Cultivating Community in the Academy: Examining Sense of Belonging in Graduate and Professional Education

Abstract

In the landscape of higher education, sense of belonging has emerged not merely as a measure of social comfort, but as a fundamental human need that is vital to educational success and optimal functioning. While the concept is well trodden in undergraduate research, its application to graduate and professional (G&P) education requires a nuanced recalibration. In the G&P context, sense of belonging is defined as a student’s perceived social support, a sensation of connectedness, and the experience of mattering—feeling cared about, respected, and valued by the campus community, specifically within their department and discipline. Unlike undergraduate belonging, which often centers on broad institutional affiliation, graduate belonging is tethered to the specific culture of a department, the socialization into a field, and the formation of a professional identity.