Accelerate to Industry (A2i)
As of May 2023, University of Maryland, College Park has officially joined the Accelerate to Industry (A2i) TM Program founded by the North Carolina State University Graduate School. As an academic partner, UMD Graduate School is excited to leverage this innovative network to support graduate students and postdocs at UMD to prepare for industry careers. With A2i, graduate students and postdocs can explore employment opportunities with industry companies; develop the business, leadership, and communication skills that companies seek.
About A2i
A2i is a bold, new approach to workforce training for graduate students and postdocs. The Program is funded through a National Science Foundation Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) grant. If you want to learn more about this initiative, please visit NC State's A2i page.
Professional Development Opportunities
As an academic partner, graduate students and postdocs at UMD have access to professional development opportunities hosted by NC State and local here at UMD.
Industry Insights
This module is a professional development series that offers opportunities to participate in workshops, career panels, and presentations that support participants in their efforts to market their abilities to industry companies, government, or non-profit organizations.
UMD in-person Consulting Bootcamp (March 8 & March 29, 2024) | Registration
- Consulting 101 & Case Interview #1
- Communicating Like a Consultant and Practice Case Interview #2
- Telling your “why consulting story” and Practice Case Interview #3
- Networking for Consulting and Practice Case Interview #4
- Alumni Panel (facilitated by UMD Graduate Consulting Club)
- Info Session: Consulting Programs/Internships for Advanced-Degree Holders (Facilitated by UMD Graduate Consulting Club)
UMD virtual Federal Career Series (March, 2024) | Registration
- Humanists in Government (Panel Discussion): Mar 4
- STEM PhDs in Government (Panel Discussion): Mar 11
- Federal Job Application Process (Workshop): Mar 28
UMD Employer Info Session: RAND and Public Policy Research (March 12, 2024) | Registration
Are you interested in exploring a career in public policy research? You’re invited to a virtual event with RAND. Join us on March 12th, 4-5 pm to learn about who we are, what we do, and the impact you can have here. Hear directly from our RAND researchers. They will share about their experience working here, their career path and journey, and the type of research areas we focus on.
Various UMD alumni are now at RAND producing research and analysis that guides policymakers on a wide range of issues. A wide range of disciplines and research backgrounds reinforce RAND's core values of quality and objectivity by promoting creativity, deepening understanding of the practical effects of policy, and ensuring that multiple viewpoints and perspectives inform our research.
UMD virtual series (October 2023) | Registration
On every Thursday of October, 2023, the Graduate School will host four virtual sessions to introduce career pathways, transferable skills, workplace culture, and application portfolios to doctoral students and Postdocs who are interested in industry careers.
- A PhD’s career roadmap in industry: Oct 5 - BD (Becton Dickinson & Co)
- Industry culture and transferrable skills: Oct 12 - Amazon
- Project management and teamwork: Oct 19 - Intel
- Recruiter and hiring manager insights: Oct 26 - CNA
NC State virtual series (June 2023)
A2i Unbound
UMD was eligible to select 3 PhD students to attend the NC State's Summer A2i Immersion Week, July 17-21, 2023, with no cost to the student/postdoc.