Ph.D. Qualifying Procedures (PQP)

The procedures to be followed in creating and administering the Ph.D. Qualifying Procedures (PQP) within the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering (BME) are set forth in this document.

Overview of PQP:

The Ph.D. qualifying procedure employs a series of three phases to assess and evaluate the student's ability to attain the level of proficiency and performance essential for doctoral study. This process was envisioned to help mentor and develop mature students ready and qualified to conduct cutting-edge research in BME through a series of milestones. The three phases span the graduate students' experience at Purdue and include:

• Plan of Study (POS),
• Qualifying Literature assessment (QLA), and
• Preliminary exam.

Possible Results of PQP

Doctoral students who pass all phases of the PQP are certified to continue in the Ph.D. program and are considered Ph.D. candidates.

Students who fail to meet the POS Phase requirements and deadlines will be unable to register for the impending semester. As a result, the responsibility of paying late registration fees and of losing the opportunity to register for courses that may become full will rest entirely with the student.

Doctoral students who fail to pass the Phase I (QLA) requirement or to pass the Prelim Phase within two attempts will be terminated from the Ph.D. program at the end of the current semester. A second prelim attempt is allowable at the discretion of the research advisor and examining committee.

Failure to meet grade requirements (minimum GPA of 3.0 and "S" in research) each semester will lead to probation for the following semester. If these grade requirements are violated for a consecutive semester, the Graduate Committee reserves the right to terminate the student from the PhD program at the end of the current semester.

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