Doctor of Philosophy in Individual Interdisciplinary

The Individual Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program (IPhD) is designed to prepare exceptional graduate students who wish to pursue and attain an individually customized interdisciplinary doctoral degree. The purpose of the IPhD is to provide an option for highly qualified students whose educational goals are uniquely interdisciplinary and cannot optimally be met by a single discipline or degree-granting academic unit at Virginia Tech. The IPhD offers a distinctive opportunity for students seeking a breadth of knowledge, in addition to disciplinary depth, not available within one discipline.
Recent trends show that both higher education institutions and government agencies seek employees with interdisciplinary backgrounds, demonstrating strengths in more than one field, and the agility to work with colleagues across fields.

The Virginia Tech Graduate School offers an interdisciplinary Ph.D. for students whose goals cannot be met by a single discipline from a degree granting academic unit at the university. The program launched in 2015, aimed at enabling students to accomplish their specialized educational and professional goals.

Applicants most competitive for entry into an IPhD program are those nearing completion or having completed a master’s degree. Prospective students without a master’s degree may be approved by the Vice President and Dean of the Graduate School to submit an application under special circumstances. Because of the rigor and intensity of the IPhD program, a graduate GPA of 3.5 or higher is required.

For international students, acceptable TOEFL (iBT at least 80 total and 20 on each subtest) or IELTS (6.5) scores.

Application Deadlines: Fall: Jan 20; Spring: Aug 31; Summer I: Jan 20; Summer II: Jan 20.