Graduate Programs
Degree Requirements
English Proficiency Requirement
International non-native speakers of English must achieve a TOEFL score of 550 or higher on the paper-based test, 213 or higher on the computer-based test, or 77 or higher on the Internet-based test in order to be considered for admission to a degree program. In addition, applicants who take the TOEFL iBT must achieve the following minimum test scores in addition to the overall required score:
- Reading: 19
- Listening: 14
- Speaking: 18
- Writing: 18
As an alternative to the TOEFL, the Graduate School accepts IELTS (Academic Module) scores of 6.5 or higher. The scores must be documented by an official report from Educational Testing Services or IELTS and must be no more than 24 months old at the time the application credentials are reviewed in the Graduate School. Non-native speakers of English who are U.S. citizens or who hold permanent visas are not required to submit TOEFL/IELTS scores.
Selection of a Committee
The chair of a student's graduate committee must be a member of the Purdue University Graduate Faculty from the Department of Biology. In addition to the chair, the student's graduate committee consists of at least two other faculty members. External committee members must be approved by the Purdue Graduate School as graduate faculty appointments by filing graduate school Form 24.
Plan of Study
A plan of study, which lists all of the courses that a student agrees to take (except BIO 698 credits), must be prepared by the student in consultation with his or her major professor and other members of his or her graduate committee. The student should file the formal plan of study as soon as possible, but at least prior to the beginning of the third semester after acceptance to the graduate program. The graduate committee may require remedial course work, and such course(s) do not count among the courses accepted for the student's graduate degree on the plan of study. After approval by the student's graduate committee and the graduate director, the plan of study will be forwarded to the Purdue University Graduate School for final action.
Transfer of Credits
Under certain circumstances, students may transfer credits taken at another institution or while an undergraduate at IPFW. The details of each circumstances are given below. The total number of credits utilized from any combination of the following may not exceed 12.
Graduate Credits Taken at Another Institution
A maximum of 12 hours of graduate credit from another institution (including other campuses of Purdue University) at a grade of B or better may be approved by the student's committee for inclusion in the plan of study. Courses taken more than five years prior to the date of application cannot be transferred.
Credit for Courses Taken in Post Baccalaureate Status
Students may include in the plan of study no more than 12 hours of graduate credit with a grade of B or better taken while enrolled as postbaccalaureate residents prior to being admitted to our graduate degree program. Courses taken more than five years prior to the date of application cannot be transferred.
Credit for Courses Taken in Excess of Undergraduate Degree Requirements
A maximum of 12 course credits earned as an undergraduate at IPFW or Purdue University may be applied toward a master's degree if the credits are in excess of any requirements for the baccalaureate degree. To be eligible, the courses must meet the following conditions:
- The student received a grade of B or better.
- The course was at the 500 level or higher.
- The student had senior standing when taking the course. The registrar's academic record change (Form 350) must be obtained in Science Building 330 and completed while the student is enrolled in the course.
Grades and Index Requirement
Grades lower than a C will not be applied to a plan of study. A cmulative index of 3.0 on a scale of 4.0 (a B average) is expected. Students in the thesis option are expected to earn S grades for research. A student who has two consecutive sessions of U grades for research credits will be discounted or will be continued only if special conditions to be determined by the committee are met. The student's progress wil be monitered yearly by the student's committee.
Specific Requirements for the Nonthesis Option
For a nonthesis option, at least 30 credit hours of course work are required. Fifteen of the credit hours must be at the 500 level within the Department of Biology. The remaining 15 hours can be fulfilled by some combination of the following:
- Additional BIO courses at the 500 level
- Up to 9 credit hours of BIO 595 (Special Assignments)
- Up to 6 credit hours of undergraduate courses at the 300 or 400 level taken from other departments (students must earn a grade of no lower than B)
- Up to 15 credits of 500-level courses in other departments
All courses applied to the plan of study require the approval of the students' graduate committee and the graduate director. If a student changes from a nonthesis to a thesis option, up to nine credits of BIO 595 or BIO 698 will count toward the degree requirements. Although students may take courses on other Purdue campuses, at least one-half of the total credit hours used to satisfy degree requirements must be earned in residence on the IPFW campus. Remote, televised instruction from a campus, including distance learning, is considered to have been obtained from that campus, regardless of the student's physical location. Students registering for a nonthesis degree must take a written exam during their last semester. The exam will be prepared by the student's committee and will focus on the student's area of concentration. If desirable, the committee can request other faculty members to submit questions. The writer of the questions should also be the grader. A passing grade of B must be earned. The student will have a maximum of two attemps to pass the exam.
Specific Requirements for the Thesis Option
Those students electing the thesis option must obtain a minimum of 30 credit hours of formal course work and research credit combined. A minimum of 18 credit hours of formal course work approved by the student's committee is required. The remaining 12 credits can be exclusively BIO 698 Research M.S. Thesis or a combination of 9 credits of BIO 698 and 3 credits of BIO 595 Special Assignments. BIO 595 credits cannot be included in the 18 credit hours of formal course work.
Submission of a Thesis Proposal
Students must submit a written proposal to the thesis committee prior to the beginning of the third semester. The format of the proposal will be determined by the student's thesis advisor. However, it should include a thorough review of literature, a detailed plan, and a projected schedule for completion of the research project.
Submission of Thesis
The thesis must be written in a format specified by the Purdue University Graduate School. A copy of the Manual for Thesis Preparation is available in the office of the Department of Biology. Students should acquire a copy of this manual before beginning thesis preparation. The thesis should be prepared in a format suitable for publication. Before submitting the final draft, the student should check with the thesis format advisor in Helmke Library at IPFW to confirm the format of the thesis. The biology department's secretary can provide the name of the designated individual. Upon completion of the final draft and approval by the thesis committee and the graduate director, the thesis must be taken to the thesis format advisor in Helmke Library for final format approval. After approval at IPFW, the student must also submit the thesis to the Purdue University Graduate School in West Lafayette for approval.
Oral Defense
All thesis students must present their research to the department in a seminar and pass a final oral defense of their thesis work after they have submitted their thesis to their examining committee. The time of the examination will be decided by each student's thesis committee. The thesis will be signed by the examining committee and the graduate director after the student has satisfactorily made all the required corrections.
Time Limitation
Full-time graduate students should complete the program within six semesters (three years) of admission. Part-time students should complete their degree in no more than 10 semesters (five years). After that time, course and research credits earned by a student whose enrollment has been inactive for five years or more cannot be used on a new plan of study.
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