five years or more is invalid. (See Section III-
B-5 of the Graduate School publication Policies and Procedures for Administering
Graduate Student Programs.)” Given this, if this amount of time has elapsed, Purdue
Polytechnic Institute Ph.D. committees are to reassess the student’s mastery of the
discipline by retesting according to the same guidelines as the initial preliminary
examination.
The results of the preliminary examination are pass, pass with conditions, or non-
acceptable performance. In case of the latter assessment, faculty will be asked to specify
whether the student is eligible to retest. If the latter, at least one semester of study and
preparation must transpire before a retest is permitted. Upon completion of the oral
portion of the preliminary examination, the examination results, the examination itself,
and a copy of the student’s responses are forwarded to the Polytechnic Graduate Studies
Office. The examination report will be recorded and then forwarded to the Graduate
School and the examination and responses will be filed in the student’s master file.
NOTE: At least three academic sessions devoted to research and writing
must elapse between the preliminary and final Ph.D. examinations. For
example, if the preliminary examination is completed in spring semester
2010, the earliest a student can defend, and graduate is spring semester
2011. Note that summer counts as an academic session so long as the
student registers for research credits.
5.4.3. Preliminary Examining Committee
The preliminary examining committee must consist of a minimum of three
members of the graduate faculty who need not be faculty members with whom the
student has taken coursework. All members of the examining committee are to be
notified of the scheduled examination. Other faculty members may be requested by any
member of the examining committee to participate, without vote, in the examination, and
any interested faculty member may be present, without vote. Although only three
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committee members are required, if the committee has four or more members, a single
member may withhold his or her signature of approval.
5.4.4. Dissertation Proposal Defense Meeting Requirement
While not an examination, the proposal defense meeting follows the preliminary
oral examination and precedes the beginning of the doctoral research. The proposal
meeting assembles the final oral examination committee to preview and approve the
dissertation proposal for research. The written proposal typically includes the first three
chapters of the dissertation, while the proposal defense meeting typically includes a
presentation as well as a question and answer period.
NOTE: The dissertation proposal defense meeting cannot occur in the
same semester as the preliminary examination.
5.4.5. Final Examination Requirement
A Final Examination is required after the student’s Ph.D. research is completed
and a satisfactory dissertation, as deemed by the Ph.D. advisor or co-advisors, is written.
The Graduate School Form 8: Request to Appoint an Examination Committee is filed
electronically and is used to schedule the meeting. It must be filed two (2) weeks prior
to the scheduled examination date.
The purpose of this examination is to assess the Ph.D. candidate’s capability to
demonstrate advanced mastery of research as well as the specific topic investigated. This
examination requires:
• Distribution of the advisor-approved dissertation draft to all Ph.D. committee
members, and the Purdue Polytechnic Institute Associate Dean for Graduate
Studies, at least two weeks in advance of the examination date.
• Oral presentation of the research to the Ph.D. examination committee during a
publicized session open to the university community
• An oral examination by the Ph.D. examination committee members conducted by
the committee in closed session.
NOTE: At least three academic sessions devoted to research and writing must elapse
between the preliminary and final Ph.D. examinations. For example, if the
preliminary examination is completed in spring semester 2010, the earliest a student
can defend, and graduate is spring semester 2011. Note that summer counts as an
academic session so long as the student registers for research credits.
5.4.6. Proposal Defense and Final Examination Committee
The proposal defense and final examination committee will consist of a minimum
of four members of the graduate faculty. The Ph.D. candidate and all examination
committee members are expected to participate in the proposal defense and final
examination. At least three of the committee members, including the major professor,
must be physically present for the duration of the examination.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
Other members may participate using telecommunication if necessary. Performance on
the final examination will be judged by the official Ph.D. examination committee
appointed on the GS Form 8. Successful mastery is required in order for the Ph.D. to be
awarded.
NOTE: Often the final examination committee includes the three faculty
who served on the preliminary examination committee, plus another
individual.
5.4.7. Rules and Regulations Related to Doctoral Proposals, Research, and
Examinations
It is the policy of the university and of the Purdue Polytechnic Institute that:
• At least two academic sessions of registration devoted to research and writing must
elapse between the preliminary and final doctoral examinations. For instance, a
doctoral student who passes the preliminary examination in a summer session is
eligible to take the final examination (provided that the student is registered the
following fall and spring sessions) beginning with the following summer session.
• Ph.D. students must be continually registered for research hours between
preliminary and final Ph.D. examinations.
• Final Ph.D. examinations will be announced so that interested members of the
Purdue faculty and student body may attend up until the point of committee
deliberations which shall be held in private.
• Final examinations must be held before the last week of classes.
• When the Request for Appointment of Examining Committee (G.S. Form 8) is
approved by the Graduate School, the Polytechnic Graduate Studies Office will
receive the following additional materials for the candidate:
a) Candidate audit form
b) Survey of Earned Doctorate
VII. Administering Graduate Degree Programs - Purdue University - Acalog ACMS™
Note: Information related to these rules and regulations may be found at:
Thesis and Dissertation Office - Purdue University
5.5. Publication Requirement
Scholarship plays a very important role in the preparation of M.S. and Ph.D.
students in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute. Graduate students need to understand the
role of scholarship in higher education as well as its importance in disseminating new
knowledge. The Polytechnic values the role and contribution of its faculty and students in
its efforts to engage in discovery with impact. It is important that graduate students learn
how to create and present scholarship as part of their academic training. For these
reasons, the Purdue Polytechnic Institute requires all Ph.D. students and M.S. thesis
students to engage in scholarship.
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Ph.D. students are required to be first author on at least one-refereed journal
article or refereed conference proceedings and co-author on one other refereed journal
article or refereed conference proceeding. These articles may be published or “in review”.
Exceptions to the above requirements must be approved by the student’s
committee chair and the Associate Dean for Graduate Studies. Some other form of
scholarship should be substituted for the above if the student requests an exception.
5.6. Publication of the Research
Because of the usual intense and dynamic interaction of professor and Ph.D.
student, there is an expectation the research will lead to one or more joint publications.
Typically, the designation of authorships is mutually agreed upon and it follows an order
of decreasing contribution to the research and publication. Students and advisors should
also note the guidelines for ownership of intellectual property developed by Purdue
University’s Graduate School.
NOTE: All faculty and students should be familiar with Purdue
University’s policy on intellectual property. See Purdue University's
Policy I.A.1, Intellectual Property at:
https://www.purdue.edu/policies/academic-research-affairs/ia1.html
5.7. Recommended International Experience
Sources cite many benefits of study abroad programs for both graduate and
undergraduate students, as well as faculty, within the university environment. In addition
to learning about globalization and related issues, the experience of short-term study
outside the US, conducting international presentations, and leadership or involvement in
international projects or project teams can have a positive professional affect on students.
Purdue is a global institution and in the Strategic Plan one of the three major goals is
“Meeting global challenges by enhancing Purdue’s presence and impact in addressing
grand challenges of humanity”. For these reasons, an international experience is
recommended for all graduate students in the Polytechnic.
It is recommended that M.S. and Ph.D. students in the Polytechnic participate in
one of the following:
• Enrolling in one graduate level course dealing with globalization,
internationalization, or culture (examples: ECON 53400, EDCI 68500, EDST
50400, FR 58100, GER 58100, HK 58100, JPNS 54300, MET 52700, MGMT
60100 or 64900, OBHR 65000, OLS 57800, POL 53000, RUS 58100, SPAN
68200).
• Participate in a short-term study abroad course
• Present a paper at an international conference outside the U.S.
• Participate in an international industrial project that requires travel abroad or
interaction with international participants
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
SECTION 6.0. REGISTRATION FOR AN INDEPENDENT STUDY COURSE
(TECH 69000)
Independent study courses may be included in a graduate plan of study. A copy of
the final product or a complete report of the study must be submitted to the professor in
charge of the independent study. Failure to do so may result in an incomplete or failing
grade. This work must be independent of other required course studies (previous,
existing, or future). Registration in TECH 69000 or departmental 69000 may not be
initiated until all of the following procedures have been satisfied.
To enroll in an independent study the student must:
1. Meet with the major professor to discuss the proposed study and secure his/her
approval.
2. Prepare a detailed prospectus (typed or word processed, APA format, title page)
including the following sections:
a) Problem: Describe the problem you propose to address clearly, delimit the
problem area, and provide a rationale for its significance.
b) Purpose and Objectives: Provide a numbered listing of all educational
objectives to be accomplished.
c) Define how the course relates to your degree objectives, i.e., what it will do
for you.
d) Procedures: Explain the methods to be used and any unusual requirements for
materials, equipment, or facilities. A graphic timeline and two progress
reports must by submitted by the student to the professor in charge between
weeks three and ten of the semester. Provide a narrative, flow chart, or outline
of step-by-step procedures used to complete the study. If applicable, provide a
supply and materials cost worksheet.
e) Outcomes: Itemize and describe the deliverables/products, i.e., tangible results
(software source code, papers, reports, products, or summaries) of the study
and list who will receive copies (office, professor in charge, student).
NOTE: This prospectus should be about one to three pages
in length. A good way to prepare a prospectus is to subhead
it is using the above categories and present the information
below each subheading.
f) Meet with the professor (the professor in charge) who will guide the study to
discuss the prospectus.
g) All Form VTs (Variable Title; formerly Form 23VT) are done through
mypurdue/scheduling assistant workflow process, below are the links on how
the student can do this
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How to request a VT form
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TL_P6UQuWdg
Confirmed Creation of VT request
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJSZoI_fDio
The Form VT MUST NOT be submitted for processing prior to securing the
necessary approvals for the prospectus.
NOTE: Independent study credit may not be used for graduate
research credit (i.e., as a substitute for required TECH 69900 credit
hours) NOR as a substitute for a core class. A maximum of 12 credit
hours of independent study may be listed on a Ph.D. student’s Plan
of Study.
Section 6.1. Registration for a Curricular Practical Training (CPT) Internship
(TECH 69500) for International Students
The Student Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) defines Curricular Practical
Training (CPT) As an alternative study, internship, cooperative education, or other type
of required internship or practicum that is offered by a sponsoring employer through a
U.S. College or University.
CPT is only available for current F-1 students when it is part of an established
curriculum within a school. CPT must be integral to your major program of study. It
cannot be authorized for work related to your minor, concentration, or previous major.
CPT is not intended for general, ongoing work authorization, or as a bridge to
employment after graduation. True volunteer work (i.e., at a food bank or animal shelter)
does not require CPT. However, any internship, whether it is paid or unpaid, requires
CPT authorization.
For Technology students wishing to register for CPT, please use TECH 69500 –
Graduate Professional Practice and register for zero credit hours. This may be
coordinated by the Associate Dean for Graduate Students, or your major professor with
cooperation of your employer. Students should confirm employment and assignment
before starting, and submit a summary report upon conclusion of the course. This is
typically taken during the summer, but it is also offered Fall and Spring.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
SECTION 7.0. THE DOCTORAL DISSERTATION
A doctoral dissertation in technology is a significant piece of original work,
typically involving research, a formal written description of that research, and an oral
defense of the research. Typically, the dissertation contributes new knowledge to the
discipline against the backdrop of what others have contributed to the topic as well (via
the literature review). The tone of the writing must be scholarly, with a primary audience
of other researchers.
