The University of Houston aims to facilitate collaboration, leadership development and social responsibility that contributes to the development of the whole student, both in and out of the classroom, and cuts across the traditional lines of education and research. Student involvement at the University of Houston both enlivens the research enterprise and enriches the student experience.

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools is the regional body for the accreditation of higher education institutions in the southern United States and Latin America. The University of Houston is accredited by SACS to award bachelor's, master's, professional and doctoral degrees. Reaffirmation of accreditation occurs every 10 years. As part of the reaffirmation process, SACS requires that we develop a Quality Enhancement Plan that will improve student learning. The UH QEP topic is undergraduate research with elements of writing-in-the-disciplines and mentoring. The UH QEP is named the Discovery-Based Learning Initiative.

The Office of Undergraduate Research at the University of Houston is charged with organizing, facilitating and enhancing opportunities for undergraduate research. The office serves undergraduates from all colleges and disciplines. Current activities include the Senior Honor Thesis program supervised through The Honors College, the Provost's Undergraduate Research Scholarship program, the 10-week Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program, and assistance in applying for nationally competitive scholarships.

The University of Houston's graduate and professional programs are wide-ranging, innovative and focused on excellence. Graduate students comprise more than 24 percent of total enrollment and receive more than 34 percent of the degrees awarded at UH. Prospective students can choose from an array of graduate and professional degrees in the Colleges of Architecture, Business, Education, Engineering, Hotel and Restaurant Management, Law, Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Natural Sciences and Mathematics, Optometry, Pharmacy, Technology and The Graduate College of Social Work. These colleges and schools offer master's degrees in 133 fields and six doctoral degrees in 62 fields. For more information about doing research while pursuing an advanced degree at UH, please contact the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies