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Professional Development

Graduate school is more than just research and coursework. No matter your professional goals, your graduate experience can help you gain the skills you need to succeed in a wide range of careers The Graduate School is here to help you develop competencies to excel at Northwestern and beyond.

Core capacities

The Graduate School Core Capacities define six areas of professional skill, knowledge, and experience required for success at Northwestern and in the wide range of careersNorthwestern graduate students pursue:

  • Communication
  • Leadership and Collaboration
  • Teaching and Mentoring
  • Research Skills and Literates
  • Personal Development and Well-Being
  • Career Preparation and Exploration

Graduate students can develop these capacities through their research, teaching, leadership and community engagement activities. TGS also collaborates with University partners to provide programs and resources to further your professional development in these key areas. Use our Explore Opportunities tool below to learn more about professional development programs supported by TGS.

Explore opportunities

The Graduate School collaborates with University and program partners to support graduate student professional development. TGS promotes interdepartmental, interdisciplinary, and interinstutional programming to meet the needs of master’s and doctoral graduate students. The programs and resources developed by TGS can be found in our professional development tool.

Contact TGS if you have any questions about professional development programming or support. We are here to help!