Graduate Programs

This is an archived copy of the 2023-2024 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.iastate.edu.

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The Graduate College Handbook outlines the general requirements for completion of a graduate degree or credential at ISU. Faculty in a major field have the responsibility for establishing educational objectives for their graduate program, including specific course requirements and research requirements appropriate to the doctoral, master's, and certificate programs in the major. These requirements may place additional responsibilities on the student, the major professor, or the student’s program of study (POS) committee beyond those listed in the Graduate College Handbook as deemed appropriate to the goals of the major program.

Faculty and graduate students are active participants in the academic programs of Iowa State University. As active participants, they have a collective impact on the success of those programs and of the university in fulfilling its mission. Each graduate program is encouraged to implement a mechanism for responding to feedback from graduate students as a valuable resource for continuing improvement.

Academic Program definitions

  • Program - administrative infrastructure supporting the curriculum.
  • Curriculum - the requirements for a major, certificate, or minor.
  • Major - subject area of study that results in a named baccalaureate, master's, or doctoral degree upon completion of a set of requirements. A major appears on the academic transcript.
  • Certificate - an academic credential in a focused area of study. A certificate appears on the academic transcript and may be earned concurrently with a degree or on its own.
  • Minor - an academic area of emphasis that is in addition to a major. A minor appears on the academic transcript and must be earned in conjunction with a degree.