The University of South Alabama, the only major public institution of higher learning on the upper Gulf Coast, was created by act of the Alabama State Legislature in May, 1963. With Alabama's two older senior universities more than 200 miles distant, the University is strategically located in the greater Mobile area, which has a population of more than a million within a 100-mile radius. The Graduate School provides the student with opportunities for creative achievement and the advancement of knowledge. Graduate study fosters the spirit of independent investigation while creating an environment for free inquiry and intellectual challenge in advanced and specialized areas. Emphasis upon scholarship, original thinking, and the practical application of knowledge to the solution of complex problems will enable the student to make a valuable contribution to society.

All graduate work is administered by the Graduate School under the direction of the Graduate Dean who is advised by the Graduate Council. The voting members of the council are eight Full Members of the Graduate Faculty, eight Graduate Directors, one from each college, a Faculty Senate representative, a Graduate Student Association member, and one graduate student at large. Non-voting ex officio members are the Graduate Dean, the Executive Director of the University Libraries, a representative of the Office of Institutional Effectiveness, a representative from the Innovations and Learning Center, a representative of the Office of Admissions, and a representative of the Registrar's Office.

For more information, see Graduate School section in the Bulletin under Colleges and Schools.