Our Mission

The Graduate College at Iowa State University provides an institutional home for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars. We enhance the university as a premier destination for advanced scholarship and research. We seek to improve the academic experiences of graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate faculty. We minimize barriers to graduate education and foster diversity and inclusion. The college provides opportunities for academic advancement, the development of communication skills, and career planning with the goal of preparing those we serve to benefit human society, the global ecosystem, and economic vitality. We take pride in facilitating the joy of discovery and act based on our core values: equity, integrity, ethical practice, and excellence.

The Graduate College partners with other service, support, and academic units essential to the success of graduate education and postdoctoral scholarship. Policies that guide the academic journeys of students and scholars are initiated by the Graduate Council, which represents broad constituencies of stakeholders. The Graduate College ensures academic integrity by applying approved policies equitably across the broad spectrum of disciplines that offer graduate courses, certificates, and degrees. The college offers academic courses and professional-development opportunities, and contributes to recruitment and retention. Our goal is to assist in preparing graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to conduct and disseminate the outcomes of high-quality scholarship and research.