The University

Mission

Through our philosophy of Ut Prosim (that I may serve) and our Integrated Cluster Model, Plymouth State enables students to connect their academic and extra-curricular interests with real-world projects, global challenges, and diverse cultures while fostering personal growth from their first days on campus until long after graduation as engaged alumni.

Vision

Plymouth State University’s Integrated Cluster Model provides our diverse community of students, staff, and faculty an integrated environment in which we take educational risks as we explore new ideas, improve upon the ideas of others, and engage in meaningful work that connects and positively impacts all of New Hampshire, the nation, and the world.

Values

Our values shape the environment in which our campus community members learn, teach, and serve. Our values guide our decision-making, provide clarity in determining priorities, and influence our relationships and behaviors. We value:

  • our alumni, heritage, and future as a transformative and highly engaged University with innovative and creative approaches to learning and problem solving;
  • service to others, exemplifying our motto, Ut prosim (That I may serve), and working across disciplines where deeper levels of learning and outcomes occur;
  • entrepreneurial partnerships that enrich our learning and benefit our region focused on sustainable, environmentally connected, work that enhances our sense of place and purpose;
  • the rights and dignity of all people;
  • diversity, equity, and inclusiveness across our community;
  • free speech, diversity of opinion, and the opportunity to learn from one another;
  • collective responsibility for the health, safety, and wellbeing of our community;
  • accountability for decisions, actions, performance, and conduct;
  • continuous improvement in our programs, policies, and practices;
  • responsible stewardship of our finite environmental, financial, and human resources.

Definition of Student Success and Institutional Learning Outcomes

Student Success

At Plymouth State University, we strive through our integrated cluster learning model to prepare students to accomplish their academic, personal, and professional goals and to be career and life ready. Through their studies and experiences at Plymouth State, students develop and apply habits of mind that are critical to their success—purposeful communication, problem-solving skills, an integrated perspective, and self-regulated learning. Not only do students achieve competence in their field of study, they build the skills to collaborate across disciplines to tackle challenging problems and have a positive impact on the wider community.

Institutional Learning Outcomes

During their time at PSU (and beyond), students demonstrate:

  1. Purposeful Communication
    Purposeful and effective communication increases knowledge, fosters understanding, and/or promotes change in others’ attitudes, values, beliefs, or behaviors. It engages the perspectives of others and fosters dialogue among individuals and the community.
  2. Integrated Perspective
    An integrated perspective recognizes that individual decisions impact the self, the community, and the environment. Students acknowledge the limitations of singular points of view and recognize the benefits of engaging with and learning from others in order to integrate multiple perspectives for effective communication, problem-solving, and collaboration.
  3. Problem-Solving Skills
    Engaging in problem solving requires the ability to think creatively, adapt and extend one’s thinking, acknowledge different contexts and incorporate different perspectives, embrace flexibility, consider potential implications, determine courses of action, persist and adapt despite failure, and reflect on the results.
  4. Self-Regulated Learning
    Self-regulated learning encompasses the desire to learn, the ability to set personal goals for learning, and the capacity to engage in a self-monitored learning process. Self-regulated learners demonstrate metacognitive awareness (an understanding of the factors that influence their own learning) and cultivate the skills and confidence they need in order to be effective learners.
  5. Competence in their Field of Study
    Students develop, strengthen, and apply the knowledge and skills needed to be effective in their chosen field of study. They are successful in meeting the Student Learning Outcomes identified in their academic program.
  6. A Positive Impact on the Wider Community
    Student actively participate and collaborate in projects and activities in service to the university, the community, and/or the wider world, in keeping with the PSU motto of Ut Prosim.

Accreditation

Plymouth State University is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education (formerly the Commission on Institutions of Higher Education of the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.).

Accreditation of an institution of higher education by the Commission indicates that it meets or exceeds criteria for the assessment of institutional quality periodically applied through a peer review process. An accredited college or university is one which has available the necessary resources to achieve its stated purposes through appropriate educational programs, is substantially doing so, and gives reasonable evidence that it will continue to do so in the foreseeable future. Institutional integrity is also addressed through accreditation.

Accreditation by the Commission is not partial but applies to the institution as a whole. As such, it is not a guarantee of every course or program offered, or the competence of individual graduates. Rather, it provides reasonable assurance about the quality of opportunities available to students who attend the institution.

