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What was on your summer to-do list? Beach time? Internship? Visiting friends?

For an unprecedented number of Hawks in 91�Թ���’s graduate programs, the answer was “get started on my future.” A total of 1,023 students were enrolled in graduate programs at the University during the summer term.

Compare that to a year ago, when there were 805 graduate students, and in summer 2022, when there were a total of 652. The number includes both new students and those continuing their programs and is subject to a final census that takes place at the end of the term. At any rate, the summer graduate enrollment is on pace to break existing records and contributed to an overall summer enrollment of 1,396, which also outpaces recent years.

“We had an incredible surge of students seeking graduate degrees this summer,” said Todd Hopkins, director of graduate and transfer admissions. “Last year we saw strong growth in programs like our online Doctor of Education and Master of Science in Nursing degrees, and that certainly continued. But we also saw strong enrollment in programs that start on-campus in the summer, like the Doctor of Physical Therapy degree.”

University President Sandra Cassady, Ph.D., also celebrated the news.

“I think graduate students are attracted to programs that give them flexibility regarding schedule and online study,” she said. “But I think many are also attracted to what makes Rockhurst such a special place — an approach grounded in our Jesuit values that gives our faculty a unique perspective and offers students an opportunity for bettering themselves beyond their classroom or career. Students come here for their graduate degree because they are looking to do more than earn a credential — they are looking to become the leader they know themselves to be.”