Doctor of Philosophy – Individual Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program

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Program Link:
http://gradschool.wsu.edu/individual-interdisciplinary-doctoral-degree/
Total Graduate Faculty in Program:
17
Total Core Graduate Faculty in Program:
4
Graduate Students in Program:
13
Priority Deadlines:

  • Fall : January 10 (Priority) to July 15 (Deadline)

Campus:

  • Pullman

International Student English Proficiency Exams

International students may need to surpass the Graduate School’s minimum English language proficiency exam scores for this program. If the graduate program has unique score requirements, they will be detailed below. Otherwise, please refer to the Graduate School’s minimum score guidelines.

  • 7 IELTS Minimum score
  • 77 MELAB Minimum score
  • 550 TOEFL Minimum score
  • 80 TOEFLI Minimum score

Degree Description:

The Individual Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program (IIDP) at Washington State University is designed for those meritorious and visionary graduate students who wish to address exceptional research questions that transcend boundaries of traditional disciplines by leveraging and recombining insights from two or more disciplines for the benefit of humanity. With the help of WSU’s graduate faculty and the Graduate School, such exceptional students develop an individually tailored doctoral program designed to integrate disciplinary insights and produce new knowledge for a comprehensive understanding of disciplinary boundary-spanning complex problems. We aspire to develop exceptional researchers, engaging teachers, and leaders who serve the entire education sector through their innovative thinking and problem-solving skills for making a positive global impact.

Generally, each student works with an advisor and three additional faculty members from at least two academic disciplines of WSU. This committee oversees the development of the individual doctoral degree and works closely with the student to ensure a high-quality doctoral education. The individual doctoral program must meet the following criteria: it will be of doctoral significance; no single recognized graduate degree-granting unit will be able to meet the student’s needs; and the academic resources to complete the proposed program will be available at WSU.

Admission Requirements:

Applicants must have a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in all graduate coursework, a 3.0 GPA in all undergraduate coursework, and have received a master’s degree from an accredited institution. English proficiency exams are only required for international students when English is not their primary language. Applicants must provide evidence in their application that they are capable of independent research. The following materials must be submitted to the IIDP at the Graduate School in addition to the application required by the Graduate School (which includes the requirement of 3 letters of recommendation that address the applicant’s scholarship). A brief description of the research area and a proposed program of study (no more than 3 pages), a letter from a permanent WSU tenure-track faculty member willing to serve as the potential Chair/Advisor commenting on the student’s potential for success and the proposed program sent directly to the IIDP Graduate Coordinator, emails from at least four permanent tenure-track WSU faculty members (four includes the potential Chair/Advisor) indicating their willingness to serve as committee members sent directly to the IIDP Graduate Coordinator, and a summary statement by the student of faculty interests and disciplines that has led the applicant to believe the IIDP is the program needed to best pursue the degree.

Student Opportunities:

IIDP does not offer assistantship funding; however, many IIDP students apply for and acquire assistantships through one of their identified disciplines from their program based on the program’s needs and their capabilities.

Career Opportunities:

Since 1983, approximately 85 individual interdisciplinary doctorates have been earned at WSU. Graduates of the program now work as university and college faculty as well as educational and business consultants and in government positions around the world.

Contact Information: