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Dal GradPD

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Get career ready

Dal GradPD is your go-to hub to learn about professional development designed for your specific needs as a graduate student. Together with partners across the university and external providers, the Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) assembles an ongoing schedule of free workshops and events aimed to help you prepare for a diversity of careers.

The four pillars of the Dal GradPD program are dedicated to building skills necessary for success in any career - Communication, Career Intelligence, Health and Wellbeing, and Leadership - and are offered exclusively to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

Upcoming Dal GradPD workshops and experiential learning

Creating Your Individual Development Plan
Date: June 4, 2024 from 10 to 11 a.m. AT (Registration closes June 3 at 9 a.m.)
Event type: In-person
Venue: Room 3089, Kenneth C. Rowe Management Building

Writing Week for Graduate and Professional Program Students
Dates: June 10 - 14, 2024 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. AT (Registration closes June 7 at 2 p.m.)
Partners: Dalhousie Writing Centre, Student Health and Wellness 
Pillars: Communication; Health and wellbeing
Event type: Virtual

Moving Forward Together: The Interdependence of Instructor and Student Motivation
Dates: June 11, 2024 from 1 to 5 p.m. AT (Registration opens May 20 and closes June 11)
Partner: Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL)
Pillars: Leadership
Event type: Virtual

Creating Your Individual Development Plan
Dates: June 17, 2024 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. AT
Event type: Virtual

Preparing Your Teaching Demo for a Job Interview
Date: July 10, 2024 from 1 to 2:15 p.m. AT (Registration opens June 17 and closes once capacity is reached)
Partner: Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning (CIRTL)
Pillars: Communication
Event type: Virtual

Participate in the Dal GradPD certificate program

To help you navigate your PD journey, we have created a free certificate program to recognize your efforts and help you identify the opportunities you need to take you where you want to go.

What you’ll do during the certificate program:

  • Individual development plan (IDP) workshop: In this session, you’ll explore the skills and experiences you need to achieve your professional goals and map your plan to get there. IDP workshops will be held every month, so don't worry if you missed an earlier session. An asynchronous video of the IDP workshop is also available in the Dal GradPD Brightspace.

  • Pillars workshops: Participate in two hours of workshops from each of the Dal GradPD pillars: Communication, Career Intelligence, Health and Wellbeing, and Leadership. You can select from options provided by Dal GradPD partners or find other opportunities you think will best suit your goals. 

  • Experiential learning: Take on four hours of hands-on experience from each pillar. Write a blog, go to a networking event, practice a time management strategy, organize an event – the possibilities are vast and the experiences priceless. 

  • Professional identity workshop: Wrap up the certificate with this session that will empower you to articulate the value of the skills you've gained at graduate school to prospective employers. 

When done, you’ll receive a certificate signed by the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies and recognition on your transcripts. More importantly, you’ll have developed a plan for where you want to go with your career and assembled the professional and personal skills you need to get there.