PhD Career Accelerator

Ready to invest in your career?

The Graduate School’s Office of Experiential Learning (xPD) offers UGA doctoral students an immersive career development program grounded in the principles of experiential learning. The PhD Career Accelerator (PCA) program is a customizable, year-long professional development sequence for doctoral students who are interested in industry, government, and non-profit leadership roles – including higher education administration.

Throughout the course of several semesters, PCA participants will complete a core series of career development workshops, leadership development training, and experiential learning activities which are intended to complement and extend their academic training.

Note: The PhD Career Accelerator program is suspended for academic year 2022-2023.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is eligible to participate in the PCA program?

The PCA initiative is geared toward doctoral students in any discipline, with a particular emphasis on students who have completed their formal coursework. We anticipate selecting a cohort of 25 students each semester to enter the program.

What are the selection criteria?

Selection will be determined primarily by timeline to graduation and ability to benefit from the content of the program, as determined by student responses on the PCA application questionnaire. The PCA curriculum is designed for PhD students are further into their studies (i.e. after completion of coursework, in years three and beyond).

How much time is required to complete the certificate?

The PCA program is designed to be customizable, with students able to complete the requirements within one year. We estimate that most students will need to commit 8-10 hours per month toward completion of the program.

Will I need to register for any classes?

No – the PCA program is designed to be a non-academic certificate and does not require any course registration.

Do I need approval from my advisor?

Students do not need formal advisor approval to participate in the program. However, they must be willing and able to commit the time necessary to the required components of the program.

Can I participate if I am an international student?

Yes! International graduate students are eligible to participate, and the program staff will be available to address the specific job search challenges of international students.