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Graduate Student Professional Development

Graduate Professional Development Course is the Graduate Division's multi-track professional development series designed to prepare graduate students for success while at UC Merced and beyond.

In addition to these opportunities, be sure to check out our virtual Graduate Resource Center, which contains a wealth of information that is helpful for students at all stages of their graduate careers.

Our tracks are as follows (click on each track to see a sampling of past programming):

  • Preparing Future Faculty

    The academic job market can be difficult to navigate under the best circumstances. If you are considering or have decided to pursue a career in the academy, be sure to check out these sessions. Topics range from how to prepare for the academic interview, discussions of post-doctoral fellowship opportunities, making the transition from graduate student to faculty, and how to thrive as faculty of color or international faculty. 

GTSU 210: Fall 2022 Course Flyer

GTSU 210: Fall 2022 Syllabus

Open to students working on dissertations, theses, articles, or grant/fellowship proposals, this intensive workshop will help to kickstart or revitalize your writing process. Apply early as space is limited!

  • Grad Slam

    Grad Slam is a UC-wide competition among graduate students in which students have three minutes to present their research in an interesting, informative manner. Grad Slam programming includes public-speaking workshops during the weeks leading up to the start of the multi-round competition. Ten finalists will be chosen from the Qualifying Rounds, and a campus Champion and two runners-up will be selected in the Final Round. 

Outside Opportunities

Opportunities for Current Graduate Students

Versatile Ph.D. - This website has a number of resources for Ph.D. students interested in non-academic career paths, including industry and government areas of employment, job listings, social networking, and meeting announcements. Students can become Versatile Ph.D. members for free, and UC Merced has an institutional membership that provides access to premium content.

Humanists@Work - The UC Humanities Research Institute invites UC humanities and humanistic social science graduate students to attend their next graduate career workshop. UCHRI will provide travel grants (covering roundtrip travel and one night of lodging) to three students from each UC campus. 

TED Fellows Program - Similar to our Grad Slam competition, but on a much broader scale, TED Fellows learn how to talk about their great ideas in a way that is appealing to a variety of audiences. Applications have recently closed, but you can learn more about the program with plenty of time to prepare for the next cycle here.

Postdoctoral Funding Opportunities

 

Have an idea for a professional development series, workshop, or activity that you'd like to see from UC Merced Graduate Division? Be sure to email us!