The Graduate College provides funding opportunities for students who present at a conference, conduct research, or attend a prestigious training or class not offered at OU. They also manage tuition waivers for graduate research and teaching assistants.
Graduate College
Contact
Norman Campus
213 Robertson Hall
731 Elm Avenue
Norman, OK 73019-2115
Main Phone: (405) 325-3811
Website: ou.edu/gradcollege
Email: gradinfo@ou.edu
Administrative Officers
Randall S. Hewes, Ph.D. — Dean and Professor of Biology
Liz Karr, Ph.D. — Senior Associate Dean and Professor of Microbiology
Ioana Cionea, Ph.D. — Associate Dean and Associate Professor of Communication
Lindsey Johnston — Assistant Dean for Graduate Information Services
Krista Pettersen --- Assistant VP for Academic Operations and Registrar, Tulsa Campus
Sage Mauldin, Ph. D. — Director of Professional Development and Engagement
Kristi Meyers — Director of Graduate Academic Services
Jessica Reynolds — Director of Instructional and Language Services
Amy Shaw — Director of Graduate Admissions
General Information
Mission and History
The Graduate College supports and advocates for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers throughout their innovative educational journey. The college collaborates with a student’s chosen graduate program to assist them in achieving their goals. As the center of advanced study at the University, the college provides a foundation of creative activity to enhance graduate student and postdoc success.
Graduate instruction has been offered at the University of Oklahoma since 1899, seven years after the University opened its doors. The first master’s degree was conferred in 1900 to C. Ross Hume. The Graduate School was formally organized in 1909, and in 1929, the first doctoral degree was awarded to Dr. Mary Jane Brown. In 1942, the name was changed from Graduate School to Graduate College.
Authority and Responsibility of Faculty, Staff, & Students
The Graduate College guides, supports, and enhances the educational experience of every OU graduate student. The Graduate Council and the Dean of the Graduate College supervise and evaluate the academic units of the University that offer master’s and doctoral degrees to ensure quality, observance of policy, and academic excellence in all areas of advanced study. Faculty and staff carefully monitor the performance of all graduate students. Final determination of a student's graduate status, from admission through graduation, rests with the Dean of the Graduate College.
The Graduate College strives to develop in each student a firm grasp of a chosen field, the skills and methods of research, and the capacity for independent thought. Faculty and students share an obligation to master the knowledge of their chosen fields and to add to that knowledge or apply it through professional contributions that benefit society. The Graduate Faculty has responsibility for instruction, for the guidance of graduate students in the development of their programs, and for pursuing investigations associated with a particular field or discipline. Graduate students are expected to demonstrate initiative and assume responsibility for the progress of their studies. Students must master a body of knowledge, and class work merely provides the foundation for wider personal inquiry. A graduate degree is conferred for mastery of a field and thorough understanding of its related branches.
For complete information about the Graduate College, graduate degree and certificate programs, and policies governing graduate study at the University of Oklahoma, review the Graduate College Bulletin.
Programs Offered
Programs & Facilities
Resources
Fellowships and Scholarships
Private donations have enabled the Graduate College to provide fellowships and scholarships in many areas. Additional programs seek to reward and encourage scholars conducting and presenting original scholarship at the highest levels. Dissertation Awards and Graduate Teaching Assistant Awards are given to reward excellence in dissertation research and teaching, respectively. In addition, the annual Three Minute Thesis competition (3MT®) challenges students to communicate the significance of their research to a general audience in just three minutes. Cash prizes are awarded, and the finalists’ presentations are featured on the Graduate College website. For more information on these programs and others that may be available, visit the Graduate College website.
Funding and Awards
Instructional and Professional Development Center (IPDC)
The IPDC offers services designed to benefit graduate students, postdocs, and academic units with respect to professional development and instructional services. The Center offers workshops, courses, certificates, and community engagement events tailored to the diverse needs of the graduate student and postdoc population as well as English certification and language support services for international students and graduate assistants.
Courses
GRAD 5000. Concurrent Students at OUHSC.0 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: graduate standing. OU students concurrently enrolled at OUHSC. (F, Sp, Su)
GRAD 5003. Oklahoma Scholar-Leadership Enrichment Program Graduate Seminar.3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: graduate standing. May be repeated with change of content; maximum credit 12 hours. An interdisciplinary seminar variable in content changing with each seminar. Seminars are led by prominent national and international scholars and leaders coordinated with a current faculty member in their area of expertise. Emphasis is on enrichment and exploration with scholars to investigate ideas and issues affecting the future of humanity. (F, Sp)
GRAD 5940. Professional Master's Practicum/Internship.1-5 Credit Hours.
