Graduate Program Objectives

The liberal arts tradition and the Catholic nature of the college give direction to Mount St. Mary's College and, as it is an integral part of the college, to the graduate division. Graduate programs flow from the college mission statement and presuppose the components of a liberal arts education, as is evident in the following objectives, developed by the Graduate Council for the teaching and preparation of students at the graduate level.

Women and men at the graduate level are prepared as leaders for society and are given the means as well as the confidence to:

• create and contribute to a society in which respect for individuals permeates all professional structures and personal interactions;
• assist those with whom they work to recognize and use their own talents, skills, and resources;
• envision and facilitate personal responsibility for the direction of society as it grows toward a greater global interaction, culturally, socially, and politically;expand one's own knowledge of and contribution to a field through the tools of research and academic development.

Each graduate program, in ways appropriate to the preparation for a particular profession, strives to attain these objectives by:

• individualized and personal advisement;
• careful curriculum planning and scheduling;
• selection of competent, caring faculty who are well prepared in their fields and sensitive to the needs of the adult student population;
• challenging students to investigate a wide range of related resources beyond those presented in classes;
• providing a welcoming environment that suggests harmony, peace and concern for the well-being of all persons.