For the more than 90 years since its founding in 1908, UNO has provided Omaha, the state of Nebraska and the nation with men and women of sound intellectual training and preparation for life. Its goal for its students, "To earn a living and live a cultured life not as two processes, but as one" has been its guide over the years.

The University of Omaha was founded in 1908 as a private, nonsectarian college. The University awarded its first master's degrees in 1919 by special vote of the Board of Trustees. In 1931 the University of Omaha became the Municipal University of Omaha; in that same year the Master of Arts and the Master of Science degrees were authorized. In 1960 the Board of Regents of the University authorized the Specialist in Education degree, in 1965 they authorized the Master of Business Administration degree.

In 1968 the Municipal University of Omaha was merged with the University of Nebraska System and became the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In 1971 the Graduate College of the University of Nebraska was formed to govern graduate studies throughout the University of Nebraska. Since 1968 the University of Nebraska at Omaha has been authorized to offer additional professional master's degrees. In 1974 the cooperative program with UNL leading to the Ph.D. in three areas of psychology was approved. In 1992 the Board of Regents and the Coordinating Commission for Higher Education approved a joint Ed.D. in educational administration degree program (UNL and UNO). In 1993 the Ph.D. in criminal justice was approved, and in 1994 the Ph.D. in public administration was approved. In 1995 the MS in Management Information Systems was approved. In 1998 the Master of International Business degree program was approved.

Graduate studies are intended to provide more advanced education than the undergraduate work upon which all graduate programs are based. At UNO graduate students are provided with the following opportunities:

• to work toward the various graduate certificates and degrees offered by the University;
• to earn graduate credit for the issuance or renewal of certificates for teachers, administrators and educational psychologists;
• to obtain personal or professional enhancement.

To enable the student to attain these objectives, the Graduate Faculty provided graduate courses, workshops, institutes, seminars, practica, research and special problems courses, and the supervision of theses or special projects. Thus they promote the spirit of free investigation in the various disciplines and, at the same time, serve to unite the various branches of the University in advancing human knowledge and providing intelligent, capable leadership for society.