Student Life > Career Services

The Department considers professional development to be an integral part of the graduate program, and students are encouraged to be active in the department culture through participation in the full range of activities sponsored by the department.

360° Graduate Student Development Initiative

The objective of the 360° Graduate Student Development Initiative is to provide graduate students with the knowledge, skills and mentoring they need to succeed at each stage of the graduate journey, from coursework through comprehensive exams, thesis writing and publishing to the academic and non-academic job search after graduation. Workshops, courses and conferences offered as part of the 360° Initiative provide graduate students with critical communication, grant writing, and teaching skills that enable them to:

present and publish their research
teach effectively
obtain mentorship
network with scholars in their discipline
prepare for the job search after graduation

The programs of the initiative complement the disciplinary preparation that students receive in their programs through coursework, research, conference participation and interaction with faculty and peers. A large number of programs are available to facilitate the transition of international scholars to Canadian academia.

The 360° Graduate Student Professional Development Initiative is the result of campus-wide collaboration between the School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies, the Teaching Support Centre, Student Development Services, Western Libraries, the Student Success Centre, Communications and Public Affairs, the Faculties and many other colleagues across campus.

The Student Success Centre

The Student Success Centre’s mission is to facilitate the development of career, educational, and life competencies for students and alumni through programs and services that guide successful transitions, foster local and global citizenship, promote leadership opportunities, encourage personal growth, deliver career resources, and ignite active engagement.

Graduate students may find the many career-related services offered by the Centre useful during their studies. The Student Success Centre offer job postings, classes and workshops, a drop-in Employment Help and Resource Centre, career and education fairs, employer information sessions, experiential learning opportunities, a resource library, and individual counselling and career assessments.