About GPS

abstract blue book next to text that reads "NECHE New England Commission of Higher Education"

Brandeis is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE), which has accredited Graduate Professional Studies (GPS) on the quality of our online programs and on the attention given to advising and support for students enrolled in online courses.

Our History

Founded by the American Jewish community as a nonsectarian institution in 1948, when exclusionary practices prevented equal access to some of the nation's best universities, Brandeis University has always welcomed talented students and faculty of every ethnicity, religion and cultural background. A young institution, boldly conceived, it carries on the great traditions of learning at the highest levels of rigor and meaning, guided by a moral conviction rooted in the principles of inclusion and justice.

In 1997, the Division of Continuing Studies, now Graduate Professional Studies, was established in the Rabb School specifically to extend the opportunity for excellent, applied professional education at the graduate level to a more diverse, part-time, working-adult population. All graduate programs are professionally oriented, applied in nature (combining requisite theory with the practical application of learned material), and taught by expert faculty who are practitioners of their subject matter in their professional lives.

Our Mission

  • GPS offers accessible and accelerated higher educational experiences to individuals interested in obtaining industry expertise and/or advancing their careers through fully online, asynchronous graduate degree programs.

  • GPS extends the reach of the university through its international learning community of faculty, students, staff, alumni, professional advisory board members and corporate partners.

  • GPS develops innovative educational offerings for a diverse, vibrant international learning community.

  • GPS designs courses for professionals who contribute unique perspectives from their experience and current work, thereby enriching the online course offerings while broadening their communities of practice.

  • GPS understands the time commitment students make in balancing their personal, professional and academic responsibilities, and are respectful of their needs and committed to their success.

  • GPS connects students with instructors who are active leaders in their fields, and are as passionate about teaching and mentorship as they are about pushing the boundaries of knowledge.