To pursue the development of a dissertation, students must first develop a
dissertation proposal and secure its approval by their final examination committee. A
formal meeting of the student’s graduate committee is required to evaluate the proposal
and the Polytechnic Graduate Studies Office is to be provided a copy of the approved
proposal and the Polytechnic Form 2, Acceptance of Graduate Proposal (see Appendix
J). Proposals are developed pursuant to student enrollment in one (1) to three hours (3) of
TECH 69900. Subsequent enrollment in TECH 69900 for the additional required credits
is contingent upon filing of the approved proposal.
NOTE: The primary difference between a thesis and a dissertation is
scope, that is, size and breadth of the project.
7.1. Key Points about the Dissertation
1. A dissertation typically addresses a theory or knowledge gap. Often it does so by
testing or evaluating or by developing and validating a concept or methodology.
2. Dissertations require documentation of the significance of the problem or gap in
knowledge they address (i.e., they make a contribution to the discipline).
3. All dissertations result in a clearly identifiable new knowledge of significance
(requires documentation of originality).
4. Generally, dissertations involve the use of one or more of the accepted research
paradigms and established research techniques. They may be quantitative or
qualitative in nature. They may involve historical or philosophical, scientific, or
technological perspectives. They may be experimental or developmental in
methodology. Other forms/paradigms of research scholarship may also be employed
if approved by the committee.
5. The dissertation format must follow the Purdue Graduate School Thesis Guidelines
as supplemented and detailed in this handbook. The format is APA 7
th
edition citation
format with some specific differences (see section 8.5 and 8.6).
6. Dissertations demonstrate a high level of reasoning, effective written communication,
and are documented in a form that permits replication.
7. Dissertations are necessarily filed in Purdue’s library (via the e-pubs section).
Dissertation containing intellectual property are marked as confidential and not made
publicly available.
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8. Dissertations are filed with the University and the Hammer Research Repository
(Purdue University Graduate School research repository - Browse). Dissertation
containing intellectual property are marked as confidential and not made publicly
available.
SECTION 8.0. DISSERTATION PROCEDURES
The culminating demonstration of successful performance in the student’s Ph.D.
program is the design, execution, and documentation of the dissertation, and its defense.
Any form of research deemed acceptable and appropriate to the Ph.D. committee may be
used to satisfy this requirement. No part of this handbook is intended to signal a
preference for quantitative or qualitative research or for research from any particular
paradigm.
Nevertheless, quality research cannot be rushed. Given this, it is encouraged that
students and Ph.D. advisors begin work on the research project as early as possible.
Often, for students employing a typical four-year timeline, the third year is appropriately
used to define the research topic and generate the proposal (or fifth year for a six-year
timeline). The earlier this occurs during this time the better. The gradual use of TECH
69900 credits is one way to encourage such progress, although the bulk of them should be
taken only after the student has completed the preliminary examination and has an
approved dissertation proposal.
Procedurally a student must:
a) Enroll in TECH 69900 (typically one (1) credit hour) to generate and
successfully defend the dissertation research proposal.
b) Defend the proposal in front of final examination committee (comprised of at
least four members).
c) Obtain appropriate approvals (if applicable) to conduct research (CITI, IRB,
HIPAA, FERPA, etc).
d) If approved, execute the dissertation research (during this time students enroll
in subsequent hours of TECH 69900).
e) Upon completion of the dissertation:
a. Thesis students must meet with the Polytechnic Thesis Advisor for
approval of their format
b. Defend project in front of final examination graduate committee.
c. Upon successful defense of the project, students deposit the
dissertation with the university, college, and with their committee.
8.1. TECH 69900 Research Ph.D. Thesis Enrollment
Exact enrollment timing can vary, but at least three consecutive enrollments in
TECH 699 are required. Typically, the first enrollment is for one (1) to three (3)
semester hours of credit following the preliminary examination (but earlier
enrollment is permitted if deemed appropriate). During this academic session, the
dissertation proposal is developed and approved by the final examination committee.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
NOTE: At least three academic sessions devoted to research and writing
must elapse between the preliminary and final Ph.D. examinations.
During each of these three sessions, the student should enroll in TECH
699 credit.
8.2. Grades for TECH 69900 Ph.D. Thesis Research
Performance in any TECH 69900 Ph.D. Thesis Research course is graded using
the following scale:
• Pass – used where the student has met or exceeded requirements.
• No Pass – used where the student has not met requirements and has not
invested appropriate amounts of effort.
• Incomplete – used where the student has invested appropriate amounts of
satisfactory effort, but the project is not yet finished.
NOTE: Graduate students that receive an incomplete in a course will
have one semester and 12 weeks into the following semester to complete
the course. If that is not done, the Registrar automatically makes the grade
a failure.
8.3. Ph.D. Dissertation Proposal Defense
Once the dissertation proposal has been completed (the proposal typically
includes the first three chapters), the student works with the graduate chair to establish a
meeting of the final examination committee for defense and approval of the proposal.
Typically, the student does a 30-to-40-minute presentation, with sufficient time left to
answer questions. Once the proposal is approved by the committee, submit the proposal
with a completed Polytechnic Form 2: Acceptance of Graduate Proposal to your
school/departmental office (signed by all committee members and the graduate student).
NOTE: The proposal defense and the final defense CANNOT occur in
the same semester. The proposal defense meeting must be scheduled two
(2) weeks in advance of the date of the proposal defense. The proposal
must also be provided to the committee two (2) weeks in advance of the
date of the proposal defense.
8.4. APA and Formatting Requirements for Dissertations
Theses in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute follow the university guidelines for
formatting. Generally, the formatting is aligned with the APA 7
th
edition parenthetical
citation format with some specific additions. Directed projects in the Purdue Polytechnic
Institute generally follow the same format, however at the discretion of the chair of the
student’s directed project committee, the student may be directed to use a different
format.
Dissertations (for both proposals and final documentation) should utilize the
document templates provided by the university and/or college. Templates for Microsoft
37
Word and Latex exist and may be selected by campus specifically for the Polytechnic.
Templates are provided on the following two URLs:
• University Templates (for Word):
http://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/research/thesis/templates.html
• Polytechnic Template (for Latex):
https://polytechnic.purdue.edu/sites/default/files/files/LaTeX%20Thesis%20Temp
late%281%29.zip
NOTE: The Microsoft Word template is available via the university’s web
site. Those students wanting to use Latex should use the template provided
on the Polytechnic web site.
Students use the Microsoft Word templates as the basis for formatting their
proposals and final documentation. The templates include styles for heading elements,
tables, figures, captions, et cetera. It is recommended that students use the templates for
formatting their proposals and final documents.
• Guidelines for Optional Polytechnic Institute Article-Based Dissertation Format
may be found online at the following URL:
Thesis and Dissertation Formatting - Purdue Polytechnic Institute
o An article-based dissertation is a collection of 3 (minimum) published (or
accepted for publication without further revision) research articles in high
quality refereed journals related to a common theme.
8.4.1. Notes about the Templates
The following lists some things to note about using the templates and formatting
in general:
• For the required course TECH 64600, students will be familiarized with the
templates and use them to generate their projects in the course. Most students take
TECH 64600 in the same semester or the semester before they intend to defend
their proposal.
• The University template will not automatically format all elements as needed
within the Purdue Polytechnic Institute. Specific elements such as: figure
captions, table captions, table verticals, table of contents, and list of tables and
figures will require some manual adjustments to get them to format correctly.
• All Ph.D. students are required to have a thesis format meeting prior to their final
oral defense of their dissertation. The Polytechnic Thesis Format Advisor is
willing to meet with any student who needs an introduction to the thesis templates
prior to the creation of their proposal. Students may email the Polytechnic Thesis
Advisor to set up a meeting or to get examples of prior formatted theses.
• The Graduate School at Purdue typically hosts workshops on the use of the thesis
templates each semester. Consult the Graduate School web site for the dates and
times of these workshops.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
• Other specifics of the format can be seen in an example document that can be
used as a guide for formatting theses and dissertations
(https://polytechnic.purdue.edu/sites/default/files/files/mohler_dissertation.pdf)
8.5. Preparing the Dissertation Proposal
Although the bulk of the student’s work towards meeting this requirement
typically occurs after the student’s passing of the preliminary examination, the student
may submit their research proposal to their Ph.D. committee at any time deemed
appropriate to their Ph.D. advisor/co-advisors. Students should discuss with their Ph.D.
advisor, the procedures she or he wishes to have followed in preparing the proposal and
vetting it with the other committee members. Usually, advisors will want to approve a
proposal draft prior to it being circulated to the other members of the student’s
committee.
NOTE: Please refer to Section 5.4.4 Dissertation Proposal Meeting Requirement for
important information regarding the Proposal Defense.
The faculty’s expectation for the Ph.D. research proposal is that it is of sufficient
detail to enable careful assessment of the project’s significance, its locus within the
literature, and the validity and reliability of the proposed methodology and
instrumentation. The proposal is typically the first three chapters of the dissertation. The
expectation is that the graduate student will be the primary person conducting the study
although studies situated within larger initiative contexts are certainly permissible. If such
conditions exist, it is encouraged that the student and advisor thoroughly explore all
potential implications of the situation for the student. These include dependence on others
outside of the student’s control, shared intellectual property rights, restrictions on
publications, timing of progress and the like.
Proposals must be succinct, direct, and contain no passive wording. Clear, jargon-
free prose that establishes the need for the study and a proposed method of solution are
required—nothing more (or less). While POLYTECHNIC faculty have not established
specific proposal length requirements, a proposal should be sufficiently detailed to enable
the graduate committee to render effective judgment and share appropriate advice on how
to proceed. Typically, proposals are 30-50 pages (including figures, tables, but not
counting References or Appendices) to communicate essential detail.
Beyond content, there are two important factors in the writing of any professional
paper, be it a proposal or a final report. One factor is format; the other is style. Format is
the physical layout of a paper. Rules for indention, type face, line length, etc., are
considered format issues. Style requirements are created to facilitate clear
communication. Globally, style indicates the manner of expression and the sequence in
which material is organized. At a micro level, style concerns formality, person, tense,
spelling, and abbreviation standards. Both format and style are important, and both have
their place. Most publication manuals include both style and format guidelines.
39
Proposals are always written in future tense. Thus, statements that refer to
procedures should be stated as, "This proposed study will collect data using . . ." or
"Results of this study will be used to . . . ." Similarly, Purdue Polytechnic Institute
standards contain a recommendation that the proposal be written in third person.
However, depending on the type of work being executed, first person writing may be
acceptable. Students should consult with their graduate chair and discuss which is
appropriate based upon the direction of their research and the methodology they intend to
employ.
