Contents > Graduate College
Graduate College
Maria T. Allison, PhD, University Vice Provost and Dean
The mission of the Graduate College is to promote and support the integrity, quality, and vitality of ASU graduate programs including master’s, professional and doctoral degrees. The college’s goal is to ensure university-wide standards of quality, access, and equity in graduate programs and promote the interests of ASU’s graduate students and graduate education within the state, national, and international arenas. Central to this vision is the enhancement of the diversity of ASU’s graduate population as well as the development of a dynamic range of cutting-edge interdisciplinary graduate programs across the university.
ASU offers over 100 master’s degree programs, 50 doctoral degree programs, and 25 graduate certificate programs reflecting both depth in disciplinary study and cutting-edge use-inspired study in interdisciplinary degree programs. While many students prepare for careers in research, the professions, and the arts through full-time study, others enhance their professional and personal enrichment through part-time study.
The size, strength, and diversity of the graduate community reflect the university’s commitment to high-quality education. ASU currently has over 12,000 graduate students from over 50 states and 120 countries representing the rich heritage of its cultural, social, global communities. As a major center for graduate education, ASU supports cultural and intellectual activity as well as research in a broad range of arts, sciences, and professional disciplines; in addition, the university conducts research addressing the social, cultural, and economic growth and development of Arizona, the nation, and world.
One distinctive project that magnifies the Graduate College’s dedication to graduate students is the nationally recognized Preparing Future Faculty program, which is designed to educate students about faculty roles and prepare doctoral students specifically for faculty positions in colleges and universities across the nation. The university’s highly acclaimed Preparing Future Professionals Program is designed to prepare doctoral students for careers in business and industry.
ASU continues to provide strong financial support to graduate students. Not only does the Graduate College award a host of recruitment, enrichment, and dissertation fellowships but its students also receive a large number of prestigious fellowships such as the Science Foundation Arizona Fellowships, and others funded by the National Science Foundation, NASA, the Ford Foundation, the Fulbright program, and other public agencies and private foundations. These funded programs, together with more than 60 research centers and institutes, provide assistantships and research training for many graduate students in a host of dynamic research and teaching environments.
Although master’s and doctoral degree programs differ in many ways, they all share two important characteristics. First, in comparison to baccalaureate programs, they demand a deeper and broader understanding of a body of knowledge in a recognized discipline or profession. Second, especially in doctoral programs, graduate students prepare to make original contributions to their fields through research and other creative activities of a high order. ASU offers several types and levels of postbaccalaureate degrees. For a list of all graduate degrees available at ASU, go to www.asu.edu/graduate/codes/degreeList.
Students may take course work as nondegree students. These students may want to advance in their present career, acquire the background to make a career change, or make up academic deficiencies before entering a degree program.
For admission information and procedures for graduate degree programs and nondegree studies, access www.asu.edu/graduate/admissions.
Graduate College Financial Support Office
The Graduate College Financial Support Office assists graduate students applying for external fellowships. The office processes tuition remission fellowships and health insurance benefits for research and teaching assistants, tuition fellowships for students who are not research or teaching assistants, travel grants, and other financial support in partnership with academic units.
For assistance with loans, access www.asu.edu/fa, or visit Student Financial Assistance in SSV 216A.
Graduate Student Academic Services
The Graduate College provides assistance to graduate students through its Student Academic Services (SAS) department in accordance with the policies and procedures set forth in this catalog. SAS offers services such as the processing of the graduate program of study, petitions, comprehensive exam results, foreign language exam results, candidacy letters, and committee changes and approvals. This office also prepares and sends defense paperwork, announces doctoral defenses in Insight, and works closely with the Office of University Ceremonies to coordinate commencement for doctoral students. SAS sponsors seminars for graduate students on graduate policies, deadlines, and an introduction to the thesis and dissertation review process. Graduate students may meet with an SAS specialist by appointment or on a walk-in basis.
For answers to questions regarding the program of study, graduate policies and procedures, or graduation deadlines, visit SAS in ADM B170, or access www.asu.edu/graduate/current/sas.
