Since Douglas Woods began as the dean of the graduate school at Marquette University in 2016, graduate school enrollment has increased 30%, and professional school enrollment has increased 10%.

“We’ve made many changes to achieve that growth,” Woods says. “We’ve started 18 new graduate programs, we’ve started offering many graduate programs in online or hybrid format, we’ve come up with creative scholarship opportunities to help students, and we’ve built up our career development opportunities for our graduate students.”

Woods points to several student success stories in recent years that demonstrate the diverse career opportunities students pursue. Two alumni of political science and international affairs M.A. programs created Bridge the City, a platform that inspires Milwaukeeans to take action in their communities. Another who received a Ph.D. in counseling is now a psychologist with the Milwaukee Brewers. With over 70 graduate programs, as well as schools in law, dentistry, nursing and health sciences, enrollment continues to grow as more students take advantage of the professional opportunities.

One of the newest degrees is a master’s in applied behavior analysis, training future psychologists to treat children with autism and developmental disabilities. Another is a master’s in data science, preparing students for a growing field, as well as health care analytics. “We’re mission-focused,” Woods says. “We want our students to take their work out in the community and use it for the betterment of others.”