NOTE: While the student is working on the development of their research
proposal, and then subsequently engages in conducting their research, it
is encouraged that they enroll in several successive semesters of TECH
62100 Seminar in Technology. During these enrollments they will have the
opportunity to learn of other students’ work and see examples of
proposals and research activity. Critical evaluations of research quality
and effectiveness will be practiced, and they will have the opportunity of
presenting their proposal in practice form. Upon completion of the
proposal defense, and acceptance, the student and their major advisor are
to file a revised copy of the proposal and the completed POLYTECHNIC
Form 2 with their departmental office
8.6. Dissertation Proposal Contents
There are two alternatives for the dissertation format in the Polytechnic. The
following sections provide an overview of the proposal contents for a traditional five-
chapter dissertation format. The proposal itself typically consists of the first three
chapters including: Chapter 1 Introduction, Chapter 2 Literature Review, and Chapter 3
Methodology.
8.6.1. Dissertation Cover Page
The dissertation cover page is established based upon the University formatting
guidelines. Appendix K shows an example of the dissertation cover page. Note that the
thesis and dissertation use the same page format. The thesis template (if macros are
turned on) will allow the user to select the appropriate elements from a drop-down list.
Students should fill in the title (in all caps), type (Dissertation), name, and graduate
month and year of the dissertation cover page.
Once the dissertation proposal is approved, the dissertation proposal is filed with
the Office of Graduate Studies in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute following the proposal
defense meeting. This original document then becomes the contract for the dissertation.
Students must also submit a signed POLYTECHNIC Form 2: Acceptance of Graduate
Proposal (see Appendix J).
8.6.2. Definitions
Definitions must be included in a proposal whenever it is necessary to inform the
reader of the unique way in which the terms are to be used in the proposed research. For
example, if learning is to be defined as "a change in behavior", both the entering and
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
terminal behaviors must be defined. But, when terms are used in standard ways, it is not
necessary to include the definitions.
An important issue to remember related to definitions is that each definition
should have an associated citation. The students use (and definition) of terms should be
based upon the academic or industrial literature. As such, because definitions usually use
the words of others, most definitions are typically directly quoted source material. When
this is the case, the citation should include source, date as well as page number where the
material occurs.
Definition lists usually also include acronyms and abbreviations. Be sure to spell
out all acronyms or abbreviations not only in the definitions list, but also in the first
instance of their use in the body text of the proposal. The sample paragraph below is what
you should NOT do:
What would happen if the president of the BBB requested the assistance of the
FTC in order to convince the DOC that it should investigate the effect of WSJ
interference with NAFTA signatories regarding concerns about the impact of UL
standards on GATT?
The preceding statement demonstrates the inappropriate and excessive use of
acronyms (as well as one that is overly long and cumbersome). If acronyms are used to
reduce volume or repetition in a proposal, convention requires the term to be spelled out
in full the first time it is used and then followed by the acronym in parentheses.
Thereafter, the acronym may be used in lieu of the full term. Even when spelled out on
first use, abbreviations or acronyms should appear in the definition list.
NOTE: The thesis template provides a section for the definitions and
acronyms in the front of the template (before the abstract).
8.6.3. Abstract
The student must prepare a one (maximum) page abstract that succinctly
describes the proposed problem to be addressed, purpose for the study, the significance of
the proposed study, an overview of the proposed methods to be employed and of the
anticipated deliverables. Typically, this section is less than 150-250 words. The abstract
must follow the APA 7
th
edition format.
8.6.4. Chapter 1: Introduction
The form of the introduction will vary with the nature of the proposed project;
however it usually does not have a heading (the title of the chapter serves as the heading).
Typically, it ranges from one to two pages in length. It is important to remember that this
is the sole chance to establish a frame of reference in the reader's mind. Appropriate
41
introductions are brief and designed to establish the need for a study. There is no "right
way" to write an introduction. There are, however, several possible ways to craft an
introduction that will accomplish its intended goal. One common method is to identify
the problem in a global way (without specifics). This approach creates an overall frame
of reference that makes it much easier for the reader to focus on the more detailed
portions of the proposal.
8.6.4.1. Statement of the Problem
There is no section of a proposal that gives beginning proposal writers more
challenge than the "Statement of the Problem" section. Too often early drafts present
either a restatement of the introduction, a detailed description of the methods to be used,
or a suggested solution. None of these are appropriate statements of the problem. A
problem is something that is wrong. Therefore, the statement of the problem is merely a
brief description of what is wrong, written in specific enough terms that the reader can
see the problem and not simply a problem space. One test of the quality of a problem
statement is always, "Could the problem be recognized if the statement were being read
for the first time?"
8.6.4.2. Research Question/Hypotheses
Once the statement of the problem is generated the research question and
hypotheses follow. The research question is a testable statement of the problem, the
guiding mission for the research. For example, maybe the statement of the problem
acknowledges that a new method of learning is needed within a particular class. The
research question would then be phrased, “What is the effect of learning technique X on
scores in class Y?” This statement would be used to generate hypotheses that could then
be tested statistically.
Another example might be that a new algorithm is needed to solve a problem on
in some computer domain. The research question might be, “Can an algorithm be
developed to solve computer security in educational environments?” In this example,
rather than statistics being used, the student might create the algorithm, test it, to see if it
works or does not work under certain conditions.
A final example might be that company X needs to solve a workflow issue in a
manufacturing process. The research question might be, “Can software X be used to
make the workflow in company ABC more efficient and effective?” In this example,
maybe the student will implement the software and then report on the effect related to
efficiency and effectiveness.
While these are merely examples (and should not be assumed to fully define the
wide range of technology dissertations), nearly all projects should have a defined
research question that is derived from the statement of the problem. Such a question
should also be testable. Whether the dissertation has hypotheses will depend on the type
of research being conducted (quantitative or qualitative).
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
8.6.4.3. Significance of the Problem
Once the problem has been stated, the significance of the problem must be
established. The significance section should be drafted in a manner that removes any
question of the importance or potential impact of the proposed study. This is the part of
the proposal in which the proposed project can be tied to the student's overall plan of
study and career goals. Generally, this section should "sell" the project as being worthy of
doing in the business/industry and/or academic/disciplinary context.
Often students will also deal with how or why this is important beyond the
confines of Purdue. What contribution will be made to industry, academia or the world at
large as a result?
One of the effective methods of strengthening this section is to highlight key
citations from credible sources that indicate that the problem is real and that things would
be better if it were solved. However, this should not be overdone. Selection of two or
three major supporting pieces of literature is sufficient. The review of literature can be
used to expand this support.
8.6.4.4. Statement of the Purpose/Scope
Once the problem and its significance have been stated, the purpose of the project
must be described. Here is where the student indicates what they propose to do about the
problem, that is, what part of it they wish to address and what the deliverables of their
work will be. Often this section will also be used to define and limit (generally) the scope
of the project. Typically, the nouns and verbs that are a part of the statement of the
problem or research question will be clarified and bounded. Later in the proposal the
assumptions, limitations and delimitations provide further insight related to the scope and
outline specific details related to scope limitation.
8.6.4.5. Assumptions
Every study requires some assumptions; they will vary with the type of problem.
Typically, assumptions are things that could affect the results of the project, but are
beyond the researcher’s control. For example, one assumption could be that all members
of the group being studied know Windows-based operating systems. Another assumption
may be that employees will be willing to participate in the training exercise being
proposed. Assumptions, of course, must be established as part of the proposal writing
stage and they must be approved by the major professor and committee.
8.6.4.6. Limitations
Limitations are descriptions of potential weaknesses of a study. If the student
knows about these at the time of generating the proposal they are advised to reveal them
explicitly in advance. Often, however, in addition to any weaknesses known in advance
of conducting a project, some invariably arise during the course of project execution.
When this occurs, these new limitations are to be added to the limitations section of the
final project report and they must be taken into account when discussing the project
conclusions.
43
NOTE: The approved proposal is the contract for the study. If the proposal
were ambiguous about its limits, the student could be required to gather
further information to fill in missing gaps. It is very important to outline
limitations in the proposal as they often assist in making sure committee
expectations and student expectations match.
8.6.4.7. Delimitations
Delimitations are restrictions in the scope of a project, that is, specific statements
about things that you will NOT address. There are always constraining factors in a study.
This is particularly true of projects in which time, money, and other resources are limited
to those that the individual student can bring to the study.
A delimitation is a factor that will narrow the scope of the study being proposed.
This is a factor that is known about before the study is performed. For example, one
delimitation may be that time does not allow a follow-up after the initial treatment or
evaluation. Will the study be limited to a single facility of Corporation X, or will it be
conducted at multiple sites? Clearly, a multiple-site study is more generalizable than a
study at a single location. However, students must strike appropriate balance between
generalizability and resource limits.
NOTE: Delimitations are distinctly different from limitations. A limitation
is a potential weakness in a study. A delimitation is a specific, conscious
limit in scope. Limits affect inference; delimits affect breadth of study.
8.6.5. Chapter 2: Review of Literature
The review of literature serves several important functions. First, it is a method to
indicate that the problem is more universal than the specific proposal. Second, it serves as
a justification for the proposed study in that others have addressed related problems.
Third, it positions the work in the field giving context to what has and has not been done
and where this project/thesis is positioned therein. Fourth, it identifies possible methods
for the conduct of the study by identifying possible data collection strategies, statistical
procedures, or sources of other procedural information.
There are three principle justifications for additional investigation of a problem.
One justification is that there are plausible alternative hypotheses to conclusions reported
in existing studies. That is, there may be another possible variable that is influencing the
results of existing studies. The second reason for proposing a new study is to determine if
the reported study can be duplicated (replicated) in a new environment. A third reason for
conducting a study accounts for the introduction of new data or procedures that have
become available. In this case, the review of literature serves to demonstrate that no
examples of the use of new techniques could be found.
The review of the literature typically includes some appropriate description of
four sections:
• A description of the problem and its significance
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
• A description of the methodology and terms employed to conduct the review of
the literature itself
• A description of the literature pertinent to choices of data collection and analysis
• A summary of the review of the literature section
For the purposes of a proposal, the review of literature should focus on the key
studies. These cannot be determined without extensive review of the literature prior to the
preparation of the proposal. The review must be sufficiently extensive to ensure that all
sides of an issue have been researched and that a balanced evaluation of the problem area
has been accomplished. Only the most germane or seminal studies should be included.
Committee members will typically ask discipline- and literature-based questions
regarding the problem, significance, purpose and procedure sections. While it is
imperative that the proposal’s literature review be summarized, it is equally important
that extensive literature review be done before undertaking the writing of the proposal. It
is infinitely easier to do a thorough research review prior to the writing of the proposal
for another reason: the more the problem is studied, the more possible solutions will be
discovered. Also, it should be noted that reviewing of the literature does not cease after a
proposal is accepted. Typically, effective researchers/developers continue to review the
most pertinent literature throughout their conduct of the study. Subsequently, all
appropriate literature will be integrated into the final report/thesis, so the time and effort
will not be lost.
The review should generally concentrate on the current literature. For example, if
the student is interested in a "Hawthorne effect" study, reference to the original work is
only appropriate in a historical context. Failure to review the current literature can fatally
flaw the proposal. A study that has recently been conducted may inadvertently be
proposed.
