Dec 06, 2025  
2025-2026 University Catalog 
    
2025-2026 University Catalog

Computational Science and Engineering Concentration (GR)

Location(s): West Lafayette, Online


About the Program


As part of the the Office of Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs (OIGP), the Computational Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs (CIGP) at Purdue rank among the premier programs of their kind, worldwide. The programs offer specializations in Computational Science and Engineering (CSE) and Computational Life Sciences (CLS)  for graduate students in participating departments across the Colleges of Agriculture, Engineering, Health and Human Sciences, Pharmacy, Science, and Polytechnic Institute. These programs have over 200 students and 175 affiliated faculty from diverse disciplines.

Office of Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs Website

CIGP Website

Program Requirements


9-12 Credits Required

Master’s Requirements (9 credits)

Doctoral Requirements (12 credits)

Required Course (0 credits)


The CIGP seminar is a Pass/No Pass course offered in both the Spring and Fall Semesters. While both the CSE and CLS tracks meet in the seminar course together, students will need to register for the seminar associated with their concentration. GRAD68900 CSE Seminar should only be used for CSE students, while GRAD68900 CLS Seminar should only be used for CLS students. Online students should contact cigp@purdue.edu.

Core Courses (6 credits)


Choose two Core Courses from two different areas, as listed below. The areas are: Introduction to CSE, Computational Mathematics, High Performance Computing, Intelligent Computing, Scientific Visualization, and Computational Optimization.

Relevant Courses (3-6 credits)


Choose one relevant course (3 credits) at the MS level, or two relevant courses (6 credits) at the PhD level from the list below.

CIGP Symposium


In order to fulfill the Symposium requirement for CIGP, MS Thesis and Non-thesis students must complete an MS Poster Presentation and PhD students must complete a PhD Talk. To allow for this, the CIGP Symposium is only held twice a year: a Fall CIGP Symposium in November and a Spring CIGP Symposium in April. There is no Symposium in the Summer.

Students do not need to be registered for the CIGP Seminar to present at the CIGP Symposium. Sign-up information will be sent out near the beginning of each semester, and the Symposium requirement should be completed in the final semester of study.

GPA Requirements


All of the CSE and CLS courses must be completed with a minimum grade of B.

Graduate Programs Disclaimer


  • The student is ultimately responsible for knowing and completing all degree requirements. Students should consult with their advisor/department for more information.
  • Not all graduate programs may be actively recruiting students and course modality availability may vary. 
  • Please refer to the Explore Graduate Programs website for a list of currently available graduate programs.
  • Transfer credit policy: Credits earned for graduate study at other universities (both domestic and international) may be applied toward an advanced degree. Only credit hours associated with graduate courses for which grades of B- or better were obtained will be eligible for transfer. Any additional conditions under which credit transfers may be made are determined by the various departments.
  • Comparative information about Purdue University and other U.S. educational institutions is also available through the College Navigator tool, provided by the National Center for Education Statistics, and through the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.