Graduate
Career Compass
Wherever you are in your journey, Graduate Career Compass helps you explore possibilities, build skills, and take the next step. Career advising, tools, and real-world experiences help UW–Madison graduate students explore options and pursue careers with confidence.
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Career Advising
Start with advising through your school, college, or program. If you need additional support, the Graduate School can help you set goals, reflect on skills, and plan your next steps.
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Online Career Tools
Access free tools to build skills and explore careers at your own pace, including Beyond Graduate School, Beyond the Professoriate, Handshake, ImaginePhD, and Big Interview.
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Internships and More
Looking for hands-on experience? Experiential learning programs provide you the chance to apply your research in real-world settings and gain valuable professional experience.
Career Exploration & Development Advising
Many schools, colleges, and graduate programs at UW–Madison offer career advising, and students are encouraged to seek support there first. If additional guidance is needed, or if advising is not available, the Graduate School also offers individual career advising.
These conversations can help you develop goals, reflect on your skills and experiences, and explore career pathways with greater clarity and confidence. Discussion topics typically include:
- career exploration
- career materials review and feedback
- quick career consultation
- networking and LinkedIn
- interview and negotiation preparation
- navigating your current position
Graduate students in research-based master’s or doctoral programs can meet up to three times per semester with Elizabeth Hart, Associate Director for Career Development. Elizabeth supports graduate students in clarifying skills, navigating graduate school systems, and exploring academic and non-academic career paths.
Free Career- and Skill-Building Memberships
UW–Madison graduate students and postdocs have access to a variety of free memberships and online tools to build their skills, explore career options, and more.
Beyond Graduate School is a one-of-a-kind career platform for master’s students to explore career options and learn proven job search strategies. Visit Beyond Graduate School, select University of Wisconsin-Madison, and enter your institutional login information.
Beyond the Professoriate’s Career Training Platform helps PhD students and postdocs successfully transition into academic or nonacademic careers. Visit Beyond the Professoriate, select University of Wisconsin-Madison, and enter your institutional login information.
NCFDD is a professional development, training, and mentoring community for faculty members, postdocs, and graduate students. It provides online career development and mentoring resources in a ready-to-access format. Sign up for NCFDD through our university membership.
Experiential Learning: Internships and More
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Internship programs
Gain hands-on experience that complements your coursework and builds professional skills. Paid or credit-bearing internship programs connect you with campus, industry, and community partners.
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Programs and conferences
Engage with peers and professionals through events that build communication and leadership skills and enhance career readiness.
School & College Career Services
The career services model at UW–Madison is a decentralized one, since the school or college housing your academic program is best positioned to provide tailored advice on career exploration and job search within your discipline. Summarized below are the types of career support that various schools and colleges offer their graduate students.
College of Agricultural and Life Sciences Career Services Office offers:
- workshops and events relevant to graduate students
- career fairs that may be of interest to graduate students
- referrals to career counselors in the community
School of Business MBA Career Management Center offers services for full-time MBA students, professional MBA students, and executive MBA students:
- comprehensive services to MBA students, including individual career counseling
- workshops and events tailored to graduate students
- recruiting activities, including information sessions and on-campus recruiting, with employers seeking to hire MBA students
School of Education Career Center offers:
- one-on-one career consultations by appointment (career options, job search strategies, coaching)
- practice/mock interviews as well as résumé, CV, and cover letter reviews
- workshops and events on a variety of career topics
- website resources by topic and department
College of Engineering Office of Engineering Career Services offers:
- comprehensive support for engineering students, including master’s and doctoral, in all phases of your career search
- free use of tools to assess skills and interests
- resume support including individual counseling, interview preparation, and mock interviewing
- connections with potential employers, including on-campus interviews and career fairs
La Follette School of Public Affairs Career Development Office offers:
- professional development short courses teaching essential skills for graduate school success
- workshops and events relevant to graduate students
- guided connections with La Follette School alumni, through which students learn about new careers and engage in informational interviewing
- recruitment visits and informational session with employers
- statistics on career placement for new alumni
College of Letters and Sciences SuccessWorks offers:
- individual 30-minute appointments on internship and job search strategies for non-professoriate positions. It is recommended that graduate students meet with a Career & Internship Specialist connected to their career community of interest.
- career workshops, fairs, and other events, open to all undergraduate and graduate students.
- many web resources on a variety of career development topics!
Employers: Connect with Tomorrow’s Talent
Looking to connect with talented master’s or doctoral students or develop an internship opportunity? Elizabeth Hart, Associate Director for Career Services, can help. Reach out to start a partnership.
The Graduate School
217 Bascom Hall
500 Lincoln Drive
Madison, WI 53706
Front Desk Hours:
Fall and Spring Hours
(September – April):
Monday – Friday
10 am – 3 pm
Summer Hours (May – August):
Monday – Friday
10 am – noon
Faculty/Staff Resources
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Prospective students and applicants:
Current students: