They are nominated by their departments, with the approval of their school deans, and have to be approved by the Policies and Petitions Committee of the School of Graduate Studies and Continuing Education. Second, each program has sufficient breadth to include essential study in supporting areas and disciplines. As a corollary, programs in the professions include study in the basic academic disciplines from which they are derivative or on which they rest and, in addition, include essential study in supporting areas and disciplines. Third, each program takes as an objective the development of habits of scholarship and understanding and competence in research consistent with the level and nature of the program. Fourth, each program in the professions takes as an objective the development of skills and competencies essential to responsible practice.
Graduate education is centered in academic program areas.
The primary purpose of the graduate program is to offer capable students an opportunity and facilities for advanced study and research in their fields of specialization, and one of its aims is to assist students in achieving an advance level of understanding and competence necessary for successful professional careers. In general, all graduate programs provide preparation or continued preparation for a number of careers ordinarily associated with the various fields of study which they represent. Similarly, students interested in careers in education should enter some aspect of the teaching curricula either as majors in the academic area only or as majors who combine studies in the discipline with other studies in human development, research, measurement or learning theory.