About the Graduate School
Established in 1910, the Graduate School at The University of Texas at Austin oversees nearly 12,100 students enrolled in over 115 fields of study. This count includes approximately 2,000 students who are enrolled in non-formula-funded degree programs and stackable graduate certificates.
Nearly 900 doctoral degrees and more than 2,100 master’s degrees are awarded each year, making the University’s graduate programs among the largest in the United States. The university is among the top producers of doctoral degrees in the United States (National Science Foundation Survey of Earned Doctorates, 2013) and is one of three southwestern members of the Association of American Universities.
The Graduate School is dedicated to excellence in research and champions the values of learning, innovation and creativity throughout the graduate and postdoctoral student experience.
Mission
As an active community of scholars in academic programs dedicated to excellence in original research, teaching, creative expression and intellectual leadership, we cultivate individuals who work together to bring knowledge, innovation and best practices to meet the great and small challenges of our time.
Welcome from the Dean
Welcome to The University of Texas at Austin—an international leader in graduate education that is located in the dynamic community of Austin, Texas. Graduate students at UT Austin are the leaders of tomorrow and will serve a key role in addressing the fundamental challenges of our time. As one of our graduate students, your discoveries and leadership will be critical to addressing the needs of our planet and society that previous generations have left unresolved.
The Graduate School is here to support you during your time as a student and help further your career—whether as a professional, researcher, scholar or artist. While you will benefit from the academics and services provided by your department, the Graduate School will also play a vital role in supporting you throughout your academic and professional journey.
The Graduate School advocates for the needs of graduate students and serves as a voice for graduate education on campus. We work with programs to develop policies that benefit graduate students—including providing a range of funding and fellowship opportunities, career development programming, academic services and health and wellbeing resources. I encourage you to explore and take advantage of the many resources available to you from the start of your journey.
You can stay connected by following us on social media to learn more about resources and get patched into the university’s graduate community. We at the Graduate School look forward to offering our support to enhance your experience here and help you succeed.
Sincerely,
Sarah Ades, Ph.D.
Dean of the Graduate School
Senior Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
The University of Texas at Austin
About Dean Ades
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Sarah Ades
Dean of the Graduate School
Senior Vice Provost for Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies
Dr. Ades comes to The University of Texas at Austin from Penn State where she most recently was the associate dean for graduate student affairs in the Graduate School at Penn State, and also served as a professor of biochemistry and molecular biology in the Eberly College of Science. She received the Penn State Teaching Fellow Award, the Alumni Association and Student Award for Teaching Excellence, and the C.I. Noll Award for Excellence in Teaching from the Eberly College of Science Alumni Society. Ades is the recipient of a Faculty Early Career Development Award from the National Science Foundation and a GlaxoSmithKline Discovery Fast Track Competition winner. She has also served on the editorial board for the Journal of Bacteriology.
Before her tenure at Penn State, she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Institut de Biologie Molecularie et Cellulaire in Strasbourg, France, and at the University of California, San Francisco. She received a bachelor’s degree in molecular physics and biochemistry from Yale University and a Ph.D. in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Your Support Structure while in Graduate School
While your department will provide much of what you need while a student here, the Graduate School also plays an important role in your time at the university.
Support From Your Home Department
During your graduate studies, you will spend the majority of your time in your home department, where the faculty, resources and services integral to your academic program reside. These resources include:
Admission and Graduate Coordinators
These staff members may be your most important contacts and administrative liaisons.
Graduate Advisers
These are faculty who have been appointed by the department or program to advise current students on issues related to degree programs.
Graduate Studies Committee (GSC)
Each program offering a graduate degree has a Graduate Studies Committee (GSC). The GSC reviews students for admission to the program, sets program-specific requirements for their graduate degrees and approves students for admission to candidacy for degrees.
Support From The Graduate School
In addition to granting your degree at convocation and administering the rules and regulations of the university governing compliance and degree completion, the Graduate School:
Provides Academic Services
From understanding policies to conducting research to writing your thesis or dissertation, the Graduate School's academic policies are designed to help you attain your educational and career goals.
Administers Fellowships
The Graduate School provides a number of fellowships and editorial assistantships in addition to coordinating many externally funded fellowships and awarding college and departmental fellowships based on nominations from departments.
Works to promote graduate education at the university and beyond
Our staff includes the Dean of Graduate Studies, dean’s executive staff (associate and assistant deans), dean’s administrative staff and student services administrative staff.
We look forward to offering our support to enhance your graduate experience and to help you successfully complete your program.