Designing Your Life: PhD Edition
"What do you want to do after graduation?"
"What are you going to do with your PhD?"
Seemingly simple questions with no easy answers. But what if there was a course that could help you explore these questions and start to build a life and career that excites you? Inspired by the Stanford and Northwestern courses of the namesake book title, The Graduate School in partnership with Northwestern Career Advancement and the Northwestern Personal Development StudioLab in the McCormick School of Engineering are excited to offer Designing Your Life: PhD Edition. This program is open to post-candidacy PhD students in all disciplines and teaches Design Thinking principles that students can apply to all areas of their lives—including their careers—to build a path forward that aligns with their skills, interests, values, and goals. The class will include small-group discussions, short reading and writing assignments, hands-on making, and conversations with alumni.
This class will run weekly on Wednesdays from 12:00–2:00 PM during Winter 2027 on the Evanston campus.
Attendance at all of the following sessions is required:
| Session | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Session I | January 20 | 12:00–2:00 PM | TGS Commons, 2122 Sheridan Road |
| Session II | January 27 | 12:00–2:00 PM | TGS Commons, 2122 Sheridan Road |
| Session III | February 3 | 12:00–2:00 PM | TGS Commons, 2122 Sheridan Road |
| Session IV | February 10 | 12:00–2:00 PM | TGS Commons, 2122 Sheridan Road |
| Session V | February 17 | 12:00–2:00 PM | TGS Commons, 2122 Sheridan Road |
| Session VI | February 24 | 12:00–2:00 PM | TGS Commons, 2122 Sheridan Road |
| Session VII | March 3 | 12:00-2:00 PM | TGS Commons, 2122 Sheridan Road |
Want to learn more? Attend a Designing Your Life: PhD Edition Information Session on Wednesday, October 28th at 3:00pm via Zoom. Register here!
Email Aubrey Korneta (aubrey.korneta@northwestern.edu) with any questions.