Graduate School Essentials for Doctoral Students
Graduate School Essentials provides a framework for understanding what is expected of doctoral students at every phase of grad school. If grad school is a journey, Graduate School Essentials meets you where you are, and points you in the right direction.
How to navigate
Graduate School Essentials begins with a First Steps Checklist that contains key critical information you need to know at every phase of graduate school. You can then navigate your way to Graduate School Essentials for STEM and for Humanities and Social Sciences.
Get to know your program/department culture
- If available, bookmark/download your program’s student handbook, intranet page/website, and events calendar.
- Know the answer to “who in my program/department do I go to if …”
- Save the name and email of your Graduate Program Coordinator (GPC).
- Save the name and email of your Director of Graduate Studies (DGS).
- Save the name and email of the staff in your program/department and their roles (administrative assistant, etc).
- Attend your program/department’s annual orientations and info sessions to make sure you are on top of program/departmental policy changes.
Map out your course prerequisites, exams, and degree milestones
- Work with your advisor on an overview of your degree completion process.
- Track your degree progress with GPAS (Graduate Planning & Audit System).
- Add important dates and goals to your Individual Development (IDP):
- Prerequisites
- Exams
- Committee formation
- Literature review
- Familiarize yourself with Dissertation Calculator.
- Contact GSSP (Graduate Student Services and Progress) to get help tracking your important deadlines and requirements.
- Use Schedule Builder to add courses and make a schedule.
- Talk to your advisor and peers on what elective courses to take that might complement your research.
- Explore new areas that might be of interest for a minor or sub-field.
Update your Information in MyU
Get involved with student groups, support centers, and events
- Council of International Graduate Students (CIGS)
- Council of Graduate Students (COGS)
- Disability Resource Center (DRC)
- First-Gen Graduate Students
- Gender and Sexuality Center for Queer and Trans Life (GSC)
- Graduate School Diversity Office (GSDO)
- Graduate Students of Color Alliance (GSOCA)
- Graduate Student Community Organizations and Graduate and Professional Support Resources
- Graduate and Professional Student Parents (GRaSP)
- Improving Campus Climate
- International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS)
Find assistantship employment and search for funding sources
- Familiarize yourself with the Graduate Assistantship (GA) job search page.
- Search your program, department, and/or college for resources and openings.
- Familiarize yourself with employment benefits and health plans.
- Explore teaching resources from the Center for Education Innovation (CEI).
- Get to know Canvas LMS for online learning and teaching.
- Develop your network of faculty, staff, and peers to find funding resources for your program and research.
Explore your UMN health and wellness resources
Questions or concerns?
Contact us at gradapd@umn.edu.