University of Louisville Graduate School

University of Louisville Graduate School The official account for the UofL Graduate School. The Graduate School notifies students of all Thesis and Dissertation guidelines and deadlines.

The University of Louisville Graduate School coordinates the admission process for all graduate programs at UofL with the exception of professional degree programs, along with many other responsibilities. The Graduate School promotes professional and academic development through PLAN (Professional development, Life skills, Academic development, and Networking) which offers free graduate workshops

on a variety of topics such as maintaining a healthy lifestyle, professional planning, and furthering teaching skills. The Graduate School is responsible for planning the doctoral hooding and graduation ceremony held each December and May. The Graduate School also reviews all Theses and Dissertations to make sure all adhere to guidelines. The Graduate School holds an annual orientation for all incoming graduate students and for new Graduate Teaching Assistants to provide information on University policies and programs. The Graduate School offers competitive fellowships and scholarships to qualified graduate students. The Graduate School works closely with the Graduate Council, the Graduate Student Council, and Directors of Graduate Studies in developing and maintaining graduate education policies. The Graduate School hosts an annual Visitation Day for qualified prospective students. The Graduate School promotes equity and inclusion through recognition and welcome events such as Welcome Day, Graduate Student Appreciation Week, and the Celebration of Excellence in Diversity. Additionally, the Check-in-and-Connect program, designed to promote the professional development of our diversity fellows, provides a community of support. The Multicultural Association of Graduate Students (MAGS) is a student-run organization housed in the Graduate School as well. The Graduate School runs multiple academies, from teaching to grant writing to mentoring, to support graduate student development. The Graduate School runs an ambassador program where selected graduate students serve as a representative of the Graduate School informing prospective and new students about life as a graduate student at UofL. The Graduate School, and Office of Interdisciplinary Studies is the enrollment unit for students in Interdisciplinary Studies graduate programs. The Graduate School coordinates the annual awarding of the outstanding mentor award for both masters and doctoral students. The Graduate School recognizes outstanding graduate students with both the monthly student spotlight and annual special awards bestowed at commencement. For more information about the Graduate School, visit: http://louisville.edu/graduate.

Our offices are closed today, May 25, in observance of Memorial Day as we honor and remember those who gave their lives ...
05/25/2026

Our offices are closed today, May 25, in observance of Memorial Day as we honor and remember those who gave their lives in service to our country.

We will reopen on Tuesday, May 26.

The 2025-26 Community Engaged Scholarship Academy (CESA) program received the 2026 Outstanding Community Engagement Awar...
05/20/2026

The 2025-26 Community Engaged Scholarship Academy (CESA) program received the 2026 Outstanding Community Engagement Award from the UofL Office of Community Engagement! The award recognizes exemplary commitment to volunteerism, outreach, partnerships, and community-based research.

"The partnerships at the heart of this program have proven communities and universities are stronger when they work together," shared Graduate School Dean Beth Boehm. "We are proud to play a role in helping students develop their potential as engaged scholars."

Congratulations, CESA students and faculty! Read more: uofl.me/cesa-recognition

We are proud to recognize Dr. Ratchneewan Ross as this spring’s recipient of the Provost’s Award for an Exemplary Direct...
05/14/2026

We are proud to recognize Dr. Ratchneewan Ross as this spring’s recipient of the Provost’s Award for an Exemplary Director of Graduate Students.

Dr. Ross is an internationally recognized nurse scientist and the director of the UofL School of Nursing PhD Program. As director, she has revitalized the program by streamlining requirements, clarifying expectations and upholding high standards.

Her students write of her compassion, care and commitment to excellence: “Dr. Ross embodies the essence of exemplary graduate program leadership. Her strategic advising, advocacy, program innovation and commitment to student development extend far beyond administrative responsibility. She not only guides students through degree requirements, but also shapes them into confident scholars, leaders and nurse scientists.”

Congratulations, Dr. Ross! Learn more at uofl.me/provosts-award

We are honored to recognize Dr. Sabur Baidya as this spring’s Outstanding Faculty Mentor of Master’s Students.Dr. Baidya...
05/13/2026

We are honored to recognize Dr. Sabur Baidya as this spring’s Outstanding Faculty Mentor of Master’s Students.

Dr. Baidya is a professor in the JB Speed School of Engineering and core faculty for the Louisville Automation & Robotics Research Institute (LARRI). In addition to teaching and conducting research, he also mentors several undergraduate, graduate and Ph.D. students.

His nominators wrote of his deep commitment to student-centered mentorship, with one student writing, “I can state without hesitation that Dr. Baidya has been the most transformative mentor of my academic journey. His guidance has shaped not only my research trajectory but also my professional identity, leadership skills and long-term aspirations toward a career in academia.”

Congratulations, Dr. Baidya! Read more at uofl.me/masters-mentor-award

We are delighted to share that Dr. Gamini Sumanasekera has been named this spring’s Outstanding Faculty Mentor of Doctor...
05/12/2026

We are delighted to share that Dr. Gamini Sumanasekera has been named this spring’s Outstanding Faculty Mentor of Doctoral Students.

Dr. Sumanasekera is a professor, university scholar and the Director of Graduate Studies for UofL Physics & Astronomy. Over the course of his career, he has supervised 20 Ph.D. students and several master’s students. His mentees past and present write of his commitment to mentorship well beyond graduation:

“At a critical moment in my Ph.D. journey, Dr. Sumanasekera saw potential in me. He did not simply accept me into his lab - he invested in me. Through steady guidance, high expectations and genuine care, he helped me rebuild both my confidence and resilience as a researcher.”

