The Graduate School’s Timely Topics is a series of learning opportunities for students, faculty, and staff to engage with subject matter experts on topics relevant to graduate education. The student track of this series features sessions that highlight University resources and supports, answer questions about academic processes and procedures, and provide strategies to help students successfully navigate their graduate career. All sessions are offered virtually.
Register for a Session | View the full student track schedule and session descriptions
Spring 2025 Student Sessions
Seeking External Scholarship and Fellowship Opportunities
UConn’s Office of National Scholarships and Fellowships (ONSF) advises and mentors students seeking prestigious, nationally-competitive scholarships and fellowships. In this session, staff from ONSF will discuss several specific opportunities that might be of interest to both early- and late-career graduate students (e.g., NSF-GRFP and Fulbright), and highlight resources to help graduate students from all backgrounds identify opportunities for which they might be eligible.
Date: Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Time: 11am – 12pm
Facilitator: Vin Moscardelli, Director, Office of National Scholarships & Fellowships
Getting to Conferral: Master’s Degrees and Graduate Certificates
This session will discuss the Office of the Registrar’s degree audit process for master’s degrees and graduate certificates, including 6th Year Certificate programs. Degree Audit staff will share auditing terms and timeline, degree requirements for Plan A and Plan B, as well as the thesis submission process. Time will be available at the end of the session for participants’ questions.
Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Time: 11am – 12pm
Facilitators: Sandra Cyr, Master’s Degree and Graduate Certificate Programs Registrar Specialist
Getting to Conferral: Doctoral Degrees
This session will discuss the Office of the Registrar’s degree audit process for doctoral (Ph.D.) students. Degree Audit staff will share auditing terms and timeline, degree requirements, the master’s on the way process, and the dissertation submission process. Time will be available at the end of the session for participants’ questions.
Date: Wednesday, February 12, 2025
Time: 2pm – 3pm
Facilitators: Jenn Horan, Doctoral Degree Registrar Specialist
Promoting Mental Health
This informative and interactive workshop will increase graduate students’ knowledge of the range of mental health resources on campus as well as helpful self-care and stress management strategies.
Date: Wednesday, March 5, 2025
Time: 11am – 12pm
Facilitator: Alyson Faires, Staff Psychologist, SHaW Mental Health
Building Financial Credit and Dealing with Debt
In this workshop, we’ll discuss financial credit, credit scoring, and how to use credit wisely. Further, we will also talk about dealing with debt and what to do when you can’t pay your bills. This workshop will be provided by the UConn Financial Education Program.
Date: Wednesday, April 2, 2025
Time: 11am – 12pm
Facilitator: Faye Griffiths-Smith, Personal Finance Educator, UConn Extension
Learn more about all of The Graduate School’s Timely Topics
