Completion of Degree
Each Ph.D. candidate is required to complete an in-depth, original, independent, research project with results that are acceptable for publication in high-quality peer-reviewed journals. The results are assembled into a Dissertation and the Dissertation research is also presented by the student at a public seminar, followed by an oral examination, i.e., the dissertation defense. The Thesis Committee must formally approve the written dissertation, certifying that it represents a significant original contribution to the scientific knowledge base and that the candidate has succeeded in the oral defense. Before a student can set a defense date and subsequently defend, a first-author manuscript that is approved by the thesis committee must be submitted for publication.
We do not accept students into a master’s program, but we do award a master’s in passing, and, in certain cases, a terminal master’s degree. Speak to the chair of the Student Advisory Committee to learn the requirements for a master’s degree from the IPN.
If a student is requesting a master’s in passing, a Student Petition for Change to Program must be completed before the student will be able to apply for the degree. A student interested in the Master’s in passing should start the process with his or her graduate program approximately 2-3 business days before the monthly deadline to submit the web-based Application for Graduate Degree.