Graduate Bulletin 2001-2003
Mission of Miami University
The mission of Miami University is to preserve, add to, evaluate, and transmit the accumulated knowledge of the centuries; to develop critical thinking, extend the frontiers of knowledge, and serve society; and to provide an environment conducive to effective and inspired teaching and learning, promote professional development of faculty, and encourage scholarly research and creativity of faculty and students.
Miami's primary concern is its students. This concern is reflected in a broad array of efforts to develop the potential of each student. The university endeavors to individualize the educational experience. It provides personal and professional guidance, and it offers opportunities for its students to achieve understanding and appreciation not only of their own culture but of the cultures of others as well. Selected undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs of quality should be offered with the expectation of students achieving high levels of competence and understanding and developing personal value systems. Since the legislation creating Miami University stated that a leading mission of the university was to promote "good education, virtue, religion, and morality," the university has been striving to emphasize the supreme importance of dealing with problems related to values.
Miami is committed to serve the community, state, and nation. It offers access to higher education, including continuing education, for those who can benefit from it, at a reasonable cost, without regard for race, creed, sex, or age. It educates men and women for responsible, informed citizenship, as well as for meaningful employment. It provides both disciplinary and interdisciplinary approaches to the pursuit of knowledge and to the solving of problems. It sponsors a wide range of cultural and educational activities that have significance beyond the campus and the local community.
Brief History
An act of Congress signed by George Washington in 1792 stipulated that a university be located in the Miami Valley north of the Ohio River. The official act to establish Miami University was passed on Feb. 17, 1809. Miami is the second oldest state university west of the Alleghenies and takes its name from the tribe that once inhabited the area known as Ohio's Miami Valley.
Delayed by the War of 1812, instruction began in 1824 with a president, two faculty, and 20 students. Enrollment grew rapidly, reaching 250 by 1839.
In the 1830s, William Holmes McGuffey wrote the first of his Eclectic Readers while a Miami professor. Among the many talented young students was Benjamin Harrison who graduated in 1852; he was elected the 23rd president of the United States in 1888.
A few years after the Civil War, with changed conditions and advancing prices, the income of the university became insufficient to support its work. Miami closed in 1873, opening 12 years later when resources had accumulated and the state of Ohio began a policy of appropriating public funds for support.
Coeducation began in 1888. By 1903 there were more than 100 women on campusone third of the total enrollment. Our first African American student, Nelly Craig, graduated in 1905.
Many other milestones have been reached. The concept of artist-in-residence began here. Beginning in 1835, four national fraternities were founded here, giving Miami one nickname, "Mother of Fraternities." Another nickname is Cradle of Coaches, referring to the coaching success of many former players and coaches. Ohio's first intercollegiate football game was played at Miami in 1888 against the University of Cincinnati.
In the beginning, the course of study at Miami was strictly classical. Over the years new academic divisions were added to meet the changing needs of students and society: education in 1902, business in 1927, fine arts in 1929, graduate programs in 1947, applied science in 1959, and interdisciplinary studies in 1974.
Western College, a 120-year-old private institution adjoining Oxford campus, merged with Miami in 1974 and became the site of interdisciplinary studies (Western College Program).
Miami's Middletown and Hamilton campuses opened in 1966 and 1968, respectively. Also in 1968, Miami opened a European center, now named John E. Dolibois European Center, in Luxembourg.
A number of campus buildings are listed in the National Register of Historic Places, including Oxford College, Elliott, Stoddard, and Peabody halls, and the Western College for Women Historic District. The McGuffey Museum is a National Historic Landmark.
About Miami
Miami is a state-assisted university of Ohio. Approximately 1,450 graduate students and 14,800 undergraduates are enrolled at the Oxford campus. About 225 of the undergraduates attend one or two semesters at the John E. Dolibois European Center in Differdange, Luxembourg. Two commuter campuses in nearby cities, Hamilton and Middletown, each enroll more than 2,600 additional students.
