Richard Gilder Graduate School

The New York State Board of Regents awarded full accreditation to the Richard Gilder Graduate School at the American Museum of Natural History, the first Ph.D.-degree granting program at a U.S. museum.

 

The momentous vote was the final step in forming the Richard Gilder Graduate School and came three years after the Museum first received authorization from the Regents to establish a Ph.D.-granting program in comparative biology. The Richard Gilder Graduate School began academic operations in September 2008, and its Ph.D. program has enrolled two classes of students from top universities in the U.S., Colombia, France, and Sweden.

 

“This has been a historic journey for the Museum with a triumphant conclusion,” said Ellen V. Futter, President of the American Museum of Natural History. “The accreditation of the Museum’s Richard Gilder Graduate School by the Board of Regents represents both a landmark decision and a strong affirmation of the Museum’s scientific and educational leadership.”

 

The Museum’s curators and scientists serve as Richard Gilder Graduate School faculty, and students have access to state-of-the-art research facilities, a world-class collection of specimens, and a leading natural history library. Students take courses and carry out research in the Richard Gilder Graduate School complex on the fifth floor of the Museum’s iconic 77th Street building in addition to participating in field expeditions.