Purdue offers over 70 graduate and professional programs. To review more specific areas of research and study available, visit the Graduate Programs Web page.
The Purdue University Research Expertise database (PURE) is now online! With this tool, you can search for Purdue faculty members and their research and scholarly activities by entering relevant keywords. Alternatively, you can use a simple navigation mechanism to find your area of interest by specifying fields of study. Links to more than 1800 faculty and their areas of expertise may be found in the database! Visit the database to identify Purdue researchers by keywords or fields of interest.
Purdue University ranks in the top 62 research institutions
in North America. In 2005-06, the University expended more than $400 million in support of research, using funds received from the state and federal governments, industry, foundations, and individual donors. Purdue faculty are world-renowned experts
in their fields working in world-class laboratories and classrooms.
Purdue offers more than 400 research laboratories and 100
discipline-specific centers and institutes, including several
that are uniquely recognized in their fields. For the latest
news on Purdue Research, visit the Purdue
University News Service.
The Purdue
Research Foundation was established to provide facilities,
equipment, and financial support to Purdue Research. This foundation
assists researchers in becoming the best in their field. Purdue
University attracts and retains premier faculty talent. One
of the reasons is a No. 2 ranking in a top-10 list of the nation’s
"Best Places to Work in Academia", according to The Scientist
magazine.
The Purdue Research
Park, which was voted the #1 Research Park in the country
for 2004 and 2005, is home to more than 90 companies, many of which are
commercializing Purdue-developed technologies. The Park was
further recognized in 2005 for 'Excellence in Technology Transfer,'
an award for demonstrating the most success in the commercialization
of university research.
Discovery Park is a 40-acre interdisciplinary research and educational complex that includes centers focusing on:
In the five years since the creation of Discovery Park, it has attracted more than $110 million in sponsored research, and now involves about 1,000 faculty, staff, and graduate students. The park has been critical in forming eight start-up companies and at least 40 patent filings. Discovery Park continues to grow today, and its facilities are a hub of graduate student research.
In addition to exciting interdisciplinary research, Purdue’s
colleges continue to excel in discovery, learning, and engagement.
Holly Guiden (right) and Sarah Browne, graduate students from the Dublin Institute of Technology in Ireland who are at Purdue University for the semester, conduct weighing experiments in a lab in the Department of Foods and Nutrition.
In the College of Consumer and Family Sciences,
Research
Centers promote learning, discovery, and engagement in
the areas of consumer sciences, family studies, food service,
hospitality, and nutrition. For additional research news,
visit the Consumer and Family
Sciences News and Events page. Be sure to check out the
electronic newsletter!
In the College of Education, faculty members
are actively involved in on-going research
and development initiatives in areas related to education.
A variety of Educational
Research Centers, including one of the world’s first
Gifted
Education Research Institutes, support on-going research
to improve the field of education.
The College of Engineering is exemplified
by first-class
research in emerging fields. Learn about some of the hot
new discoveries
made by Purdue Engineers, and view the latest news
and events from the College.
In the College of Liberal Arts, opportunities
for individual expression abound through the Purdue
University Galleries, two brand new theaters,
and the many publications of the English department. For information on the research
conducted by faculty within Liberal Arts, be sure to read
the monthly electronic
newsletter.
The Krannert School of Management hosts
a variety of related research
centers that are home to a wide-range of economic and
management studies. Working
papers from faculty and graduate students discuss the
results of new research and offer an excellent glimpse at
current research. For links to some top news stories and research,
read the Krannert
Magazine. For the latest headlines and links to webcams,
check out Krannert’s “What’s
New” site.
The College of Pharmacy, Nursing,
and Health Sciences includes several distinguished
nursing
centers and clinics designed for research, practice, and
education. The Industrial
Pharmacy and Contract Manufacturing Center, located in
the Purdue Research Park, is dedicated to preeminence in pharmaceutical
education, development, and manufacturing. For more information
on research news, visit the Pharmacy, Nursing, and Health
Sciences newsletters.
Graduate student Ismael Cotte-Rodriguez, on left, holds a passport up to the sensing port of a modified mass spectrometer while Nari Talaty performs the computer analysis in the lab of Chemistry Professor R. Graham Cooks.
The College of Science is recognized worldwide
for its achievements and contributions to the life and physical
sciences. The College oversees the nation’s leading
information security center, CERIAS,
and collaborates in several other University centers. For
more details, visit the College of Science research
page, and link to the many research centers and interdisciplinary
research opportunities.
Students in the Department of Building Construction Management learn about building homes and other structures in one of the department's laboratories. The department, part of Purdue's College of Technology, has received a gift to establish the country’s first education program focused on reconstruction and disaster restoration.
The College of Technology is one of the
largest and most renowned technology schools in the nation.
The new Digital
Enterprise Center is an applied research laboratory where
advanced technology that implements the digital enterprise
concept can be demonstrated and studied. For additional technology
research news, visit the latest news
and events page.
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Compare Our Community's Affordable Cost of Living
The Greater Lafayette area also offers a cost-of-living below the national average, an advantage for graduate students on a limited budget. This means you may purchase more for your money, and enjoy a better standard of living compared to other areas Visit the cost of living Web page to compare Greater Lafayette’s cost-of-living to other university locations in the United States.
