PROGRAM LISTING REQUEST INFORMATION APPLYING TO MARQUETTE APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS APPLICATION DEADLINES

Interdisciplinary Ph.D. - Formal Admission Process

The University Board of Graduate Studies (UBGS) oversees all INPR programs, and is the body that will grant formal admission in degree-status to any student that meets UBGS approval. All applicants must submit a formal written proposal to the UBGS and must appear before the UBGS with his/her adviser/committee chair to defend that proposal. 

The formal admission process for entry into the INPR degree program begins with discussions with faculty in expectation of identifying those who will serve as the dissertation committee, including an adviser/committee chair with whom the student sketches out a tentative plan for earning a doctoral degree.  Development of the plan will involve interaction with all committee members.  The student should incorporate feedback received from committee members and produce a detailed proposal as described below.

Prior to scheduling the proposal defense before the University Board of Graduate Studies and prior to finalizing the formal written proposal, the student must request from the Graduate School approval for all dissertation committee members, including the chair of the committee. The INPR Dissertation Committee Form must be completed by each prospective member of the committee. His/her signature on the form attests to his/her commitment to be a fully-engaged member of the committee until the student has completed his/her INPR doctoral degree and also certifies that the faculty member meets the requirements for participation on the committee. 

Once the committee Chair and members are identified and approved, the remainder of the formal admission process consists of the following:

1. A detailed proposal must be submitted to the Graduate School.
2. The written proposal must be reviewed by a sub-committee of the University Board of Graduate Studies before the student and adviser will be invited to defend their proposal before the full Board.
3. A 30 minute presentation (with questions and answers) must be presented to the University Board of Graduate Studies.
4. The student and his or her committee must address any written comments that result from the presentation to the University Board of Graduate Studies.
5. Once completed satisfactorily, the University Board of Graduate Studies will provide formal admission into the INPR program.

The proposal must detail the entire doctoral program, including courses, satisfaction of residency requirements, qualifying examination, and detailed plans for the dissertation. The proposal document must be prepared in consultation with the applicant’s adviser/dissertation chair and the other members of the dissertation committee.

In addition to the above, application for admission to degree status in the INPR Program requires that the student submit the following:

1. A completed application form and application fee
2. Official transcripts from all current and previous colleges/universities except Marquette.
3. Proof of an earned master’s degree
4. Three letters of recommendation
5. The results of a standardized test (GRE, GMAT, LSAT, MCAT, etc., as appropriate) if required due to a graduate GPA of less than 3.50.
6. (For international students only) the results of the TOEFL exam or other acceptable proof of English proficiency (waived if the student’s undergraduate or prior graduate academic work was done at an English-speaking college or university)

If the student began his/her INPR studies in a non-degree status, any documents that were submitted in support of non-degree admission need not be resubmitted.

The University Board of Graduate Studies will typically review proposals twice each year, once during the fall term and once during the spring term. Applicants must submit written proposals to the UBGS by October 1 for a fall-term review, and by March 1 for a spring-term review.

Normally six credit hours of approved graduate work beyond the master’s degree from another university may be transferred with the consent of the vice provost and the dissertation committee chair. The request for transfer credit is made by identifying the courses, date, and grades on the Doctoral Program Planning Form, which is part of the formal written proposal. The University Board of Graduate Studies will approve or disapprove of any transfer credit. Transfer s of credit must be for appropriate coursework, as agreed upon by the advisery committee, and the applicant must have earned a grade of B or better in each course to be transferred.