The Wayne State University Graduate School, in partnership with the Departments of English and History, will expand career development opportunities for doctoral students in the humanities thanks to a new three-year $48,000 grant from the Council of Graduate Schools (CGS).  Wayne State was one of 10 institutions across the nation selected for CGS funding, which was made possible by grants from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

The activities of the NEW PATHS initiative will expand the existing Wayne State University Humanities Clinic by providing workshops and networking events; an annual networking luncheon for humanities Ph.D. students, faculty advisors and community partners; and a pilot program to offer internship experiences to students early in their doctoral training.

“Internships, networking opportunities and workshops made available to doctoral students early in graduate training allows them to explore all of the unique opportunities a doctorate in the humanities offers, promoting confidence in their disciplinary decision and the vision of a fulfilling career,” said Graduate School Dean Amanda Bryant-Friedrich. "It is our responsibility to make sure humanities Ph.D.s are prepared for a broad spectrum of careers in academia and beyond.”

The Humanities Clinic currently offers an innovative graduate internship program that meets demand for professional networking and experiences and job preparedness for the next generation of humanists.  The Clinic launched in summer 2017 with a cohort of five students and matched them with community organizations for internships. Since then, the Humanities Clinic has quadrupled in size, hiring 26 students in 2020 and matching them with over 50 nonprofits and businesses throughout Detroit.

In the past, internship opportunities were reserved for students who were advanced in their programs. The new grant supports summer internships for first- and second-year humanities Ph.D. students to expose them to a broad range of career options and to help them develop strong professional networks early in their graduate training.

The development phase of the NEW PATHS initiative will begin this fall. Monthly networking events and workshops will be offered in early 2022 and Humanities Clinic internships in the summer of 2022.