Funding opportunities are available for both domestic and international students. Over 70 percent of Purdue's full-time graduate students receive some funding by or through the University. There are three primary options for financial assistance:
Incentive and travel grants are also available. You should begin your search for funding approximately one year before you will need it to support your graduate education.
Grants
Grants are free money for which you are not required to work or repay the funds. Fellowships are the most common type of grant, but others include scholarships, travel grants, and monetary awards. Fellowships are usually available from both the program to which you apply for admission and the Graduate School. Typically, when you apply for admission, a program will consider you for available fellowships without a separate application. To be considered for fellowships offered by the Graduate School, you must be admitted to your program of interest. The Funding Web page provides information regarding specific Graduate School fellowships, the application process, and each fellowship’s requirements. Fellowship benefits generally include:
Monthly stipend*
Tuition scholarship
Medical insurance supplement
*Stipend amounts are determined by the academic program.
Assistantships
Assistantships are the most common method of funding graduate study. 60 percent of Purdue graduate students hold graduate student assistantships. You may secure teaching, research, or administrative/professional assistantships to help pay for the costs of your education while gaining employment experience. When you receive an assistantship, you work part-time for the University. Assistantship benefits generally include:
Monthly stipend*
Tuition waiver
Medical insurance at employee rates**
*Stipend amounts are determined by the hiring department.
**Only available for .5 FTE assistantships.
Teaching and research assistantships are generally offered by your program of interest; however, some may require a separate application for consideration, while others may consider you when your application for admission is completed. To be considered for assistantships offered by the academic program to which you are applying, please visit that program's Web page or contact the program to determine the appropriate process for applying for an assistantship.
Other departments outside your program of interest may also offer assistantships. For more information about these opportunities, please consult the Graduate School’s Funding Database.
Loans
Student loan information is available through the Division of Financial Aid (DFA) and the U.S. Department of Education. You can also apply to serve as a residence hall counselor, or seek other employment to help finance your graduate education.
For information regarding the tuition and fee rates for the West Lafayette campus, visit the Bursar’s Office online. Also check out the Tuition Calculator to determine the estimated tuition and housing expenses at the West Lafayette campus.
Purdue University was founded in 1869 as a land grant institution. Today, Purdue University is one of the 25 largest universities in the nation and includes four campuses across the State of Indiana:
On the West Lafayette campus alone, the University offers over 70 graduate programs with more than 600 research and study areas organized in 12 colleges and schools within the Graduate School. Approximately 38,000 students are enrolled at the West Lafayette campus, including over 7,000 graduate and professional students.
Purdue's West Lafayette campus covers nearly 2,500 acres with more than 160 major buildings including academic and residential complexes, Discovery Park, the Purdue University Airport (commercial airline service is not available), two golf courses, and the Recreational Sports Center.
Purdue has over 14,000 acres of agricultural land and almost 600 acres devoted to the Purdue Research Park. Purdue Research Park, recently rated the best research park in the nation, houses private high-tech businesses that offer an interactive environment for Purdue researchers. The majority of these businesses were started by Purdue alumni, faculty, or other individuals who have a Purdue connection.
For information regarding the tuition and fee rates for the West Lafayette campus, visit the Bursar’s Office online. Also check out the Tuition Calculator to determine the estimated tuition and housing expenses at the West Lafayette campus.
Purdue University is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, just 65 miles (104 km) north of Indianapolis, Indiana and 122 miles (195 km) south of Chicago, Illinois. Greater Lafayette, which includes West Lafayette and its neighboring city Lafayette, is a diverse community with access to University resources, as well as outstanding medical facilities, and a strong industrial, retail, and service base.
An immature red-tailed hawk makes itself at home on a lamp post near the Purdue Bell Tower. There are several nesting pairs in the immediate vicinity of campus.
The community provides one of the best bus systems in the country, offering free local transportation to Purdue faculty, staff, and students. For bus schedules and maps, visit the Greater Lafayette City Bus Web site.
Residents enjoy year-round cultural events as well as many other activities. This combination of big city activity and small-town charm is one of the reasons Greater Lafayette is consistently ranked nationally as a great place to live, work, and raise a family.
The Greater Lafayette area also offers a cost-of-living below the national average, an advantage for graduate students on a limited budget. This means you may purchase more for your money, and enjoy a better standard of living compared to other areas. Visit the cost of living Web page to compare Greater Lafayette’s cost-of-living to other university locations in the United States.
For additional information regarding the Greater Lafayette area and surrounding cities, visit the Graduate School’s Visitor Information Web page.
The Purdue Village offers on campus apartment living to students and families. Students from over 60 countries call Purdue Village home. This diversity creates an exciting global community in which to live, work, and learn. Purdue Village is easily accessible to campus and shopping. The apartments are located on the southwest side of campus and include a setting with yard space, mature trees, and playgrounds.
Hawkins Hall offers both single and double rooms on campus for academically focused graduate students and older undergraduate students (20 years old or older). The residents of Hawkins Hall come from many countries around the world, in addition to the United States, forming a unique international community.
In addition to the housing options listed above, off-campus housing is also available. To investigate these options, please refer to the following resources:
The Purdue News Service and the Exponent, an independent student newspaper, provide the latest news and updates about Purdue. Purdue also has its own public radio station, WBAA, which broadcasts daily news and information.