Mission and Governance

The Graduate School is responsible for developing, administering, and evaluating graduate education throughout the University. Graduate School personnel work in partnership with the faculty, program chairs and department heads, the deans, and graduate students (particularly through the Graduate Student Assembly, and the Commission on Graduate and Professonal Studies and Policies (CGPSP) to further Graduate education at Virginia Tech.

Our mission statement

The mission of the Virginia Tech Graduate School is to advance graduate education as a critical component in the transmission of new knowledge, new research, new ideas, and new scholarship in the University. The Graduate School is committed to providing a rich learning environment that attracts and retains outstanding graduate students. They work closely with outstanding faculty to advance knowledge and understanding that enables us to address the complex issues of today's society and tomorrow's future. Our viability as a top research university depends upon our ability to prioritize graduate education and research as central to the academic mission of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

University mission statement

The University's mission statement can be found on this webpage.

Our Role

The Graduate School leads and directs the university's graduate programs. It strives to create a learning environment that will ensure the highest quality of graduate programs in keeping with the land-grant mission of teaching, research, and public service.

Working with the faculty, the Graduate School is committed to providing access to programs and services for qualified students of all racial, cultural, and ethnic backgrounds, and to extending selected graduate programs and services to all regions of Virginia.

In concert with the Commission on Graduate Studies and Policies, the Graduate School:

• Continuously reviews the university's graduate programs and policies
• Establishes and maintains rigorous admission and academic standards
• Acts as an advocate for graduate education in the university and the state
• Helps prepare graduates to serve as leaders for the commonwealth, the nation, and the world.