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Plymouth State University
MSC 11
17 High Street
Plymouth, NH 03264-1595
About Us
Plymouth State University (PSU), located in the heart of New Hampshire's Lakes Region and White Mountains Region, is a comprehensive regional university with an established reputation for high academic standards. The University provides meaningful, student-centered learning opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students. It is also a “partner of choice” that works closely with local and regional businesses as well as school districts, communities, and organizations to create enriching joint opportunities that move society forward.
With an enrollment of approximately 4,300 full-time undergraduate students and more than 2,700 full- and part-time graduate students enrolled in Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT), Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Education (MEd), Master of Science (MS), Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS), and educator and specialist certification programs, PSU meets a wide variety of academic and professional needs.
The College of Graduate Studies has 90 full-time faculty members (approximately half of the total number of PSU faculty) who teach in various graduate programs and more than a third of them serve as graduate program coordinators. In addition, the College of Graduate Studies seeks out qualified experts to serve as adjunct instructors in programs that complement the offerings of full-time faculty. Currently, more than 300 graduate faculty, the majority of whom hold doctoral or other terminal degrees in their fields, teach in the various graduate programs at PSU. Each graduate student is assigned a faculty member as an advisor who assists the student in planning coursework to meet personal and professional goals.
Location
Plymouth State University's campus is located at the gateway to New Hampshire's Lakes Region and the White Mountains, in a setting that invites students to conveniently enjoy the state's great outdoors. The campus is situated in the town of Plymouth, close to many tourist attractions, national forests and recreation areas. PSU features an outdoor landscape that provides students and faculty alike with four distinctive seasons of recreational and educational adventure. The University uses the outdoors as a natural laboratory and classroom for learning as well as sporting activities.
PSU is the only public graduate university located north of Concord, New Hampshire's capital city. However, the University is accessible to students throughout the state, not only because of its central location, but because Plymouth offers classroom courses in many locations throughout New Hampshire as well as online.
Mission
Plymouth State University Mission Statement
As a public regional university, PSU serves New Hampshire and New England by providing well-educated graduates; by offering ongoing opportunities for graduate education and professional development; and by extending to communities partnership opportunities for cultural enrichment and economic development. In each of these roles, PSU has a special commitment of service to the North Country and the Lakes Region of New Hampshire. As a Carnegie Master's/L University, PSU confers a comprehensive range of baccalaureate degrees, master's degrees, and certificates of advanced graduate studies.
The College of Graduate Studies strives to prepare exceptional practitioners in a variety of disciplines through excellence in academic programs. Its commitment extends beyond New England to the rest of the nation and the world. Professionals develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions they need to initiate change and provide visionary leadership within a framework that promotes individual dignity, respects diversity, and seeks distributive justice.
The purpose of graduate study is to:
- promote intellectual curiosity;
- investigate advanced subject matter in depth and breadth;
- master scholarly techniques and developmental research;
- cultivate an atmosphere of intellectual discipline that facilitates faculty and student scholarship and research;
- contribute to the knowledge base of professionals and improve society's understanding of the systems in which people, organizations and communities thrive.
The College of Graduate Studies contributes directly to ongoing academic, cultural, and community life by providing a variety of professional development programs, theater collaboratives, art exhibitions, symposia, and service-based partnerships. It also provides multiple opportunities and support for research-based initiatives.
Values
The University motto, Ut prosim (That I may serve), underscores the values upon which Plymouth State University's mission is built. The College of Graduate Studies has a strong commitment to adult learners. This commitment is demonstrated by responding to students' needs; helping students meet their personal and professional goals; and collaborating in the development and delivery of flexible and accessible academic programs.
The College of Graduate Studies is dedicated to providing a learning environment that supports development of the mind, body, and spirit. By providing a solid foundation for continuous learning, students are encouraged to grow and serve as scholars and professionals. The College of Graduate Studies recognizes the contributions of faculty and students to disciplinary and interdisciplinary best practices.
Learners are encouraged to be active agents in their graduate programs through dynamic collaboration with our diverse faculty of scholars and practitioners. The graduate programs foster inquiry and critical thinking through a commitment to the following hallmarks:
- Leadership and advocacy
- Scholarship and action/application
- Reflection and innovation
- Professionalism and service
- Global awareness and social responsibility
Plymouth State is dedicated to providing learning experiences that promote understanding and respect for all people, and constructive discourse that includes a range of perspectives. The University strives to create an environment that embraces diversity, equity, and inclusiveness for the entire community.
Vision
The University's educational philosophy is based on the concepts of learner-centered teaching, experiential learning, and academic excellence. The PSU education features a complementary relationship between liberal arts and professional studies, between academic and personal development, between service and individual growth, and between the University campus and the larger community. Programs of study are designed to engage students and to prepare them for gratifying and productive careers.
The College of Graduate Studies programs provide professional competency and leadership as well as the advancement of knowledge in specialized areas. In graduate programs, experiential learning in the world of career and professional practice such as internships, field experiences, service learning, study abroad programs and other practical learning partnerships allow students to become directly involved in testing and applying academic theories and ongoing personal and professional development.
History
Founded in 1871 as a teacher training college, PSU has expanded to 170 acres and 47 buildings. Preserving the brick-and-ivy look of its New England small college heritage while integrating state-of-the-art technology and facilities, PSU combines an attractive, contemporary campus design and a dynamic educational environment.
Plymouth State is the only public graduate university located north of Concord, New Hampshire's capital city. However, the University is accessible to students throughout the state, not only because of its central location, but because it offers classroom courses in many locations throughout New Hampshire as well as online.
The University has provided high-quality graduate education for students in education since 1948 and in business since 1974. The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies program was first offered in 1997 and the Master of Arts in Teaching degree was approved in 2004. In 2005, the Master of Science was introduced as a new degree program. Plymouth State offers educator and professional certification programs, and articulation agreements exist with other universities for doctoral studies.
Pending NEASC approval, a Doctor of Education degree in learning, leadership, and community will serve working students and prepare graduates for administrative and teaching positions in P–12 districts and higher education institutions, and for work in community agencies and organizations related to public education.
An overwhelming majority of alumni look back on their education with pride and satisfaction. Faculty members, who have rich and varied backgrounds in field settings, are committed to maintaining a vigorous, stimulating, and action-oriented experience for students.
