Graduate Student Professional Development
Program History
Mastering one's academic discipline is the foundation of graduate education, but this often tends to be insufficient preparation for a successful career. Voices calling for greater career preparation - or professional development - of graduate students can be heard both inside and outside of the academy. These voices include academic researchers, faculty, and staff in graduate education, as well as professional organizations. In 1999, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill engaged in this conversation by joining 11 universities from across the state to formulate a plan for graduate student development at their home institutions. As a result, a committee of faculty, staff, and graduate students assembled to assess this issue at UNC-Chapel Hill. This committee surveyed five populations: graduate students, alumni, academic program directors and chairs, newly hired faculty, and employers. From their research, members of the committee formulated five key areas that graduate students should possess competence in upon degree completion. Based on these five competencies, the committee developed a conceptual framework for skill delivery, including one-hour credit courses that remain part of the Graduate Student Professional Development Program today.
In 2005, The Graduate School reassessed the needs of the graduate population. Based on this information, the program format now includes a series of seminars and workshops in combination with one-hour credit courses. The program serves both as a gateway to current campus resources and as a direct provider of professional development training for graduate students.
Contact
Questions? Suggestions for future events? Contact us at grdevelopment@unc.edu.