Information and Policy
Graduate Education
The mission of the Graduate School is to provide innovative, responsive, and accessible master's and doctoral degree programs of the highest quality to graduate students. Our programs foster a close interdependence between research and classroom teaching. The 600 graduate faculty members and more than 2,400 graduate students at UNH work together to develop new theoretical and empirical acknowledge, design innovative methods and technologies to discover and disseminate that knowledge, and engage in undergraduate and graduate state-of-the-art teaching. The Graduate School is a source of intellectual capital for the University, the region, and the nation.
UNH is the primary institution within the University System of New Hampshire responsible for providing graduate programs that meet state, regional, and national needs and the only one at which doctoral programs are offered. Other units of the University System do offer some master's degree programs.
The Graduate School is led by the dean, who implements the policies of the graduate faculty. The dean is advised by the Graduate Council, which is composed of elected faculty members and graduate student representatives.
Graduate School
The Graduate School provides assistance to prospective and current students from the time of their first inquiry about graduate study until completion of their graduate programs. Students are encouraged to contact the Graduate School staff with questions regarding academic policy, financial assistance (scholarships, fellowships, and travel grants), and availability of University services.
Graduate Council
The Graduate Council is comprised of 13 graduate faculty members and four graduate students. The council advises the dean of the Graduate School on policies concerning graduate education and is responsible to the graduate faculty for recommendations concerning new graduate programs and curricular changes. Standing committees of the council include the doctoral program committee, the master's program committee, the student affairs committee, and program review committee.
Certificate Programs
The purpose of graduate certificate programs is to serve the needs of both matriculated and non-degree students interested in developing specific skills and knowledge for personal and/or professional development. Graduate certificate programs are credit-based, taught by regular or associate members of the graduate faculty, and normally aligned with existing graduate education curricula.
Master's Programs
The University offers master's degree programs in a wide variety of disciplines, which can serve either as professional terminal degrees or as intermediate degrees for those intending to pursue further graduate study. In many programs, students can elect options that will permit them to study one aspect of a discipline in depth by preparing a thesis or to gain a broader mastery of a discipline by electing to take coursework in lieu of a thesis.
Doctoral Programs
The University offers doctoral programs in those disciplines that have both the faculty and facilities to support high quality advanced graduate education. Care has also been taken to ensure that the programs will make a significant contribution to the opportunities for doctoral education in the New England region. Doctoral education properly focuses on preparing the student to contribute to the growth of knowledge through research. Most doctoral programs also provide opportunities for students to work as teaching assistants and to participate in seminars on teaching led by experienced faculty members. After receiving a dual grounding in the development and communication of knowledge, graduates from UNH doctoral programs have gone on to pursue a wide range of careers.
Interdisciplinary Programs
The Graduate School encourages and supports interdisciplinary study within existing programs and in the form of new and innovative graduate curricula. While self-designed courses of study are not available at the University, many of our programs offer a range of electives, cross-disciplinary study, and independent projects that allow students to tailor their work to reflect individual interests. This is especially true at the doctoral level. In addition, the Graduate School oversees intercollegiate programs that involve faculty and coursework from more than one school or college. Intercollegiate programs offer students the opportunity to pursue new and emerging fields of study that draw upon multiple disciplines, leading to solid disciplinary foundations as well as cross-disciplinary skills useful for solving new social and scientific problems. Opportunities for interdisciplinary research are also available in the institutes and centers at the University.
UNH Online
UNH Online students receive the same high quality education and University of New Hampshire diploma as students studying on campus. Online programs & courses offer flexibility, intimate class sizes, and high quality technology solutions to enhance the learning experience.
McNair Graduate Opportunity Program
The mission of the McNair Scholars Program is to prepare talented, highly motivated UNH undergraduates for entrance to PhD programs in all fields of study. The program aims to promote and nurture the next generation of faculty, researchers, and scholars by providing academic and social support services in the form of academic year internships and summer research fellowships.
Graduate Student Senate
The Graduate Student Senate (GSS) is the official voice of UNH's graduate student body. We work hard to advocate for graduate students, representing their interests across UNH and the university system. We also work to engage the state legislature and foster a sense of community and social engagement among graduate students on campus.
Communication to Students
University communications are sent to students through the following channels:
WEBCAT
Students receive billing statements, register, and view grades, student accounts, and financial aid awards through Webcat, a part of MyUNH.
UNIVERSITY E-MAIL
Important notifications are sent to students by many departments and offices via a UNH e-mail address that is assigned by the University. Students are responsible for checking this e-mail address on a regular basis.
MYUNH
Course material and University announcements are available through MyUNH, a student portal system.
MAIL TO PERMANENT ADDRESS
Some notifications are sent in the student's name to the permanent mailing address.