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Strategy 1.5: Promote and Support High-Quality Graduate Education
Actions:

Penn State works toward its goals for graduate education through efforts of the Graduate School, the colleges, and degree programs, acting both individually and collaboratively. High-quality graduate education will be enhanced through continued review of graduate programs, improving the diversity of the graduate student population, and improved financial support for graduate students. Support of the infrastructure will allow for more effective management of programs and services and increase student satisfaction.

Total graduate student enrollments peaked in 2003; since then, total resident graduate enrollments have dropped slightly and the University has experienced declining numbers of master’s degree students, African American graduate students, and international students. However, much texture is lost in such aggregate summaries. Doctoral degree enrollments have been quite stable for a number of years. Resident master’s degree numbers have declined most, and that decline is largely due to the falling numbers of part-time students at Penn State’s Great Valley Campus. Online master’s degree student numbers are increasing and this may well be the market of the future, especially for professional master’s degrees. Also, the University has been more selective in the admission of graduate students and more successful in recruiting doctoral students.

Leadership:
  • Senior Vice President for Research and Dean of the Graduate School—Primary
  • Academic Leadership Council—Secondary
  • Graduate Council
  • Senior Vice President for Development and Alumni Relations