Admission Requirements
Credits
Admissions Deadline
Number of Students Admitted
Course Requirements
Qualifying Examination
Dissertation Requirements
Full Time or Part Time
Length of Study
Expected Costs
Financial Assistance
Course Descriptions
Research Opportunities
External Minor

The primary goal of the Doctor of Philosophy of Philanthropic Studies at Indiana University is the preparation of researchers and scholars who will provide leadership in the profession of philanthropy, higher education, and nonprofit organizations.

Credits

A minimum of 90 credit hours is required; a maximum of 30 credit hours may be transferred from other graduate work in Philanthropic Studies and related areas. All courses credited toward the Ph.D. degree must have a minimum grade of B and receive written approval of the Ph.D. Program Committee or its representative.

Admission Requirements

Formal application to Ph.D. program
Official undergraduate and graduate transcripts
Grade of B or higher on all courses applied to requirements
GRE test scores
Three letters of reference
Current curriculum vitae
Three-page essay summarizing professional goals and proposed research area
An interview (telephone, electronic, or in person) with members of Philanthropic Studies Doctoral Committee

Admissions Deadline

Applications are required by January 15

Number of Students Admitted

Four to six students are accepted each year

Course Requirements

Four Philanthropic Studies core seminars (12 credits)
Four External Minor courses (12 credits)
Research Methods (9 credits)
Open electives (6 credits)
Dissertation (21 credits)
Advisory Committee
All students in the Ph.D. program, with the approval of the program director, will select an advisory committee of three faculty members, one of whom will represent the student’s area of specialization outside the Center on Philanthropy.

Qualifying Examination

Written qualifying examination is required for admission to doctoral candidacy. The focus and scheduling are determined by the student’s advisory committee.

Dissertation Requirements

After nomination to candidacy, the student, with the approval of the program director, will select a research committee of no fewer than four faculty members, including an outside member. The committee must approve the proposed dissertation topic. The dissertation involves an original piece of research and oral defense.

Full-Time

The program is only available for full-time students. Nine credit hours or three courses are required per semester.

Length of Study

Three to 5 ½ years.

Expected Costs

Fees for the 2008-2009 academic year are $776.90 per credit hour for out-of-state students and $259.35 per credit hour for Indiana residents. Rates are subject to change by the Indiana University Board of Trustees.

Financial Assistance

A variety of financial resources are available for Ph.D. students, including University fellowships, philanthropy scholarships, research assistantships, teaching assistantships, and loans. Information about financial resources for Ph.D. students may be obtained from the Student Services office.

Course Descriptions

P660 Ethical, Moral, and Religious Aspects of Philanthropy (3 cr.)
This doctoral seminar focuses on the major ethical and moral texts that explain and justify philanthropy. Emphasis is placed on the philosophy of philanthropy in comparative perspective, world traditions of social and religious conditions, and moral issues raised in philanthropy practice.

P662 Historical and Cultural Perspectives of Philanthropy (3 cr.)
This doctoral seminar focuses on the history of Philanthropy from earliest to contemporary times. Cross-cultural perspectives are considered as socially and historically conditioned. Ethnic and gender philanthropy are examined across geographic, cultural, and chronological periods.

P664 Philanthropy and Nonprofit Organizations in Society (3 cr.)
Social, psychological, political, and economic theories are used to explain philanthropy and the practice of philanthropy through organizations in society. Major theoretical concepts such as contract failure, social origins theory, voluntary failure, and serial reciprocity presented along with other.

P690 Research in Philanthropic Studies (1-3 cr.) P: one semester of M.A. course work.
Students will research specialized topics related to philanthropic studies agreed upon with the instructor from and in their chosen disciplinary perspective. In some instances, team research may be carried out. The course may be repeated once with approval by the chair of philanthropic studies.

P790 Research Seminar in Philanthropic Studies (3 cr.)
This doctoral seminar examines epistemological issues and tools, synthesizes the ways of knowing, and assesses forces that affect the conduct and use of knowledge in philanthropic studies. Multiple disciplinary perspectives and contemporary theoretical foundations of philanthropic studies are used to design and critique potential dissertation projects.

P890 Dissertation (cr. arr.)
Research and writing dissertation.

Research Opportunities

Primary areas of faculty research expertise include:

• Philanthropic history and traditions; role of philanthropy in civil society; community-based studies of philanthropy
• Management and measurement of philanthropic resources; governance issues of philanthropic institutions and nonprofit organizations
• Foundations similarities and differences; corporate philanthropy
• Forces impacting giving and volunteering in families over time
• Costs and benefits of fund raising campaigns
  

External Minor

All Ph.D. students complete a 12-credit-hour External Minor related to their area of specialization in a department or school other than the Center on Philanthropy. This requirement enables students to link their research to the full range of academic disciplines available on both the Indianapolis and Bloomington campuses.