8.6.6. Chapter 3: Methodology
All procedures to be used in the proposed study should be defined. Whenever
possible, the proposed procedure should be justified by reference to other published
studies that were used and recommend the steps defined.
This will ensure that the advisory committee understands the steps the student
wishes to take and establishes those steps as appropriate in other published studies.
Dissertations in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute typically include the creation of
something and an assessment of it. The “something” might be an intervention to be used
on humans, an apparatus, a new process, a new technology and so forth. However, this
alone is not sufficient. The thing created must also be assessed or evaluated. This
assessment could be a physical test (such a testing the new thing to see how it performs),
a statistical test (such as comparing measures before and after and executing statistics on
it to evaluate how it performs).
Most dissertations can be classified along multiple dimensions as to the type of
research being done. Projects can fall into the following classifications:
45
• Quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods
• Clinical or technical
• Human subjects or “things and stuff”
• Theoretical or applied
The important thing to note about research in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute is
that there is not one type or only one class of research. Research in the Purdue
Polytechnic Institute is as varied as the physical attributes of the students who choose to
pursue their degree within it.
8.6.7. List of References
The reference list must include only publications cited in the body of the proposal.
All reference citations within the body of the proposal and the reference list must comply
with the standards of the most recent edition of the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association, 7
th
edition.
8.7. Obtaining Permissions to Conduct Research
To conduct research often requires various types of permission, depending on the
type of research being conducted. For example, use of human subjects (even for what
many consider innocuous research such as anonymous surveys) requires IRB approval.
Purdue University’s Office for the Vice President for Research (VPR) provides
information on the necessary approvals needed for various types of research
(http://www.purdue.edu/research/vpr/). Graduate students are encouraged to discover the
type of permissions they might need to obtain by reviewing the materials provided online
via the VPR’s web site, discussing it with the chair of their graduate committee, and
reviewing the available workshops provided by the Graduate School’s Responsible
Conduct of Research (RCR) web site
(https://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/research/rcr/index.php).
8.8. Preparing the Final Dissertation
After your dissertation proposal has been approved by your committee, and you
continue your research, preparation of the final dissertation begins. One of the first steps
to take is to change your proposal document from present tense to past tense to reflect
that your dissertation contains your completed research. Students must become very
familiar with the Purdue Graduate School’s Thesis Manual and template even before they
begin writing the final dissertation. It is good practice for the student and their major
professor to confer and agree on an initial outline for the dissertation. Furthermore, to
make it easier to establish consistency throughout their document, students are advised to
also become comfortable with the paragraph heading style and outlining features of their
word processor.
NOTE: Color figures may be used within the dissertation. If a dissertation
is greater than 350 pages, it must be separated into two volumes. Consult
with the Graduate School for how this is done.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
8.8.1. Final Dissertation Contents
The exact structure of a dissertation is subject to committee approved adaptations
as long as the resulting document still meets the Polytechnic’s format parameters. The
typical dissertation consists of five chapters which are supplemented by some preliminary
and appendix materials as shown in the outline below:
▪ Cover Page
▪ Definitions
▪ Abstract
▪ Dedication
▪ Acknowledgements
▪ Table of Contents
▪ List of Tables
▪ List of Figures
▪ Chapter 1: Introduction
o Statement of the Problem
o Research Question/Hypotheses (if applicable)
o Significance of the Problem
o Purpose of the Study
o Assumptions
o Limitations
o Delimitations
o Summary
▪ Chapter 2: Review of the Literature
▪ Chapter 3: Methodology
o The outline of this chapter varies, but typically it includes sections
describing the procedures and data collection methods for the study:
o The methods employed to conduct the study
o Justification for selection of the chosen methods
o Instrument and data collection process development and validation
o Description of the data collection
▪ Chapter 4: Presentation of Data
o The outline of this chapter is highly variable, but typically it includes
sections describing:
▪ Description of data conditioning and analyses
▪ Presentation of the data
▪ Chapter 5: Conclusions, Discussions and Recommendations
o Conclusions
o Discussion
o Recommendations
o Summary
▪ List of References
▪ Appendices
▪ Vita (optional)
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8.8.2. Chapter 4: Presentation of the Data
Chapter 4 of the dissertation provides a presentation of the data. Typically,
chapter 4 does not include interpretations or conclusions; it simply presents the facts of
what the data say. In quantitative research, this may be elaboration on the results of
statistical tests, or the results of tests of an apparatus or new device.
In qualitative research, this chapter typically presents the narratives from interviews, raw
documents or other artifacts discovered. Interpretation of what the data mean, that is,
conclusions made from the data are typically reserved for chapter 5 of the dissertation.
8.8.3. Chapter 5: Conclusions, Discussion, and Recommendations
Chapter 5 of the dissertation focuses on the conclusions that can be drawn from
the data, as well as discussion (where the conclusions are typically tied back or compared
to the literature in the field and the existing findings in the field). At the end of this
chapter are recommendations; usually this is a discussion of parts of the dissertation that
could be expanded to form entire studies in their own right. Recommendations may also
include things the researcher would have done differently in the current study.
There are different ways to structure chapter 5. Sometimes the writer will take
each research question and its associated hypotheses and deal with them in turn (in the
conclusions). At other times, other structures can be used. Ultimately, chapter 4 and 5
should be written as dictated by the research, the researcher, and the final examination
committee.
NOTE: There are times when a dissertation might have more than five chapters.
Depending on the scope or breadth of the study, more chapters may be necessary.
Typically, chapters 1 thru 3 are standardized in the contents they contain.
However subsequent chapters vary in title and contents depending on the
research being conducted.
8.8.4. Appendices
The appendices of a dissertation are used to provide supporting materials to the
work. There is no set number of appendices, nor is there a common structure. Related to
structure, appendices are usually ordered in the manner in which they are referenced in
the body of the material (and, indeed, all appendices should be referenced in the text
body that occurs in the chapters). Some examples of items that might be included in the
appendix of a dissertation include:
• IRB or other approval documents that establish the ability to conduct the research
or conduct it in a legal manor.
• Tests, surveys, or other instruments used in the study (if not copyrighted).
• Examples of code, programs or images used in the study.
• Transcripts of interviews, focus groups or other qualitative data.
• Raw quantitative data gathered during the study.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
NOTE: With anything included in the dissertation, the writer must ensure
that they maintain anonymity (where applicable) and do not break
copyright agreements (for example, most tests are copyrighted).
With all these items, the goal is to provide enough detail in the dissertation that
someone else could take the dissertation and replicate it.
8.9 Three-Article Dissertation Format (Alternative to the 5-Chapter Format)
An article-based dissertation is a collection of 3 (minimum) published (or accepted for
publication without further revision) research articles in high quality refereed journals
related to a common theme. Prior to submission to the journals for publication, the
candidate must obtain approval of each article and the journals from all current
Committee members. The relationship between the articles and theory bases they are
drawn from must be described in an introductory chapter. Crosscutting themes,
conclusions, implications and recommendations that may be drawn from across the
articles must be described in a concluding chapter.
Students are required to be first author, and confirm their contributions of each article
before their listings according to the following Multiple Author Policy.
8.9.1 Requirements
Multiple Author Policy
(Adapted from Morgan, 1984)
An author is a person who has used professional skills to make a significant contribution
to a published article and who can take public responsibility for its content.
A significant contribution is a contribution without which the article would have been
seriously compromised in scope or quality. A significant contribution to a research
project may be made by an author in one or more of the following research phases:
1. Conceptualization and design,
2. Methodology and/or simulation design,
3. Execution,
4. Data Collection,
5. Analysis,
6. Findings,
7. Conclusions, and/or
8. Recommendations
Types of work that are specifically excluded from this definition are as follows:
1. Referring subjects to researchers,
2. Performing routine laboratory work, data entry, or analysis,
3. Any nonprofessional work, and
4. Proofreading or correction of the format or style of the article.
49
Unjustified multiple authorship dilutes the value of authorship, reduces the credibility of
the study and can violate the essential principle that science can advance only through the
work of those who understand what they are saying.
Reference: Morgan, P. P. (1984). How many authors can dance on the head of an
article? Canadian Medical Association Journal, 130, 842.
Student authors are required to confirm contributions to each paper with the following
statement. My contributions within the parameters of this article are:
_____________________________________________. List each author and their
contribution to this article. An example may look like this style from the Transportation
Research Record:
Author Contributions
The authors confirm contribution to the paper as follows: study conception and
design: Author1lastname, I.; data collection: Author2lastname, X.; analysis and
interpretation of results: Author3last, Z, and Author1lastname, I.; draft manuscript
preparation: Author1lastname, I. and Author4last, Y. All authors reviewed the
results and approved the final version of the manuscript.
A dissertation authored using this structure will need to include acknowledgement of
prior publication within the respective chapter, and permission from the Journal for
publication with the following statements. The Journal of ________________________
________________________________ provided permission for me to publish this article
titled ___________________________________________ in this dissertation. Please
attach permission letters in Appendices.
Although each journal may have specific statement requirements, the acknowledgment
should be single spaced and appear 3 single spaces under the chapter title. Consult your
publisher regarding required information that should appear in this acknowledgment.
8.9.2 Three-Article Dissertation Contents
All dissertations will conform to Purdue Polytechnic and Purdue Graduate School
formatting and format review guidelines. A typical article-based dissertation will use the
following structure:
• Preliminary pages
o Title page
o Statement of Approval and authorship page
o Dedication (optional)
o Acknowledgments (optional)
o Table of Contents
o List of Tables
o List of Figures
o Abstract
• Main Body pages
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
• Introduction of Dissertation Research and Overview of Purpose and
Significance of Research. Research question(s) addressed overall, and the
question(s) addressed in each published article. Discussion of how these
articles address the research question. Additional information may need to be
provided; e.g. the survey development may need more discussion and to be
supplemented with the IRB information and a copy of the survey instrument;
or other pertinent research details that may not appear in the specific articles.
• Published Article #1
• Published Article #2
• Published Article #3
• Additional Published Articles numbered
• Discussion of overall contribution supported by the contributions of each
article. Crosscutting themes, conclusions, implications and recommendations
that may be drawn from across the articles must be described.
• Back Matter pages
• Appendix (Include Permission Letters for Previously Published Articles)
• References
• Vita (optional)
• List of Publications (optional)
51
SECTION 9.0. CERTIFICATIONS, PUBLICATIONS & INTEGRITY
The following sections provide information about certifications (FERPA, IRB,
CITI, etc.) and resources available at Purdue. Information about research integrity,
plagiarism and copyrights conclude this section of the handbook.
9.1. Certifications & Approvals
To be able access student information and to conduct research at Purdue
University requires that faculty and students alike be certified in specific ways. Accessing
student information requires FERPA certification. To conduct research requires CITI
certification and IRB approval (when human subjects are involved). The following
sections provide more information about these items.
9.1.1. Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
To be able to access student information via Purdue’s various computer systems
(such as myPurdue), faculty and students must be aware of certain legal issues associated
with such data. FERPA protects and makes confidential student information beyond basic
“directory information” about the student.
