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CAS-Graduate Admissions 4400 Massachusetts Avenue NW Washington, DC 20016-8081 United States

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Study Here, Work Anywhere

Students at work over coffee.

Congratulations! You have carefully weighed all your options and chosen a graduate program in the College of Arts and Sciences to develop expertise in your field. Surveys of employers, however, have shown field expertise is not enough to be successful in today’s workforce. Graduates must also successfully demonstrate professional skills such as teamwork and collaboration, creativity, written and oral communication, analysis and synthesis of data, and planning and organization.

According to a 2012 report by the Council of Graduate Schools, these high-level transferable skills will always be needed across a wide range of occupations. Successful candidates must be able to demonstrate strong leadership, professionalism and work ethic, project management and critical thinking and problem-solving skills. In this increasingly fast-paced and changing world, students entering the workforce must be prepared to constantly innovate and communicate their solutions to a wide audience. The AU Career Center launched the career skills initiative to prepare AU students for the new economy.

With that in mind, we encourage CAS graduate students to take advantage of the CAS professional development program. The “Study Here/Work Anywhere” resource guide will shepherd you through the academic, professional and life skills that we encourage you to build during your time at American University. Take advantage of all the University has to offer you!

We have identified a set of core skills that masters and doctoral students will need to thrive in graduate school and their future career, including:

  • Academic Skills: Writing and quantitative skills, working with your advisor, academic planning, funding and publishing your research;
  • Career Skills: Identifying your career goals, internship and job search strategies, effective networking, interview skills, resume and cover letter writing; and
  • Life Skills: Financial planning, time management, physical well-being.

Choose the stage of your graduate career below to see what resources are available to help you become proficient at the skills needed for success. Early program indicates the first year and late program indicates the last year (Masters) or last two years (PhD) of your program.

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Handshake lets you search and apply for jobs and internships specifically posted for AU students and alums, register for recruitment events, save all your application materials in one place, and much more. Available to all AU students.

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Early Program

Academic Planning

AU Eagle Service: Student Planning
Learn how to manage your academic plan in AU’s Student Planning tool in Eagle Service.

Quantitative Skills

AU Statistical Consulting Center
Provides assistance with statistics-related problems in a variety research arenas.

AU Research Commons
AU resources for all your research needs.

Writing for Academia

AU Writing Center
Graduate students can schedule one-on-one consultations.


Provides a wide variety of online instructional materials for a variety of writing projects.


Provides a wide variety of online instructional materials for a variety of writing projects.

  • Identifying Your Career Goals

    Discover Your Passion (AU Career Center)
    Deciding what major or career to pursue can be difficult, so we encourage you to take a deep breath, ponder these questions, and focus on what will ultimately make you happy.


    Vitae, a non-profit dedicated to enhancing the skills of researchers, has developed a framework to explore the skills you need to become a professional researcher.


    AHA's Career Diversity for Historians initiative helps prepare graduate students and early-career historians for a range of career options.


    The American Academic of Arts and Sciences presents career data for those with advanced degrees in the humanities.


    The National Science Board presents career information for doctorates in science, social science, engineering and health.

  • Developing a Professional Online Profile


    Overview of popular social media platforms used by academics.


    A series of guides on professional use of social media by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

  • Writing a Successful Resume

    AU Career Center: Resumes
    Templates and tips on writing the perfect resume.

Time Management

Mid Program

Funding Your Research

Office of Graduate Studies: Funding Your Research
Internal Competitions sponsored by the Office of Graduate Studies.

College of Arts and Sciences: Student Research and Travel Support
Internal Competitions sponsored by the College of Arts and Sciences.

Office of Merit Awards
Learn about nationally-competitive, merit-based scholarship programs.

Office of Merit Awards: National Scholarship Directory


Funding programs for graduate students sponsored by the NSF or NSF-awardee institution.

  • Building your professional network


    Networking strategies from Idealist.org.


    A series of guides on professional use of social media by the National Association of Colleges and Employers.

    Office of Graduate Studies: High Impact Research
    Tips for promoting your research through social media and other non-academic channels.

  • Developing your teaching skills

    Center for Teaching, Research and Learning (CTRL)
    CTRL provides workshops and consultations on teaching and pedagogy.


    The Art of Teaching is a one credit course that is offered each spring semester for PhD students who want to learn more about educational pedagogy.

  • Securing an internship

    Career Center: Job and Internship Searching
    The Career Center provides resources to help you find your perfect job or internship, including AU-specific listings which can be accessed through Handshake.

    Career Center: Employers on Campus
    The Career Center hosts a variety of employers in on-campus events.

    Career Center: Advising Appointments
    Meet one on one with a Career Center advisor to discuss your resume, interview preparation, or to build your networking skills. You can meet with your advisor in-person, over the phone, or over Skype

    Career Center: 2019Job and Internship Fair
    Date: September 11, 2019, 1-4
    Description: The Fall Job and Internship Fair attracts more than 140 public, private, and nonprofit organizations.

Stress management

  • Counseling Center
    Resources and one-on-one appointments.
  • Health Promotion and Advocacy Center
    AU’s Health Promotion and Advocacy Center offers workshops, outreach activities, and one-on-one consultations with students on a variety of issues including alcohol and drug use, sleep patterns, and healthy relationships.

Late Program

  • Defending and submitting your dissertation/thesis/capstone

    Office of Graduate Studies: Theses and Dissertation Submission
    Templates, due dates and instructions for submitting your theses and dissertations.


    First Tuesday of Every Month, 4:00-6:00pm
    Battelle Tompkins 228
    This group is a support group in which fellow PhD students from across disciplines could meet to combat the sense of isolation and anxiety that sometimes comes from the dissertation writing process; it could also have monthly themes with guest speakers on common issues facing dissertators, such as procrastination, time management, and work/life balance.

  • Publishing your research

    Office of Graduate Studies: High Impact Research
    Tips for promoting your research through social media and other non-academic channels.

  • Job search strategies

    Career Center: Job and Internship Searching
    The Career Center provides resources to help you find your perfect job or internship, including AU-specific listings which can be accessed through .

    Career Center: Employers on Campus
    The Career Center hosts a variety of employers in on-campus events.

    Career Center: Advising Appointments
    Meet one on one with a Career Center advisor to discuss your resume, interview preparation, or to build your networking skills. You can meet with your advisor in-person, over the phone, or over Skype.

    Career Center: 2019Job and Internship Fair
    Date: September 11, 2019, 1-4
    Description: The Fall Job and Internship Fair attracts more than 140 public, private, and nonprofit organizations.

  • Interview preparation

    Career Center: Interview Preparation
    Use Interview Stream to practice for interview of all types.

  • Negotiating the job offer


    The Council of Graduate Schools presents an online education platform to help students better understand a variety of issues, including evaluating and negotiating your job offer.


    The AAUW provides tips on negotiating your salary.

Financial planning for your early career


  • The Council of Graduate Schools presents an online education platform to help students better understand a variety of issues, including transitioning to life after graduate school.