Southern Connecticut State University’s School of Graduate and Professional Studies has been named a full member of the Northeastern Association of Graduate Schools (NAGS) for the 2025–2026 academic year, marking a significant milestone in the university’s continued investment in advanced scholarship, research, and graduate student success.
As the only institution within the Connecticut State University system classified as a Carnegie Research 2, or R2, doctoral university with high research activity — and the only CSU offering multiple doctoral programs — Southern serves as the system’s flagship graduate institution, enrolling the largest share of graduate students and supporting faculty-led research across disciplines.
NAGS — one of four regional affiliates of the Council of Graduate Schools — represents leading graduate institutions across the Northeastern United States and Canada. Southern is currently the only institution within the Connecticut State University (CSU) system to hold membership in the organization.
Membership in NAGS further elevates the university’s presence among peer research institutions while strengthening its visibility within the regional and national graduate education landscape.
“We’re happy that this membership reflects the momentum we’re building in graduate education at Southern,” said Dr. Rabia Hoş, dean of the School of Graduate and Professional Studies. “It opens doors for collaboration, highlights the outstanding work of our faculty and students, and affirms our role as the flagship graduate institution within the CSU system. Most importantly, it creates even more opportunities for our graduate students to be seen, heard, and celebrated on a regional level.”
Hoş and Dr. Jessica Garcés Jensen, SGPS associate dean, will represent Southern at the NAGS Annual Conference this April in Montréal, where they will engage with graduate education leaders from across the region. In addition, two Southern graduate students have been invited to participate in a panel discussion moderated by Hoş titled “More Than Students: Navigating Learning, Labor and Life in Graduate School,” offering a platform to share their academic experiences at a major regional forum.
Southern will also be represented in this year’s regional Three-Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition, hosted by NAGS, where the university’s inaugural campus finalist will compete alongside graduate researchers from peer institutions across the Northeast.
