Wayne State's Graduate School has hosted professional development events for years, teaching various skills that may be overlooked in the classroom. But now that all events have become virtual, the Graduate School has expanded their offerings to include a variety of new learning experiences.

This year's lineup is divided into three types of learning opportunities: research, career readiness, and instructional. Master's and Ph.D students, as well as postdocs and faculty will all benefit from the series.

Refreshed event lineup

"We completely revamped the Professional Development Series to meet the moment," said Mary Wood, program director in the Graduate School. "We also tapped into a broad spectrum of scholars and experts across campus to design programs to meet the needs of incoming students."

Sessions will be led by professors or practitioners, all experts at their craft. Scholars from a variety of Wayne State schools and colleges will participate, including the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Ilitch School of Business, the School of Fine, Performing, and Communication Arts, the Eugene Applebaum College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, and the School of Medicine.

"The skills that our attendees will learn in these seminars normally cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars. The learning outcomes are invaluable to those graduate students looking to advance their research and careers," said Sokol Todi, associate dean of postdoctoral development in the Graduate School.

Five skills you'll learn through Wayne State's Professional Development Series

With dozens of events scheduled for the fall semester, students can gain an enormous amount of knowledge without spending a dime. All the events listed below are now open for registration. Here are five key skills that Wayne State's professional development events offer:

Advanced statistics

Taught by Professor Moh Malek, this workshop is completed in three sessions and includes a copy of Dr. Malek's textbook. Trainees who may need to use statistics in their research but don't need a formal statistics course, will learn how to choose appropriate statistical tools and how to use the SPSS software package.

Professional branding

There is no course at Wayne State solely dedicated to improving your online resume, but it is one of the most important factors when applying for jobs. Hiring managers want to see your resume not only on paper, but also online. This course is taught by Ilitch School of Business Faculty Member Nick Mattar and will include a crash course in using LinkedIn to for networking.

Requesting funding/applying for grants

Anybody who conducts research will need this skill. The Graduate School has teamed up with the Office of the Vice President of Research (OVPR) to provide seamless access to multiple seminars on this topic. You will learn how to apply for grants at Wayne State, request fellowship funding, and even write grants.

Writing a dissertation

Every current or aspiring Ph.D student must write a thesis, and this seminar will provide tangible tips to planning out and writing it. English Professor Jule Thomas will lead this in-depth workshop that will cover the steps that are not often taught in a classroom setting.

Resolving conflict and microaggressions

Being prepared for a career includes understanding the intangibles that come with working in a professional setting. That means being able to handle uncomfortable situations such as conflict and microaggressions. Seminars will address these two issues, how to handle them, and how to avoid them in the future. These situations are often overlooked, but can damage your career if you are unprepared.

To register for any of the events plus many more, visit the Professional Development Series page. For questions, contact Sokol Todi at stodi@med.wayne.edu.