Lesa Lawson
Associate Dean for Academic Innovation
Integration of the Graduate School and Graduate Professional Education (GPE)
Effective August 1, 2025, the Graduate School and Graduate and Professional Education (GPE) were strategically integrated into a single entity under the leadership of the Graduate Dean, Dr. Michael Young.
Under Dr. Gary Carini’s leadership, Baylor’s Graduate Professional Education program has become an area of strength and success for Baylor, generating approximately $500 million in tuition revenue — including $103 million in fiscal year 2025 alone. His vision, dedication and collaboration across academic units have laid a strong foundation for Baylor’s next chapter of graduate education.
This strategic integration is designed to strengthen Baylor’s support for graduate and professional programs across the University and the Graduate School remains committed to maintaining GPE’s core strengths and successes as well as the outstanding work of this team.
GPE was created in 2017-2018, and since its inception, graduate professional programs continue to grow at Baylor. In the Fall of 2018 and with 2 full-time employees in GPE, there were 8 graduate professional online/hybrid programs with 436 students. By the Fall of 2025 the number of programs had grown to over 30, resulting in well over 3000 graduate students being enrolled in a graduate professional online/hybrid degree program at Baylor. When GPE was ultimately integrated into the Graduate School, the number of graduate students under the Graduate School increased by 80%!
During its existence as a separate entity, GPE highlighted the strategic and academic benefits of growing for-credit online and hybrid professional degree programs. Additionally, GPE revitalized the non-credit professional and workforce development market with the creation of Extended Learning, which has now been integrated into the Graduate School. In this space, GPE continued to center on building new revenue streams with a focus on data driven by the market and the changing needs of employers and workforce professionals. These non-credit courses, certificate programs, and professional certification programs enable individuals to begin new careers, upskill in current roles, or change careers. Further expanding the portfolio and revenue streams, Extended Learning has also added customization for corporate executive programs and retreats, as well as featuring an extensive portfolio of high quality, asynchronous (self-paced) and instructor led online courses and programs, as well as some face-to-face offerings.
Another lasting influence that came from the existence of GPE was the creation of the Provost’s Incubator Fund, a groundbreaking initiative (first launched in Fall 2024) designed to empower online and/or hybrid professional programs to create and ignite ideas toward developing pioneering, innovative professional online courses and programs. The Provost’s Incubator Fund invests in the future of graduate professional education by providing financial support for the creation of entirely new online programs or courses that address the evolving needs of students, address current and future market and job demands, and align with the Baylor in Deeds Strategic Plan, 2024-2030, specifically:
- Expanding and diversifying the online/hybrid program portfolio with high-demand, future forward, revenue generating offerings.
- Encouraging and supporting curricular innovation in graduate professional education, meeting the demands of today and tomorrow's career opportunities.
- Facilitating program renewal and revitalization by providing resources and support for further development of existing programs with the goal of creating a new promising online offering.