Division of Graduate Studies

Mission Statement

The graduate programs at WestConn offer advanced study under the direction of dedicated educators. Students in the graduate programs benefit from a faculty whose commitment to teaching, to research, and to other professional activities has resulted in national recognition in widely varying fields. Guidance from this faculty helps to strengthen the academic and professional ability of their students by increasing their knowledge of a subject, improving their capacity for independent study, familiarizing them with the research in their fields, and training them to conduct meaningful research of their own.

The mission of the graduate programs is not, however, confined within the perimeters of the University. The programs also make a significant contribution to the social community at large. Students, as a result of their intense, concentrated study at WestConn, are well prepared to enter society not only as trained professionals and specialists, but also, in a wider context, as thoughtful, sensitive human beings with personal integrity and an appreciation of intellectual and political freedom. Much of this understanding is developed in professional in-service and pre-service programs through cooperative efforts with regional businesses, industry, government, social service, and educational agencies. WestConn’s faculty and programs are dedicated to forging and maintaining such ties through the ongoing assessment of regional needs and continual interaction with community, business, professional, and academic organizations, an inter-action which also helps to refine the appropriateness of the graduate curriculum.

The organizational structure of the graduate programs also supports this refinement process. While the responsibility for making overall policy, overseeing the development of programs, and maintaining high standards resides in the Graduate Council, a representative faculty body, each discipline is in charge of its own studies. Each department, working in conjunction with the dean of its school, initiates and develops programs and changes in curriculum.