Professional Development

Professional and Researcher Development

Graduate education is more than earning a degree. It is an opportunity for meaningful development as a researcher and growth as a professional. The NDSU Graduate School coordinates research and professional development programming to help graduate students cultivate the knowledge, skills, relationships, and confidence to thrive throughout their graduate education journey and beyond.

Graduate education opens doors to careers in academia, industry, government, nonprofit organizations, entrepreneurship, and many other paths, and the NDSU Graduate School helps you translate your experiences and skills into a career. We have developed and refined programs and activities for growth and development as you explore a wide variety of career paths that are possible with your graduate degree.

Every semester hosts topical workshops, supportive groups, events, and activities. The programming covers creating application materials, expanding professional networks, reflecting on your professional identity, exploring career pathways, and communicating your value to employers as well as to yourself. By design, the programming takes a holistic approach to professional development.

Recent professional growth and career exploration workshops and activities:

C.V. Crafting (Applying for academic roles)
LinkedIn Level-Up
Resume Crafting (Applying for industry roles)
Professional Networking: A Strategic Approach to Explore Career Paths

Signature Program: Professional Development Hub (pd|Hub)

The Professional Development Hub (pd|Hub) is the flagship professional growth offering for our graduate students. NDSU is proud to be one of only fifteen R1 (very high research activity) institutions in the U.S. selected to join the first implementation of the pd|Hub, an initiative dedicated to supporting career exploration and professional growth for graduate students. The pd |Hub is an eight-session program designed to guide participants through high-impact practices and develop a personalized Career Guide Plan to confidently continue pursuing their aspirations. Offered every semester (Fall, Spring, and Summer), the NDSU Graduate School invites graduate students from all disciplines and at any stage of their graduate education to apply for the pd |Hub. Applicants who complete the entire program receive a certificate of recognition.

An excellent researcher develops more than disciplinary expertise. They communicate ideas clearly, mentor others, manage complex projects, collaborate across disciplines, and continually refine their research practices.

The NDSU Graduate School offers researcher development programming that covers a range of technical skills to set you up for success as a researcher. Whether creating presentation strategies to enhance conference talks or learning about visual storytelling to improve posters and PowerPoints, or exploring plans to manage a variety of projects, you will have opportunities to acquire new skills and refine existing skills.

In addition to technical skills, transferable skills such as mentorship and leadership are important to cultivate as a researcher. You will have opportunities to join nationally recognized programs, including Entering Mentoring and Great Plains NSF I-Corps. Transferable skills serve researchers throughout their careers and provide a durable complement to technical skills.

Recent researcher development workshops and activities include:

Poster Design: Principles of Visual Storytelling
From Experts to Everyone: Refining Research Communication Strategies
Excel to R: Basics of R Programming
14-Day Writing Challenge

Signature Event: Student Research Day

Student Research Day is the Graduate School's premier celebration of graduate research. The event highlights graduate student research from across the entire campus. Held each spring semester, the event offers graduate students a valuable opportunity to share their research, receive feedback, and connect with the broader NDSU and regional community.

Student Research Day emphasizes the importance of clearly communicating research beyond disciplinary audiences. The NDSU Graduate School invites faculty and staff from a variety of NDSU programs to evaluate research presentations. To broaden the perspective beyond academia, the Graduate School also invites industry representatives, community leaders, and graduate program alumni to serve as evaluators.

By presenting a poster or delivering an oral presentation at this unique interdisciplinary event, you will refine your research communication skills, network with a variety of individuals, and learn more about the research enterprise and the NDSU community.

Learn more about Student Research Day.

More Previous Events and Contact

The NDSU Graduate School provides a rich variety of researcher and professional development programming to enable graduate students to succeed from their first semester through degree completion and as their research journey continues after their degree.

To learn even more, the Grad Hub Instagram offers a glimpse into previous activities, and enrolled graduate students receive weekly emails about current and forthcoming opportunities.

To learn more about programming for NDSU graduate students, contact Dr. Matthew Warner, coordinator in the NDSU Graduate School, at matthew.b.warner@ndsu.edu.