The University of Medical Sciences Council granted official approval to establish the Faculty of Graduate Studies on March 28th, 1962 and was accepted and approved by the National Education Council on September 12th, 1962. On February 4th, 1964, the Faculty of Graduate Studies was officially established by the Royal Decree and began student admission in the academic year of 1962.
Since the Faculty of Graduate Studies was established when Mahidol University was still named the University of Medical Sciences, the objectives were mainly to train specialists in Thailand and to produce university lecturers for Medical Schools, including those in the Faculties of Dentistry and Pharmacy. Such objectives were primarily intended to help solve problems in the fields of basic medical sciences; where the number of teaching staff was inadequate. Moreover, the Faculty supported and encouraged research and studies in Medical and Public Health Sciences.
In the early years, the Rockefeller Foundation provided teaching and learning support for international programs in Medical Sciences, the Faculty of Science. The international programs have always adhered to international academic curricula and have consistently received great interest from many foreign students who wish to study. Since 1962, the number of graduate programs has been developed and extended to 275 programs in the six following fields:
- Sciences and Technology
- Medical Sciences
- Public Health
- Social Sciences, Humanities, and Liberal Arts
- Linguistics, Culture and Education
- Environment and Natural Resources
During its 49 years, the Faculty of Graduate Studies has been under the administration of eight Deans:
