Professional Development

CareerLAB ​

CareerLAB’s programs, services, and resources are available to Brown Graduate School students and alumni. Their services include self- assessment, career exploration, skills development, resource advising, and job search strategies. Brown graduate students can make use of walk-in hours or confidential appointments with a career counselor during the academic year to receive information and assistance with self-assessment and career exploration, as well as devising strategies for professional success. CareerLAB’s online resources include:

Job and Internship Board (JIB)

Employers list hundreds of open positions, including many with Brown students in mind. Log in to create a profile, view job posts, upload application materials, and more. You can explore career fields, complete self- assessment tests, and record mock interviews, as well as access other resources available only through JIB. Consult the JIB Guide for Graduate Students for more information on making the most of JIB. JIB is available to current students only. Alumni may access the Alumni Job Board.

BrownConnect

BrownConnect puts students in touch with the university’s global network of alumni, parents, and friends for mentorship, career advice, and networking opportunities. Log in to begin making connections. You can search for alumni, parents, and friends of the university by location, industry, sector, degree type, and other criteria. In fall 2016, Brown will begin adding graduate alumni to the database, but current students – graduate or undergraduate – may contact anyone through the site.

Versatile PhD

Versatile PhD is an online community dedicated to helping PhDs and graduate students learn about non-academic career paths. The site profiles PhDs and ABDs who went on to successful non-academic or alt-academic careers, along with actual resumes and cover letters. It also organizes career panel discussions in a range of fields and topics. Access to Versatile PhD is subscription- based and free through Brown.

Go to CareerLAB

IMSD program

The IMSD program at Brown, titled "Advancing the culture of PhD learning and scholarship in Biology and Health Sciences", is funded by grant R25GM083270 from the National Institute of Brown is committed to the success of our graduate students.

Brown’s Initiative to Maximize Student Development (IMSD) -- an NIH-funded program designed to provide research training and support for students in underrepresented groups to significantly increase the participation of these groups within the fields of biomedical and behavioral research -- includes Skill-Based Training Modules that are open to all BioMed students and occur throughout the academic year. These modules have been specifically designed to address gaps, and build skills that may not be readily addressed in the classroom or laboratory. These modules are complementary to students' discipline-specific training, helping to build confident, successful, and well-rounded graduates.

NSGP students are particularly encouraged to take ‘Demystifying the PhD Experience’, and ‘Scientific Writing: Key Principles’ which are offered every August. The IMSD website contains a full description of the IMSD program and offered modules.

Visit IMSD

Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (OGPS)

The mission of the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (OGPS) is to provide an outstanding training environment that fosters learning and development for biomedical scholars.  This includes providing opportunities for professional and career development and networking; disseminating fellowship, funding and career opportunities; and providing resources for writing applications and preparing for the job market.  Graduate students applying for external funding are encouraged to take the OGPS ‘Grantsmanship’ series. Students can sign up to get the Weekly Update about professional development events, notices, graduate student funding opportunities, and relevant community events. The OGPS website provides a complete list of resources and upcoming events offered in conjunction with other Departments/Centers.

Go to OGPS

Sheridan Center

The Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning promotes evidence-based teaching to create an inclusive environment where all learners can succeed.  The Center offers three certificate programs -- Reflective Teaching, Course Design and the Teaching Consultant Program -- in which participants develop and reflect on their teaching practice.  
Reflective Teaching helps participants develop and refine their fundamental teaching and assessment strategies, and graduate students are advised to take this course before or in conjunction with Teaching Assistant responsibilities.  
The Course Design Seminar explores integrated course design principles and is useful for students interested in academia or leading a Summer@Brown course.  
Finally, the Teaching Consultant Program helps students develop skills in peer observation and feedback; leadership; and facilitation.  Students also develop a teaching portfolio. The program is useful for both students interested in academia and students interested in industry and non-academic jobs for which facilitation or feedback are important components.
The Sheridan Center also offers free, confidential consultations and feedback on teaching, including teaching observations and course consultations.

Visit the Sheridan Center

Open Graduate Education

The Open Graduate Education program allows select doctoral students to pursue a master’s degree in a secondary field.  All doctoral students are invited to contemplate and propose their own combination of studies, free of any disciplinary barrier. The objective of this program is to enable students to combine fields in unique ways and acquire expertise in more than one area. Students in the department have taken advantage of this unique opportunity to supplement their education with degrees in Computer Science, Applied Math, Public Affairs, Biotechnology and more. For more information on the program, please see the website.

 Learn More about Open Graduate Education

CIS Training

Computer and technical training is available from a variety of groups at Brown.  Courses cover the basics of many applications including the Google suite, Adobe Creative Cloud, Endnote and others.  
Computer and Information Services (CIS) maintains a list of learning opportunities.

Go to CIS, IT

Advanced Teaching Opportunities

Brown-Wheaton Faculty Fellowships and Brown-Tougaloo Faculty Fellowships provide liberal arts and rural college teaching opportunities for doctoral students.

Other Opportunities

Research Matters!

Research Matters! is a live event, featuring short talks by graduate students on why their research matters. The brief talks aimed at a general audience showcase exceptional graduate student scholarship and celebrate discoveries and ideas that contribute to the academic excellence at Brown.

Brown Executive Scholars Training

The Brown Executive Scholars Training Program prepares advanced master’s students and doctoral candidates for careers in higher education administration.

Research Travel Grants

Global Mobility grants and Graduate School travel research funds support graduate student scholarship.

 

The Graduate School also maintains a list of Distinctive Opportunities, which include some career and professional development opportunities.