Discover resources, connect with mentors, dive deeper into MIT’s 7 professional development competencies, and find out about upcoming events and opportunities.
Graduate professional development is skills-based training complementary to your academic coursework that will augment any career path you decide to follow, within and beyond academe.
Individual Development Plans, or IDPs, are a key professional development tool used within both academia and industry to establish priorities, set goals, and track progress. You can create your own tailored Individual Development Plan to guide you in self-assessment, exploration, goal setting, implementation, recording milestones, and reflection.
By creating and using an IDP, you can optimize your PhD years by planning experiences that will help you build the competencies and skills you need not only to finish your degree but to keep rising throughout your career.
Being a graduate student at MIT is an endeavor like no other.
How can you stay focused and centered with so much going on? Will you ever have time to reflect on how you got here? How can you plan your next steps while taking on so much?
These are important questions, and C.H.A.O.S. can help! C.H.A.O.S. is an acronym for a non-linear design thinking process (and a handy mnemonic device) that will help you find patterns and order within the chaos.
Offered in IAP and summer terms, the Research Mentoring Certificateprogram offers PhD students and postdocs the opportunity to develop their mentoring practice within a supportive cohort.
The Graduate Students Mentoring Circlesconnect students with alumni who provide relevant perspectives on academic and industry careers. The next session will run in late October/early November 2025. Interested graduate students, email Elsie Otero at eotero@mit.edu.
The Faculty Job Search Seriesprovides PhD students and postdocs with a suite of programming, including workshops, panel discussions, and instructional lectures on elements of the faculty job search. Throughout the academic year, the FJSS provides programming that aligns with the rhythm of the typical job market cycle. Learn what you need to know when you need to know it, and create an exceptional portfolio of job search materials to launch your post-PhD career.
The Path of Professorship, a long-running, application-based 2-day workshop — designed for MIT graduate and post-doctoral women and unique experiences of women and other underrepresented gender groups — provides information about academic careers in science and engineering, and the prepares participants to create strong, competitive applications for faculty positions. Accomplished MIT alumni who are now professors present their best tips and serve on panel discussions.
Professional development certificates for PhDs and postdocs
MIT offers 2 new professional development certificates to help graduate students and postdocs fast track and focus their growth in two essential areas: mentoring and grant writing.
The Faculty Job Search Series (FJSS)supports graduate students and postdocs who are preparing for the faculty job market. The program brings together expertise from around the Institute, including faculty, CAPD, the Writing and Communication Center, the Teaching and Learning Lab, the OGE, and the Engineering Communication Labs.
Build a strong application informed by experts across the Institute via overviews, faculty panels, deep dives, and hands-on-workshops aligned with the timeline of the faculty job search.
MIT Alumni Advisors Hub
Think of the worldwide community of MIT alumni as a vast and renewable resource that you, as an MIT graduate student, are invited to tap and leverage. Using the Alumni Advisors Hub is one of the most powerful ways there is to augment your technical training. There’s no better source of information and wisdom to inform your journey than the scholars and professionals who have been where you are now, and gone on to discover, teach, influence, and lead with excellence in the world beyond the Infinite Corridor.
Resource Library
Ready to dive in? The Graduate Professional Development Resource Library is a curated collection of articles, web resources, podcasts, books, and more.
The Writing and Communication Center has launched a new Communication and Technology Studio to help you enhance your public speaking skills. At the studio, you can practice your presentations in front of simulated audiences and receive instant feedback from the PitchVantage software.
Consult with Graduate Professional Development staff and Graduate Community Fellows to learn more about opportunities at MIT to build skills in leadership, communication, mentoring, and more. 1:1 advisory appointments are available. All MIT graduate students are eligible to register; a limited number of appointments are available weekly; first come, first served.
The Graduate Student PD Resource Lounge is open from 3-4 on Thursdays in 7-103; grad students are invited to drop by for snacks, community, and collaborative conversations about PD questions, challenges, and opportunities.
Helen Tupper and Sarah Ellis, hosts of The Squiggly Career, are coming to campus on Friday, February 27th to lead two workshops on professional development for graduate students.
CAPD will support you to find help in navigating careers and opportunities through January IAP career exploration events. These resources are designed to help you explore different paths, build confidence, and prepare for future opportunities.
Three insights MIT students gained from connecting with engineers at MathWorks.
MIT students recently visited the MathWorks Lakeside Campus in Natick, MA, for a Women in Tech Trek—an event designed for those exploring careers in technology and engineering. The program …
Professional Certificate programming for graduate students and postdocs has entered its 3rd year. These popular programs provide opportunities for participants to go a little deeper into grant writing and research mentoring, two important topics certain to play key roles in …
Many entities throughout MIT are invested in graduate student professional development. These essential partners fuel our programs and serve as excellent resources for graduate students.
