Professional Development

As an institution, The University of Southern Mississippi is committed to educating future professionals both academically and through preparation for research-oriented careers. The Graduate School offers a number of opportunities for you to build the necessary skills to be successful both within the academe and outside of it.

• The Proposal Project, funded by Southern Miss Funds, aims to strengthen grant-writing skills of graduate students through training and practice and increase the number of externally-funded fellowships and traineeships awarded to graduate students at Southern Miss.
• Professionals in Preparation is yearlong series of seminars and workshops designed to help you develop marketable workplace skills.
• The Susan A. Siltanen Graduate Research Symposium provides an opportunity for you to present your research in a competitive arena.
• The Three Minute Thesis is a communication competition, which challenges you to explain your research project in three minutes or less.
• Graduate Competitive Travel Awards support student travel, domestically and internationally, for conferences and exhibitions to present research papers, creative works, etc.