Whether networking, writing your thesis or dissertation, or in general seeking to strengthen your communication skills, the Center for Graduate Life and Learning has a variety or resources to help you succeed. Check the Calendar for upcoming events designed to help build your communication skills.
SciComm Writing 101
STEM Communication Fellows Program
The Graduate School is pleased to announce the creation of this new program, which has been made possible by a grant from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund. For details, visit the STEM Communication Fellows Program web page.
Three Minute Thesis
CGLL GRAD Courses
(Register for graduate courses at my.uncc.edu)
GRAD 6000/8000 | The Art of Effective Speaking: Oral Communication for Graduate Students | 2.0 credits
Master one of the most important skills in the workplace – oral communication. In this advanced oral presentation skills class, graduate students will use a step-by-step approach to improve their presentation skills in order to be more effective and confident in spoken interactions in personal, academic, and professional situations such as interviews, meetings, and presentations. Your presentations are recorded for playback and your instructor provides helpful coaching and tips. Notes: Students must be enrolled in a graduate program terminating in a Master’s degree or a doctoral degree.
GRAD 6212/8212 | Academic Writing for Graduate Students | 3.0 credits
This course refines academic writing skills, especially those related to writing about empirical research. This course is best suited for graduate students in education, social sciences and STEM disciplines, although students in the humanities may also benefit from it. The course focuses equally on product (i.e., the text) and process (i.e., the steps necessary to complete a text). In terms of product, you will gain skills to help you effectively produce key parts of an empirical paper: introduction, literature review, methodology, analysis, results, discussion and conclusion. Also, explore different academic genres relevant to your discipline, which may include conference proposals, book reviews, and research articles; then produce a relevant academic genre of your choice. With respect to process, you will learn best practices for composing scholarly pieces of writing, from drafting through editing text. You will also learn strategies for planning a large writing project, developing a regular writing schedule, managing procrastination and perfectionism and responding to critical feedback.
Notes: Students must be enrolled in a graduate program terminating in a Master’s degree or a doctoral degree. Students who do not speak English as a first language must have already taken GRAD 6210/8210 or gained prior approval from the instructor to enroll in GRAD Special Topics Course.
GRAD 8610 | Making Dissertations Happen: Managing Writing & Life | 2.0 credits
This course will help you manage your dissertation work through such topics as prioritizing your dissertation, writing more effectively and efficiently, improving your productivity, strengthening your relationship with your dissertation advisor and handling stress in healthier ways. Join a supportive community of dissertation writers and learn to create more balance in your life.
GRAD 6210/8210 | Graduate Level Writing for International Students | 3.0 credits
Students who speak English as a second language will learn concepts central to graduate-level writing in the United States such as academic integrity, audience awareness, discipline-specific variation in writing norms and culture and rhetorical purpose. Graded on a Pass/Unsatisfactory basis. (Fall, Spring)