The Graduate School was established by the State Board of Higher Education in 1946 to administer graduate education at Oregon State University. The primary mission of the Graduate School is to contribute to the creation and discovery of knowledge and other forms of scholarship by facilitating graduate student scholarly activities, providing leadership in defining excellence in the graduate experience, promoting an environment that nurtures exploring and learning, and advocating the benefits of the graduate enterprise on a local and global level. To this end the regulations, policies, and procedures governing graduate education are initiated and implemented by the Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School, who coordinates graduate programs, courses, admission standards, and degree requirements; enforces current regulations; recommends changes in graduate policy to the Graduate Council; acts on petitions to deviate from existing regulations; and is responsible for the efficient and effective operation of the Graduate School.

In addition to the administration of the policies and procedures pertinent to graduate education, the Graduate School endeavors to provide a variety of other services to students and faculty. These include advising and counseling on general Graduate School regulations; administering the SPEAK program (the testing of the English-speaking ability of international teaching assistants); advising graduate committee members concerning the requirements and duties of graduate faculty; monitoring student progress; participating in the recruitment of minority individuals to graduate programs; administering centralized scholarships and fellowships; managing the admissions process or the certifying of degrees for graduate students; and providing other services as needed by faculty, students, and the University to ensure quality in graduate education.

Complete information concerning the policies and regulations of graduate education may be found in the Graduate Catalog, available here https://catalog.oregonstate.edu/college-departments/graduate-school/.