GRAD Aggies
Graduate Resources and Development for Aggies (GRAD Aggies) provides professional development opportunities that help you find success in your graduate or professional program, on the job market, and in your professional career.
Achieve Your Goals with the Help of GRAD Aggies
GRAD Aggies Professional Development Certificates
Demonstrate to potential employers that you are prepared for the professional world. Through our certificate program, you can highlight your participation in professional development activities to enhance your CV or resume. Certificate recipients are honored every April with the annual GRAD Aggies Certificate Ceremony.
Find Events to Earn Professional Development Units (PDUs)
To find events that count towards a GRAD Aggies Professional Development Certificate, please visit our calendar. Students who actively engage in a session and complete a post-event reflection in the GRAD Aggies Certificate Program Canvas page can earn PDUs towards a certificate. Typically, one-hour sessions earn 1 PDU. Check listings in the GRAD Aggies Calendar for their PDU values.
NOTE: Some collaborators offer 1-hour 1:1 consultations and advising as a part of the GRAD Aggies Certificate Program. For the purpose of the GRAD Aggies Certificate program, a maximum of 1 PDU from 1:1 appointments may be used per collaborator per professional development certificate level. See the consultation event description in the GRAD Aggies Calendar or email grad-aggies@tamu.edu for more information.
Certificate Levels and ReqUirements
Foundations Certificate
- Earn 6 Professional Development Units (PDUs) through engaging in GRAD Aggies approved events.
- Complete the appropriate reflection quiz on our certificate site within one month of attending each event. Participation will be verified with the facilitator before PDUs are awarded.
- Submit a final certificate reflection. (GRAD Aggies staff will verify 6 PDUs have been earned)
After earning the Foundations certificate, students become eligible to complete an Explorations certificate.
Explorations Certificate
- Earn 6 additional PDUs, on top of those accumulated for the Foundations certificate, following the process outlined for the Foundations Certificate.
- Submit a final certificate reflection.
Mastery Certificate
Prerequisite: Earned both a Foundations and Explorations Certificates
Completing a Mastery Certificate allows students to demonstrate accomplishments achieved through the GRAD Aggies program related to skills needed to succeed after graduation. Students must meet the following three (3) requirements to earn a Mastery Certificate:
1. Earn an additional 2 PDUs.
2. Engage in an activity that allows the student to demonstrate mastery in a skill area through creating, analyzing, evaluating or applying concepts.
Below are examples of activities that will fulfill this requirement. (Please note that these activities DO NOT earn the 2 extra PDUs.) Please submit your advanced activity idea here for pre-approval here.
Examples
- Lead/organize a TAMU student organization on Campus.
- Organize an academic conference or symposium.
NOTE: There are organized programs at Texas A&M that are approved to earn a GRAD Aggies Mastery Certificate for completion. Please see the list below.
3. Complete the certificate reflection in our Certificate Canvas page. This reflection will ask what you learned from the entire program and what your plans are for continuing professional development.
Mastery Certificate Programs
In addition, there are several advanced professional development programs that allow students to demonstrate their understanding and achievements in GRAD Aggies’ skill areas and earn a Mastery Certificate in one of our six skill areas.
Students may apply to participate in one or all of the following programs, as applicable to their interests and academic and career pursuits, to earn an Mastery Certificate. All participants must submit a final reflection in the GRAD Aggies Professional Development Certificate Program Canvas page to earn the Mastery certificate (after completing all requirements & deliverables as outlined by the facilitating program). Each program is a 10-20 hr commitment.
Mastery Certificate in Leadership & Mentoring - Graduate Mentoring Academy (GMA) Facilitator Program
Prerequisites: Complete the 6 GMA Competency sessions.
Students who complete the 6 GMA competencies (each earn 1 PDU towards a GRAD Aggies Basic or Intermediate certificate) may earn an Mastery Certificate in Leadership & Mentoring by becoming a GMA program facilitator. This entails:
- Completing the GMA Capstone session to become a GMA Fellow
- Attending GMA Facilitator Training
- Shadowing a minimum of 2 GMA sessions as a facilitator-in-training
- Co-facilitating a minimum of 2 GMA sessions as a facilitator
Once these requirements are completed, students should submit their final reflection in the GRAD Aggies Professional Development Certificate program Canvas page.
Visit the GMA Portal for additional information.
