Consumer Sciences and Retailing
Matthews Hall
812 W. State Street
West Lafayette, Indiana 47907-2060

Phone: (765) 494-8292
Fax: (765) 494-0869
E-mail: csr@purdue.edu

E-mail Web site administrator

Doctoral plans of study are formulated by the student in coordination with the student's major professor and/or the graduate committee.

Plan of Study
Degree Requirements
Beginning the PhD with a non-Purdue master's degree
Beginning the PhD with a Purdue master's degree
Preliminary Exams
Dissertation Defense

PhD Plan of Study
Core Courses

*6 credits of statistics beyond the master's degree

Electives

See CSR course descriptions
See all course descriptions and information on the Schedule of Classes Web site.

PhD Degree Requirements

• Dissertation
• Preliminary Examination
• Proposal Defense
• Oral Presentation and Final Examination
• All requirements of the Graduate School must be fulfilled.

Minimum requirements

• 60 credits beyond masters (per field option) that includes 18-24 dissertation hours (CSR 699)

Beginning the PhD with a non-Purdue master's degree
Plans of study should include 60 credit hours beyond master's and must include formal coursework and research credits. A master's degree transcript should be attached to the plan of study and MS courses should NOT be listed on the PhD plan of study. If courses on the PhD core have been taken previously or any deviation from the PhD core is requested, a letter of explanation (addressed to the Consumer Sciences and Retailing Graduate Committee) should be attached.

Beginning the PhD with a Purdue master's degree
Continuing or returning Purdue graduate students must have a minimum of 90 credit hours from the beginning of their master's until the end of their PhD program. A master's degree transcript should be attached to the plan of study and MS courses should NOT be listed on the PhD plan of study. If courses on the PhD core have been taken previously or deviation from the PhD core is requested, a letter of explanation (addressed to the Consumer Sciences and Retailing Graduate Committee) should be attached.

Preliminary Exams
When most or all of the formal coursework on the plan of study has been completed, preliminary examinations will be taken. The student and his/her committee should agree on the subject areas to be tested, the person(s) responsible for each area, the time frame, and date for the examination. The examination will test the student's competency in the major area, related areas, and research methods. (Forms must be filed three weeks prior to the examination date.)

Upon passing the examination, the student is admitted to candidacy for purposes of conducting research for the doctoral dissertation. Each student is then expected to write a detailed research proposal that outlines and justifies the dissertation research. This proposal should be distributed to each committee member and later presented to the committee for further discussion and approval. (Our department does not require a form for this stage.)

Dissertation Defense
Each doctoral candidate must pass a final oral examination after completion of his/her dissertation. (Forms must be filed three weeks prior to the examination date.) The dissertation must be distributed to members of their committee at least two weeks prior to the exam. Upon completion, the student is expected to provide bound copies of the dissertation for each member of the committee and one for the department. In addition, students are to provide the original bound copy and an unbound copy to the Thesis Deposit Office in Young Hall, Room 170. Microfilming fees are to be paid directly at the Bursar's Office in Hovde Hall.