INFORMATION FOR USERS OF THE ONLINE GRADUATE CATALOG

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ABOUT THE GRADUATE CATALOG

The Graduate Catalog is the official listing of the policies and procedures governing graduate education at the University of Louisville which are set forth by the Graduate Council and the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies.  Information about academic degrees, certificate programs, Rank I Programs for Certified Teachers, a list of programs by school, a list of professional degree programs and a roster of the Graduate Faculty are updated annually in the Catalog. You may also search the course catalog for a detailed description of graduate courses offered at the University of Louisville.

Preamble to the Graduate Catalog

The University of Louisville is an urban institution that has had close historical and legal ties with the city of Louisville and Jefferson County (now Louisville-Jefferson County Metro). Founded in 1798 as Jefferson Seminary, later known as Louisville College, in 1846 it became the University of Louisville with an academic department and a medical school. Also in 1846, a School of Law was added, and a charter was obtained from the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Under that charter the University has functioned ever since. Currently, it includes the following units: College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education and Human Development, School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies, School of Dentistry, Raymond A. Kent School of Social Work, Louis D. Brandeis School of Law, School of Medicine, School of Music, School of Nursing, School of Public Health and Information Sciences, and J.B. Speed School of Engineering.

In July of 1970, the University of Louisville officially entered the state university system of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and thus began a new era of service to community, state, and nation. Through the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies, the University assumes its responsibility not only to teach but to contribute to the sum of knowledge. It encourages investigation, promotes research, and endeavors to organize the store of human knowledge to serve the needs of present-day life. By fostering the spirit of inquiry and research in the members of its faculties, it not only strengthens undergraduate instruction but also advances knowledge. Through its graduate courses, it furnishes advanced preparation for those who are planning to become investigators or teachers in the social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences. Because of its location in a major metropolitan area, the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies is very much aware of both the research opportunities and the obligations in teaching and public service that such a location presents.

The former Graduate School, now The School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies, was established in 1915, with advanced degrees awarded as early as 1908. Other advanced courses were offered by the Schools of Medicine and Law as early as 1856.

The legislative functions of the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies are vested in the Graduate Council which consists of elected representatives of the Graduate Faculty. The Council is responsible for establishing policies relating to graduate education and for maintaining a standard of excellence for graduate work within the University. The Dean of the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies serves as chair of this body and of the Graduate Faculty.

The dean and the dean's staff are responsible for the administration of the rules and regulations of the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies and are expected to maintain and safeguard the standards and policies of the school as outlined by the Graduate Faculty and the Graduate Council.

Graduate students participate in the operation and decision-making process of the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies through the Graduate Student Association (http://louisville.edu/rso/gsc/), to which all Graduate School students belong and its executive committee the Graduate Student Council, which consists of one elected representative from each graduate program. A representative of the Graduate Student Council serves as a voting member of the Graduate Council. Graduate students are actively sought as members of many of the standing committees of the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies, and they are urged to participate and become involved in the administration of the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies through these channels.

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