Clark is an institution widely known for a few focused areas of research excellence backed by strong graduate programs directed towards issues of compelling public concern in areas such as science, environment, education, ethnic conflict, global economic change, and human development in societal context.
The goal of graduate education at Clark is to enable students to be creative and innovative contributors to their fields. To prepare students for this role, a Clark graduate education provides skills necessary for and exposure to the practice of the discipline as well as the tools required to think critically about previous approaches and methods. A broad base of knowledge is valued including exposure to multiple disciplines so that students can not only work within the current boundaries of their disciplines but also broaden them. Programs draw upon a scholarly approach in which an intellectual model of inquiry is used to explore relations among theory, research, and practice.
As a small research university where liberal education is embraced Clark University affords its graduate students the opportunity to participate in cutting edge research in the context of an institution committed to quality teaching. Graduate students enrolling at Clark can expect a welcoming environment where personal attention and collegiality are strongly valued, small discussion based classes are the norm, and where there is a strong institutional committment to educating the next generation of teacher-scholars, researchers, and professionals.