Interdisciplinary Programs

Individual Ph.D. (IPhD) Program

About the Program
The Graduate School maintains a Ph.D. degree granting unit, the Individual Ph.D. (IPhD) Program, for exceptionally able students in high academic standing whose objectives for study are so truly interdisciplinary that they cannot be met within one of the University units authorized to grant the Ph.D. degree. The Program is intended for dissertation topics which require supervision from two or more of the programs through which the University offers the Ph.D. degree.  Each of these individual programs is designed by a student with a considerable amount of input and continued guidance from the student's supervisory committee.  This Program is managed by an IPhD Program Coordinator and headed by the Dean of the Graduate School.

The IPhD Program is not intended to be:

• a mechanism for offering the Ph.D. degree within units which do not have their own authorized Ph.D. programs; 

• used as an alternative for students unable to gain admission to an established program AND;  

• placing faculty from more than one department on a supervisory committee is a standard procedure and alone is not sufficient justification for admission into the Program.

Because the University's primary commitment is to its established disciplinary and interdisciplinary programs, the IPhD Program is quite small.  Unusual student ability and motivation, as well as an increased level of attention from the entire supervisory committee, are required for the successful completion of an IPhD degree. Admission standards are therefore intended to exceed those of established Ph.D. programs, and applications are carefully reviewed at several levels.

Like most doctoral programs, applications are considered only once a year. Due to the stringent entrance requirements, many applicants are not admitted. All decisions are final with no appeal procedures available. An application which is rejected can be submitted in revised form another year though a second rejection is possible. Applicants are therefore encouraged to pursue their objectives within the University's established Ph.D. programs whenever feasible.

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When to initiate a Program
An applicant may apply to the IPhD Program when he/she has completed a master's degree, or has been admitted to the Graduate School and completed at least three quarters of full-time work at the University of Washington. If an applicant is not currently a graduate student at the University of Washington, he/she must submit an application to the Graduate School with the appropriate fee.

How to initiate a Program
An applicant should begin by contacting the Graduate Program Coordinator (faculty advisor) of each program potentially involved in the IPhD application to determine whether the proposed course of study is appropriate for the IPhD Program as opposed to an established UW program.  The applicant should then approach a Graduate Faculty member who is qualified to provide appropriate guidance. If the faculty member agrees that the program is feasible and desirable and agrees to serve as the student's principal dissertation advisor, the applicant may propose a supervisory committee with the faculty member as Chair. This proposed committee will include at least three but usually not more than five members of the Graduate Faculty representing the applicant's fields of interest. It must include Graduate Faculty members from at least two University units which offer the Ph.D. degree. At any one time, a faculty member may serve as Chair on only one IPhD Supervisory Committee and on no more than two as a member.  For additional information regarding supervisory committees, refer to Graduate School Memorandum No. 13 or the UW General Catalog.

How to Apply
An applicant must schedule an interview with the IPhD Program Coordinator and submit the IPhD Application form including all required documents.  Complete applications are due by February 1st of each year for admission to the Program the following Autumn quarter. Applications submitted after this date will not be considered.

IPhD Application form

IPhD Application Requirements

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How the application is reviewed
The Graduate School will request evaluations of the application from Graduate Program Coordinators in related units and from other members of the Graduate Faculty selected for their expertise. A Standing Review Committee will consider the application and the faculty evaluations, conduct an interview with the applicant and the proposed supervisory committee and make a recommendation as to whether the applicant should be admitted to the IPhD Program. Decisions on admission are made by May 31st of the year following application and the applicant is notified, by mail, within two weeks.

Accepted into the Program
If the IPhD application is approved, the Dean will appoint the student's Supervisory Committee, which ordinarily will include the members of the proposed Committee plus an additional member of the Graduate Faculty to serve as a Graduate School Representative. The Supervisory Committee will function as for any doctoral program, will sign the forms ordinarily transmitted by the sponsoring academic unit and will take responsibility for conducting an annual review of the student's progress and submitting a report to the Standing Review Committee. IPhD students must meet all program requirements as stipulated in the IPhD Program Manual and Graduate School doctoral requirements as stipulated in the current UW General Catalog.

IPhD Graduates
The IPhD Program graduated its first student in 1970.  Since then, over 100 students have received an IPhD degree.  A list of IPhD Graduates, dissertation titles and supervisory committees chairs is available upon request.  

Questions regarding the IPhD Program may be directed to the IPhD Program's Coordinator at 543-6398 or jeanp@u.washington.edu.

The University of Washington reaffirms its policy of equal opportunity regardless of race, color creed, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, disability, or status as a disabled veteran or Vietnam era veteran in accordance with University policy and applicable federal and state statutes and regulations.

The University of Washington is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation in its services, programs, activities, education and employment for individuals with disabilities. To request disability accommodation contact the Disability Services Office at least ten days in advance at: 206.543.6450/V, 206.543.6452/TTY, 206.685.7264 (FAX), or e-mail at dso@u.washington.edu.

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