Resources for Your PhD Students
PDPA offers a wide range of resources to bolster the professional development of our doctoral students. We encourage you to share and make use of these resources with your students.
PhD Progression & Skillsmatch
PhD Progression is an innovative, asynchronous online training program that provides doctoral students with modules (badges) to support their career and professional development throughout their doctoral journey. PDPA also hosts regular, synchronous learning communities as a supplement to the program’s asynchronous learning.
Skillsmatch is a skill inventorying tool that can aid BU doctoral students by identifying their existing skills, suggesting compatible careers to explore, and offering personalized PhD Progression badge recommendations to address skill gaps.
Workshops & Events
PDPA offers a variety of workshops, panels, and other events to guide doctoral students in their career development. These events are organized throughout the academic year to facilitate networking opportunities for doctoral students and foster their personal and professional growth.
PhD Writing Support
PDPA’s various writing support programs foster cross-disciplinary community to assist doctoral students in setting realistic goals and making steady progress towards their writing objectives. We offer a number of writing programs throughout the year, including the Dissertation Writing Group, Accountability Partners, and the Dissertation Writing Intensive during the Winter semester.
Vitamin PhD
PDPA’s Vitamin PhD is a podcast produced at Boston University for anyone who is pursuing a doctorate, has a doctorate, or is supporting others on their doctoral journey. The podcast delivers career narratives and skills know-how, and insightful interviews with doctorate holders in various fields through six-episode capsule seasons hosted by current doctoral students at BU.
Professional Development Grants
The Office of the Associate Provost for Graduate Affairs offers professional development grants to support doctoral students’ scholarly work and preparation for a wide variety of academic and non-academic careers. PDPA recognizes that external opportunities often arise that have the potential to significantly benefit students’ professional growth. The Professional Development Grant program was established to provide financial support for such opportunities.
21 Days of Unlearning Racism & Learning Anti-Racism
This interactive program provides an opportunity for doctoral students to engage directly in anti-racist texts and multi-media every day for 21 days. The program operates asynchronously and provides participants with multiple levels of material to choose from based on their desired complexity and time commitment. Through the 21 Days program, we hope to better prepare members of our community to actively participate in a more diverse, equitable academic environment.
PhD Office Hours
PDPA hosts monthly office hours with members of our team to provide doctoral students with one-on-one advice and counseling related to PhD life and career exploration. To pre-register for office hours or set up an appointment, email Sasha Goldman at