NOTE: Purdue University’s official FERPA policy is available here in
Policy VIII.A.4: http://www.purdue.edu/policies/records/viiia4.html.
Purdue University requires that faculty and students who have a justifiable need to
access student information be trained and certified. Faculty and students can become
FERPA certified by accessing:
https://www.purdue.edu/registrar/FERPA/certification.html.
9.1.2. Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Certification
The CITI Program is a subscription service providing research ethics education to
all members of the research community. Purdue University uses this system to certify
faculty and graduate students to conduct research. Of particular importance, researchers
involved in the use of human subjects are required to complete the CITI web-based
education program in order to be certified as eligible to engage in human subject research
at Purdue University. All researchers on an IRB protocol must complete the CITI training
before the IRB protocol will be approved. To become CITI certified, faculty and students
should create an account at https://www.citiprogram.org/ and then go through the
required training modules. Graduate students who serve as collaborators on research are
also required to pass CITI certification.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
9.1.3. Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval
The IRB is a unit of the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP), which is
housed within the Office of Research Administration (ORA), located in room 300 Hovde
Hall.
NOTE: The IRB is an extension of the Office of the Vice President for
Research (http://www.purdue.edu/research/vpr/). Faculty and graduate
researchers should become familiar with the wealth of information
available on the VPR’s web site.
The IRB website provides detailed steps, forms, and example IRB proposals for
all Purdue University faculty and students conducting human subjects
research. Researchers need to obtain permission to conduct any studies at Purdue
University by submitting IRB proposals and completing certain workshops and online
training protocols (see CITI Certification above).
9.2. Resources
The following sections acknowledge important resources provided by various
units across campus.
NOTE: The Vice President for Research provides a handbook titled,
Research Handbook: A Guide to the Grants Process at Purdue University,
located at: https://www.purdue.edu/research/funding-and-grant-
writing/docs/EVPRP2016Guide2GrantsProcess.pdf.
9.2.1. Research Oversight
The Office of the Vice President for Research (VPR) provides much information
for faculty and students concerning issues pertaining to research. The VPR provides
research oversight concerning Export Control (transport of commodities, software,
technical data and certain other information to foreign countries), use of controlled
substances for research purposes, use of radiation/lasers, use of biologically hazardous
materials, use of animals as well as research involving humans. Faculty and students
should be aware of the information available, particular if their research includes any of
these or if they are traveling abroad (http://www.purdue.edu/research/research-
compliance/export-control/overview.php).
9.2.2. Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR)
Training in the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) has two components: A general
online tutorial appropriate for the career stage of the Researcher, and Research field-
specific discussions, workshops or seminars offered or recommended by departments,
colleges, schools or centers. More information is found here
https://www.purdue.edu/policies/academic-research-affairs/s20.html
A few highlights are: “Researchers working on sponsored research projects must
complete RCR training within the deadlines established by the sponsor. All other
53
University faculty and staff who meet the definition of Researcher must complete the
general online RCR training within 120 days of employment with the University.
Graduate students who meet the definition of Researcher must complete the general
online RCR training within 60 days of enrollment. Undergraduate students who meet the
definition of Researcher must complete the general online RCR training within 30 days
of their involvement in a research project”. There is more information found at
https://www.purdue.edu/policies/academic-research-affairs/s20.html
The RCR is a joint program between the Graduate School and the Office for the Vice
President for Research. This program provides workshops, online training and tutorials,
as well as assists in setting policy relative to the conduct of research at Purdue University.
More information about the RCR is available at:
https://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/research/rcr/index.php.
9.2.3. Statistical Consulting Service (SCS)
The Department of Statistics provides statistical software and design consulting services
for the University community – free of charge. The Statistical Consulting Service can
help with statistical software problems and data analysis issues. Statistical Software
Consulting provides assistance with the set up and running of a wide variety of statistical
computing programs, including SAS, SPSS, Minitab and S-Plus. Software consulting is
available in MATH G175 on a drop-in basis. Experimental Design and Data Analysis
Consulting is available during the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters. Services include
assistance with all phases of research projects: proposal preparation, design of studies,
survey design, data input strategies, data import/export, analysis of data, interpretation of
results, presentation of results, and other statistics or probability problems. More
information is available at: http://www.stat.purdue.edu/scs/.
9.2.4. Center for Instructional Excellence (CIE)
The CIE provides valuable teaching resources (and teaching scholarship
resources) to faculty. Graduate student TAs can obtain various certificates by completing
a series of free workshops and seminars. The certificates include: Graduate Teaching
Certificate (GTC), Graduate Teacher Certificate Alternative, Advanced Graduate Teacher
Certificate (AGTC), Preparing Future Faculty Program (PFFP), and the Graduate Teacher
Technology Certificate (GT2C). In addition, the website provides teaching tips, teaching
consultation, and information about instructional data processing (e.g., test scoring and
page scanning services). More information is available at: http://www.cie.purdue.edu/.
9.2.5. Sponsored Programs Services (SPS)
SPS assists Purdue's faculty, staff, and students in securing and managing
sponsored program support, and in delivering maximum public benefit from sponsored
projects. SPS manages the process of proposal submission, award management, reporting
and various contracts that may result from a sponsored award. For more information
about SPS and their services, see http://www.purdue.edu/sps/.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
9.2.6. Discovery Park
Discovery Park, located adjacent to campus, is a collection of large-scale centers
that lead Purdue’s interdisciplinary research efforts. Some of these centers include
Bindley Bioscience Center, Birck Nanotechnology Center and Burton D. Morgan Center
for Entrepreneurship. There are various ways in which graduate faculty can engage
Discovery Park. For more information, see http://www.purdue.edu/dp/.
9.2.7. Purdue Research Foundation (PRF)
PRF is a nonprofit foundation that 1) manages gifts, bequests and endowments; 2)
makes funding available to faculty, staff and students to aid in scientific investigation,
research or educational studies; 3) acquires, constructs and improves Purdue’s facilities,
grounds and equipment; and 4) manages intellectual property developed at Purdue. More
information about PRF is available at: http://www.prf.org/.
9.2.7.1. PRF Research Parks
The Purdue Research Parks are the result of Purdue University’s commitment to
spur economic growth in Indiana’s high-tech sector. Under development since the late
‘90s by the Purdue Research Foundation, a private, nonprofit foundation created to assist
Purdue, the parks are focused on companies operating in the arenas of life sciences,
homeland security, engineering, advanced manufacturing and information technology.
More information about the PRF Research Parks is available at: http://www.
purdueresearchpark.com/about/.
9.2.7.2. Office of Technology Commercialization (OTC)
The Purdue Research Foundation’s Office of Technology Commercialization
(OTC) operates one of the most comprehensive technology transfer programs among
leading research universities in the United States. Services provided by this office support
the economic development initiatives of Purdue University and benefit the university's
academic activities.
Purdue’s intellectual property is an asset that Purdue strives hard to protect,
market and license. OTC works hand-in-hand with Purdue faculty-, staff- and student-
entrepreneurs to provide the resources needed to better understand Purdue policies related
to intellectual property and the processes whereby this intellectual property (patents,
copyright, trademarks, and tangible research property) can become an actual product or
service. To ensure the long-term success of the innovations, OTC takes the process one
step further – at times – and help Purdue inventors form startup companies complete with
investor support and qualified management teams. More information about the OTC is
available at: https://www.prf.org/otc/.
NOTE: All faculty and students should be familiar with Purdue
University’s policy on intellectual property. See Purdue University's
Policy I.A.1, Intellectual Property at:
https://www.purdue.edu/policies/academic-research-affairs/ia1.html
55
9.3. Integrity
Purdue University has a tradition of ethical conduct spanning its history. As a
land-grant institution, Purdue demonstrates responsiveness to its constituencies and
extends to them access to our knowledge resources. We nurture relationships with other
partners in education who support our vision or join us to foster common interests. We
integrate our mission with our responsibilities. We contribute our knowledge resources
impartially in serving our public purposes. As faculty, students, staff, and administrators,
we are a community of dedicated learners, scholars, professionals, and practitioners - all
contributing our talents to uphold our standards and improve ourselves and the broader
community in which we live and work. Our responsibilities and obligations toward the
advancement of learning, discovery, and engagement in the University and in Indiana
extend to our nation and the world. Purdue’s statement of integrity is meant to provide an
overarching declaration that informs specific policies and procedures regarding conduct,
enforcement, and accountability. Such policies and procedures either exist in official
University documents or will be developed as necessary.
NOTE: Purdue’s Statement of Integrity is available at: http://www.
purdue.edu/Purdue/about/integrity_statement.html
9.3.1. Plagiarism, Falsification, and Fabrication
Purdue University maintains the highest academic and ethical standards research
conducted by faculty and graduate students. The university assesses the acts of
plagiarism, falsification and fabrication as equal as acknowledged by the following
university policy on research misconduct:
"Research misconduct" shall mean, for the purposes of this policy, fabrication,
falsification, plagiarism, or other practices that seriously deviate from those that
are commonly accepted within the scientific and academic community for
proposing, conducting, or reporting research. It does not include honest error or
honest differences in interpretations or judgments of data (Excerpt from the
Purdue University Policy on Research Misconduct (VIII.3.1)).
9.3.1.1. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is serious violation of research conduct, and every researcher, faculty
and graduate student needs to be conscious of what it is, and how to avoid it. Plagiarism
is to steal or pass off the words, ideas, or intellectual product of another as one’s own. It
is essentially literary theft as it regards works of a written nature. Plagiarism is typically
defined as the use of four or more adjacent words from a specific source.
To avoid plagiarism, you must give credit whenever you use:
• Another person’s idea, opinion, or theory;
• Any facts, statistics, graphs, drawings—any pieces of information—that are
not common knowledge;
• Quotations of another person’s actual spoken or written words; or
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
• Paraphrase of another person’s spoken or written words.
9.3.1.2. Strategies for Avoiding Plagiarism
The following are some general strategies to avoid unintended plagiarism:
• Put in quotations everything that comes directly from the text, especially
when taking notes.
• Paraphrase, but be sure you are not just rearranging or replacing a few words
(which is conscious plagiarism). Instead, read over what you want to
paraphrase carefully; cover up the text with your hand, or close the original
source so you can’t see any of it (and so aren’t tempted to use the text as a
“guide”). Write out the idea in your own words without peeking.
• Check your paraphrase against the original text to be sure you have not
accidentally used the same phrases or words, and that the information is
accurate.
9.3.1.3. Guidelines for Quoting and Citing
The following are some guidelines that can be used for determining when to quote
and when to cite material from other sources:
• If paraphrasing or writing about the ideas presented by another, citation is
necessary (Smith, 2008).
• If using four or more words (even with “permission to use”), quotation and
citation is necessary. Quotations over 40 words long should be “blockquoted”
as per APA format specifications.
• All quotations require a page number following the quotation or integrated
into the citation.
• If you are in doubt how to give credit, quote and cite the source.