Academic Divisions and Programs
Miami has seven academic divisions: College of Arts and Science, Richard T. Farmer School of Business Administration, School of Education and Allied Professions, School of Engineering and Applied Science, School of Fine Arts, School of Interdisciplinary Studies (Western College Program), and Graduate School. Programs leading to associate's, bachelor's, master's, Specialist in Education, and doctoral degrees are offered. Graduate certificates are also available. Undergraduate certificate programs are offered at the regional campuses.
Graduate degree programs are offered by all of the divisions except for the School of Interdisciplinary Studies. A graduate degree is also offered by the Institute of Environmental Sciences. Major areas, degrees, and certificates are listed in the front of this Bulletin.
Location
The central campus of Miami University is located in Oxford, Ohio, just 35 miles north of Cincinnati and 45 miles southwest of Dayton. Both Cincinnati and Dayton International airports are within an hour's drive. U.S. Route 27 and S.R. 73 are the main highways to Oxford.
Oxford is a classic college town with a population of about 9,000 (excluding students). Uptown, adjacent to campus, are small shops, a movie theatre, and local eateries.
The university covers more than 1,900 acres in Oxford. Preservation of nature throughout the campus and community coupled with Miami's architectural continuitymodified Georgian designexplains why the campus is regarded as one of the most beautiful in the Midwest.
Transportation
All of Miami's buildings and facilities are within walking distance, and uptown Oxford is nearby.
The Miami Metro bus service runs regular routes across campus and around town. Bus information brochures are available in the front lobby of Shriver Center; the information hotline is 513-523-8188.
The Blast, a Butler County Regional Transit Authority bus, runs regular routes between Hamilton and Oxford campuses in addition to other routes in the Hamilton area. For information, call 513-785-5237.
Special bus service to Chicago and the Cleveland area is arranged for fall and spring breaks, Thanksgiving, and winter break. Commercial van service is available to airports in Cincinnati, Columbus, Dayton, and Indianapolis. For transportation information, see bulletin boards located on the lower levels of Shriver Center and King Library or contact the Parents Office at 513-529-3436.
University Resources
Many of these offices and programs offer information online. Visit Miami University's homepage at www.muohio.edu.
Career Planning
Career Planning and Placement Office
www.muohio.edu/careers/
241 Hoyt Hall, 513-529-3831
The Career Planning and Placement Office (CPPO) provides services ranging from individual career advising to on-campus interviews with employers representing business, industry, education, government, and public services. Reference materials and career information are also available.
To receive full services, register at the CPPO during your fall semester prior to graduation. Credential services are provided for students pursuing teaching or administrative positions in education. Your academic department is another good source of helpful information.
Center for the Study of Writing
Department of English
214 Johnston Hall, Middletown Campus, 513-727-3283
The Center for the Study of Writing is a group of graduate students and faculty from several departments committed to research in composition and to improve the quality of writing instruction.
Members exchange ideas, plan composition-related activities and projects, and collaborate on grant proposals. The center supports graduate student research and professional involvement, sponsors writing conferences and workshops, and invites speakers to campus.
IT Services
www.muohio.edu/mcis/
IT Services offices:
- Support Desk, 324 Gaskill Hall, 513-524-7900
- 302 Hoyt Hall, 513-529-5322
- 340 Gaskill Hall, 513-529-6013
- IT Services Learning Technologies Centers:
- Gaskill Hall, 513-529-9742
- MacCracken Hall, 513-529-6069
- Reid Hall, 513-529-6405
IT Services provides facilities and services in support of the application of technology for academic, research, and administrative needs.
Excellent computing facilities are available to students. Miami's technology environment is comprised of more than 1,000 computers: central Unix systems, high-end workstations, multimedia work stations, and microcomputers. Available software includes programming languages, graphics, numerical analysis, simulation, data management tools, and statistical analysis packages.
All students and faculty have e-mail accounts for Internet access. Disk space is provided on centrally supported systems, on the network, and on divisional servers.