Inquiries regarding the accreditation status by the Commission should be directed to the administrative staff of the institution. Individuals also may contact:

New England Commission of Higher Education
301 Edgewater Place, Suite 210, Wakefield, MA 01880
(781) 425 7785
E-Mail: info@neche.org

In addition to being accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education, Plymouth State University is approved by the New Hampshire Department of Education–Division of Higher Education–Higher Education Commission. 

Program-specific accreditation include the following:

  • athletic training program by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education;
  • nursing program by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education;
  • social work program by the Council on Social Work Education;
  • the bachelor’s degree programs in accounting, business administration, finance, management, and marketing by the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs;
  • the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE);
  • the school psychology program by the National Association of School Psychologists;
  • the school counseling program by the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP);
  • the health education program by the Society for Public Health Education and the American Association for Health Education; and
  • the mental health and school counseling programs by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.

Teacher certification programs are approved by the  New Hampshire Department of Education, Nationally Accredited by the Counsel for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) and/or the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP).  Specialized Program Association (SPA) recognition is by program. PSU graduates from teacher certification education programs are eligible to apply for licensure in the state of NH. The US Department of Education maintains a contact database for state education agencies in all 50 US states for students seeking certification outside of NH.

  •  PSU Initial Teacher Preparation (ITP) programs hold full national accreditation through June of 2026 by AAQEP.
  • PSU Advanced and Initial Teacher Preparation Programs hold full national accreditation through December 2024 by CAEP. 

Academic Programs

Programs of study are designed to engage students and to prepare them for gratifying and productive careers. Students will have numerous opportunities to engage in real world, hands-on experiences. The undergraduate General Education HoME program gives students a broad perspective on ideas and an awareness of diverse human experiences and cultures. Academic majors and minors build on this foundation by providing concentrated learning in areas of choice. Experiential learning through internships, field experiences, service learning, study abroad programs, and other practical learning partnerships allow students to become directly involved in testing and applying their knowledge.

Education in the liberal arts and sciences and in professional fields is provided through baccalaureate and advanced degree programs. Plymouth State University is authorized to confer the bachelor of arts (BA), the bachelor of fine arts (BFA), and the bachelor of science (BS) degrees to students who complete these four-year programs of study. The University offers close to 50 four-year degree programs of study, many of which have specialized curricular options within them. In addition, a degree in interdisciplinary studies enables highly motivated students to choose a customized academic path and integrate knowledge from multiple disciplines in order to follow their passions toward a successful future career.

A wide variety of minors are available, giving students an opportunity to study outside their chosen major and to enhance their academic experience in other fields of interest. If students are uncertain of the specific field of study in which they want to concentrate, PSU allows them to experience the strong liberal arts general education program at the core of every undergraduate degree program while they decide on a major during their first year or two.

Advanced degrees offered at Plymouth State University include the master of arts (MA), the master of arts in teaching (MAT), the master of business administration (MBA), the master of education (MEd), the master of science (MS), the education specialist (EdS), the doctor of education (EdD), and the doctor of physical therapy (DPT). The master of education degree program offers courses in a variety of disciplines.

Bachelor’s degree studies dovetail nicely with graduate study; in fact, students who choose undergraduate courses wisely can earn a bachelor’s degree and an MAT, MBA, or MEd at Plymouth State University in five years. By taking classes each winterim and summer session, it is possible for a talented, highly motivated student to complete their degree in three years or complete both a bachelor’s and master’s degree in four (some majors do not apply).

Hundreds of faculty members share a commitment to teaching and to preparing students for successful careers. They are nationally renowned scholars in their fields, exceptional educators, former CEOs, and critically-acclaimed authors, artists, and scientists. Faculty members are active in their respective fields—presenting research, workshops, and seminars; working as consultants; participating in exhibitions; performing in concerts; and writing books, articles, plays, and musical compositions. The student–faculty ratio is 17:1. Each student has an academic advisor.

Opportunities exist for service learning and internships within the larger community and for international study. Students are encouraged to broaden their academic experience by studying for a semester or a year as part of a national or international exchange program. PSU has  affiliations with programs around the world. For further information, see the Global Engagement Office in the Academic Resources section of this publication.