Missouri State University’s purpose is “to develop educated persons.” It is committed to the expansion and preservation of knowledge. It recognizes that curious people explore and push back the boundaries of the human intellect and the physical world. In an age where knowledge can become quickly dated, the University is committed to the discovery and dissemination of knowledge that serves the future. The characteristics of educated persons are readily assessable and recognizable:

Educated persons are developed through the interaction of competent, caring faculty and capable, motivated students. The University brings a distinguished faculty to this task. Multiple Fulbright Scholars, the co-founder of the Land Mine Survivors Network, a leading authority on U.S.-Asian relations, a Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching Missouri Professor of the year, a leader in headache/TMJ pain research, one of the top Buddhist/religious studies scholars in the world provide examples of the quality and strength of the Missouri State faculty. 

Missouri State also develops educated persons through the interaction between knowledgeable, caring faculty and staff academic advisors and their advisees. The University’s dedication to excellent academic advising is demonstrated by the nationally recognized "Master Advisor" training program. More than 200 faculty and staff advisors have voluntarily participated in this intensive training program, with several being recognized at both the state and national levels for their advising. 

The broader context in which the University is located is a natural setting for academic achievement. The institutional mission of public affairs and the themes of business and economic development; creative arts; health; professional education; science and the environment; and the human dimension are the daily topics of this metropolitan conversation. The community itself is a laboratory where these themes are experienced and addressed. 

The Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, to which Missouri State University belongs, believes that metropolitan universities are "major intellectual resources for their metropolitan regions," whose programs "respond to regional needs while striving for national excellence." This Coalition has committed its institutions "to be responsive to the needs of our metropolitan areas by seeking new ways of using our human and physical resources to provide leadership in addressing metropolitan problems, through teaching, research, and professional service." Missouri State subscribes to this metropolitan university philosophy. 

Educated persons are developed in classrooms and laboratories. Educated persons also develop as the result of the entire university experience – participation in co-curricular activities; interaction with faculty, staff, and fellow students; service to the University community and the community at-large; and leadership in any number of organizations. Residence hall life and fraternities and sororities add a richness to the University environment that contributes to the educated person. Such living groups provide leadership opportunities and provide a context for developmental conversations. Because of this, the University has been aggressive in providing positive living/learning units on campus. Debate, Marching Band, and Tent Theatre are a few examples of other University programs for students with special talents. Intercollegiate athletics is another major educational activity at Missouri State University. In 1995 and again in 2003, the University completed the Self-Study Report for Certification by the National Collegiate Athletic Association and was certified by the NCAA. 

These and many other educational activities teach students to manage their lives and to participate in society, both of which are important traits for an educated person. The University will continue to promote special events that increase the educational value of the overall Missouri State experience. Through these efforts, Missouri State intends to make it clear to all constituencies that these activities are both an educational and a social good. Community service projects, from serving as a tutor in the adult literacy program to re-building homes through Habitat for Humanity or hurricane relief efforts, provide unique opportunities for developing educated persons. For that reason, the University encourages students to be involved in the community. 

Independent study, independent research, cooperative education programs, internships, practicums, faculty lectures and performances, and a host of other special activities are available to Missouri State students. For example, most academic departments offer opportunities for students to participate in individualized research projects, library research on a specialized topic, creative artistic works, etc. These opportunities are conducted under the supervision of faculty, and may lead to student presentations, performances, and/or publications. The University will expand opportunities for its students to engage in mentored and independent scholarship. 

As a character-building institution, with national recognition from the Templeton Foundation and the Princeton Review’s Colleges with a Conscience, Missouri State encourages students to reflect on questions of personal values, identity, and ultimate meaning. Several activities promote such reflection and character development, including various religious activities offered by student organizations. Developing educated persons is the purpose of the University. Its resources and efforts should be organized to achieve that end.