University Mission and Goals
Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit is a Catholic university, founded by members of the Spiritan Congregation, and sustained through a partnership of laity and religious.
The motto of Duquesne University is Spiritus est qui vivificat, “It is the Spirit who gives life.” Enriching the life of the mind and the life of the spirit of every member of its community is the mission of Duquesne.
It is Duquesne University’s special trust to seek truth and to disseminate knowledge within a moral and spiritual framework in order to prepare leaders distinguished not only by their academic and professional expertise but also by their ethics, and guided by consciences sensitive to the needs of society.
Therefore, Duquesne is a community of students, faculty, administrators, and others who are willing to make these commitments:
- To create undergraduate and graduate education of the highest quality in liberal and professional disciplines.
- To examine the moral and ethical foundations of their thought and action, and to develop their personal values and ethical commitment.
- To participate in an ecumenical dialogue open to all beliefs.
- To extend educational opportunities to those with special financial, educational, and physical needs.
- To promote world community through the development of an international and intercultural vision of the global needs and international responsibilities for peace, justice, and freedom.
Duquesne serves God by serving students—through an academic community dedicated to excellence in liberal and professional education, through profound concern for moral and spiritual values, through the maintenance of an ecumenical atmosphere open to diversity, and through service to the Church, the community, the nation, and the world.
Complemented by a broad spectrum of nonacademic activities and programs, the curriculum at Duquesne University is designed to prepare young men and women who, upon entering their chosen careers, will possess a broad, well-balanced and fully integrated education and perspective of themselves and the world.
Statement on International Education
In the Spiritan tradition, Duquesne University through its Center for Global Engagement promotes the global awareness and understanding central to a broad, well-balanced, and fully integrated education. Duquesne University welcomes students and faculty from throughout the world and encourages our own students and faculty to take advantage of opportunities to study and teach abroad.