Graduate Professional Development

lecture hall with students

 

 

Graduate professional development (GPD) is competency or skills-based training that is complementary to the discipline-based graduate coursework and research required for a master’s or doctoral degree. GPD helps students succeed in graduate school and prepares them for a wide range of employment opportunities.

 

The Graduate Professional Skills (GPS) program is tri-campus and encompasses diverse offerings, from two-hour workshops to half-day and full-day mini-conferences, covering topics and types of training that range from tools for statistical and data analysis to strategies for academic publication and grant writing, and much more.New Graduate Professional Skills offerings are added each year—many as a result of the ideas and contributions of graduate students and faculty. In addition, it’s not necessary to enrol in GPS and complete the full program: graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are welcome to participate in as many or few offerings as they wish.

  • MyGPD is an initiative of the School of Graduate Studies Centre for Graduate Professional Development (CGPD) designed to help all graduate students prepare for their future by advancing the development of important transferable skills and competencies. MyGPD is a web-based platform with online courses and workshops (accessible through Quercus) to help graduate students navigate their professional development through a process of developing an Individual Development Plan (IDP), building a supportive network, selecting skill-building workshops, and reflecting on their process.

  • For GPS offerings at UTSC, a listing of current GPS offerings and other professional development events may be found on the News and Events webpage. For more information about GPS at UTSC, please contact the Centre for Teaching and Learning.
  • U of T PhD students who have been admitted to candidacy can now apply for the Work Project Practicum, which enables students to gain professional experience while contributing to flexible projects with community and industry partners.