BIO (0105) 627 - Essential Skills for Graduate Students

Credits: 3.00

Students will develop a number of career and research skills related to success in graduate school and beyond, including research and experimental design, the process of scientific publication, grant writing, and scientific communication.

Course Learning Goals: Upon successful completion of this course, students will have two major course objectives: communications skills and professional development.

1. Communications Skills: Writing Papers and Grants and Presenting Findings

Students will:

Explain current trends in academia in funding and publication
Explain how to design and conduct a publishable research project
Explain the requirements of modern project management and data analysis
Explain common ethical violations in academia and publishing and their consequences
Explain how to write a publishable thesis, scholarly paper, and/or conference abstract
Design effective scientific figures
Explain how research is presented in an academic setting (oral presentation and poster)
Practice presenting a grant proposal
Explain and critique scientific publishing and the process of peer review
Write a grant proposal to obtain funding

2. Professional Development: Learning, Teaching, Applying for Further Education, Networking, and Getting a Job

Students will:

Explain current trends in careers
Manage expectations and plans in further graduate programs, or professional schools
Meaningfully engage with scientists at conferences or through email
Explain trends in pedagogy, including evidence-based teaching and active learning methods
Explain the difference in content and style between a resume and a CV; evaluate the effectiveness of resumes and CVs
Craft effective applications for jobs, further graduate programs, or professional schools