Professional development begins the day you start graduate school. In addition to taking courses, conducting scholarly research, and teaching for the first time, you should be learning about the demands and responsibilities of becoming a professional scholar. This means getting involved in your discipline's discourse, whether by attending conferences, giving papers at professional conferences, serving on departmental and university committees, or preparing works for publication. It means, in short, becoming a colleague and not just a student. We've outlined some of the main aspects of the process of professional development. Your advisor, teachers, and other graduate students can also be an invaluable source of advice on how to negotiate this process. We encourage you to ask for their advice as well.

Getting to Know Your Discipline
Time Management
Mentoring & Advising
Funding
Teaching
Attending Conferences
Writing a Thesis or Dissertation
Other Resources