1 to 5 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing and permission of instructor. May be repeated once; maximum credit five hours. Provides a practicum or internship experience for students in the professional master's degree program. The students will apply the knowledge from their core academic discipline (e.g. science, engineering, education, fine arts) in an appropriate supervised professional setting (e.g. business, public administration, international programs) to provide a valid experience related to the core discipline and career context of their professional masters degree. The internship/practicum will serve as the culminating experience for the degree. (F, Sp, Su)
GRAD 5980. Research for Master's Thesis.2-9 Credit Hours.
Variable enrollment, two to nine hours; maximum credit applicable toward degree, four hours. (F, Sp, Su)
GRAD 5990. Graduate Special Topics.1-4 Credit Hours.
1 to 4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing and permission of instructor. May be repeated with change of topic; maximum credit twelve hours. Selected topics in graduate areas not usually covered in traditional courses. For any particular section there may be additional prerequisites required. (F, Sp, Su.
GRAD 6980. Research for Doctoral Dissertation.2-12 Credit Hours.
2 to 12 hours. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and permission of instructor or Graduate College; may be repeated. Directed research culminating in the completion of the doctoral dissertation. (F, Sp, Su)
GRAD 6990. Graduate Advanced Special Topics.1-4 Credit Hours.
1 to 4 hours. Prerequisite: graduate standing and permission of instructor. May be repeated with change of content; maximum credit twelve hours. Selected advanced topics in graduate areas not usually covered in traditional courses. For any particular section there may be additional prerequisites required. (F, Sp, Su)
OCL 5603. The Science of Community Engagement.3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing. This course provides an evidence-based foundation of knowledge to prepare participants for the collaborative world of community engagement. Lectures/discussions will cover a range of subjects including organizational dynamics, anatomy of a community, and aspects of community observation and interaction. Levels of helping and psychology of helping and being helped will also be covered. (Irreg.)
OCL 5613. The Tools of Community Engagement.3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing and OCL 5603. The course focuses on methods of conducting community assessments, theories of developing and implementing programs and systems of change, public policy and administration as modes of transformation, and measuring successes and program evaluation. (Irreg.)
OCL 5623. Community Engagement Apprenticeship.3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing, OCL 5603, and OCL 5613. Learners will work with a mentor associated with a community partner. The apprenticeship entails shadowing, observing, and actively learning from a community partner mentor that provides a "deep dive" into community engagement. During the course of the apprenticeship, the learner will identify a key problem or issue within the community partner organization and formulate a "Capstone Prospectus." (Irreg.)
OCL 5633. Community Engagement Capstone.3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing, OCL 5603, OCL 5613, and OCL 5623. Learners will apply all they have learned in the preceding courses to address a real-world problem or issue affecting a community partner. In this course, learners will implement the program they developed in the Community Engagement Apprenticeship course. Learners will collect measures and other forms of data at baseline and at points following implementation of their program. (Irreg.)
OCL 6813. Prospectus Development for Doctoral Dissertation.3 Credit Hours.
Prerequisite: Graduate standing and departmental permission. May be repeated; maximum credit six hours. The course is designed for advanced doctoral students/candidates. Students will develop a research topic and write a topic proposal as a starting point to work from and further develop with the dissertation chair and committee. (F, Sp, Su)
OCL 6980. Research for Doctoral Dissertation.2-16 Credit Hours.
2 to 16 hours. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and permission of instructor; May be repeated. Directed research culminating in the completion of the doctoral dissertation. (F, Sp, Su)
OCL 6990. Independent Study.1-3 Credit Hours.
1 to 3 hours. Prerequisite: Graduate standing and permission of instructor. May be repeated with change of content; maximum credit twelve hours. Contracted independent study for a topic not currently offered in regularly scheduled courses. Individual research in areas of organizational and community leadership. Independent study may include library and/or laboratory research and field projects. Specific objectives and work requirements should be established by prior agreement between the instructor and student. (F, Sp, Su)