Graduate Studies and Research

Mission and Vision

Mission

The mission of the School of Graduate Studies and Research is to promote a diverse community of scholars among students and faculty, and to encourage the advancement of knowledge through innovation, research, creative expression, and service within its array of programs leading to graduate degrees and certificates.

Vision

To enhance CWU’s teacher-scholar model through faculty teaching, scholarship, and mentoring of students, and to be regarded as the best masters-level institution in the State of Washington.  To promote affordable, accessible, career-enhancing graduate education and to prepare students for study at the doctoral and professional level.

Strategic Vision for CWU’s Graduate Programs

Graduate programs enhance the educational enterprise at CWU, benefitting graduate students and the CWU community as a whole. Delivery of graduate programs is integral to CWU’s mission:

• To prepare students for enlightened, responsible, and productive lives
• To produce research, scholarship, and creative expression in the public interest
• To serve as a resource to the region and the state.

CWU’s Graduate Programs Will...

Advance Teaching and Learning

Graduate students pursue and achieve challenging learning outcomes in a student-centered environment. Graduate students raise the academic level for undergraduates in layered classes, enable high-quality, hands-on teaching in the classes they assist, and inspire undergraduates to pursue education and careers beyond the undergraduate degree.The graduate program attracts more diverse faculty, graduate faculty stay current in their fields, and graduate teaching assistants enrich the overall learning experience for undergraduate students. The instructional benefits of graduate programs give CWU a competitive edge over undergraduate-only institutions.

Advance Scholarship

Graduate students conduct scholarship by working closely with faculty mentors, enhancing both the quality and productivity of CWU’s research and creative expression, and gain knowledge and skills essential to their professional success. Graduate student projects also provide opportunities for undergraduate participation in research and creative expression. The high quality and productivity of scholarship at CWU enhances external grant funding rates, and leads to successful dissemination of scholarship results to professionals, the general public, and policy makers, thereby addressing critical state and national challenges.

Advance Student Careers

CWU graduate students gain the knowledge, skills and experience necessary to successfully transition into the job market and to succeed in their chosen professions. CWU develops programs and updates current ones to respond to professional and civic needs. Students continuing to PhD, MD, JD and other terminal degree programs will present as competitive candidates because of their expertise in current techniques, theories, and research in their respective fields, preparing them for doctoral-level classes, scholarship, and teaching.

Enhance CWU's Reputation

The career success of CWU masters graduates enhances CWU’s reputation with employers, promoting an employment pathway for both graduate and undergraduate students. CWU gains recognition when graduate students and their faculty mentors disseminate scholarship results to professionals, the general public, and policy makers. Graduate students spread CWU’s name back to their undergraduate institutions, promoting an application pathway into CWU’s graduate programs.

Enhance Recruitment and Retention of Students and Faculty

CWU’s graduate programs broaden the participation of undergraduates in research and scholarship opportunities, contributing to the recruitment and retention of undergraduates. Faculty are drawn to the enhanced scholarship and teaching environment of CWU’s graduate programs. Masters students are drawn to opportunities in CWU’s graduate programs which provide them with hands-on mentoring that is typically less available at PhD-granting institutions.  Undergraduate students are drawn to the high-quality masters-level classes which expand elective offerings for these students. 

Enhance CWU’s Sense of Community 

University culture benefits from the sense of community among graduate students, undergraduate students, faculty, and staff, and by the diversity of perspectives provided by graduate students from a variety of backgrounds.