GEAR+
Graduate Education Resources Beyond the First Year
Graduate Education Resources Beyond the First Year, GEAR+ is a hub of online resources that helps graduate students succeed in their development of personal, academic, and professional skills.
Welcome to GEAR+
Elevate your graduate journey and explore different career paths with Gear+. Our resources can enhance your research, writing, and teaching, and empower your development of transferable skills necessary for excelling in a competitive job market. Remember to add goals and resources to your Individual Development Plan!
UMN Graduate Students have free membership to a number of career- and skill-building resources.
Some platforms may require you to register:
Explore support and resources for international graduate students and first generation college students in graduate programs at the University of Minnesota, and enhance your academic and professional development with Doctoral Net resources.
Resources for Getting Started
Video: Note-taking (24min)
UMN online tutorial: Navigating scholarly research titles
UMN online tutorial: Introduction (and important refresher) to effective library research
Video: Skills to ace graduate school - Email sanity (20min)
Video: Mentoring maps: Ensure adequate academic, career, and personal support (42min + Q&A)
Research, Writing, and Teaching
Learn new skills for dissertation and grant writing, communicating your research to different audiences, and teaching students.
Remember to add goals and resources to your Individual Development Plan!
Resources for Research
Research
- UMN videos on scientific reading for first-year graduate students
- Article: On the dissertation: How to find a research topic
- Video: How to choose a research topic for a dissertation or thesis (38min)
- Video: Let’s kick it off right, what to do and what to avoid (36min + Q&A)
- Video: Practical tips for researchers: Theoretical and conceptual frames (20min + Q&A)
- Video: The flow of methodology: A cross comparison of finished dissertations (32min)
- Explore UMN dissertations and theses
Literature Review
- UMN online tutorial: Researching and writing a literature review
- Video: Building the conceptual frame (15min)
- Video: How to write a literature review in 3 simple steps (40min)
- Video: Beginning and expanding the literature review (1h)
- Video: The best PhD literature review the world has ever seen (18min)
Research Proposals and Grants
- Video: Grantwriting and fundraising (49min + Q&A)
- Sample funding proposals for UMN graduate students, by UMN graduate students
- UMN online tutorial: Composing a personal statement in your fellowship application
- UMN online tutorial: Letters of recommendation for your fellowship application
- Video: How to write a research proposal for a dissertation or thesis (with examples) (41min)
Resources for Writing
Writing
UMN Student Writing Support:
UMN Writing Group Resources:
Basics on MS Word
- Video: MS Word snippet 1- Navigation pane and headings (4min)
- Video: MS Word snippet 2 - Headings for academic users (13min)
- Video: MS Word snippet 3 - Setting up personal tools for academics (4min)
- Video: MS Word snippet 4 - Setting up for a dissertation (4min)
- Video: MS Word snippet 5 - Collaborative editing and saving without track changes showing (8min)
- Video: MS Word snippet 6 - Citations and references for academics (5min)
- Video: MS Word snippet 7 - Table of contents for academics (3min)
- Video: MS Word snippet 8 - Last thoughts on writing for academics (2min)
Publishing
Video: UMN Minnesota Population Center, Tips and tricks for publishing part 1: Journal picking and choosing (55min)
UMN Library Resources:
- Identifying peer-reviewed journals
- Measuring journal impact
- Choosing a publication venue
- Avoiding predatory journals and publishers
- Sharing and preserving your work
Video: Dos and don'ts of getting published (44min +Q&A)
Video: Writing and publishing scientific articles deep dives: Focused writing
Book: Write a journal article in 12 weeks, available at UMN Library
Identifying co-authors, discussing authorship, and navigating hierarchies
- UMN Library: Managing your scholarly identity
- Article: A simple guide to ethical co-authorship
- Video: Getting the Most out of Co-Authorship (59min)
- Video: How to write a cover letter for journal submission (11min)
- Article: A cover letter can "sell" your article or manuscript
Roles of editors and reviewers
Book publishing
- Video: Publishing with a University press (58min)
- Video: The Academic Publishing Process (1.5h)
- Article: How to turn your dissertation into a book
Resources for Teaching
Inclusive teaching
- UMN Guide: Inclusive teaching at a predominantly white institution
- UMN Online Course: Teaching with access and inclusion
- Article: How to make your teaching more inclusive
- Resources: Inclusive teaching strategies
Engaged teaching methods
- UMN Article: What is active learning?
