Leadership Resources for Doctoral Students
Leadership skills are an important part of personal and professional development as a doctoral student. Improving your self-awareness, ability to lead effectively, capacity for strategic decision-making, and building collaborative networks can aid your academic and professional success. Whether you have previous leadership experience or are seeking leadership experience for the first time, we want you to feel confident and prepared as an effective leader. We've compiled a list of offices, workshops and other resources to help strengthen your skillset as a leader. Explore our offerings below to see how we can best help you on your journey.
- You can learn leadership skills by taking on leadership roles in the Graduate Student Association (GSA). The GSA is your student association representing and supporting graduate students through funding, programming and advocacy. The GSA has elected officers, a president, vice president, treasurer, and other leadership positions. The GSA also supports graduate student clubs in three categories (departmental clubs, international clubs and special interest clubs). Gain leadership skills by becoming involved in graduate student clubs.
- Micro-credentials are a way to develop and strengthen your leadership skills.
- The Leadership & Development Foundations micro-credential offers recognition for the skills you develop during jobs, internships and experiential learning opportunities through a series of digital badges. The badges include Collaborator, Growth Mindset and Change Agent.
- The Organizational Development Badge is the second badge offered as part of the Developmental Experiences micro-credential. It was designed for undergraduates, but graduate students can participate as well. This Badge gives participants the knowledge and skill set to effectively bring together groups of people with a common interest toward a positive goal.
- Student Engagement Ambassadors can help you find professional development experiences to develop your leadership and mentoring skills. Drop-in hours and scheduled appointments are available using Navigate.
- Student Life offers many leadership training programs open to graduate students. Be sure to join Student Engagement on UBLinked to be added to their newsletter mailing list and learn about programs and events on leadership.
- Virtual Leadership Academy is an eight-module long program that helps graduate students discover who they are as leaders and how to develop their leadership potential. This program is a free, self-paced, on-demand experience for all graduate students.
- Learn more about yourself and others through Extended DISC, an assessment that identifies a person's strengths, preferred behaviors, motivations and communication style.
- Professional organizations and associations have opportunities for graduate students to take on leadership roles. Be sure to check out the opportunities in your professional organization.
Featured Partner: Student Engagement
Student Engagement provides experiences that inspire UB pride, empower students to make the most of their UB experience, and help students be engaged contributors in a global society.
The Graduate Brief
Every Wednesday during the semester, the Graduate School emails the Graduate Brief to all doctoral and professional students. The Grad Brief is a weekly selection of news and happenings within the Graduate School and its partnering offices. If you want to be added to the mailing list, please contact grad@buffalo.edu.