Thesis and Dissertation Format Advising
The thesis, dissertation, or equivalent is the culmination of an important stage of graduate studies. By researching and writing this final work, graduate students are able to demonstrate acquired skills essential to a discipline. The Graduate College publishes a Format Manual as a guide in preparing the master’s or doctoral document. The Format Manual and forms pertaining to procedures for completing all graduation requirements are available in ADM B170, or at www.asu.edu/graduate/format.
Graduate Student Support Services
Providing academic and professional development support to graduate students is an important part of the Graduate College mission. The Graduate College maintains a variety of programs specifically for graduate students (degree and nondegree). For more information, access the Graduate College Web site at www.asu.edu/graduate.
Professional Development for Graduate Students
Preparing Future Faculty
Preparing Future Faculty (PFF) is a professional development program for doctoral, MFA, and MSD students who are preparing for academic careers at institutions of higher education. It is designed to prepare graduate students for the multiple roles they will play as faculty members, and to allow them to understand how these roles and expectations may vary in different campus settings. The program is comprised of two phases: the Exploratory Phase (first-year) and the Participatory Phase (second-year); participation in the second year is not mandatory but is strongly encouraged. During the Exploratory Phase, students enroll in a course and participate in a series of seminars, workshops, and student-led reading groups, as well as work on cross-disciplinary committees to coordinate the PFF Guest Breakfast Series. For more information, access www.asu.edu/graduate/pff.
Courses with the prefix GRD numbered 791 are reserved for doctoral students participating in the PFF program. PFF students are required to take one semester hour for each of the semesters they are enrolled in the program. Students enroll for the first-year exploratory phase. Those accepted into the second-year participatory phase enroll for one semester hour each semester.
Preparing Future Professionals
The Preparing Future Professionals (PFP) program, administered by the Graduate College, assists doctoral students interested in pursuing nonacademic professions. PFP parallels the well-established and successful PFF program. Through a series of activities, PFP familiarizes doctoral students with various nonacademic career tracks to develop skills to successfully pursue a wide range of career opportunities. While the PFP seminars are designed to assist doctoral students, seminars are open to all ASU graduate students. For more information, access www.asu.edu/graduate/pfp.
Strategies for Success
The Strategies for Success series of professional development workshops is broken into three categories: teaching and instruction, career development, and enriching the graduate experience. These workshops are open to all registered graduate students. For more information, access www.asu.edu/graduate/sfs.
Diversity Programs
Diversity Programs are designed to increase the number of graduate students from groups underrepresented in certain professions and fields of study. For more information, access www.asu.edu/graduate/orientation/diversity.
UGEM
The Graduate College Underrepresented Graduate Enrichment Match (UGEM) program is designed to assist academic units in the recruitment and retention of excellent first-year graduate students from underrepresented groups. UGEM provides academic and financial support through assistantships. For more information, contact specific academic units.
The Social and Academic Mentor Program
The Social and Academic Mentor (SAM) program is designed to recruit top graduate students from domestic, international, and underrepresented populations. Academic units submit nominations to the Graduate College for a first-year student (mentee) and peer mentor match. The mentor, two or more years advanced in the program, promotes the mentee’s social and academic integration into graduate school by using a structured approach. The mentor receives hourly compensation.
Teaching Assistant Orientation
An online orientation is available on the Graduate College Web site at www.asu.edu/graduate/orientation.
All new teaching assistants (TAs) are required by the university and the Arizona Board of Regents to participate in the Teaching Assistant Development (TAD) Program conducted by the Graduate College, in partnership with the Center for Learning and Teaching Excellence. Additional professional development forums are held during the academic year and TAs are encouraged to participate. For more information on TAD, access www.asu.edu/graduate/TAD.
Graduate Student Organizations
The Graduate and Professional Student Association (GPSA) is part of the Associated Students of Arizona State University (ASASU), the student government for the university. The GPSA represents graduate student interests within ASASU and the Office of Student Life. It assists the Graduate College in planning orientations, the Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week, and other student-related activities. This office, with the Graduate College, also funds small research grants to support graduate students’ thesis and dissertation projects. In addition to the GPSA, many other special interest organizations are available for graduate students, such as the Latino(a) Graduate Student Association, American Indian Graduate Student Association, Black Graduate Student Association, and Graduate Women’s Association. For more information, access www.asu.edu/graduate/orientation/gradOrgs.htm.
