Great Moments: Graduate studies

Grad school increases research intensity

Though UVic was founded around the heritage of two undergraduate institutions — representing teacher education and liberal arts — the launch of the graduate school in 1966 put in place a strong foundation for stratospheric growth. This was big news in October of 1965, when the Martlet splashed leading but accurate speculation about plans for a grad school on its front page — a scoop, as neither Victoria daily paper carried word of the plan. Begun the following year, with five departments teaching graduate courses, the rise and diversification of graduate programming and enrolment quickly helped distinguish UVic as a university where students could take charge of increasingly challenging scholarship and research — a path that has also led to research-enriched undergraduate curricula.

“Graduate students generate energy, excitement and interest in their research and scholarship that is vital to all members of the university,” explains Dr. David Capson, dean of graduate studies. “From humble beginnings, we now offer more than 160 graduate programs in all nine faculties and two divisions. And as future leaders, our grad students carry the UVic traditions of inquiry and engagement into their careers throughout the world and contribute to our reputation.”