Graduate Professional Skills Academy
Prepare for success beyond graduation. The Graduate Professional Skills (GPS) Academy, developed by the Graduate School, empowers you with the professional development and career skills you need to thrive in your future career.
Graduate Certificates
The Graduate School offers a variety of certificate programs to enhance your current degree and future career. Popular certificates include
pd|Hub
North Dakota State University (NDSU) is proud to be one of only fifteen R1 institutions nationwide selected to join the first implementation of the Professional Development Hub (pd|Hub), a national initiative dedicated to supporting career exploration and professional growth for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers.
Through the pd|Hub, NDSU partnered with communities of practice at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and the Georgia Institute of Technology, all committed to implementing innovative, evidence-based practices in career development and improving student success.
The pd|Hub is an eight-session program that equips graduate students from any discipline with essential tools and strategies to successfully transition into a career after graduation. Participants in the program assess their strengths through self-reflection and personal inventories, craft a compelling résumé, optimize their LinkedIn, prepare for interviews, and develop a personalized Career Guide Plan to confidently pursue their aspirations.
Every semester (Fall, Spring, and Summer), the NDSU Graduate School invites graduate students from all disciplines to apply for the pd|Hub. Applicants at any stage of their graduate education, from first semester to final semester, may submit an application, and accepted applicants do not have to pay for the program; participation is free.
To learn more about the program, contact Dr. Matthew Warner at matthew.b.warner@ndsu.edu.
Three Minute Thesis Competition and Student Research Day

The NDSU 3MT challenges you, as a graduate student, to distill your complex research into a concise, three-minute presentation. This rigorous exercise helps you develop brief and engaging communication, strong presentation presence, and the ability to articulate your research's significance to a broad audience.
At NDSU Student Research Day, you get a vital platform to share your research and creative work with faculty and staff from across NDSU as well as representatives from community businesses and organizations. A unique event celebrating research by graduate students at NDSU, by participating you can hone your communication skills and enhance critical thinking. Through engagement with wider audiences, you increase your confidence and gain valuable experience connecting research to authentic contexts and communities beyond the classroom and laboratory...
Learn more about these opportunities:
Professional Development Partners
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High Performance Computing Workshop Series introduces concepts related to “big data” and the available computing resources for large-scale data analysis projects.
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Workshops designed to support graduate students locating, accessing, and organizing scholarship for their research projects, workshops related to research methods and tools available in the Data Visualization Lab (Library 201).
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Thesis formatting assistance, digital media services and software & application training
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Graduate Teaching and Learning Conference and other resources to refine your teaching skills
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The NDSU Career and Advising Center offers a wide variety of services and resources to help you navigate your career path. From interview prep to networking and job placement resources, we can help you tailor a plan for your future.