Empower Your Doctoral Journey Course (Feb. 2024)
The Empower Your Doctoral Journey course is open to all University of Maryland doctoral students. This four-week course offers current pre-candidacy doctoral students the opportunity to gain resources and knowledge that can support one's growth and success at UMD and beyond. As you begin your doctoral journey and encounter unfamiliar territories, this course will unpack “the hidden curriculum” and introduce you to key concepts and skills you need to master your doctoral degrees. Topics include goal setting, project management, time management, and networking.
Topics, Schedule, Format, and Location
Every Monday, 12-1:30 PM, in February | Registration deadline: Jan. 31
Over the course of 4 weeks, we will meet in-person to discuss different topics. Each interactive session is about 90 minutes long, and you will get to meet doctoral students across campus while discussing similar experiences/challenges and building a community of support.
All sessions will be in person with provided lunch at 2124 Conference Room Lee Building. ** For best learning outcome, participants are expected to attend all sessions if possible as the topics build on each other.
- Unpacking "the Hidden Curriculum" and Setting Your Goals: Feb. 5
- Project Management: Feb. 12
- Finding Mentors and Cultivating Professional Relationships: Feb 19
- Time Management: Feb 26
This non-credit course and its content will be offered through the UMD Open Learning platform. The four topics build on each other which leads to the learning objectives. Participants who complete at least 3 out of 4 sessions (or 75%) will receive "completion" on their Open Learning learner transcript.
Instructor
Dr. Yi Hao, Program Director of Career & Professional Development, The Graduate School
REGISTRATION LINK
Registration Deadline: 4 PM, Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2024
Once registered, you will receive a copy of your responses when you submit this form. Registration on Open Learning and calendar invites will be shared with registrants. Contact Dr. Yi Hao (yihao@umd.edu), Program Director for Career and Professional Development at the Graduate School.
Session Descriptions
In this session, we will discuss and uncover “the hidden curriculum” of graduate school to help you navigate the transitions in graduate studies. We will also look at goals and milestones common to one’s academic journey, skills, and personal and career development to help you think about what you want to achieve during your graduate program
As a grad student, you are the project manager for your coursework, research, teaching, and other areas of professional and personal life. Therefore, learning and integrating project management principles will help improve efficiency and agility in every aspect of your life.
Mentorship is one of the most critical aspects in graduate training. In this session, we will discuss the science of mentorship and how to cultivate a team of mentors and build lasting relationships to support your areas of needs and growth through your graduate journey.
Time management is a fundamental skill to your graduate experience that requires periodic reflection to ensure its effectiveness. In this workshop, learn about strategies to set realistic goals, curb distractions and procrastination, and design personalized plans to manage time in order to accomplish professional goals and personal aspirations.