Practice Your Skills and Expand Your Possibilities!

Are you interested in gaining practical (work) experience beyond the classroom? You might want to apply the knowledge and skills you've gained through graduate school and build new skills. These often brief experiences can also enhance your resume by providing tangible evidence of your skills, making you a more competitive candidate, and opening new career opportunities! Here are just some of the one-time and recurring opportunities that UMass graduate students have taken advantage of: 

Lead a Workshop at the Teaching Academy

Each year OPD coaches multiple presenters to create a workshop (virtual and in-person) for the Teaching Academy! Presenters talk about a range of topics, such as active learning, preparing for class, grading, the first day, syllabi, getting your students to discuss and write, and more! Presenters often use this experience to transition to a career at a center for teaching, faculty support, or a career in the classroom!  Apply in the spring. 

Public Writing Fellows

Are you interested in improving your writing for non-expert audiences? Or maybe you want to pursue a career in public relations, science communication, or outreach?  Be a Graduate School Public Writing Fellow! In this program, graduate students work with a peer mentor group under the direction of OPD to write, revise, and polish a research communication news story. 

Compete in the 3 Minute Thesis

The University of Massachusetts Amherst Three Minute Thesis (3MT) celebrates the research accomplishments of our graduate students while helping students develop their presentation and communication skills. These popular competitions have become a global phenomenon by challenging graduate students to communicate the significance of their research to a general audience, all in three minutes or less. Guided by support and feedback from OPD, participating in the 3MT is a great way to improve and practice public speaking skills! Sign-up happens in December and early January.

Attend the Catalyzing Advocacy in Science and Engineering (CASE) Workshop

The CASE workshop is organized to educate STEM students who are interested in learning about the role of science in policymaking. Participants spend several days learning about the structure and organization of Congress, the federal budget and appropriations process, and tools for effective science communication and civic engagement. Sponsored by the Graduate School, Riccio College of Engineering, and College of Natural Sciences.

Teach a First Year Seminar

Considering a career in teaching? The UMass First Year Seminar is a 1-credit class for first-year undergrads on a topic of your choice taught in fall semester! The experience of being an instructor - and building your own syllabus - is invaluable if you are interested in a faculty career. First year seminars are managed by UMass colleges and schools, so watch for your college's call for applicants in the early spring each year! 

Be a Consultant for the Institute for Social Science Research (ISSR) 

The role of an ISSR consultant is to provide methodological guidance to students, faculty, and other researchers in the UMass community with their research projects. The primary job responsibility is to hold individual meetings with faculty and students in response to walk-in and email requests for assistance. In addition, each consultant prepares and delivers two workshops each semester on a research method and/or analytical software topic. Co-sponsored by the Graduate School. 

Intern at the UMass Press

The academic publishing industry follows an apprenticeship model, wherein job experience is frequently the key qualification for both entry-level and advanced positions. To explore or launch a career in publishing, applicants generally begin as assistants, providing support to acquisitions and marketing staff.  Based at the Amherst office of the University of Massachusetts Press, this internship will offer exposure to the workings of a university press and provide the experience necessary to land an entry-level job in the industry. Each spring, a single application cycle is used to select three graduate interns who will work at the UMass Press in either the fall, spring, or summer term. Co-sponsored by the Graduate School, College of Humanities and Fine Arts, College of Social and Behavioral Sciences, and UMass Press.