Dual-Title PhD 

Purdue University is pleased to offer a dual-title PhD linking an established discipline-based program of study with an interdisciplinary perspective on aging. With this degree, Purdue graduates are uniquely prepared to pursue a wide range of careers in higher education and/or research on aging.

Already recognized as a leader in research and graduate training, the Gerontology Program of the Center on Aging and the Life Course at Purdue University continues its innovative leadership with this exciting opportunity for graduate study.

Why choose one when you can have both?

Students complete all degree requirements for the discipline-based PhD program, with the dual-title option requiring additional coursework, often without extending the length of time needed to complete the degree.

   Advantages of a Dual-Title PhD

  • Enhances employment and research opportunities
  • Addresses challenges of future demographics
  • Maintains disciplinary depth
  • Emphasizes interdisciplinary breadth
  • Jumpstarts research in gerontology with a dissertation focused on aging within a particular field
  • Expands network of contacts through an interdisciplinary dissertation committee
  • Involves students in discipline-specific and interdisciplinary professional organizations studying the aging process
  • Acquaints students with gerontology funding streams
  • Awards students a respected degree from Purdue University with a credential in the emerging field of gerontology.




 

Requirements for a Dual-Title PhD

24 graduate credits in aging-related courses including seven credit hours from and completion of the following courses

  • Biology of Aging, GRAD 59000 (3 credit hours)
  • Multidisciplinary Gerontology, HDFS 64900 (3 credit hours)
  • Research Seminar on Aging and the Life Course, SOC 67700 (1 credit hour, may be repeated)
  • Dissertation on a topic related to aging
  • Dissertation committee: (a) chair is a professor in the student's home department who is also a Faculty Associate of the Center on Aging and the Life Course and (b) committee includes at least one member from another department
  • A maximum of three credit hours from 400-level courses may count toward the Dual-Title PhD.
  • A maximum of nine credit hours of methods courses may count toward the Dual-Title PhD.
  • Per the Graduate School, 400 level courses require a grade of B or above to count towards the gerontology degree. 500 and 600 level courses require a grade of C or above.

Courses Approved for the Dual-Title PhD

Click Here For Approved Courses List

Students may propose additional courses, including independent study, to be used in completing the Dual-Title PhD. Credit hours may also be transferred from another university, provided the criteria provided by the Purdue University Graduate School are met. Up to seven credit hours may be approved by petition to the CALC Steering Committee.

View Credit Petition Policies here.

To get the Petition Form, please email Paige Ebner, at mebner@purdue.edu.

All 600-level advanced methods courses that are not basic prerequisites for other degree programs are eligible for gerontology course credit provided the student's projects, papers, and presentations in the course focused on aging/life course content, subject to the approval of the CALC director through an expedited review process. Credit hours achieved through this expedited review are in addition to the seven credit hours which may be obtained through the standard petition process. Students may access the expedited review process by emailing the course syllabus, number of credit hours, and all relevant work product to the CALC Assistant Director, Paige Ebner, at mebner@purdue.edu.

The following disciplines are prepared to participate in the dual-title PhD

  • Anthropology
  • Communication
  • Health and Kinesiology
  • Human Development and Family Science
  • Nursing
  • Nutrition Science
  • Pharmacy Practice
  • Psychological Sciences
  • Sociology
  • Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences