In a calendar year, the Graduate School receives nearly 18,000 applications for system-wide graduate programs. In a typical year, about 6,000 of those applicants are recommended for admission to a master's, doctoral, or non-degree program. In conjunction with the Information Technology Coordinator, Admissions staff members maintain the electronic application and respond to a variety of questions posed by prospective students. The Admissions staff oversees the Graduate School's application fee waiver program and ensures that applicants recommended for admission meet Graduate School requirements, The three Admissions staff members process recommendations for admissions, send the official letter of admission to admitted graduate students, and monitor academic and other conditions accompanying admission. Responsibilities of the Admissions staff also include monthly reporting of application and admissions data and serving as a resource on admissions to graduate faculty and staff .

About 9,400 Purdue graduate students are enrolled system-wide. Each degree-seeking graduate student submits a plan of study, takes a final examination (doctoral students also take a preliminary examination), and must meet Graduate School requirements to receive a degree. The Records staff reviews and approves plans of study and changes to plans of study, oversees the scheduling and reporting of examinations, handles degree audits, and certifies candidates for degrees. The Records staff permanently maintains -- for each graduate student -- a record of key documents. A range of Graduate School forms, ranging from applications for Research in Absentia to Requests for Transfer of Department are handled by Records staff members. In carrying out their responsibilities, Records staff members serve as an important resource for graduate students, faculty, and staff. They also work closely with colleagues in the Office of the Registrar.

The Thesis/Dissertation Office ensures candidate compliance with formatting and deposit requirements as stated in the current thesis manual. The office processes paper and electronic theses/dissertations for placement in Purdue Undergraduate Library Storage or submission to ProQuest Information & Learning for microfilming and digitization. The office also provides instructional outreach to candidates, departments, staff, and faculty via scheduled thesis formatting and deposit workshops.

The Office of Multicultural Programs for the Graduate School is dedicated to recruiting underrepresented students for the many graduate programs that are offered by Purdue University. We are committed to retaining these students by seeking opportunities for funding, providing mentoring and networking opportunities, offering seminars and social activities, and maintaining frequent contact with students while they are in residence on the campus, and as they enter careers following graduation.

Recruitment Services assists prospective students by:

• offering workshops and online resources about researching, preparing for, and applying to graduate school and related topics;
• coordinating the Big 10+ Graduate School Expo for students interested in agriculture, engineering, science, technology, and related disciplines;
• distributing general Purdue and graduate program information online at the Prospective and Admitted student Web pages, at events, and by email; and
• responding to general inquiries, while directing more specific questions to the appropriate contact.

Recruitment Services assists graduate programs and Purdue staff by:

• administering the ApplyYourself prospective student database, including new user account set up and user training;
• facilitating recruitment discussion meetings and workshops for programs to network, share information, and learn about graduate recruitment;
• promoting University-wide graduate programs through outreach to prospective students;
• serving as a resource for the recruitment event calendar, purchased prospective student mailing lists and admitted student survey results (both available online at the secure recruitment page), and related topics;
• providing recruitment materials and information, such as general domestic and international graduate brochures, Purdue and community visitor guides, and cost of living information to programs; and
• consulting with and advising programs on recruitment issues, such as strategy development, effective activities, and challenges.

The Purdue University Interdisciplinary Life Science Ph.D. Program (PULSe) provides opportunities for an interdisciplinary graduate experience in the basic life sciences. It allows students to focus on specific areas of research without regard to departmental boundaries. PULSe is comprised of over 170 faculty from 9 colleges, 27 departments, and 11 training groups.

The Information Technology Area of the Graduate School oversees all computer related equipment and software applications, as well as electronic processes, within the Graduate School. This includes the electronic graduate application process, the Graduate School Database, and the Graduate School's Web site. The IT Area also handles requests for the gathering and reporting of graduate student data.