Canada-China Forum, August Making the most of Graduate School Carolyn Watters Dalhousie University

Canada-China Forum, August I. Outcomes Starting –50% back to graduate school after 5 yrs –Professional Masters/ Thesis Masters/PhDs Finishing –Prof degrees and thesis masters ~ 80% –PhDs; arts 30-40%; science ~80% Employment < 50% PhDs go to academia –Most of these do one or more postdocs

Canada-China Forum, August Job aspirations for PhD students Survey entering thesis students (Dalhousie) sector% Government23% Research22% Teaching16% Health Care16% Private Sector15% NGOs5% Other3%

Canada-China Forum, August II Outcomes: Confidence Gaps US study on confidence in new professors (CGS) Reliance on “on-the- job training” womenmen Research28%39% Teach29%33% Interdiscip. collaboration 25%26% Committees12%7% Advise6%9% grants8%7%

Canada-China Forum, August Providing Opportunities 1.Professional Development 2.Internationalization 3.Program reform 5

Canada-China Forum, August III. Professional Development Principles 1.University is responsible for preparing students for roles within academia and other sectors 2.University should be prepared to invest 3.Prof develop should not extend time to completion 4.Prof skills should be appropriate to career goals 5.Programs should be experiential

Canada-China Forum, August What is a professional skill? Can be learned Needs practice Includes reflection Practical relevance

Canada-China Forum, August Professional Skills Development Alumni/Students/Faculty Priorities Topic/SkillStudentsFacultyAlumni Writing112 Job Search253 CV/resume324 Non-academic interview485 Public Speaking531 Giving/receiving criticism647 Mentor/mentoring768 Interdisciplinary team work876

Canada-China Forum, August CAGS(Canadian Association of Graduate Studies) Priorities 1.Communication Skills 2.Management Skills 3.Teaching/Knowledge Transfer Skills 4.Ethics in Research Full Report at

Canada-China Forum, August Summary Success also happens outside of academia All graduates need more than academic skills Academic Plan + Career Plan + Personal Plan We share the responsibility