University Mission and Goals
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a Catholic university, founded by members of the Spiritan Congregation, and sustained through a partnership of laity and religious.
The motto of Duquesne University is Spiritus est qui vivificat, "It is the Spirit who gives life." Enriching the life of the mind and the life of the spirit of every member of its community is the mission of Duquesne.
It is Duquesne University's special trust to seek truth and to disseminate knowledge within a moral and spiritual framework in order to prepare leaders distinguished not only by their academic and professional expertise but also by their ethics, and guided by consciences sensitive to the needs of society.
Therefore, Duquesne is a community of students, faculty, administrators, and others who are willing to make these commitments:
- To create undergraduate and graduate education of the highest quality in liberal and professional disciplines
- To examine the moral and ethical foundations of their thought and action, and to develop their personal values and ethical commitment.
- To participate in an ecumenical dialogue open to all beliefs.
- To extend educational opportunities to those with special financial, educational, and physical needs.
- To promote world community through the development of an international and intercultural vision of the global needs and international responsibilities for peace, justice, and freedom.
Duquesne serves God by serving students through an academic community dedicated to excellence in liberal and professional education, through profound concern for moral and spiritual values, through the maintenance of an ecumenical atmosphere open to diversity, and through service to the Church, the community, the nation, and the world.
Complemented by a broad spectrum of nonacademic activities and programs, the curriculum at Duquesne University is designed to prepare young men and women who, upon entering their chosen careers, will possess a broad, well-balanced and fully integrated education and perspective of themselves and the world.
Mission Statement of Graduate Education
The purpose of graduate programs at Duquesne University emanates from the University Mission that emphasizes education for the mind, heart and soul. Graduate programs must build upon prior collegiate learning experiences to enhance the academic knowledge, professional competence and the personal growth of the student, the academic discipline, and the communities in which the student will live and work.
Graduate programs at Duquesne University teach students advanced theories and methods of scholarly and professional work, building upon previous education and experience, to prepare students to assume positions of leadership in their respective fields of study or work, and to advance knowledge and practice in those disciplines. Moreover, graduate educational programs at Duquesne develop the intellectual and ethical potential of students so that they model lifelong approaches to learning and to service; this is the Duquesne spirit. It is from this perspective that the Mission and Goals of the graduate programs of Duquesne University are crafted.