Message from the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies

We recognize the significant time, effort and sacrifices that you make while pursuing career advancing graduate courses, on top of the extensive personal and professional demands placed on you. As a small, science-focused university, we have the flexibility to assist you in addressing these issues. USP provides graduate-level courses in a flexible, convenient manner, characterized by close personal interactions between the students and the faculty.

While the mission of the College of Graduate Studies at USP is to provide a high-quality education to graduate students in the natural and health sciences, we take pride in fulfilling this mission in a fashion that is friendly to our students. To meet the needs of part-time students, most of our graduate-level courses are offered in the late afternoons or early evenings. We not only accept students who wish to obtain a graduate degree but we also accept students who either wish to obtain advanced training without formally entering a graduate program or just wish to "test the waters" to see if graduate education is right for them at this time. You may opt to pursue your degree on a part-time or full-time basis. We also accept transfer credit from other accredited institutions and will consider granting credit for your life experiences when appropriate.

Our graduate courses are taught by highly competent USP faculty and by other highly qualified experts in the field. Our graduate programs benefit from the support, advice and expertise of program-specific advisory committees, which include senior executives from industry and experts from all areas of the science and health-related fields. This allows us to ensure that our students are receiving an education that prepares them for the rigors of additional graduate education and to meet the needs of future employers.

USP enjoys an excellent national and international reputation that allows us to attract graduate students from all over the United States and the world. The interaction of such a diverse body of students and faculty adds strength and depth to our programs. You will not only be educated in the content of your profession, but you will also be trained to be a critical thinker, work in group settings, and to be an effective communicator.

After reviewing our website, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 215-596-8556. We will be glad to help you begin the steps that will assist you in advancing your personal and professional goals.

Sincerely,

Rodney J. Wigent, Ph.D.
Dean, College of Graduate Studies