PhD Resources
Professional Development & Postdoctoral Affairs aims to ensure that every doctoral student at Boston University has an inclusive training experience, furthering their development as successful and thriving professionals. PDPA is consistently working to expand our offerings and resources available to doctoral students. Find support programs and ways to connect with our office below.
For an up-to-date list of resources and opportunities for PhDs, follow us on social media or subscribe to our Doctoral Digest newsletter.
Professional & Academic Resources
All of our career and professional development resources are organized into learning pathways in PhD Progression. For resources on job documents, networking, and more, visit the Pathways page and select one of our Career Development pathways.
PhD Progression & Skillsmatch
PhD Progression is an innovative, asynchronous online training program that provides BU 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.
Summer Internships
Sponsored internship opportunities play a crucial role in BU PhD students’ career and professional development, refining not only their discipline-specific technical skills and research acumen but also imparting invaluable practical knowledge. To learn more about PDPA-sponsored summer internships, as well as other internship opportunities at BU, visit our Summer Internships page.
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
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.
Funding Resources
There are a variety of internal and external funding resources available to doctoral students at BU including grants, fellowships, and internship opportunities to support doctoral student research, travel, and scholarship.
For a comprehensive list of funding and fellowship opportunities, check out our PhD Progression Finding Funding badge.
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.
Teaching Resources
The BU Center for Teaching & Learning and Digital Learning & Innovation offer a number of resources and training opportunities for doctoral students seeking to prepare themselves for the classroom.
Health & Wellness Resources
The Graduate Education website offers a wide range of health and wellness resources for doctoral students, including information on Student Health Services, the BU Student Wellbeing initiative, and even tips for living in Boston and finding community at BU.