9.3.2. Self-checking for Plagiarism
To assist Purdue faculty to check for potential plagiarism violations for their
students, the Graduate School, in partnership with the Office of the Vice President for
Research, has initiated a self-check service called iThenticate. The software checks
submitted documents against thousands of articles that are published in journals and
conference proceedings as well as text that appears on the Web. A similarity report is
generated that highlights excerpts in the submitted document that match similar text in
documents found in print and on the Web. Similarity reports can be helpful in detecting
occurrences of inadvertent replication and neglect in referencing. Students may want to
use the free plagiarism checker provided free to students called Turnitin Originality found
at Turnitin Originality | Purdue University Innovative Learning.
57
9.3.2.1. Rules Governing Usage
iThenticate is expressly for use as a tool for checking documents before
submission to committees, journals, publishers, and archives, to help students and faculty
prevent incidences of unintended plagiarism. The service is free for Purdue faculty and is
only for individual use.
Use of the service by students is limited to individual work authored or co-
authored by the student for the purpose of screening for potential plagiarism violations
prior to submission. The screening service is not to be used for checking the work of
others; screening articles of any kind previously submitted for publication; or screening
documents of any kind previously submitted for deposit with the Graduate School, for
review by an academic committee, or for archiving within the University.
Since the report generated by iThenticate only provides citations of language similarity,
judgment on the part of the student is often necessary as to whether the submitted text is
substantively different from similar text found in the literature. Students are encouraged
to seek assistance from their advisors and to consult the Graduate School resources—
https://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/research/rcr/index.php.
9.3.2.2. Procedure for iThenticate
It is the goal of the university to grant all faculty at Purdue the ability to use the
iThenticate system. Students do not have direct access to the system. For students to gain
access to the system, they must contact a faculty member who has access. However,
faculty can process documents on behalf of students and then provide the results.
Most Polytechnic faculty have access to the iThenticate system. If you have a
document you would like to have analyzed, contact your advisor and/or chair and she or
he can submit it on your behalf, and provide the results to you. You may also request that
the Polytechnic Thesis Format Advisor process your document as well. Please note that
as part of the Thesis Format Advising Process, all graduate students will have their thesis
analyzed in the iThenticate system.
NOTE: The iThenticate system accepts the following file formats:
Microsoft Word, searchable pdf, LaTex, postscript, and plain text.
Scanned documents converted to pdf or encapsulated in Word or LaTex
are not acceptable. Also note that you should delete all images from your
file before submitting it for processing (so as to reduce file size).
9.3.3. Copyright Issues with Figures
Figures and images included in a publication can pose significant issues for
authors. Generally, any figure that is directly from another source, such as a journal,
book, or other publication (including web publications) are copyrighted. Including them
within one’s publication requires more than just a citation if used directly from the
source. If you desire to use an image from another publication or from an online source,
the safest course of action is to secure a release to do so. Otherwise, it could be classified
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
as copyright infringement. A secondary method, albeit in certain cases it could still be
considered copyright infringement, is to redraw the image. However, in many cases,
redrawing or recreating the image is not enough to ensure it is still not a copyright
infringement.
A release to use an image can vary from a specific legal document to a simple
email. The key element of a release is that the “copyright holder” gives you permission to
use the image for your purposes. Yet, determining who the copyright holder is can
sometimes be quite difficult. And often authors do not fully understand what rights they
have.
If you want to use an image, the first course of action is to email the author of the
source from which the image is being taken. A release from an author needs to include
two things:
1. That the author has the right to grant use of the image.
2. That he or she gives permission for the image to be used for your specific
purposes.
It is always a good idea, even if an author gives permission, to follow up with the
publisher of the source from which the image is taken and ensure a release is not also
needed from the publisher.
As with issues of plagiarism, copyright infringement issues resulting from the illegal
use of images is a serious matter. The author should do everything in his or her
power to ensure the legitimacy of the use of materials in his or her publications. It is
safer to not include an image if you cannot secure appropriate permissions than run
the risk of copyright infringement.
59
SECTION 10.0. POST-DISSERTATION ACTIVITIES
The following section outlines the specific tasks and activities that occur once the
student has executed and documented her or his dissertation.
10.1. Appointment of the Examining Committee & Scheduling the Final Oral
Examination
The major professor and student are jointly responsible for finding a common
date, time, and period when all final examination committee members can meet for the
final examination, and this must occur within the deadlines established by the Graduate
School. The graduate student is expected to take initiative to begin this procedure in
conjunction with the availability of the chair and committee. Typically, the Graduate
Coordinator in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute will find appropriate facilities for the
meeting. The date, time, period and facilities for the meeting are to be transmitted to the
Purdue Polytechnic Institute Graduate Studies Office by the student. To establish the
committee, date and time for the final oral examination, students file the GS Form 8
(Request for Appointment of Examining Committee) online in myPurdue’s Plan of Study
Generator (https://mypurdue.purdue.edu). This form is required to be submitted two
weeks in advance of the final defense.
NOTE: At least three academic sessions devoted to research and writing
must elapse between the preliminary and final Ph.D. examinations. For
example, if the preliminary examination is completed in spring semester
2010, the earliest a student can defend, and graduate is spring semester
2011. Note that summer counts as an academic session so long as the
student registers for research credits.
Following the notice of final examination date, the Graduate Coordinator in the
Purdue Polytechnic Institute will schedule an appropriate meeting room (equipment other
than standard equipment offered by Purdue is the responsibility of the student to arrange).
The day prior to the final examination date, the Graduate Coordinator in the
Purdue Polytechnic Institute will forward a file of relevant student records, GEC
evaluation forms, and candidate audit forms to the major professor. Following the oral
defense, it is the major professor’s responsibility to obtain all required committee
member signatures on the electronic GS Form 7 (Report of master’s Examining
Committee) in advance of the established deadlines.
10.2. Declaring Graduation Candidacy
In the semester that a student intends on defending dissertation and graduate, she
or he must declare graduation candidacy as they register for classes. A Form 23
Registration Form is used to declare graduation candidacy (see Appendix I). Students can
register online via their myPurdue scheduling assistant. If the student is registering for
CAND 99100, then they have to be registered for at least one credit hour of research
hours to be allowed to register for this candidacy. If they are registering for CAND 99200
(Degree Only) or 99300 (Exam Only), then the research hours are not needed.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
10.3. Completing the TECH 699 Requirement
At the conclusion of the final oral examination, the major professor and each
member of the examining committee will sign the electronic Graduate School Form 7,
Report of the Examining Committee form.
NOTE: The Graduate School permits NO EXCEPTIONS to its
published deadlines for graduation.
If any problems or deficiencies in the report are indicated by the examining
committee, these must be corrected before the dissertation will be approved by each
committee member. In order for graduation to occur during any semester, completion of
all required edits/corrections must occur and be approved before the established
deadlines.
The last step involves submitting a copy of the approved dissertation to each of
the following: university, college, and graduate committee. Sections 10.5, 10.6 and 10.7
cover each of these in detail.
10.4. Formatting Review for Dissertations
Students are required to meet with the Polytechnic Thesis Format Advisor at least
two weeks before they defend their dissertation. The last date to meet with the
Polytechnic Thesis Advisor for a dissertation formatting appointment is two weeks prior
to the last day to defend the dissertations. A thesis formatting appointment is mandatory.
If you do not meet with the Polytechnic Thesis Advisor and get the appropriate approval
signature on the Form 9 (see Appendix L), you will not graduate on time.
The Thesis Formatting Review requires the following steps:
1. Scheduling the meeting via the Polytechnic Graduate Coordinator.
2. Submitting an electronic copy of the dissertation via email to the Polytechnic
Thesis Advisor two days prior to the review meeting for submission to the
iThenticate plagiarism checking software.
3. Attending the dissertation review meeting.
10.4.1. Formatting
For theses, the Polytechnic has adopted the APA, parenthetical citation format as
implemented by the university.
10.4.2. Formatting Your Dissertation
TECH 64600 (a required course for most students) assists the student in
developing their proposal and therefore covers how to format the thesis or dissertation. If
you are not required to take that course, the following provides some guidelines you
should follow to ensure your thesis or dissertation are acceptably formatted.
• Foremost, students should use the University Microsoft Word Thesis
template which is available on the graduate school's web site
http://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/research/thesis/templates.html
61
This template has styles included within it to make formatting less cumbersome. The
Graduate School also holds seminars on use of the template and following the formatting
requirements.
NOTE: If your thesis or directed project will include many formulas, you
may want to use Latex rather than Microsoft Word. If you use Latex, use
the Latex template that is located on the Purdue Polytechnic Institute web
site (NOT the one on the university Graduate School web page).
Note that there are a few things that the template will not do. Even when using the
thesis template, students must:
1. Ensure that they do not use vertical lines in tables.
2. Properly format captions for tables and figures (including proper italics for each).
3. Ensure proper tabs for each paragraph and proper hanging indents on references.
• Other specifics of the format can be seen in an example document that can
be used as a guide for formatting theses and dissertations
(https://polytechnic.purdue.edu/sites/default/files/files/mohler_dissertation.pdf)
10.4.3. Scheduling Formatting Appointment
To make a thesis formatting appointment with the Polytechnic Dissertation
Format Advisor (Associate Dean for Graduate Programs) you will need to email the
Polytechnic Graduate Coordinator Felicia Anderson ([email protected]). Once your
thesis has been approved, you may schedule your defense. It is recommended that you
make your appointment early.
10.4.4. Providing an iThenticate Copy
Two days prior to your scheduled Thesis Advising appointment, you should email
the Polytechnic Thesis format Advisor a complete copy of your thesis as a single Word or
PDF document.
NOTE: If your document contains a large number of images, the images
should be deleted from the file before providing it to the Thesis Advisor.
After receiving your document, the Polytechnic Thesis Advisor will submit your
electronic document to the iThenticate application to verify there is no plagiarism within
the document (see Section 9.3.2). At the Thesis Format Advising appointment you will be
able to review the results of the plagiarism check as well as receive the electronic results.
NOTE: You should bring a USB drive or other storage media with you to
the Thesis Advising appointment so that you may receive a copy of the
iThenticate results.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
10.4.5. Attending the Formatting Appointment
When a student goes to the format meeting, she or he should bring:
1. A 100% complete, unbound printed copy of the thesis.
2. A digital copy on a USB drive.
3. At least one copy of the GS Form 9 for Polytechnic Thesis Advisor to sign.
NOTE: It is advised that students have multiple copies of the GS Form 9
for the committee to sign (see section 10.7). Only one copy is required (for
university deposit, see section 10.5).
10.4.6. Dissertation Pre-review
If a student is in doubt whether their document is formatted correctly, they may
email a sample from their thesis to the Polytechnic Thesis Format Advisor for review and
comment. “Pre-review” meetings are also a possibility but must occur before the sixth
(6th) week of each semester.
10.5. The Final Oral Examination
Once the format review meeting is completed, the student prepares for their final
oral examination (dissertation defense). At most final oral examination meetings, the
student conducts a 30-to-45-minute presentation and then the faculty committee is
allowed to ask questions. If time permits, guests in the audience may also ask questions,
but this is at the discretion of the chair. Students need to discuss the final oral
examination meeting with her or his chair in advance to verify the method by which the
chair will conduct the meeting.
