Graduate students have latitude in defining and developing areas of expertise, yet the demonstration of mastery often involves some tried-and-true steps. The Graduate School encourages students to develop an Individual Development Plan to map out career goals and the relevant steps, or building blocks, of their professional development. 

External Funding
Securing external funding is a major step in professional development. Writing an effective proposal is a skill that will serve you for the rest of your career. Winning is more than a badge of honor. Success conveys intellectual promise, initiative, and a positive track record. Be persistent. Need more incentive? The Graduate School offers financial incentives for those who bring in external funding. Tips on competing for external funding, directories of funding opportunities, and other resources can be found in the Ph.D. funding section and on the Research site.  

Teaching
Developing teaching and presentation skills are measures of your development, whether you aim to teach, conduct research, or be a leader at a federal agency, a museum, or think tank. The Sheridan Center is an essential resource, dedicated to helping graduate students communicate to diverse audiences. The Instructional Technology Group, part of Computing and Information Services, is another resource for effective teaching and learning at Brown. 

Doctoral candidates can serve as teaching assistants, while limited teaching opportunities are available to master’s students as MTAs. Doctoral candidates can gain experience teaching in other settings through the Brown/Wheaton Faculty Fellows Program and the Brown-Tougaloo Partnership Faculty Fellows Program. Additional teaching opportunities are available through the University’s Office of Continuing Education. 

English Language and Acculturation Training 
English language and acculturation training is available to incoming international students during the summer, through a collaborative effort of the Center for Language Studies (CLS) and the Graduate School. Ongoing English training is available during the academic year, as well. 

During the summer, the Graduate School works with departments to identify incoming international students whose first language is not English, who may be eligible to participate in the program. Typically, these students will likely serve as teaching assistants (TAs) during the first year.   

The two-week training program takes place in August and includes English language instruction, proficiency evaluations, and small group site visits on campus and around Providence.  The Graduate School covers the cost of the training and some meals. Students are responsible for their travel to Providence. 

Before the start of each semester, all new international teaching assistants (ITAs) whose first language is not English are evaluated and certified as proficient in English before they are allowed to serve in this capacity.  Any unevaluated or uncertified international graduate student who has been assigned a teaching assistantship for the fall semester must be evaluated in one of the August/September testing sessions.   

CLS also strongly recommends that any first-year international graduate students who might be appointed to teaching assistantships in the near future be tested in the fall so that those who need to improve their English may do so. Upon completion of each evaluation, CLS sends copies of the results to the Graduate School and to the student’s department. 

Departments may submit a "Request for Evaluation" form for each international student who needs to be evaluated immediately.  CLS must receive requests by late August and for the test, each student gives a 10-minute presentation on a prearranged, discipline-specific topic to an evaluation panel. 

If departments have other international graduate students or visiting scholars who would like to improve their spoken English skills, they may attend ITA courses as space allows.  Placement interviews to determine the appropriate class for interested students and visiting scholars are scheduled for late August.

Conferences and Research Travel
Attending conferences, conducting off-site research, and presenting your research at conferences can be important markers of professional development. Exchanging ideas and being exposed to different approaches to scholarship and research can be highly beneficial. Remember, too, that as you present your results, you represent Brown. A measure of conference travel funding is available through the Graduate School, the Office of International Affairs, and the Graduate Student Council.  

Publishing
Publishing discoveries, interpretations, or new works is another measure of your development. Graduate students are welcome to work with peer mentors in the Writing Center. The Graduate School is pleased to celebrate and acknowledge publishing success. 

Preparing for the Job Market
During your time at Brown, take advantage of resources and services at the CareerLAB. You can schedule individual, confidential counseling sessions; drop in for quick questions on resume or CV critiques; and attend programs and workshops tailored to specific types of job searches.

An online service, The Versatile PhD, provides information about career paths as well as peer and professional support for non-academic career options. Access to this subscription-based resource is provided by the CareerLAB and the Graduate School. The site is particularly suited for graduate students in the Humanities and Social Sciences who are considering careers outside of academia.