Learning Technologies Centers are equipped with Windows and Mac OS microcomputers, printers, scanners, and general-purpose software. Graduate students are encouraged to visit Area 351, Gaskill Hall, for consultation about research projects that require computing.
Each academic division operates its own computing laboratory. Most departments also have computing laboratories dedicated to research or other specific uses.
Media Services in Gaskill Hall provides many services for graduate students. Services include graphic design, photography, slide and overhead transparency production, laminating, offset printing, and copying. Teaching assistants can also reserve material and equipment for university classes.
Continuing Education Programs
Office of Continuing Education
www.muohio.edu/continuingeducation/
Joyner House, 513-529-1508
The Office of Continuing Education (OCE) offers credit and noncredit programs and services, as well as serving as an advocate for nontraditional students and a contact for university community service and development.
Credit programs include Summer Sessions, domestic and international credit workshops, International Workshop Scholarship Program, Miami University - Wilmington College Center for Graduate Study, and distance education.
Noncredit programs include Austrian Summer Student Exchange Program, Luxembourg Summer Student Scholarship Program, development and coordination of select conferences, Institute for Learning in Retirement, Elderhostel, and courses.
Counseling Service
Health Services Center, 513-529-4634
Professionally trained counselors and psychologists at the Student Counseling Service offer individual and group counseling, testing, consultation, and outreach programs. All interviews are confidential.
Workshops are scheduled to assist students in dealing with issues such as career decision making, stress and relaxation training, interpersonal relationships, and performance anxiety.
Disability Resources
19 Campus Avenue Building
513-529-1541 (TTY/TDD accessible)
Through the Office of Disability Resources (ODR), reasonable accommodations and support services are available to any qualified student, faculty, or staff member who has a documented disability. A disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, such as walking, talking, hearing, seeing, or learning. To receive accommodations, individuals must identify themselves to ODR, provide documentation regarding their disabilities from a licensed professional, and sign paperwork designed to protect their confidentiality.
Services offered by ODR ensure access as required by Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
For more information please refer to The Student Handbook online at www.muohio.edu/univpubs/handbook/ or contact the director of the Office of Disability Resources.
Graduate Student Associations
Graduate School
www.muohio.edu/graduateschool/
Bonham House, 513-529-4125
The Graduate Student Association represents all graduate students and promotes their academic, social, and economic aims. It maintains open channels of communication with other student organizations and with academic and administrative units of the university.
The association sponsors a Travel Assistance Fund to reimburse graduate students for travel expenses to professional meetings, conventions, conferences, and workshops.
The Graduate Students of Color Association aids graduate students by sponsoring academic programming, social, and cultural events from a diverse perspective. It also serves as an avenue of communication with the Graduate School and as a liaison between students of color and the university.
Health Service
Health Services Center
421 S. Campus Avenue, 513-529-3000 (TTY/TDD accessible)
Outpatient care facilities and services are provided.In addition to the staff, specialists in orthopedic surgery, radiology, and gynecology consult on a regular basis. Hospitalization and after-hours care are available at Oxford's McCullough-Hyde Memorial Hospital.
Graduate students enrolled for 12 or more credit hours receive unlimited care at the Health Service. Graduate students enrolled for less than 12 credit hours receive care if they have paid the full general fee.
There are minimal charges for laboratory procedures, surgical procedures, and x-rays. Prescribed medications can be purchased from the pharmacy.
Housing
Student Housing and Meal Plan Services
111 Shriver Center, 513-529-5000
Limited on-campus housing is available for graduate students. Miami Manor, a university apartment complex, has 107 furnished efficiencies and one-bedroom apartments for married students and single graduate students. You may also apply to live in a residence hall; provisions are the same for graduate and undergraduate students.
Many graduate students rent apartments in Oxford or neighboring areas. A list of Oxfordrental property may be obtained from the Oxford Tenants Organization, 374 Shriver Center, 513-529-3439. Also, a weekly newspaper, the Oxford Press (513-523-4139), lists local apartment rentals in the classified ads.
