The Graduate Institute

The Graduate Institute was founded by Dr. A. Harris “Bud” Stone, a professor with over 30 years experience in higher education and a lifelong commitment to learning through discovery. Frustrated by the limitations of more traditional educational models, Bud reached out to other progressive educators and began to develop transdisciplinary graduate programs, including the successful LEARNScience™ and Institute for Science Instruction & Study Program™ programs at Southern Connecticut State University. The Institute spent the next four years applying for licensure, recruiting faculty, designing curricula, and developing a practical operational model. In 1999, The Institute received its licensure – the first licensure issued in decades to an independent graduate school in Connecticut. TGI opened its doors in the fall of 1999 with only ten students. Since that time, it has grown at an astounding rate. Now with over 1000 alumni, The Institute continues to attract students who seek an interactive, community-based and experiential education.