The Graduate Professional Skills Certificate is an innovative, non-credit program for graduate students and post-doctoral fellows focusing on strengths-based professional skills development. The certificate program is offered at no cost to graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.

How does the program work?

In this program, graduate students and post-doctoral fellows identify their strengths, construct a learning plan, reflect on experiential learning, and receive one-on-one professional skills coaching.  Students in the certificate program develop a professional skills eportfolio that documents their achievements and growth.

During their first term in GPS 974, students must attend scheduled classes and complete assigned work. In subsequent terms, students must remain registered in GPS 974 until they complete the program's requirements. Most students complete the certificate program in 1-2 terms, and students may start in either the fall or winter, as well as continue over the spring and summer if needed.

Coursework

The Graduate Professional Skills Certificate program consists of the following two non-credit courses:

1. GPS 974: Graduate Professional Skills
   GPS 974 is the umbrella course for the certificate. Students must register for GPS 974 to join the certificate program and remain registered until they complete all requirements.
   
   
2. GPS 984: Thinking Critically - Professional Skills for Global Citizens
   This innovative, eight-week, non-credit course provides a supportive and challenging setting for students to build multidisciplinary understandings and skills into their professional and personal lives as they candidly explore diverse issues with peers from disciplines across campus.

GPS 984 course information

Learning hours and expected work load

The expected learning hours to be completed in the Certificate program are approximately equivalent to the hours required for a 6-credit unit course. However, the exact number of learning hours required depends on a student’s prior knowledge and experience in the competency areas when entering the program. Learning hours may be completed by attending such opportunities such as courses, workshops on professional skills, or internships and reflecting on these experiences in a professional skills eportfolio. 

The workload of the certificate program is divided between the course work and the graduate professional skills eportfolio reflections and meetings with your coach.

• Requirements:
  • GPS 984: Thinking Critically: Professional Skills for Global Citizens
  • GPS 974: Graduate Professional Skills

• Eportfolio Components, including:
  
  • Documenting learning hours completed: Prior learning experiences (20 hours max.) and current learning experiences (30 hours max.)
  • Reflective writing
  • Learning Coach Meetings

Convocation

The following skills domains are intended to help you develop personally, advance in your career, and grow academically. Throughout the program, students are expected to reflect on the development of their strengths and skills in each of the following ten skill domains:

1. Critical and creative thinking
   You will explore your thought processes, personal biases, and creative propensities. By engaging in courses and workshops that address these issues, you will analyze and question your assumptions and expand your thinking, along with your empathy.
   
   
2. Professionalism, ethics, and integrity
   Learning experiences focus on your professional conduct. By exploring such topics as business ethics and professional integrity, you will learn how to conduct yourself in ways that are favorable to your career.
   
   
3. Communication
   Workshops and courses will help you to develop your written and verbal communication skills, which you can then apply within a professional sphere. Topics may include creating memos, writing professional emails, and giving presentations.
   
   
4. Interpersonal skills
   Learning experiences address topics such as networking and developing relationships with people in a professional context. You will learn how to establish and maintain connections within your respective field.
   
   
5. Intercultural competence
   You will develop an understanding of the impact your own experience and culture has on your view of the world and others and an appreciation for the perspectives of others, particularly those from different cultural backgrounds. Understanding diverse cultural contexts allows you to develop connections and thought processes that may help you in both your professional and personal life.
   
   
6. Leadership
   Workshops and courses teach you how to take initiative and challenge yourself and your colleagues to do their best work.
   
   
7. Career development
   Learning experiences address how to choose a career path and how to continually adapt to workplace changes.
   
   
8. Wellness and life balance
   You will learn how to balance your professional and personal life to get the most out of both. You will learn that, as the proverb goes, having a career is not the same as having a life.
   
   
9. Research and project management
   You will learn how to cultivate the skills necessary to manage whatever professional initiatives they may develop. You will also learn how to gather and utilize resources, handle deadlines, organize teams, and plan projects.
   
   
10. Reflection and intrapersonal skills
    Workshops and courses focus on your development through reflective practice. As you work your way through your learning experiences, you will keep track of your progress and identify what works, what doesn’t work, and what needs to be changed. You will need to learn to look inward as well as outward.

Eligibility

Students must be either a current Post-Doctoral Fellow, or be registered in the College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies in a Master’s or PhD program.

Prerequisite

GPS 984 must be completed either before or at the same time as GPS 974. GPS 984 is offered each fall and winter term.

Registration is open prior to the start of each academic term and closes on the day that classes begin in each academic term.

Graduate students should register in PAWS for GPS 974: Graduate Professional Skills. Find the correct academic term, then search "Graduate Studies and Research" scroll until you find GPS 974. If you have any problems registering, contact us at gmctl@usask.ca.