Graduate and Professional Programs

While governed by their respective graduate schools’ policies and procedures, the programs are physically housed in the departments or schools that offer the undergraduate programs in the same disciplines. So the History Master’s Program, for example, is in the IU Graduate School but housed with the Department of History in the School of Liberal Arts, while the graduate programs in science (except for geology) are under the Purdue Graduate School but located in their respective departments in the School of Science. Faculty involved in graduate programs hold appointments in their respective graduate schools as well as in their department. Below are sections with general information about IU graduate programs, and the graduate programs of the Purdue School of Engineering and Technology and the Purdue School of Science. For additional information, please consult the sections on the IU Graduate School and appropriate schools in this bulletin.

International Graduate Students

International Teaching Assistants (ITA) Testing In addition, graduate students whose native language is not English and who have been offered positions in their departments that involve direct contact with students (e.g., associate instructor) are required to pass a test of oral language proficiency. This requirement has been established since successful interaction with students depends on one’s ability to communicate in the English language. Further information about this test can be obtained from the student’s academic department, the ESL Program Office at (317) 274-2188.

Purdue Graduate Programs in Engineering

Another degree program, leading to the Master of Science in Industrial Engineering (M.S.I.E.), is administered with approval of the School of Industrial Engineering at Purdue University, West Lafayette. Qualified students may be authorized to pursue the Ph.D. degree in electrical engineering or mechanical engineering at IUPUI; these programs are administered with the respective approval of the School of Electrical Engineering and the School of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University, West Lafayette. Students are usually expected to complete the M.S.E.E. or M.S.M.E. before pursuing the Ph.D. degree.

Graduate courses are usually offered in the evenings to meet the needs of part-time students employed in the Indianapolis area, as well as traditional students who are preparing for careers in research-directed areas.

For more information, call (317) 274-9740, e-mail grad@engr.iupui.edu, or visit the Web site http://www.engr.iupui.edu.

Admission Policies and Procedures

All applicants are encouraged to take the General Aptitiude Test of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), but all international applicants are required to take the GRE. Students whose native language is not English are required to have a score of 550 or higher on the TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language). Information on testing dates and locations can be obtained from the:

1. Graduating grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 (on a scale of 4.0) or equivalent from an accredited bachelor’s degree program with a strong emphasis in engineering, mathematics, or the physical sciences.

2. Completion of the engineering calculus sequence:
   MATH 163 and MATH 164 Integrated Calculus and Analytic Geometry I and II (10 cr.)

   MATH 261 Multivariate Calculus (4 cr.)

   MATH 262 Linear Algebra and Differential Equations (4 cr.)

3. Completion of a number of undergraduate courses in electrical or mechanical engineering, or equivalent course work, depending on the specialty of the student. Equivalence of courses is determined by the graduate committees of the respective engineering programs. For more information, see the graduate program handbooks of the respective programs.

Admission as a Regular Graduate Student

International students should allow six months for the processing of their applications. Students residing in the United States should apply at least three months before the beginning of the semester in which they wish to enroll. Applicants will be formally advised of the final admission decision by the dean of the Graduate School, Purdue University, West Lafayette.

Admission as a Graduate Nondegree Student

It is possible for a student registered in this classification to apply for admission to the Graduate School as a regular graduate student. However, if admitted as a regular graduate student, an individual may apply no more than 12 credit hours earned as a temporary graduate student to an advanced degree program. The grade for each course involved must be at least a B.

Students who have already earned 12 credit hours under the temporary classification will not be able to count toward their degree programs the credit earned during the semester in which acceptance as a regular graduate student is pending, unless admission is approved before the end of that semester. Furthermore, credit earned in courses taken while admission is pending may be applied to the advanced degree only if those courses are appropriate to the degree program and acceptable to both the School of Engineering and Technology and the Graduate School. No more than 12 hours of credit resulting from a combination of excess undergraduate credit and credit earned in postbaccalaureate status may be applied toward an advanced degree. Students should consult their advisors for further guidance.

Students interested in the temporary graduate student classification, which is also referred to as “postbaccalaureate nondegree enrollment,” should contact the:

Undergraduate and Transfer Credit

1. The student had senior standing when taking the course.

2. The student received a grade of B or better.

3. The course was designated as a graduate course.

4. The course was taken at the graduate level.

Credits earned for graduate study at other universities may be applied toward an advanced degree as transfer credit, subject to the following restrictions:

1. A student must have earned a grade of B or better in any graduate course whose credit hours are to be transferred;

2. course work used to satisfy the requirements of one master’s degree may not be used on the plan of study for another master’s degree; and

3. course work from one (and only one) master’s degree may be used on the plan of study for a doctoral degree.

Graduate Degree Requirements

1. Students must maintain regular graduate student standing.

2. All regular students are required to demonstrate acceptable proficiency in English composition before a plan of study may be filed or an advanced degree obtained. If the necessary substantiation of English proficiency as outlined below is contained in the application, English clearance will be given automatically upon acceptance into a degree program. If substantiation is lacking on the application, the student is expected to satisfy this requirement during the first term of enrollment.