International Education Services
Langstroth Cottage, 513-529-2512
Located in the Office of International Programs, this office coordinates programs and services to assist international students.
Libraries
www.lib.muohio.edu
- King Library: 513-529-4141
- Brill Science Library: Hughes Laboratories, 513-529-7200
- Wertz Art and Architecture Library: 7 Alumni Hall, 513-529-6638
- Amos Music Library: 120 Center for Performing Arts, 513-529-2299
- Gardner-Harvey Library: Miami Middletown, 513-727-3221
- Rentschler Library: Miami Hamilton, 513-785-3179
- University Archives: Withrow Hall, 513-529-6720
- Southwest Ohio Regional Depository:
- Middletown Campus, 513-727-3474
Miami University Libraries include four libraries on the Oxford campus and one on each regional campus. King Library, the university's main library, contains collections in the humanities, social sciences, media, government documents, and rare books. Brill Science Library contains materials in the sciences, mathematics, technology, and a large map collection. Specialized libraries are Wertz Art and Architecture Library and Amos Music Library. University Archives houses historical records of the university.
Oxford campus libraries contain more than 2.6 million volumes and government documents, 2.9 million microforms, more than 13,000 current periodicals and newspapers, thousands of recordings and other nonprint materials, and more than 109,000 maps. Each year, more than 35,000 volumes of books and periodicals are added to collections.
You can access library collections, as well as other university collections through MiamiLINK, the libraries' information network, at www.lib.muohio.edu. In addition, you can access OhioLINK, a statewide consortium of library networks, to find databases, indexes, full-text journals, and other resources.
Workshops and classes in using electronic resources are regularly offered. Subject specialists/departmental liaisons also teach classes about research resources and assist with research needs. Interlibrary loan services can provide materials from non-OhioLINK libraries in North America, Europe, and other parts of the world.
Miami is a member of the Greater Cincinnati Library Consortium (GCLC), which includes 44 libraries with more than 10.6 million books and 50,000 periodicals. GCLC directories are available at circulation desks. Faculty, staff, and students can borrow materials from member institutions with a valid Miami identification card. Graduate students can also borrow materials at other Ohio university libraries with a valid Miami identification card.
Minority Affairs
Hanna House, 513-529-3232
Center for Black Culture and Learning:
96 Bishop Hall, 513-529-4700
The Minority Affairs Office is a unit of the Department of Affirmative Action and Human Resource Development. The office serves as a resource and referral point for minority students and provides learning opportunities for the university community.
The Center for Black Culture and Learning in Bishop Hall supports the needs of minority students. It sponsors academic and social programs designed to promote a healthy respect and appreciation for racial differences and to increase cultural awareness. The center strives to be relevant to the needs of minority students while providing an atmosphere that is conducive to positive interaction of individuals of all races and backgrounds. The center is used by students as a place to gather, study, and participate in programs.
Museums
Art Museum: Patterson Avenue, 513-529-2232
www.muohio.edu/artmuseum/
The angular limestone and glass Art Museum, designed by Walter Netsch of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, houses a permanent international collection of more than 16,000 art objects. Rotating exhibitions, free public lectures, gallery talks, performances, and special events are offered throughout the year.
Miami is the only public university in Ohio to have an art museum on its campus that is accredited by the American Association of Museums. Student internships and independent studies at the museum are available through several academic departments; volunteer work also provides opportunity for involvement.
McGuffey Museum: Oak and Spring Streets, 513-529-2232
This house is a National Historic Landmark honoring William Holmes McGuffey and his Eclectic Readers, some of the most widely read school books in the world. A Miami faculty member from 1826 through 1836, McGuffey compiled the Readers while living here. Period furnishings, McGuffey memorabilia, and historic teaching aids are featured. This museum is administered by the Miami University Art Museum.
