It is my pleasure to welcome you to Columbia University. Situated in New York City among many of the world’s finest cultural institutions, Columbia has one of the country’s oldest and most distinguished graduate schools. To help you make the most of this unique opportunity, this handbook provides a useful introduction to the Graduate School and its resources.

The Graduate School’s mission is to ensure excellence in the training of graduate students at Columbia. Although a significant number of Columbia Ph.D.s enter academia, the education offered here is also applicable to a wide range of careers outside the academy. To prepare students for the many opportunities that await them upon graduation, the Graduate School makes every effort to promote excellence at all levels of graduate education.

The Graduate School is charged with promoting the integration of graduate students into the research and educational missions of the University. Toward this end, it influences the direction of graduate programs in a number of ways, which I would like to outline:

The Graduate School is charged with overseeing the quality of all aspects of graduate education in the Arts and Sciences departments and with establishing policies and standards that define best practices in these programs. To this end, I meet annually with the chair and director of graduate studies (DGS) in each of the 31 Ph.D. programs in the Arts and Sciences and organize periodic external reviews of all 61 Ph.D. programs.
The Graduate School pays close attention to the diversity and intellectual collegiality of its programs. GSAS maintains an Office of Minority Affairs and supports a number of student groups. It also works closely with the International Students and Scholars Office (ISSO) and the Office of Diversity Initiatives.

GSAS is the chief advocate for the Ph.D. students’ needs qua students, so that any service roles they hold are treated as secondary to their need to have the time and resources to engage in Ph.D. study. Thus, I lobby hard for the resources, both financial and intellectual, required to assist students in the successful and timely completion of their degree programs.

The Graduate School actively supports those areas of graduate student life that are not considered academic but are critical to success. It works with the Graduate Student Advisory Council (GSAC) and University support offices to promote the interests of graduate students in areas such as financial aid, health care, counseling, and housing. It also has a special interest in supporting students in their professional development. Through the GSAS Teaching Center, GSAS recognizes its role in training the future professoriate and, through its support of the Center for Career Education, it recognizes that academic jobs are not the only career outcomes for many Ph.D. recipients.

These are just some of the roles that the Graduate School plays. You will learn more as you read this Handbook and the companion booklet, GSAS Rules and Regulations. We are here to assist you and make sure that you have the best possible experience as a student, as a scholar, and as a person. Welcome to Columbia!

Henry C. Pinkham, Dean