DEMOG 590 is our professional development seminar that meets one hour per week. The target audience and content for varies according to the semester.
FALL SEMESTER
- Target audience: (1) First-year graduate students planning to apply to the dual-title Demography program who have not taken their qualifying exams and (2) students pursuing a minor in Demography.
- Overview: The aim is to learn about the dual-title program and demographic resources & opportunities at Penn State. Students are required to attend Population Research Institute (PRI) events.
- Example Weekly Topics: Navigating graduate school & the Demography program; Penn State Demography history & current research; Introduction to PRI; Demographic data resources; Demographic conferences & events; Mentoring & networking; Interdisciplinary research challenges & opportunities
SPRING SEMESTER
- Target audience: Dual-title PhD graduate students in their 3rd year of graduate study who have already taken the Fall version of DEMOG 590
- Overview: The aim is to learn about professional career options in Demography and the pathways to professional success. Specific topics are chosen by students and discussed with rotating panels of dual-title Demography alumni. The class also organizes the annual Mini-PAA event.
- Example Weekly Topics: Preparing for the job market; Skills for non-academic jobs; Grants & fundings sources; Internships & postdocs; Teaching-focused academic jobs; Research-focused non-academic jobs; Research-focused academic jobs; Working outside the United States