Science Museums include:
- Anthropology Museum, 180 Upham Hall, 513-529-2628
- Karl E. Limper Geology Museum, 8 Shideler Hall, 513-529-3220
- Williard Sherman Turrell Herbarium, 79 Upham Hall, 513-529-2755
- Robert A. Hefner Zoology Museum, 100 Upham Hall, 513-529-4617
Western College Museum:
Patterson Place, Patterson Avenue, 513-529-4400
Located on the northwest corner of the Western College for Women Historic District, this museum houses a permanent collection of furnishings from the former Western College (1853-1974). Patterson Place also serves as an office for the Western College Alumnae Association, Inc.
Ohio Writing Project
Department of English
302 Bachelor Hall, 513-529-5245
The Ohio Writing Project (OWP) is part of the National Writing Project, a network of more than 160 centers around the country designed to train teachers of writing and improve student writing. OWP offers summer workshops and conducts a year-long inservice program for teachers in the schools.
Parking Services
www.muohio.edu/parking/
15 Campus Avenue Building, 513-529-8535
Graduate students are required to display parking permits on their cars while parking on or near campus. You may register online or at Parking Services.
Motor vehicle regulations are included in The Student Handbook, online at www.muohio.edu/univpubs/handbook/, and are available at Parking Services.
Psychology Clinic
Department of Psychology
18 Benton Hall, 513-529-2423
The Department of Psychology, as part of its doctoral program in clinical psychology, operates this clinic. Psychotherapy, psychological assessment, and other mental health services are offered. There is a nominal fee. All records are confidential.
Recreational Sports
www.muohio.edu/recreationalsports/
Recreational Sports Center, 513-529-6868
Miami's Recreational Sports Center allows students to participate in a wide range of fitness and sports activities. Gymnasiums, fitness/weight training areas, an indoor jogging/walking track, three swimming pools, aerobics rooms, racquetball/handball/wallyball courts, an indoor climbing wall and Outdoor Pursuit Center, an outdoor in-line hockey rink, and other state-of-the-art facilities are available.
Additional opportunities to be physically active include noncredit classes in fitness and water aerobic programs, competitive intramural sports, sports clubs,off-campus adventure trips, and a challenge ropes course.
Scripps Gerontology Center
www.scripps.muohio.edu
396 Upham Hall, 513-529-2914
The mission of the Scripps Gerontology Center is to contribute knowledge to meet the challenges of an aging society. This is accomplished through research and scholarship, education and training, and professional service.
Recent research includes long-term care, health and disability, demography, retirement and employment, and women and aging. The center assists faculty and students with research proposals and projects related to aging and awards several graduate research assistantships each year.
The center provides administrative support to the university's academic programs in aging and offers workshops throughout the year. Scholars are frequently invited to campus to meet with faculty and students and give public lectures.
Scripps Research Library and Resource Center contains gerontology publications, audio-visual aids, and curriculum materials for faculty and graduate student use.
Veterans Affairs
www.muohio.edu/financialaid/
121 Campus Avenue Building, 513-529-8772
The Veterans Affairs Office, located in the Office of Student Financial Assistance, assists veterans and their dependents with educational benefits under Chapters 30, 31, 32, 35 of Title 38; and Chapter 106 of Title 10 (Selected Reserve GI Bill). This office also coordinates educational, vocational, and personal counseling with the appropriate local, state, or federal agency. For information concerning VA educational benefit eligibility, see the section of this Bulletin about financial assistance or check with this office.
All recipients of VA educational benefits should note that sprint courses are not considered full-semester courses for VA entitlement (pay) purposes. A limited number of work-study jobs for eligible veterans as veteran peer counselors are available.
Women's Center
www.muohio.edu/womenscenter/
30 MacMillan Hall, 513-529-1510
Located on the southwest side of MacMillan Hall, the Women's Center provides a place to meet and discuss issues of concern to women. The center publishes a newsletter, provides organizing assistance, and maintains a resource collection of books, videotapes, and journals focusing on women's issues.