The Graduate College promotes and supports—in partnership with schools, departments, colleges, and campuses—the integrity, quality, and vitality of ASU graduate programs. The Graduate Council consists of faculty from each campus who review and make recommendations regarding the quality and nature of programs, policies, and standards related to graduate education. The council serves in an advisory capacity to the vice provost and dean of the Graduate College. In addition to the faculty leadership of each campus, the dean and associate/assistant deans of the Graduate College serve in ex-officio capacities to enhance and foster cross-campus collaboration and communication. For more information, access www.asu.edu/graduate/gapd/gradcouncil.
Offices of the Graduate College
The general offices of the college, including those of the dean, admissions, financial assistance, graduate academic services and programs, and graduate student support services are located on the first and second floors of ADM B. Graduate College offices are open Monday through Friday, from 8 A.M. to 5 P.M. For more information, call the Graduate College at 480/965-3521, or access www.asu.edu/graduate.
ASU continues to advance as a major research institution. The Office of the Vice President for Research and Economic Affairs provides leadership in obtaining external funding and in coordinating and administering sponsored projects. Many graduate students receive financial support and gain first-hand experience as they participate with faculty members in carrying out these research projects.
Much of this work is associated with university research centers that help to develop proposals, coordinate activities, and bring together in colloquia and conferences students and faculty with common intellectual interests. Such centers include the Center for Solid State Science, the Institute of Human Origins, the Hispanic Research Center, the Joan and David Lincoln Center for Applied Ethics, and the Prevention Research Center. For more information, see Research Centers.
ASU lends support to research in diverse ways, including providing extensive facilities for research and instructional programs. State-of-the-art facilities include an architecture building, a fine arts complex, the BioDesign Institute, the Goldwater Center for Science and Engineering, the Interdisciplinary Science Buildings (1–4), an expanded Life Sciences Center, and the Computing Commons. The Engineering Research Center, built as part of the Engineering Excellence Program, houses advanced facilities such as the Molecular Beam Epitaxy laboratory and a clean room for microelectronic device fabrication. Among other facilities supporting research on campus are the Institute for Studies in the Arts, in the Katherine K. Herberger College of the Arts; the Facility for High Resolution Electron Microscopy, in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and the Southwest Archaeological Collection, in the School of Human Evolution and Social Change.
The ASU library system is a major research facility (see University Libraries and Collections). It contains more than 3 million volumes of books and approximately 6.6 million pieces of microforms and subscribes to more than 36,000 serials. Among the nation’s research libraries, it is in the top quarter in annual volume acquisition. It is especially strong in amassing current monographs and serials to support graduate programs. Some of the most important research collections include manuscripts and rare photographs on Arizona and Southwest topics and an excellent collection of social science materials on Southwestern and border studies topics, including materials on northwestern Mexico. In the humanities, the Hayden Library has an outstanding collection of literary works and literary criticism from small and major presses in American and English literature. The Child Drama Collection is also outstanding. A growing rare book and manuscript collection supports the research interests of academic units. The Arthur Young Tax Library emphasizes accounting and law. The Noble Science and Engineering Library is a designated U.S. Patent Depository and, as such, is one of fewer than 30 U.S. academic libraries to receive copies of all new patents. The entire collection of U.S. patents in microfilm is housed in the Noble Library.
The libraries contain extensive U.S. and Arizona government documents and selected international documents.
The Music Library contains scores and sound recordings.
The Architecture and Environmental Design Library houses a nationally recognized set of materials on solar energy and research collections on the work of Frank Lloyd Wright and Paolo Soleri as well as other Arizona architects.
The libraries offer excellent support to researchers interested in electronic information sources. The online library system incorporates the usual catalog to ASU library holdings as well as several other important electronic reference databases and gateways. Bibliographic information on the library holdings can be accessed from any location in the world via a modem-equipped microcomputer.
The library system belongs to the Center for Research Libraries, permitting access to the center’s vast collections of materials for extended loan periods.
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