Costs

Almost all graduate appointments carry a tuition remission. In 2002-2003, this remission includes tuition and fees of $2730.60 per semester for new students and $2230.60 for continuing students. Graduate students are responsible for the graduate staff fees each semester, which are $478 per semester for new students and $392 for continuing students. Summer session fees are half of the regular semester rate. Purdue University covers 80 percent of the premium costs of the University Graduate "Staff" Medical Insurance Plan for all graduate students.

For 2002-2003, rooms in the two graduate houses for single men and women averaged $15 per day for a single room and $11 per day for a double room. Unfurnished University apartments for married student's rent for $460 to $479 per month for one-bedroom apartments and $573 to $590 for two-bedroom apartments. Rates include all utilities, except long-distance telephone. Privately owned housing is available throughout the community.

Financial Support and Assistantships

Applications to the M.S. and Ph.D. programs serve as applications for financial aid, and most qualified graduate students receive financial support. Sources of support include research and teaching assistantships and fellowships. In 2002-2003, graduate teaching assistantships provided up to $1487.50 per month for twelve months. Graduate research assistantships provide approximately the same level of support. A limited number of University and National Needs fellowships offer a twelve-month stipend between $18,000 to $22,000. Special University fellowships are available for minority students. All assistantships and fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis.

The Department offers a limited number of graduate research and teaching assistantships to qualified applicants. In addition to departmental support (below), there are University assistantship/fellowship opportunities for outstanding applicants.

Departmental Teaching Assistantships:

Departmental teaching assistantships are awarded for two years with the second year contingent upon satisfactory progress during the first year. These assistantships require at least two semesters of teaching responsibilities in one of our laboratory courses during the two-year period and are intended to 1) supplement and extend research assistantships offered by specific research laboratories and 2) to recruit students into the department who have not yet determined a specific research tract. In the later case, students may rotate through several laboratories to get a feel for the types of programs available. Since departmental assistantships require a minimum of two semesters of student teaching, applicants whose native language is not English must satisfy the English proficiency requirement before being eligible. This requirement may be met by 1) receiving a minimum TOEFL score of 600 and passing both an oral test (Speaking Proficiency English Assessment Kit (SPEAK)) and a written test. The tests are administered by university personnel once the applicant has arrived on campus and must be scheduled through the department's academic secretary.

Departmental Research Assistantships:

In addition to departmental assistantships (above), research assistantships are available from specific faculty members. Research assistantships do not require a teaching assistant component, but all students are encouraged to student teach at least one semester. Duties associated with individual research assistantships are specific to the laboratory. Please contact individual faculty members for information on research assistantships in their lab.

Financial Aid:

Purdue has a strong tradition of helping students finance their education through grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study. Visit the Purdue Division of Financial Aid for more information.