Students who complete the Career Center’s 8-Week summer Individual Development Plan (IDP) Career Exploration Series can earn a GRAD Aggies Mastery Certificate in Career Development. This entails:
- Attending 6 of the 8 sessions
- Completing all weekly activities
Students who complete this program will be able to:
- Identify their top 2 career choices
- Identify resources for continued career exploration
- Set S.M.A.R.T.E.R. goals for success
- Build a supportive learning community
Look for registration information each May. Email grad-aggies@tamu.edu if you have questions.
Aggie Voice Blog Ambassadors may earn a GRAD Aggies Mastery Certificate in Communication. This entails:
- Attending a workshop on expectations, requirements and best practices
- Submitting the required number of blogs (6) per semester
- Accepting feedback and completing occasional revisions
- Submitting a reflection on their experience explaining the significance of their contribution to the graduate community and our campus
Once these requirements are completed, students should submit their final reflection in the GRAD Aggies Professional Development Certificate Program Canvas page.
Visit the Blog Ambassadors page for additional information.
Students who complete the Center for Teaching Excellence’s English Language Proficiency Practice Group for Instructions program can earn a GRAD Aggies Mastery Certificate in Communication. This entails:
- Attending all 10 sessions offered through the program
- Session 1 - Overview & Introductions
- Session 2 - Visual Aids & Stressing a Syllable
- Session 3 - Comprehension Checks, Body Language, & Pausing
- Session 4 – Meet Experienced TAs
- Session 5 – Prominent Words & Discourse Cues
- Session 6 - Asking Questions & Active Learning
- Session 7 - Meet Undergraduate Students
- Session 8 - Answering Questions & Contrastive Stress
- Session 9 - Linking Words & Leading a Discussion
- Session 10 - Microteaching with Feedback
- Completing any 3 homework assignments
- Presenting a microlesson during Session 10
Once these requirements are completed, students should submit their final reflection in the GRAD Aggies Professional Development Certificate program Canvas page.
Visit the CTE-ELP webpage to learn more or sign up for a Practice Group session here.
Students who earn a CIRTL Associate, Practitioner or Scholar Certificate may apply for a GRAD Aggies Mastery Certificate in Instruction & Assessment through submitting a final reflection in the GRAD Aggies Professional Development Certificate Canvas page.
Students can earn CIRTL Certificates by meeting the attendance and assignment requirements for the following programs.
- Academy for Future Faculty (AFF) - year-long program
- CIRTL Online Courses with Local Learning Communities (LLC) - typically 8-week programs
- Graduate Teaching Consultant (GTC) Program - year-long program
- Graduate Student Leadership Institute - semester-long program
- Advanced Teaching Practices: Research-Driven Approaches for Higher Education - 8-week program
- Teaching-As-Research Fellows Program (TAR) - year-long program
- Aggie Research Mentoring Program - year-long program
GRAD Aggies Professional Development Skill Areas
The GRAD Aggies program has identified several Skill Areas and learning outcomes key to your success. Please explore the Skill Areas below and to identify your mastery level and areas that you would like to focus on developing.
Depending on sessions you attend, you will acquire the knowledge and skills listed below each skill:
- Identify, evaluate and use resources that support personal wellbeing
- Recognize the value of maintaining support networks
- Understand how to identify and manage anxiety and stress
- Understand and apply strategies to address imposter syndrome
- Understand the value of a lifestyle that promotes physical health
- Describe holistic financial planning and the concept of financial literacy
- Articulate how to create a personal budget and calculate and increase personal wealth
- Describe the types and appropriate usages of debt and how to improve credit
- Explain how to prepare financially for post-graduation success, including understanding the financial components of a job offer
- Describe and evaluate different financial decisions, including student loans, car buying, home buying, retirement planning and investment types
- Understand tools to find funding opportunities
- Understand the components of successful funding proposals and applications
- Perform and organize literature reviews
- Recognize their role as consumers, producers, and creators of information
- Identify, find, evaluate, create and ethically use information in their academic pursuits, in their future careers, and as life-long learners
- Describe best practices in research data management, data archiving and sharing, copyright and fair use, and citation management
- Describe how to access the literature and existing knowledge about teaching and learning issues, in a subject, discipline, or more broadly
- Discuss evidence-based instructional practices, including the role of technology, in supporting student learning
- Identify and explain personal beliefs and reasonings about teaching
- Discuss formative and summative assessment techniques
- Describe techniques for building an inclusive learning community in the college classroom
- Develop specific, realistic goals for the effective management of graduate-level writing projects
