Degrees and Requirements

Conferring of Degrees

Appropriate degrees may be granted at the conclusion of each regular semester and summer session of the academic year (University Senate Document 89-5, November 13, 1989). In addition, degrees may be granted on other dates, providing the students are members of a group working on a common degree program. The degrees awarded during each academic year at various campuses and on the various dates will be presented to the Board of Trustees for approval in accordance with lists of recipients that shall be provided by the registrar for entry into the permanent record of the board (Board of Trustees minutes: October 27, 1924; January 16, 1925; March 15, 1974).

Requirements for Degrees

A. Associate Degree

To gain an associate degree from Purdue University, a student shall satisfy the following requirements:

1. The completion, either by resident coursework, as directed credit, or by credit accepted from another institution, of the plan of study underlying the degree. Deans of schools may refuse to accept as credit toward graduation any course that was completed 10 or more years previously. Former students shall be notified immediately of all such decisions upon reentering. Substitutions of courses required for graduation may be made by the dean of the school conferring the degree.
2. Resident study at Purdue University for at least two semesters and the enrollment in and completion of at least 32 semester hours of coursework required and approved for the completion of the degree. Students normally are expected to complete the entire second year in residence; however, with the approval of the dean of the school concerned, students who have at least three semesters of resident study may complete not to exceed 16 semester hours of the second year in another approved college or university. For the purpose of this rule, two summer sessions may be considered as equivalent to one semester.
3. Registration, either in residence or in absentia, as a candidate for the desired degree during the semester (or summer session) immediately preceding its conferment.
4. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 shall be required for graduation (University Senate Document 93-2, November 29, 1993). (See Academic Regulations and Procedures: Grades and Grade Reports, sections A and J.) A student who has completed all other requirements for an associate degree, but has failed to meet the quality requirements may register for additional courses with the approval of an authorized representative of the dean of his/her school after a review of his/her record. The additional courses that the student may take after meeting all quantity requirements shall not exceed 10 credit hours. Credit in these additional courses must be established within three years of the date on which all degree requirements except the minimum cumulative GPA were met. The student will be considered as having met the quality requirement for graduation if his/her graduation index, including the above extra courses, meets the quality standard in effect at the time when all other graduation requirements were satisfied.

B. Baccalaureate Degree

To gain a baccalaureate degree from Purdue University, a student shall satisfy the following requirements:

1. The completion, either by resident course work, as directed credit, or by credit accepted from another institution, of the plan of study underlying the degree. Deans of schools may refuse to accept as credit toward graduation any course that was completed 10 or more years previously. Former students shall be notified immediately of all such decisions upon reentering. Substitutions of courses required for graduation may be made by the dean of the school conferring the degree.
2. Resident study at Purdue University for at least two semesters and the enrollment in and completion of at least 32 semester hours of coursework required and approved for the completion of the degree. These courses are expected to be at least junior-level courses.
   Students normally are expected to complete the senior year in residence; however, with the approval of the dean of the school concerned, a student who has had four semesters of resident study may complete the last year or a portion of it at another college or university, provided that the number of semester hours of credit to be taken does not exceed 25 percent of the total hours required for the degree. The foregoing stipulations do not apply to students who earn credit elsewhere through a contract or arrangement entered into by the University or one of its academic units.
3. Registration, either in residence or absentia, as a candidate for the desired degree during the semester (or summer session) immediately preceding its conferment.
4. A minimum cumulative GPA of 2.00 shall be required for graduation. (See Sections VII-J  and VII-A .)
   A student who has completed all other requirements for a bachelor’s degree but has failed to meet the quality requirements may register for additional courses with the approval of an authorized representative of the dean of his/her school after a review of his/her record. The additional courses that the student may take after meeting all quantity requirements shall not exceed 20 credit hours. Such a student may take in another approved college or university not more than 9 of the 20 credit hours permitted, provided such courses are approved in advance in writing by an authorized representative of the dean of his/her school. A copy of such approval must be filed in the Office of the Registrar. Credit in these additional courses must be established within five years of the date on which all degree requirements except the minimum cumulative GPA were met. The student will be considered as having met the quality requirements for graduation if his/her cumulative GPA, including the above extra courses, meets the quality standards in effect at the time when all other graduation requirements were satisfied.
5. The demonstration of satisfactory knowledge of the English language, with particular reference to composition and spelling. Junior and senior students who are determined by the Office of Writing Review to be markedly deficient in English shall be assigned to a noncredit English course, which they will be required to pass before graduation.

C. Advanced Degrees

Requirements for the several master’s degrees, for the Educational Specialist, and for Doctor of Philosophy degrees are established by the Graduate Council and are stated in the Graduate School Bulletin and the Policies and Procedures Manual for Administering Graduate Student Programs.

D. Professional Degree - Doctor of Pharmacy

To gain the degree Doctor of Pharmacy, a student shall complete the required professional curriculum.

F. Professional Degree - Doctor of Veterinary Medicine

To gain the degree Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, a student shall satisfy the following requirements:

1. The satisfactory completion of the prescribed preprofessional curriculum of two or more years prior to admission to the School of Veterinary Medicine.
2. The satisfactory completion of the four-year professional curriculum in veterinary medicine.
3. Multiple Degree Programs
   A student who will be completing the requirements for two or more degree programs simultaneously may be eligible to be registered as a candidate for more than one degree according to the following criteria:
   1. If the degree programs are in different schools, two (or more) degrees may be awarded upon special request approved by the deans of the schools concerned and filed with the registrar at the beginning of the semester or session in which the degrees are to be awarded.
   2. If the degree programs are in the same school and lead to different degrees, the appropriate degrees shall be awarded.
   3. If the degree programs are in the same school and lead to the same degree, only one degree shall be awarded. The academic record shall reflect multiple fields of study, as appropriate.

G. Diplomas

A diploma is a document listing the school awarding the degree, the type of degree being awarded, the campus awarding the degree, and the date the degree was conferred. An official transcript or a complete academic record of degree posting will include the type of degree; cooperative education or honors curriculum; any fields of study, minors, or specializations; campus where the degree was awarded; and the date the degree was conferred.

H. Meeting Degree Requirements

Specific deadlines for the various requirements for graduate degrees are outlined in the Graduate School Web site (see http://www.gradschool.purdue.edu/gradrequirements/index.cfm) and must be met as specified. All degree requirements for undergraduate and professional degrees are to be met as of the end of the academic session in which the degree is to be conferred. In the event that academic requirements for an undergraduate or professional degree have not been met as of the end of the session, the candidate’s school may grant an extension of time, not to exceed 30 calendar days following the end of the session, for these requirements to be completed in order for the degree to be conferred for that session. Academic requirements that have not been completed, as of the end of the 30-day period, shall disqualify the student from receiving the degree in the intended session and shall delay the conferring of the degree until the end of the next session in which the student is duly registered and all degree requirements have been completed.

Graduation rates for the West Lafayette Campus are available from the Office of the Registrar, Purdue University, 1095 Hovde Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1095, (765) 494-8581. These rates are calculated and made available as required by the Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act.