NOTE: The proposal defense and the final defense CANNOT occur in the
same semester. The final defense meeting must be scheduled two (2) weeks
in advance of the date of the defense. The final dissertation must also be
provided to the committee two (2) weeks in advance of the date of the final
defense.
In addition to presenting and answering questions relative to the direct project or
thesis, the student will need to prepare and bring to the final defense the GS Form 9 and
GS Form 32 (see Appendix N). It is advised that students have multiple copies of the GS
Form 9 for the committee to sign (see section 10.7). Only one copy is required (for
university deposit; see section 10.5).
10.6. University Deposit of the Dissertation
Following successful defense of a thesis, students must deposit their dissertation
with the Graduate School. Information about the university deposit meeting may be
found at: http://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/research/thesis/appointment.html. The
deposit meeting requires students provide an electronic copy of their dissertations, as well
as the following completed and signed forms:
63
• GS Form 9: Thesis Acceptance (see Appendix L)
• GS Form 9 ETD: Electronic Thesis Deposit (see Appendix M)
• GS Form 32: Thesis/Dissertation Agreement, Publication Delay, and
Certification/Disclaimer (see Appendix N)
NOTE: The graduate chair or the student may desire to hold the thesis in
confidentiality status for a certain period of time. Both graduate chair and
student must agree on confidentiality status. See the GS Form 32
(Appendix N).
10.7. College Deposit of the Dissertation
The Purdue Polytechnic Institute no longer requires a printed and bound copy of
the dissertation. The College now requires a digital copy for the Purdue Polytechnic
Institute be submitted electronically to the Purdue e-Pubs site
(http://docs.lib.purdue.edu/tech/).
10.7.1. Final Signatures on GS Form 9
The final form 9 is generated automatically once the form 8 is submitted. The
final signature of the GS Form 9 will be the Polytechnic Associate Dean for Graduate
Programs. After depositing your thesis electronically with the Graduate School, you will
then submit the college copy electronically at the Purdue Polytechnic Institute Purdue
Libraries e-Pubs site.
10.7.2. For Assistance with Submitting to the Purdue e-Pubs Site
A help document for submitting to the Purdue University e-Pubs site is located at:
https://polytechnic.purdue.edu/sites/default/files/files/epubsInst.pdf.
10.8. Copies of Final Dissertation for Graduate Committee
After depositing your dissertation with the e-Pub site, some faculty like to receive
a traditionally printed and bound copy of the final dissertation, whereas many others will
prefer a digital/electronic copy. Confer with your chair to determine which he or she
prefers. Typically, whatever is done for the chair is also done for the rest of the
committee. If your chair requests a bound copy, The Purdue University Boiler Copy
Center can assist you. Typically, faculty request a “case (book) bound” copy.
10.9. Additional Requirements for Graduation
Additional items that Ph.D. students must complete for graduation include:
• Graduate School Survey. All students must complete the Graduate School Exit
Survey if they wish to graduate. Students typically receive an email and/or
notification in the myPurdue system that details how they complete this
requirement.
• Optional Copyright Fee. If students would like their dissertation to be officially
registered with the U.S. Copyright Office, they may pay an additional $65 fee.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
10.10. Participating in Commencement
All graduating students are encouraged to participate in the university’s
commencement ceremonies. This is a time justifiably used to reflect on your
accomplishments with pride and to share in the success of others, including the faculty, as
well. Information pertaining to commencement (dates, attire, etc.) is available via:
http://www.purdue.edu/registrar/.
10.11. Hooding Ph.D. Candidates
At Purdue University, it is customary for the chair of the Ph.D. candidate’s
committee to put the doctoral hood on the candidate at the graduation ceremony. Ph.D.
candidates should talk to the chair about their expectations. In the case of a committee
with co-chairs, the student should select one of the chairs to serve in this capacity. In the
event that the chair cannot attend the ceremony, the Dean of the Graduate School will
hood the candidate.
65
SECTION 11.0. OVERALL DOCTORAL DEGREE PROCEDURAL CHECKLIST
To help students progress through their degree requirements, the following
checklist will help map a path through the Purdue Polytechnic Institute’s Doctor of
Philosophy program. Specific and official deadlines are announced each semester, posted
on the Polytechnic Graduate webpage and are also available from the Polytechnic
Graduate Studies Office. Table 11.1 shows a helpful timeline chart for the Ph.D.
11.1. First Semester
1. If the transcripts submitted with the application for admission were not complete, arrange
to have two (2) copies of the final transcript showing receipt of degrees sent to the Purdue
University Graduate School Admissions Office.
https://www.purdue.edu/gradschool/admissions/apply/transcript-upload-tips.html
With the help of the major professor:
2. Discuss your career and educational objectives and, within the framework of the Purdue
Polytechnic Institute doctoral degree and draft a preliminary plan of study. Review the
optional Areas of Concentration as you work.
3. Select a doctoral committee consisting of your major professor and at least two graduate
faculty members. At least two of your committee members must be regular, Purdue
Polytechnic Institute graduate faculty. You may select one or more additional faculty to
serve on your committee and in some cases this is clearly advantageous (see section 4.3
and 4.4 of this handbook).
4. Discuss the preliminary plan of study with each of the members of the advisory
committee (see section 5.0 of this handbook).
5. Using the Electronic Plan of Study (EPOS) system, submit your draft plan of study to
your committee members and the Polytechnic Graduate Studies Office (see section 5.0
of this handbook).
6. Refine the plan of study, if needed, based on the committee’s suggestions.
7. Using the Electronic Plan of Study (EPOS) system, submit your final plan of study to
your committee members and the Polytechnic Graduate Studies Office (see Section
5.0 of this handbook).
8. Identify a tentative research area.
9. Register for classes for the next semester following approval of the plan of study (see
Section 4.5 of this handbook).
11.2. Succeeding Semesters
1. Register for classes as appropriate for the next semester (see section 4.5 of this
handbook).
2. Register for TECH 64600 (during your third or fourth semester) and begin planning
for your dissertation research (see section 8.4 of this handbook).
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
Polytechnic Ph.D. Timetable
Semester
End of the 1st
End of the 2nd
Third Semester
(April
or
November)
Next to Last
(or Last)
Semester of
Coursework
Last Semester
(or Semester
Following
Completion) of
Coursework
At least three
academic
sessions
devoted to
research and
writing must
elapse between
the preliminary
and final Ph.D.
examinations *
Coursework
TECH 601
00
Completed
TECH 646
00
Completed
Complete TECH
69900 (1-3 cr.)
Complete
remaining TECH
69900 credits
(14-12 cr.)
Advisor/
Committee
Work with advisor
on research area
and possible
committee
members
Establish
committee (3
people)
Complete
Qualifying
Examination
Complete
Preliminary
Examination
Establish
committee (4
people)
Schedule/attend
Dissertation
proposal defense
Schedule/attend
dissertation
defense meeting
Electronic
Plan of Study
Create/File
draft EPOS
File Official
EPOS
File EPOS
Changes (as
necessary
File EPOS
Changes (as
necessary)
Dissertation
Begin considering
research idea/area
Dissertation
Proposal Defense
(Chapters 1
-3
complete)
Polytechnic Thesis
Advising Appt.
Final Dissertation
Defense
GS Thesis Deposit
Appt.
Polytechnic Thesis
Deposit (e
-Pubs)
Committee Deposit
Graduation
requirements **
Polytechnic
Publication
requirement
Polytechnic Exit
Survey
GS Exit Survey
Survey of Earned
Doctorate
* Summer counts as an academic session (i.e., if preliminary examination is
completed in May 2016, then earliest final defense May, 2017)
67
3. In the final semester of required coursework, schedule your preliminary oral
examination (see section 5.4.1 of this handbook). Three committee members are
required for the preliminary examination. Students must submit a Request for
Examining Committee (GS Form 8) no less than two weeks prior to the exam date
(see myPurdue for form submission).
4. Verify your candidate status after passing your preliminary oral examination.
5. In either your final semester of coursework or the semester immediately following
your preliminary oral examination, sign up for one (1) to (3) credits of TECH 699 to
create and defend your dissertation proposal (see section 8.1 and 8.2 of this
handbook).
6. Prepare your dissertation proposal (see section 8.5 of this handbook).
7. Schedule your proposal defense meeting (at least two weeks in advance of the
meeting). Four committee members are required for the proposal defense. Once the
committee has approved the proposal, submit the proposal with the completed
Polytechnic Form 2: Acceptance of Graduate Proposal (see section 8.3) to your
departmental office.
8. Following approval of your proposal, sign up for appropriate amounts of TECH 699
credit each semester until completion of your dissertation research (see section 8.1,
8.2, and 10.2 of this handbook).
11.3. Final Semester
At least three academic sessions devoted to research and writing must elapse between
the preliminary and final Ph.D. examinations. For example, if the preliminary
examination is completed in spring semester 2020, the earliest a student can defend,
and graduate is spring semester 2021. Note that summer counts as an academic session
so long as the student registers for research credits.
1. Register for your final TECH 69900 credits see section 8.1, 8.2, and 10.3 of this
handbook).
2. Ensure that any changes in your plan of study have been approved using the Change
process within the electronic plan of study generator, located on myPurdue. (See
section 5.0 of this handbook).
3. Verify with the Polytechnic Graduate Coordinator your candidate status.
4. Arrange the scheduling of the final oral examination at least two weeks prior to the
exam date with the Polytechnic Graduate Program Coordinator. Four committee
members are required for the final defense. A Request for Examining Committee (GS
Form 8) must be submitted electronically no less than two weeks prior to the exam
date (see section 10.1 of this handbook).
5. Schedule Thesis Format Advising meeting with the Polytechnic Thesis Format
Advisor to occur two weeks prior to the final oral examination via the Polytechnic
Graduate Coordinator (see section 10.4 of this handbook).
6. Schedule University deposit meeting electronically with the Graduate School (see
section 10.6 of this handbook).
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
7. Satisfy the final oral examination requirement and make any revisions to the
dissertation that are required by your committee (see section 10.5 of this handbook).
8. Submit a final copy of your dissertation to the Purdue Library e-Pubs section prior to
the deadline established by the Polytechnic Graduate Studies office (see section 10.6
of this handbook).
9. Provide final copies of your dissertation to your chair and graduate committee (see
section 10.7 of this handbook).
69
SECTION 12.0. PROCEDURES FOR REQUESTING CONTINUATION FROM
AN M.S. INTO THE PH.D. IN TECHNOLOGY
Direct continuation from a master’s degree to a doctoral plan of study can be
desire of students pursing graduate study. Students who begin a master’s degree in the
Purdue Polytechnic Institute decide that they wish to continue from their M.S. directly
into the Purdue Polytechnic Institute in Ph.D. To ensure that internal “applicants” are
qualified and evaluated in a manner consistent with the review of external candidates to
the Ph.D. program and to follow university policy, the described policies outline the
procedures for requesting continuation to the Doctor of Philosophy in Technology.