- Locate useful writing and oral communication resources (on-campus and virtual)
- Describe general conventions of academic writing and discourse
- Identify the conventions of academic writing and discourse within their specific discipline
- Identify ways to revise their own writing at the sentence, paragraph and document levels
- Articulate ways to integrate source information in graduate-level writing projects
- Enhance decision-making ability
- Develop strategies for managing time and priorities
- Cultivate self-awareness
- Adopt a leadership-style authentic to one’s self
- Understand the purpose and value of mentorship, both as a mentor and mentee
- Integrate integrity into all aspects of life, including their career and academic pursuits
- Foster the ability to collaborate with others
- Utilize effective strategies for managing conflict
- Use Individual Development Plans (IDPs) and Career Center resources to identify and explore academic and non-academic career options
- Identify and translate relevant skills and knowledge gained through research and experience to enhance marketability with employers
- Describe and tailor their career stories to potential employers, collaborators, funders, and other stakeholders
- Use networking resources and strategies to build a professional network for use during career exploration and job search process
- Understand Career Center resources and strategies for an effective job search
- Create tailored career documents and professional correspondence to demonstrate their interest and relevant experience to a potential employer
- Prepare for and communicate effectively during professional interviews
GRAD AGGIES PARTNERS
The following partners offer workshops, seminars, training events and online resources every semester as part of the GRAD Aggies program. Each one concentrates in one to two skill areas, so you can attain a diverse set of transferrable skills. The list of contributors continues to grow, so be sure to check the GRAD Aggies Calendar for new events.
- Career Center – Founding Partner
- Center for Teaching Excellence – Founding Partner
- Center for Teaching Excellence - English Language Proficiency (ELP)
- Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL@TAMU)
- Graduate Mentoring Academy
- Graduate and Professional School – Founding Partner
- Graduate and Professional Student Government – Founding Partner
- International Student & Scholar Services – Founding Partner
- University Health Services - Mental Health – Founding Partner
- University Libraries – Founding Partner
- University Writing Center – Founding Partner
FUNDING SUPPORT FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
The Grad School provides several ways for graduate and professional students to receive financial support for their professional development endeavors, including the RAP Travel Award and the Child Care Travel Award.
GRAD Aggies FAQs
Access the Graduate Resources and Development for Aggies (GRAD Aggies) Events and Grad School Workshops Calendar here.
For more dates and deadlines please see the Official Texas A&M Calendar.
Visit the Graduate Resources and Development for Aggies (GRAD Aggies) Certificate Program, or submit the form here to enroll in the free program.
While many sessions that earn credit (PDUs) towards a GRAD Aggies certificate are open to all (students, postdocs, and faculty), only graduate and professional students are eligible to earn GRAD Aggies certificates.
All Graduate Resources and Development for Aggies (GRAD Aggies) events are listed on the GRAD Aggies Calendar. Sessions that earn PDUs towards our certificate program will have the amount of PDUs written in their event description in the calendar. If an event is listed on the calendar but is not a GRAD Aggies event eligible to earn a Professional Development Unit (PDU), it will specifically state, “This event does not earn PDUs towards a GRAD Aggies Certificate.
No. There are no charges or costs associated with the certificate.
A “PDU” is a Professional Development Unit and is the credit system we use to keep track of your progress towards earning a Graduate Resources and Development for Aggies (GRAD Aggies) Certificate. For example, a basic certificate requires you earn 6 PDUs plus do a final reflection. Events are worth 1 PDU unless otherwise noted. For more information on events please visit the website.
The Professional Development Symposium is a full day workshop with 12 sessions that can earn students 6 PDUs and the ability to walk away with a GRAD Aggies Certificate if they complete the session quizzes and final reflection. Please visit the website to learn more.
Three Minute Thesis Competition
Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) is a research communication competition developed by The University of Queensland (UQ). Graduate students have three minutes to present a compelling oration on their thesis and its significance to a non-specialist audience.
At Texas A&M, the 3MT competition is hosted by the Graduate and Professional School and is part of the GRAD Aggies Program. Leading up to the competition, we offer development sessions and a preliminary round where judges give feedback. The winner of the Texas A&M 3MT final competition represents Texas A&M at the regional competition held each spring at the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools' Annual Meeting.
