Doctoral Degree

Welcome! This page is designed to provide content of interest to doctoral students who are exploring career options and career pathways. In this Career Community you will find:

  • blog posts and other content of particular relevance to doctoral students
  • selected job postings
  • doctoral student and alumni career success stories
  • potential mentors through Husky Mentor Network program (with a designated mentor community later this fall)
  • student and professional organizations of interest

Career Exploration is Essential
Your degree is just one of your qualifications. With this in mind, a goal of this Community is to help you explore, implement, and execute your career ideas and options. To view the diverse careers pursued by UConn doctoral program alums and others visit the Expand Your Career Options panelists web page. Career Coaches are available to meet with you throughout your degree program. Appointments can be scheduled here.

Top Skills for Doctoral Students

It is important to know what skills, knowledge, and experiences employers seek, to inform your career preparation during your doctoral program. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) identified eight competencies that employers typically seek in job candidates. It is important to be aware of what employers value in a job applicant, and then make sure that you are gaining and enhancing those skills. If you notice a gap between what you possess and what employers seek, make a plan to narrow the gap, gaining skills and experience either on campus or beyond.

The NACE Competencies:

  • Career & Self Development
  • Communication
  • Critical Thinking
  • Equity & Inclusion
  • Leadership
  • Professionalism
  • Teamwork
  • Technology

Additional core competencies that doctoral students possess:

  • Research
  • Discipline-specific conceptual knowledge
  • Management of projects and people
  • Teaching

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Featured Articles

5 Takeaways for Aspiring Higher Ed Professionals with PhDs

In a recent career panel for graduate students titled “Expand Your Career Options” (Fall 2023), four panelists with PhDs working in different offices at UConn shared their career trajectories and advice. Read on to see the key takeaways from this panel and stay tuned for the next Expand Your Career Options event!

By Damiao Zoe Xu
Damiao Zoe Xu Graduate Assistant, Graduate Student and Postdoc Career Programs and Services (She/Her/Hers)
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Graduate Internship Courses

If a graduate student will be engaging in an internship and plans to earn academic credit, there are multiple internship course options available to them.

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Signature Events for Graduate Students and Postdocs

Expand Your Career Options and Employer Insights are two signature events specifically tailored to graduate students (master’s and doctoral) and postdoctoral scholars. Both event series introduce diverse career options beyond faculty positions.

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Enhancing Career Readiness – Doctoral Students in Leadership Roles

How can being in a leadership role enhance your career readiness? Hear from Lauren Dougher, former President of the Graduate Employe & Postdoc Union on her experiences!

By Damiao Zoe Xu
Damiao Zoe Xu Graduate Assistant, Graduate Student and Postdoc Career Programs and Services (She/Her/Hers)
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Benefits of Attending Career Fairs for Graduate Students

Are you hesitant about attending a career fair because you’re a graduate student? Read on to learn about the benefits to attend a career fair and how you can connect with employers as a graduate student!

By Damiao Zoe Xu
Damiao Zoe Xu Graduate Assistant, Graduate Student and Postdoc Career Programs and Services (She/Her/Hers)
Read more

Featured Articles

Labor Market InsightsIn partnership withLightcast logo

Explore occupations by career categories and pathways and use real time labor market data to power your decision making.

First, choose an industry of interest, then filter for occupation. (If you'd like to see data for a specific location only, filter by state.)

Husky Mentors

  • US Medical Affairs Strategy Manager Otsuka Pharmaceutical Companies (U.S.)
  • Vice President, Marketing and Communications Connecticut Interlocal Risk Management Agency (CIRMA)
  • Nurse Practitioner CannaHealth™ - A Division of The Healing Choice
  • Providence County, RI
  • Project Engineering Manager EaglePicher Technologies

Career Outcomes

  • First Destination
  • Top Employers
  • Starting Salary
  • Employment Locations
  • Top Universities
  • Degree Types
  • Fields of Study

First Destination

First Destination refers to undergraduate outcomes within the 6 months following graduation. The data is collected through a survey distributed to students at graduation, and again in the months following, to gain insight on their lives post-graduation.

Featured Resources

A Guide to Career Wellness

Career wellness is present in many aspects of life in graduate school and exploring these materials can help to improve …

UConn eCampus

Explore UConn eCampus for all online courses, post baccalaureate certificates, graduate certificates, and graduate programs at the University of Connecticut.

Leadership & Management Skills

Employers are often eager to learn about a candidate’s leadership and/or management skills. Consider these resources to begin to expand …

ChemIDP

ChemIDP is an individual development planning tool for graduate students and postdocs in the chemical sciences

Graduate Student Résumé & Cover Letter Guide
Job Search Action Plan

Use the Job Search Action Plan to help organize your job search.