12.1 Type of Master of Science
Procedures for students in the Purdue Polytechnic Institute Master of Science (and
its related concentrations) differ from those required for students in Master of Science
programs in the college’s schools/departments (specifically, CIT, CGT, SATT, SCMT,
TLI and SOET). The following sections describe the procedures of these two types of
M.S. students within the Purdue Polytechnic Institute.
It is assumed that regardless of M.S. degree being obtained students wanting to
continue to a Ph.D. should pursue a thesis-based MS degree rather than a coursework
only degree from their respective M.S. program. Additionally, all students wanting to
continue directly from an M.S. to a Ph.D. in Technology should make the decision and
begin the respective process outlined below at the beginning of their candidate semester
(i.e., the beginning of the semester in which they intend to graduate).
12.2 Procedure for Students Pursuing the CIT, CGT, SATT, SCMT, SOET, or TLI
M.S. degrees
Students pursing an M.S. degree in CIT, CGT, SATT, SCMT, SOET or TLI
wishing to continue in the Doctor of Philosophy in Technology program are required to
apply to the doctoral program through the Graduate School’s Apply Yourself web site.
Because school/departmental M.S. programs are different programs from the
Polytechnic’s Master’s degree, students must still apply directly to the Technology Ph.D.
program (even though those departments are within the college).
Thus, these students must provide all requisite application materials and pay the
Graduate School application fee. If the GRE was taken for admittance to the respective
college departmental M.S. program, the applicant will not be required to take the GRE
again. Students should provide a copy of the scores to the Polytechnic Graduate Studies
office to be included in their application materials (if the scores are over three years old).
12.3 Students Pursuing the M.S. in Technology (and any of its respective
concentrations)
Students who are enrolled in the Master of Science in Technology program and
wish to continue in the Doctor of Philosophy in Technology program are required to
complete a Polytechnic Grad Studies Form 4, which records the student’s name, major
professor, thesis title, M.S. graduation date and cumulative M.S. GPA. The Polytechnic
GS Form 4 is routed to the major professor and committee members for signature and
positive or negative recommendation for admittance to the Ph.D. program. Finally, the
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
Department Dead signs the Polytechnic GS Form 4 and routes it to the Polytechnic
Graduate Studies office.
Once received by the Polytechnic Graduate Studies Office, the form is reunited
with the applicant’s M.S. application materials. This application package is routed to the
respective department’s Ph.D. review committee for acceptance or denial into the Ph.D.
program. If accepted, the Polytechnic Graduate Studies office notifies the Graduate
School of the student’s acceptance and matriculation into the Purdue Polytechnic Institute
Ph.D. program.
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
Master’s Plus Ph.D. Program Planning Template
Degree Component
Minimum Hours
Existing Courses
Taken as part of MS
Courses to be Taken
(including a maximum of 9 credits transfer)
Technology Major
12 cr min
(a minimum of 12 cr of new Polytechnic courses
is to be taken in EPOS)
(Independent Study – Tech 69000 – 9 cr maximum)
Required: (3 cr – pick from)
• TECH 60100 Research Seminar in
Technology (1 cr)
• TECH 66200 Philosophy of
Technology (3 cr)
• MET 52700 Technology from a
Global Perspective (3cr)
• GRAD 61200 Responsible Conduct
of Research (1 cr)
Focus Courses (9 cr)
TECH or any department prefixed
course; others only with committee
approval
Related Area (Courses outside your
major discipline; may be outside
Polytechnic)
6 cr min
Discovery Foundations
12 cr min
Required:
• Min 3 cr quantitative research
methods/statistics (see foot notes for
suggestions)
• Min. 3 cr qualitative research
methods
• Min. 3 cr survey of research methods
(TECH 646 or equivalent)
• Min 3 additional cr as recommended
by advisor & committee
Dissertation/Research
15 cr min – 30 cr
max
Total
Minimum 60 cr
Maximum 30 cr
Minimum 90 cr
(including those in Existing Courses column)
Other Coursework
Suggestions for Use: Please note all recommendations must meet committee advisor’s approval. When
exemptions are to be made, advisors must make note on EPOS
1. Have student enter each of their master’s degree courses in the appropriate row of the Existing Courses
column.
2. Have student enter each of their already completed courses beyond the master’s degree from Purdue or
another university in the appropriate row of the Existing Courses column (a maximum of 9 hours is
permitted).
3. Enter the most appropriate courses that will build the desired competencies in the appropriate rows of the
Courses to be Taken column. Any 300-level or 400-level courses must be followed by 500- and 600-
level courses.
4. Verify the coursework with committee advisor until all the hour minimums are met or exceeded.
5. Confirm that the Technology Major and Related area degree components collectively include a minimum
of 12 semester credit hours of 600-level courses.
6. Confirm that no more than 9 hours of Independent Study (Tech 590 or 690) is included on the plan of
study.
7. Confirm that the plan of study includes at least 15 hours of new Ph.D. program coursework beyond the
M.S. degree to be taken in the Technology Major.
8. Research (TECH 699) credits not part of courses listed in POS but count towards total hour requirement.
73
Direct to Ph.D. Program Planning Template
Suggestions for Use:
1. Have student enter each of their already completed courses beyond the bachelor' degree from Purdue or
another university in the appropriate row (a maximum of 9 hours is permitted).
2. Enter the most appropriate courses that will build the desired competencies in the appropriate rows of the
Courses to be Taken column. Any 300-level or 400-level courses must be followed by 500- and 600-
level courses.
3. Verify the coursework with the committee advisor until all the hour minimums are met or exceeded.
4. Confirm that the Technology Major and Related Area degree components collectively include a minimum
of 12 semester credit hours of 600-level courses.
5. Confirm that no more than 9 hours of Independent Study (Tech 59000 or 69000) is included on the plan
of study.
6. Confirm that the plan of study includes at least 15 hours of new Ph.D. program coursework to be taken in
the Technology Major.
7. Research (TECH 69900) credits not part of courses listed in POS but count towards total hour
requirement.
Degree Component
Minimum Hours
Courses to be Taken
(including a maximum of 9 credits transfer)
Technology Major
18 cr min
(Independent Study – Tech 59000 or 69000 – 9 credits maximum)
Required: (3 cr – pick from)
• TECH 60100 Research Seminar
in Technology (1 cr)
• TECH 66200 Philosophy of
Technology (3 cr)
• MET 52700 Technology from a
Global Perspective (3cr)
• GRAD 61200 Responsible
Conduct of Research (1 cr)
• Focus Courses (TECH or any
department prefixed course,
others only with committee
approval)
Related Area (Courses outside your
major discipline; may be outside
Polytechnic)
6 cr min
Discovery Foundations
12 cr min
Required:
• Min 3 cr quantitative research
methods/statistics (see foot notes
for suggestions)
• Min. 3 cr qualitative research
methods
• Min. 3 cr survey of research
methods (TECH 64600 or
equivalent)
• Min 3 additional cr as
recommended by advisor &
committee
Dissertation/Research
15 cr min – 30 cr max
Total
Minimum 90 cr
Minimum 90 cr
Other Coursework
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
APPENDIX B:
GS FORM 12: REQUEST FOR RESEARCH IN ABSENTIA
(Available via the Electronic Plan of Study Generator on myPurdue)
75
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
79
Graduate Plan of Study
Student
Student Email
Degree Campus
West Lafayette (Main Campus)
PWL
Admitted Program
TECHNOLOGY
TECH
Degree Title
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
PHD
Program
Technology-PHD
TECH-PHD
Date Degree Expected
AUG 2014
Concentration
NONE
Research Area
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Items in purple are completed. / Items in green are incomplete. Courses: ** Grades
posted here are as of the end of the semester that they were taken.
Late grade changes or title changes may not be reflected. If you see a
discrepancy, contact the Graduate School.
Area
Courses Title
Subj
.
Abb
r.
Cou
rse
No.
Cre
dit
Ho
urs
Reg
is.
Typ
e
Gra
de
B
or
bet
ter
Tran
sfer
From
Date
Compl
eted
To Be
Compl
eted
PRIM
ARY
PRINCIPLE & MGMT OF
SIX SIGMA
TEC
H
5810
0
3
RE
A
-
-
Fall
2011
PRIM
ARY
ADV ANALY RES
INDUSTRY
TEC
H
6210
0
3
RE
A
-
-
Fall
2011
PRIM
ARY
SAP/ERP SUPPLY CHAIN
PROCESSES
IT
5810
0
3
RE
A
-
-
Spring
2012
PRIM
ARY
SUSTAIN ISSUES AND
MEASUREMENT
TEC
H
6210
0
3
RE
B-
-
-
Spring
2012
PRIM
ARY
SUSTAINABILITY
FOUNDATIONS
TEC
H
5810
0
3
RE
C
-
-
Summe
r 2012
PRIM
ARY
PANAMA CANAL/FREE
TRADE ZONE
IT
5810
0
1
RE
A
-
-
Fall
2012
PRIM
ARY
TECH GLOBAL
PERSPECT
ME
T
5270
0
3
RE
A
-
-
Fall
2012
PRIM
ARY
QUAL & PROD IND &
TECH
IT
5080
0
3
RE
A+
-
-
Spring
2013
PRIM
ARY
TECH CAREERS ABROAD
SA
5900
0
3
RE
-
-
Summe
r 2013
RELA
TED
SERVICE LEARNING
ENE
6950
0
3
RE
B
-
-
Fall
2012
RELA
TED
SIX SIGMA & QUALITY
MANAGEMENT
MG
MT
5720
0
2
RE
B+
-
-
Fall
2012
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
RELA
TED
SERV LRN MENTOR
TCHG EXPR EPCS
ENE
6950
0
1
RE
A
-
-
Spring
2013
RELA
TED
QUALITY CONTROL
IE
5300
0
3
RE
B
-
-
Spring
2013
Graduate course tallies:
Purdue POS GPA:
Primary Area Credit Hours :
Related Area Credit Hours :
Total Master's Credits Allowed on this Ph.D. Plan:
Language Requirement : None
Comments Regarding Exceptions or Requirements: None
Pass/No Pass Courses: The table below includes a dynamic list of pass/not pass
(P/NP) courses that this student has satisfactorily completed, or which are currently
in progress.
This list is automatically populated based on the student's transcript. The courses
listed in this section are not considered by the Graduate School as satisfying degree
requirements, with the exception of students in certain programs within the Krannert
School of Management.
Krannert master's students may take up to 10% of the coursework required for
Krannert program as P/NP provided that the student also completes a minimum of
30 credits of graded (C- or better) coursework for the program.
Courses Title
Subj
.
Abb
r.
Cours
e
No.
Cred
it
Hour
s
Grad
e
Date
Complet
ed
To Be
Complet
ed
PREPARING FUTURE
FACULTY
GRAD
59000
2
P
May 2013
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
APPENDIX F:
EXAMPLE FORM 23
83
Polytechnic Ph.D. Graduate Student Handbook, June 2022
