Description. If you’re considering pursuing a doctorate, but uncertain about key considerations, the entrance process, and how to be successful, this is the session for you! Facilitators will discuss factors to consider when deciding to pursue a doctorate and will share information about the process for applying to and entering doctoral programs, research about success in doctoral programs, facts about the graduate process at UofL, and personal reflections on their doctoral experience to help you make the best decisions about graduate school.  This session will be highly interactive and tailored to the interests of participants, so bring your concerns, ideas, and questions!

Learning Outcomes. As a result of this session, participants will be able to: 

1. Identify your reasons for pursuing and expectations of a doctoral degree

2. Describe current trends in doctoral education

3. Explain considerations for applying for a doctoral program

4. Determine next steps for pursuing a doctorate

Presenter(s). Michelle Rodems, PhD, is program manager for the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies (SIGS) and the Delphi Center for Teaching and Learning. Michelle acts as a liaison between the graduate student professional development efforts of SIGS and the faculty professional development efforts of the Delphi Center.  Michelle's research and professional interests include teaching and learning in higher education, educational technology and social media, graduate student professional development, and collaboration between faculty, student affairs, and academic affairs.

Laura Tetreault is a PhD student and University Fellow in English - Rhetoric and Composition at the University of Louisville. She has an MFA in creative writing from Emerson College and has taught in both university and community settings in Boston and Louisville. She is interested in professional development for graduate students and contemporary issues surrounding doctoral education.

Please register for this event here.