- Resources: Effective teaching strategies
Teaching multilingual speakers
Difficult conversations in the classroom
- Resources: Responding to difficult moments
- Article: Thinking carefully about difficult dialogues
Teaching with technology
- Article: How to make smart choices about tech for your course
- Resources: Choosing technology and flipping your class
- Resources: Explore topics of technology for education
- UMN Resources: Online teaching and design
Transferable Skills
Focus on developing your transferable skills in communication, leadership, time and project management, emotional intelligence, and data literacy.
Check out the Graduate School's free Coursera course on Identifying Transferable Skills, and remember to add goals and resources to your Individual Development Plan!
Resources for Transferable Skills
Communication and Presentation
- UMN online course: Three-minute thesis (3MT): Composing and presenting your research to a general audience
- UMN online course: Communicating to Diverse Audiences
- Video: Top tips for superstar presentations (27min)
- Article: How to start a presentation: 12 ways to keep your audience hooked
- Cross-cultural discussion groups at UMN
Project Management
- Article: Using project management to tame your dissertation
- Resources: Top project management courses for free
- Video: Managing graduate school using project management practices (50min)
- Resources: Project management
Leadership
- UMN resources: Integrative leadership and cross-sector conversation series
- UMN resources: Institute on the Environment - Leadership and Education
- UMN resources: Cross-cultural leadership
- Video: So you want to be a leader? Pros and cons of moving into leadership (50min)
- Video: People management skills (57min)
Time Management
- LinkedIn resources: Time management fundamentals
- Video: Time, habits, focus, drive, grit, tools & making your own checklists (1h)
- Video: 10 time management tips (12min)
- Video: The trident calendar system (19min)
Emotional Intelligence
- Video: Emotional intelligence (41min)
- Article: Emotional intelligence skills and how to develop them
- Article: How to emphasize emotional intelligence on your resume
Data Management and Literacy
- UMN video series: Data management
- Video: Data Visualization (85 min)
- Video: UMN Minnesota Population Center, Best practices for creating effective tables (57min)
- Book: Fundamentals of data visualization
Job Search
Learn how to write compelling job application materials, and explore diverse careers. Connect with your Career Services office to receive advice related to your discipline.
Remember to add goals and resources to your Individual Development Plan!
Resources for Job Search
Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Article: Creating and maintaining your CV
- UMN online course: Composing your curriculum vitae
Resumes and Cover Letters
- UMN career help: All about cover letters & All about resumes
- UMN resources: Add your transferable skills to your resume
- Article: The art of translation (from CV to resume)
- Article: CVs should inform. Cover letters should persuade.
Networking
- UMN Online Course: Networking
- Video: Building your networks in a remote world (58min)
- Article: Ten tips for conference connections
- Article: Tips and tricks for academic networking
- Article: Informational interviewing is key to your job search
Academic Careers
- Resource: Higher Education Recruitment Consortium
- Article: Interview advice from Inside Higher Ed
- Article: A committee member’s perspective on the job interview
- A guide to campus interviews: What you need to practice (repeatedly) to make a good impression
- Video: UMN Minnesota Population Center, Tips and tricks for getting a faculty position Part 2: Future career planning (59min)
- Video: UMN Minnesota Population Center, Tips and tricks for getting a faculty position Part 3: Prepping for interview (59min)
Preparing Academic Job Market Materials
- UMN academic job search videos and resources
- Pre-Application Q&A workshop recording
- Post-Application Q&A workshop recording
- UMN resources on writing a teaching philosophy statement:
- Resources: Effective strategies for teaching philosophies and statements
- Article: Developing and writing a diversity statement
- Article: More colleges are asking for diversity statements. Here’s what you need to know.
- Article: Tips for cover letters for academic positions
Careers Beyond the Academy
Master's Students
Additional video resources specifically for Master’s students.
Remember to add goals and resources to your Individual Development Plan!
Resources for Master's Students
Video: Starting with end in mind for Master’s (49min)
Video: Scientific research principles for all types of Masters (19min)
Video: What are Masters expected to be able to do in the work environment? (17min)
Video: Outlining three chapters or sections for ABDs and Masters researchers (58min)