Congratulations, Dr. Sumanasekera! Read more at uofl.me/doctoral-mentor-award


University of Louisville College of Arts & Sciences

We are thrilled to announce that Katelyn Sheneman is the Spring 2026 recipient of the Guy Stevenson Award for Excellence...
05/09/2026

We are thrilled to announce that Katelyn Sheneman is the Spring 2026 recipient of the Guy Stevenson Award for Excellence in Graduate Studies. This award recognizes excellence in both scholarship and leadership, and it comes with the distinct honor of carrying our banner and delivering the student speech during commencement.

Katelyn will graduate with a Ph.D. in Microbiology and Immunology from University of Louisville School of Medicine, where she has studied under Dr. Matthew Lawrenz. She has had a truly impressive graduate research career, including successfully competing for a prestigious NSRA F31 fellowship to support her research on how Yersinia pestis, the bacterium that causes the plague, evades clearance by the human immune system. Her work has uncovered novel discoveries and led to 4 publications, 4 publications in progress, and 8 invitations to present at scientific conferences.

Beyond the research lab, Katelyn has been a force for good in the University of Louisville community, serving in multiple mentorship and leadership roles. Most notably, she has led the Louisville Science Pathways Program since 2023, which connects local high school students with paid science internships at the university. Under Katelyn’s leadership, the program saw a 55% increase in student applications, an increase in student population diversity, and an expansion of program funding and mentor support.

After graduation, Katelyn will begin postdoctoral research at Washington University in St. Louis. She has truly made an impact on our university and our local community – congratulations on your remarkable achievements, Katelyn!

Read her full story here: uofl.me/guy-stevenson-award

05/08/2026

We asked our faculty who they’re wearing to the Spring 2026 Doctoral Hooding!

We are pleased to announce that Virginia Marie Pruitt has received the Spring 2026 John Richard Binford Memorial Award. ...
05/08/2026

We are pleased to announce that Virginia Marie Pruitt has received the Spring 2026 John Richard Binford Memorial Award. This award recognizes a doctoral student who excels in scholarship and other areas in their discipline, such as leadership, teaching or service.

Marie is graduating with a Ph.D. in English Rhetoric and Composition from UofL English. Her research examines the citational, institutional, and social networks through which scholars produce knowledge through their writing. Her dissertation, “Visualizing Knowledge Networks of Rhetoric and Writing Studies Journals,” uses a mixed-methods and interdisciplinary approach to examine the networks that shape scholarly publishing in rhetoric and writing studies. A chapter from this work was recently published in “College Composition and Communication,” one of the largest and most influential journals in the field.

In addition to research, Marie has also served in several leadership positions during her doctoral program, including President of the English Graduate Organization, Assistant Director at UofL Writing Center, and copyeditor for Composition Studies, one of the oldest independent scholarly journals in the field.

In the fall, Marie will start a tenure-track position at Santa Clara University in Northern California. Congratulations on your remarkable achievements, Marie!

Read her full story here: uofl.me/john-binford-award

We are excited to share that Catherine Kaiser has been selected to receive the John M. Houchens Prize for Outstanding Di...
05/07/2026

We are excited to share that Catherine Kaiser has been selected to receive the John M. Houchens Prize for Outstanding Dissertation this spring. This award is given to a doctoral student whose dissertation shows the greatest potential for significant impact in their field.

Catherine will graduate with a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics from University of Louisville School of Medicine, where she trained in the lab of Dr. Melissa Smith. Her research has focused on characterizing the integration patterns of gene therapy vectors and assessing whether therapeutic constructs were delivered intact. Her work is shedding light on scientific unknowns and leading to insights that can be leveraged to engineer more stable CAR expressing T cells for enhanced clinical benefit.

Catherine's research has also led to in four publications and multiple recognitions, including awards at the Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics Departmental Retreat and Kentucky IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence Conference.

Following graduation, Catherine plans to pursue a career in the biotechnology industry, applying her expertise in genomics and gene therapy to develop innovative therapeutics that improve patient outcomes. Congratulations on your impactful work, Catherine!

Read her full story here: uofl.me/houchens-prize

We are delighted to share that MichaelJoseph QuentinAnthony Barber is the Spring 2026 recipient of the Virginia “Jenny” ...
05/06/2026

We are delighted to share that MichaelJoseph QuentinAnthony Barber is the Spring 2026 recipient of the Virginia “Jenny” Madden Award for Graduate Student Leadership and Service. This award recognizes a master’s student who exhibits leadership through service to their program, college, discipline, the University of Louisville, and/or the community.

MichaelJoseph is graduating from UofL Theatre Arts with an MFA in performance. During his time in the program, MichaelJoseph has been a committed advocate and contributor to the UofL African American Theater Program. He served as an MC for the annual MLK Day Celebration and participated in Peace Presbyterian Church’s “Rites of Passage,” a program focused on providing positive messaging and role models for African American youth.

In addition, MichaelJoseph teaches theatre arts to young scholars with the Louisville Central Community Centers, Inc and frequently collaborates with local artists to foster healing through the arts. AND, in his spare time, he’s pursuing a second MFA degree in playwriting from Hollins University!

MichaelJoseph is truly committed to building a robust artistic career that also uplifts underserved communities. We can't wait to see what you do next, MichaelJoseph! Congratulations on all your achievements!

Read his full story here: uofl.me/virginia-madden-award

University of Louisville College of Arts & Sciences

Address

Houchens Builiding Room 105
Louisville, KY
40292

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+15028526495

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