Graduate Research Seminar: Research and Professional Development

This year-long pass-fail three-credit course helps students develop their skills and confidence as researchers in political science and political theory. Aimed at first- and second-year research-focused graduate students, the course explains and demystifies core aspects of the professional trajectory of researchers in politics: giving presentations, building academic networks, providing and receiving feedback, publishing journal articles and books, and applying for grants, PhD programs, and academic jobs. The course encourages students to develop their identities as scholars by presenting work-in-progress to peers and providing meaningful and constructive feedback. It emphasizes peer feedback and exchange to encourage students to learn from one another and build networks of mutual support. The aim of the course is for students to identify their goals for graduate study and to provide them with the knowledge, strategies, and competencies to work toward those goals.