Dear Graduate and Professional Students,

We welcome the graduate and professional students who are beginning their programs at the University of Pittsburgh this spring term and welcome back continuing students.

We are pleased to share the following opportunities, including events to support your academic and professional development. Check our website and Twitter account and reach out to the Graduate Studies Team.

The eight-week Career Design Workship Series spring session begins Wednesday, January 25. These one-hour workshops will provide students with hands-on feedback and guidance to help them plan and start to implement their professional goals. Students are invited to attend all 8 workshops or drop-in to whichever session(s) they find useful.

First-generation students are invited to engage with their peers to read: A Field Guide to Grad School: Uncovering the Hidden Curriculum.

This practical guide by Jessica McCrory Calarco walks you through the secret knowledge and skills that are essential for navigating every critical stage of graduate and professional school. From choosing the right advisor to getting funding for your work, this guide uncovers part of a hidden curriculum of invaluable advice and tips for success that students typically learn by happenstance.

The book club will meet via Zoom from noon to1 p.m. on February 2 and March 2. The last meeting will be held in person on April 6. Participants are asked to attend all three meetings. Books will be provided. Space is limited; register by no later than Monday, January 23.

The Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition is an academic competition that challenges students to describe their research within three minutes to a general audience.

The 2023 Pitt 3MT Competition is now open to ALL eligible PhD and SJD students. In March, schools will hold competitions, and those dates will be announced soon on the 3MT webpage. Winners from the schools will advance to the University-wide contest to be held on Monday, April 3. Four winners of the April event will receive travel grants of $500 or $1,000.

Preparation workshops will be held on January 24 and February 8. These are not required but will provide details about the competition plus helpful tips on communicating your research to a general auduence.  

The Pitt 3MT is co-sponsored by the Office of the Provost, University of Pittsburgh Library System, and the University Center for Teaching and Learning.

The Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences Writing Institute (WI) offers multi-day Camps, one-day Project Workshops, small Writing Accountability Groups, Writing Days, and more to help graduate students write. Read about WI offerings for graduate students.

In-person and virtual one-on-one consultations with graduate writers are available at the Writing Center. Learn more, including how to register for an appointment.

Pitt's Office for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion has engaged the Higher Education Data Sharing Consortium to administer a diversity and equity campus climate survey to all students, faculty, staff, and administrators on all University campuses. The survey period is open from Jan. 16 through Feb. 10. You will have received a link to the survey via your University email address. This survey intends to measure community members’ perceptions of the institution’s climate, perceptions of how the institution supports diversity and equity, and experiences with discrimination and harassment at the institution.

The Year of Emotional Well-Being offers an opportunity to engage collectively with a focus on restoring and enhancing our emotional well-being. This is a time of burgeoning research and collective reflection on our emotional needs and the qualities that make for a good life.

The Steering Committee invites University of Pittsburgh students, staff, and faculty to submit applications to support activities connected to the theme. Applications for up to $5,000 to support faculty, staff, student, administrator and supervisor, and general community emotional well-being are invited.

February 1, 2023, is the next deadline for proposals for the 2022-23 academic year. Learn more about the call for proposal and submit your application via Competition Space.

Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships are open to Pitt graduate students and provide an opportunity learn a chosen modern foreign language and area study specialty. Summer deadlines vary, Academic Year 2023-24 applications are due February 15, 2023. Winners receive at least $38,000 in the form of tuition and stipend. Check eligibility requirements and learn more.