Individual Interdisciplinary Program - PHD

Doctor of Philosophy in Individual Program of Study

Individual Interdisciplinary Program (IIP) – PH6942

Graduate College
Grosvenor Hall 102
1 Ohio University
Athens, OH 45701-2979
740.597.1323
machtmes@ohio.edu

Delivery Mode: Athens Campus

Terms of Entry: Fall, Spring

Terms of Entry Requiring Program Permission: None

Program Overview

The Individual Interdisciplinary Program (IIP) provides a home for doctoral students seeking a degree which combines traditional academic disciplines to span multiple colleges. The ideal prospective student is an individual with demonstrated ability and intellectual maturity. Admission to the Graduate College as an IIP student demands, in part, that the applicant identify a minimum of two emphasis areas, each in a different graduate degree-granting department, school, or program, as well as having support from prospective faculty advisors in those areas.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the program, students will be able to do the following at an expert level:

Synthesize techniques, tools, or methods from two or more fields.
Effectively communicate new ideas and concepts in written and oral form.
Apply techniques, tools, or methods across two or more fields.

Further Information

Link to Program: https://www.ohio.edu/graduate/individual-program-study

Admission Requirements

Students are strongly encouraged to contact the program director, Dr. Krisanna Machtmes (machtmes@ohio.edu), prior to beginning the application process.

Prospective students must provide:

An earned advanced or professional degree from an accredited institution of higher education with at least a 3.25 graduate GPA.
Transcripts of all previous degrees and all previous graduate work
At least three letters of recommendation
A 3-5 page project proposal that includes
- Tentative fields of study/areas of emphasis*, including proposed courses;
- Prospective guidance committee members;
- A statement of goals; and
- An explanation of why none of the related existing degrees meet the student’s educational and professional objectives, and the Project Proposal should be submitted with other documents in the online application.
Letters of Recommendation
- At least three (3) letters of recommendation on academic preparation
- A letter of support provided by each of the Graduate Directors of the cooperating programs/departments/schools that will constitute the primary fields of study. The director should endorse the proposed courses in the degree proposal.
- A letter of support from each prospective Guidance Committee Member. These letters commit the faculty members to be the initial advisors of record for the applicant.
A resume or CV
Non-native speakers of English must submit official English Proficiency scores.

Additionally, prospective students should consult the website of the departments, schools, or programs that will serve as their emphasis areas and provide any additional materials (e.g., writing sample, additional letters of recommendation) required by those departments, schools, or programs.

Students whose native language is not English must meet the University English language proficiency requirements as stated in the Graduate Catalog.

*Any faculty members who qualify for graduate faculty status in their home college may serve on or chair an IIP committee. However, the primary support program for the student must offer a Ph.D.

For fall admission, complete applications must be submitted by April 15; for spring admission, complete applications must be submitted by November 15.

International Students

For student visa purposes, most IIP plans of study permit full-time residency in Athens. Check the desired course offerings in each emphasis area to be sure that they are not predominantly online.

Graduation Requirements

The IIP Ph.D. requires a minimum of 90 credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree (in most cases, 56 hours beyond the master’s degree). It also requires completion of an approved Plan of Study, which shall minimally include the following:

Coursework Requirements

Professional Seminars

Students must complete the following two seminars:

Area of Emphasis Courses

Students must complete a minimum of eight formal (graded) graduate-level courses (min. 24 hours). Of these:

A minimum of four courses (min. 12 hours) must be completed in each disciplinary emphasis area
A minimum of two courses (min. 6 hours) in each disciplinary emphasis area must provide breadth of knowledge in the field
A minimum of two courses (min. 6 hours) in each disciplinary emphasis area must provide depth of knowledge in the student’s specialization focus

Standard of Work

Students must maintain a minimum 3.25 GPA in any Ohio University graduate coursework.

Additional Requirements

Students should complete their coursework by the end of their third year of full-time study in the program or by the end of their fifth year of part-time study in the program, and their comprehensive examinations, if required by their participating programs, by the end of the semester following completion of coursework.
Presentation of the results of the student’s research or creative activities at an academic or professional conference. Full-time doctoral students must present by the end of their third year in the program. For part-time doctoral students, dates will be adjusted to align with their progress on course completion.
Submission of the results of the student’s research or creative activities for peer review and publication to an appropriate journal or publishing house. Full-time doctoral students must submit by the end of their third year in the program. For part-time doctoral students, dates will be adjusted to align with their progress on course completion.
Comprehensive exam, or any alternative form prescribed by the parent support program.

Culminating Experience

The procedural rules for degree completion from the primary academic support unit will apply to the IIP student. In most cases, this includes some form of comprehensive exam as well as the completion and defense of a dissertation.