1. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education
(Part II)
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 1

2. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Graduate School
Why go?
Gain professional education
How does it work?
Master of …
Science
Arts
Business Administration
Public Health
Doctor of Philosophy
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 2

3. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Gain clarity on where you want to start your career.
Information
Be creative.
Practice
Exposure
Know what you need to start .
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 3

4. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Think Tank
Success
Information
Be creative.
Practice
Exposure
1. Research
2. Policy
3. Economics
EXAMPLE
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 4

5. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
International Transportation
Success
Information
Be creative.
Practice
Exposure
1. Language
2. Intn’l development
3. Research abroad
EXAMPLE
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 5

6. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Professor
Success
Information
Be creative.
Practice
Exposure
1. Journal articles
2. Teaching experience
3. Research experience
4. Mentoring experience
EXAMPLE
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 6

7. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Metropolitan Planning Authority
Success
Information
Be creative.
Practice
Exposure
1. Federal grants
2. Land use
EXAMPLE
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 7

8. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Consultant
Success
Information
Be creative.
Practice
Exposure
1. Technical software
2. Project management
EXAMPLE
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 8

9. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
DOT
Success
Information
Be creative.
Practice
Exposure
1. Research management
2. Program evaluation
EXAMPLE
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 9

10. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Information
Why is it important to repeat this process?
Practice
Exposure
1. Current opportunities may change.
2. New opportunities arise.
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 10

11. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Information
Public Policy 8-week course
Practice
President Nat’l Org
Modeling Tool
Exposure
Minority Program
Writer News/Blog
Conference
Summer
Sem1
Sem2
Summer
Sem3
Sem4
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017
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12. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Gain clarity on where you want to start your career.
Information
Be creative.
Practice
Exposure
Know what you need to start .
Remember.
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 12

13. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Customized
Portfolio
Success
Information
Practice
Evidence
Exposure
Awards
Course Projects
Leadership
Research Publications
Volunteer Work
Intern write-ups
Co-op write-ups
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 13

14. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Start now.
Find professional examples.
Identify opportunities for you to gain information, practice, and exposure.
Share your findings with an advisor, trusted mentor, favorite professor, department head and discuss next steps based on where you are in the program.
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 14

15. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Where to find examples.
Alumni profiles
Conference booklets
Company/Organization staff pages
Current graduate student profiles
Job descriptions
LinkedIn
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 15

16. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Tips for challenges.
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 16

17. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Turn every negative into a positive.
You control your narrative.
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 17

18. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Own everything.
Own your strengths. Articulate how you achieved them.
Own your weaknesses. Create and implement your plan to grow.
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 18

19. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Build relationships.
Build relationships with peers/faculty that consistently talk about exciting plans for the future and execute those plans.
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 19

20. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Questionnaire Feedback
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 20

21. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Q: Graduate school offers research and more courses, that’s it?
Future Work/
Research Need
The relationship between research and coursework.
Results
Question
Research
Approach/Method
Literature
Course Work
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 21

22. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Q: Graduate school offers research and more classes, that’s it? (continued)
Grant writing
Presenting/public speaking
Problem solving
Producing new ideas
Project management
Research methods
Reviewing literature
Writing/synthesizing information
Examples of skills acquired during courses and research.
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 22

23. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Q: Where do I start? How do I prepare for graduate school and balance undergraduate life?
STEP 1: Take a personal inventory.
Courses
Course Projects
Co-ops
Internships
Organization Activities
Research
Volunteer Work
Inventory
STEP 2: Set an appointment with an advisor to discuss next steps.
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 23

24. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Q: Funding is my biggest concern? How will I pay for this?
Examples of funding opportunities.
Research Assistantship
Teaching Assistantship
Professional Assistantship
Summer Program Assistantships
Current student fellowships
Current student awards/competitions
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 24

25. Success in Graduate Study: Customize Your Education (Part II)
Thank you and good luck!
- Dr. Fitzpatrick
Velvet Basemera-Fitzpatrick, Ph.D., P.M.P.
Mid-America Transportation Center Scholars Program 2017 25