   A student whose first language is English may meet the English requirement in any of three ways:

   1. by receiving a grade of B or better in all undergraduate courses in English composition;

   2. by submitting an official record from the Educational Testing Service, showing a scaled score of 600 or higher on the verbal portion of the GRE aptitude test;

   3. by passing the English proficiency examination administered by the English department at IUPUI. Students may call (317) 274-9740 to arrange for the examination. Those students with deficiencies are required to take an English composition or communications course within the first year of graduate study.

   A student whose first language is not English—and who has scored higher than 550 on the TOEFL—may meet the English proficiency requirement by successfully passing the English proficiency examination administered by IUPUI’s Department of English. Those students with deficiencies are required to take an English composition or communications course within the first year of graduate study (ENG W131, TCM 360, or equivalent).

   Nonnative speakers of English who are U.S. citizens or who hold permanent visas may satisfy the written English proficiency requirement by any of the methods described above.

3. Students must file a plan of study appropriate to meet their needs in their chosen field of study. A tentative plan should be drawn up by the student and the graduate advisor in advance of registration for the first semester of graduate work. The formal plan of study must be filed as soon as possible thereafter but before the completion of 15 credit hours toward graduation. Students who have not filed a plan of study before the completion of 15 credit hours may not be allowed to register for the following term. The plan of study must be approved by the advisory committee and the Graduate School. The English requirement must be fulfilled before the plan of study can be filed.

4. Students must meet credit, grade, and index requirements. The number of required credit hours varies between 30 and 33 among the master’s degree programs offered at IUPUI. Only grades of A, B, or C are acceptable in fulfilling Graduate School requirements for any plan of study. An advisory committee may require a grade of B or better in certain courses. Pass/Fail grades are not acceptable in fulfilling degree requirements. Incomplete course grades must be cleared by the twelfth week of the second semester after the session in which the Incomplete was awarded. All graduate students are expected to maintain a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.0 out of a possible 4.0. Students who do not have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 are considered under probation. Those students who are on probation are required to take additional graduate courses, as required by their respective graduate committees, before they are permitted to graduate.

5. tudents must pass the required oral and written examinations. A final examining committee, usually the advisory committee, is appointed for each master’s degree candidate. The committee must certify to the Graduate School either that the student has passed the required examination or that the committee is satisfied with the accomplishment of the student as based on a committee conference.

Graduate Programs in the School of Science

General Admission Requirements

1. They ordinarily will be expected to hold a baccalaureate degree from a college or university of recognized standing.

2. They must submit an official transcript from each college or university attended. Other evidence of academic accomplishment and aspirations may be required by some departments. Three letters of recommendation are required.

3. For unconditional admission to a degree program, a B or better average in prior study is required. Individual departments may set higher grade requirements and may require the submission of additional evidence of academic performance.

4. A minimal score of 550 in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is required for all international applicants whose native language is not English. Some departments may have higher standards. Applicants may substitute the IUPUI English as a Second Language (ESL) Placement Examination for the TOEFL. A brochure about this test is available from the Office of International Affairs, Union Building, UN 207. All graduate students who are nonnative speakers of English who are being offered positions that involve direct student contact are required to take the Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK) Test administered by the English as a Second Language Program (ESL). Students must receive a score of at least 40 to be approved for direct student contact. Departments can provide further information about this test.

Graduate Record Exams

General Requirements for Degree Completion

1. Each student must file a plan of study that includes a primary area and may include a related area or areas that are chosen on the basis of the student’s interests and needs. A tentative plan of study should be drawn up in advance of registration for the first semester of graduate work. The student and the individual graduate advisor should prepare this plan. The formal plan of study should be submitted as soon as possible and before the final semester.

2. Students must meet the grade and grade point average requirements. Only grades of B or better are acceptable in fulfilling Graduate School requirements in any plan of study. An advisory committee or department may require a grade higher than C in certain courses. Specific cumulative grade point average requirements, if any, are up to the individual departments.

3. Students must complete the credit hours of work required, which may vary by department. Students must meet the Graduate School’s resident study requirements.

4. Students must fulfill departmental requirements regarding oral and written examinations. The Graduate School has no general requirement for oral and written examinations for the non-thesis master’s degree. In any department, a final examination may be waived if the student meets the minimum requirements of the department. In any event, a final examining committee is appointed for each candidate for the master’s degree. The committee must certify to the Graduate School either that the student has passed the required examinations of the department in which the major graduate study has been taken or that the committee is satisfied with the accomplishment of the student as based on a committee conference. Ph.D. programs all require qualifying examinations early in the course of study. After the student has completed most of the formal study to the satisfaction of the advisory committee, the student becomes eligible to take the preliminary examination. The results of these written and oral examinations are reported to the Graduate School by the examining committee with an appropriate recommendation for the student’s admission to candidacy, continued preparatory study, or discontinuation. All Ph.D. programs require a Ph.D. thesis.

Graduate Nondegree Status

Financial Support

Industrial and Business Co-op Programs

Geology Graduate Program

Indiana University Graduate Programs