Monday, April 7th to Friday, April 11th is Graduate Student Appreciation Week, a week full of activities and events designed to celebrate graduate students here at UConn. Visit the Graduate Student Appreciation Week webpage to learn more and view planned events for this year. (Pre-GSAW kick-off events will be held at the regional campuses during the week of March 31st to April 4th!)
The Graduate Student Symposium: Poster Competition
The Graduate Student Symposium
The University of Connecticut is home to more than 7,000 graduate students, who work and study on all seven UConn campuses, and belong to more than 100 different graduate degree programs. While each of these students exemplifies the critical role of graduate education in shaping the future of Connecticut, geographical distance and disciplinary boundaries hinder their joint pursuit of knowledge and innovation.
The inaugural Graduate Student Research Symposium seeks to remove barriers and promote a sense of connection and shared purpose across ALL graduate campuses. By uniting graduate students through research, impact, and community value, we aim to unlock the transformative power of interdisciplinary collaboration.
Overview: The Graduate Student Research Symposium welcomes UConn graduate students from any graduate degree program on any campus of the University of Connecticut to present their in-progress research and its impact.
The program will be organized as follows: First, graduate students from any UConn campuses, school or college complete a brief online application describing the topic and impact of their in-progress graduate research. Each applicant categorizes their work within one of six cross-cutting research areas or themes. Applications are due by Noon on Wednesday, March 26, 2025 (extended from March 24).
Selected participants present research posters that summarize their in-progress scholarly research to a panel of judges at the Graduate Student Research Symposium. Research posters should be 24” wide and 36” high and graduate students will have about five minutes to present their research and answer follow-up questions.
A workshop aimed at preparing participants for the symposium will take place at 10am on Monday, April 7, 2025.
The Graduate Student Research Symposium will take place at 11AM on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.
Finally, the Competition’s Overall Winner will be awarded a $5,000 scholarship to further their research, and the Competition’s Overall Runner-Up will be awarded $1,000. Additionally, the top presenter in each category will be awarded $1,000 and the runner-up in each category will be awarded $500.
Judging Rubric: Graduate student poster presentations will be evaluated according to the following elements:
- Relevance & Impact. Research is clearly defined and motivated by its specific relevance to a scholarly field of inquiry and by its current or potential positive impact(s) on the broader community.
- Visual Appeal & Design. Poster layout is organized and follows a logical sequence; fonts are legible; excellent use of images, graphics, and diagrams; and strong overall aesthetic appeal.
- Effective Communication & Presentation. Presenter is and effective and compelling in motivating their research; knowledgeable about their work and its impacts; and engaging and enthusiastic when interacting with their audience/judges.
Key Dates:
- Application Deadline: The deadline to apply for the Graduate Student Symposium is Wednesday, March 26, 2025, at 12:00 pm (noon) EST (extended from 3/24!).
- Notice: Students will be notified if they have been selected to compete in the Graduate Student Symposium Poster Competition by Friday, March 28, 2025.
- Graduate Student Research Symposium Workshop: Applicants who have been selected are invited to take part in a preparation workshop on Monday, April 7, 2025, from 10am – 11:30am.
- Graduate Student Research Symposium: Selected participants will compete in the inaugural symposium event on Wednesday, April 23, 2025, from 11am – 2pm. The top awardees will receive cash prizes as described above.
New Position Open: Director of Graduate Student Success
The Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Affairs (GSPA) team of The Graduate School is seeking an energetic, collaborative, and creative leader for the position of Director of Graduate Student Success. To view the entire job description, see the list of qualifications, and apply for the position, please visit this page on the UConn Careers website. This job posting is scheduled to be removed at 11:55 p.m. Eastern time on March 26, 2025.
Hagan International Scholarship 2025-2026
The Hagan International Scholarship is a worldwide competitive scholarship for graduate students.
Applicants must not hold U.S. citizenship, must not be over 24 years of age as of the Submittal Deadline, and must have received an acceptance letter for the upcoming fall semester from a college or university located in the U.S.
The scholarship provides up to $7,500 each semester for up to four consecutive semesters and can be used to obtain a graduate degree or to help pay for the first two years of a professional program.
A Free Workshop provides recipients with a practical understanding of important life skills not typically covered in the school curriculum.
Eligibility Requirements:
- Must not hold U.S. citizenship.
- Must not be over 24 years of age as of the Submittal Deadline.
- Must provide a complete copy of applicant’s undergraduate Transcript showing the Award Degree.
- Must have received an acceptance letter for enrollment the upcoming fall semester from a college or university located in the U.S.
- Must be a first-time full-time student in graduate school or post baccalaureate professional program.
- Must be fluent in the English language and must provide a copy of applicant’s English proficiency test results.
- Must provide a Graduation Schedule prepared by the institution and approved by the Department Chair.
- Must contribute toward the cost of applicant’s education by working 240 hours from January 1 to September 1, prior to the start of the fall semester each academic year. Employment and/or paid internships must be performed under supervision for compensation. Work can be full-time or part-time.
- Must provide a copy of parents Financial Statement.
The submittal deadline for this scholarship is March 15, 2025. For more information, see this brochure. Please visit www.hsfmo.org to submit your application and materials. Additional questions can be directed to scholarships@hsfmo.org.
Graduate Student Mentoring: A Mentee’s Guide
Graduate students serve in various roles throughout their time in graduate school. One of these important roles is that of a mentee. As a mentee, graduate students can learn from and connect with various faculty during their degree program. The new webpage, Graduate Student Mentoring: A Mentee’s Guide, outlines best practices for graduate students in their role as mentees at UConn.
Graduate Student Gatherings and Post-doctoral Researcher Socials
University leadership understands the impacts of recent events and is working to evaluate options and coordinate official, accurate communications. As we work through these challenging times together, The Graduate School leadership team wants you to know we are here, and we want to support you.
Please join us in a safe space where we can share concerns, challenges, experiences, and develop ways to support one another.
- 2/10 at 4pm: Whetten Graduate Center, Graduate students
- 2/12 at 4pm: Whetten Graduate Center, Post-docs
- 2/17 at 4pm: Online session for Graduate students
- 2/17 Meeting link | Meeting ID: 232 435 219 926 | Passcode: m5R6KV23
Dial in by phone: +1 475-282-1761,,952096760# | Phone conference ID: 952 096 760#
- 2/17 Meeting link | Meeting ID: 232 435 219 926 | Passcode: m5R6KV23
- 2/18 at noon: Whetten Graduate Center, Graduate students
- 2/21 at 4pm: Online session for Post-docs – POSTPONED; NEW DATE TBD
Refreshments will be served at in-person meetings. More gatherings may be posted throughout the semester.
Please contact martha.marroni@uconn.edu for information.
Spring and Summer 2025: Last day of work for GAs holding F-1 and J-1 visas
This information is being sent to all GAs on an F-1 or J-1 visa. If you are not graduating this spring, this information will not apply to you but it is still important to understand for the future.
Dear International Huskies,
Federal government regulations allow graduate students on F-1 and J-1 visas to hold on-campus employment while they are pursuing their degree. If you will be a Spring 2025 graduate, you will no longer be pursuing your degree after May 11, 2025 and can no longer work on campus beyond that date.
If you hold an Academic Year 2024/2025 or Spring 2025 GA appointment at Storrs or a regional campus (excepting UConn Health), the final date of your appointment is May 22, 2025. If your degree is conferred in May and you hold an F-1 or J-1 visa and your assistantship appointment is covered by a collective bargaining agreement with the Graduate Employee Union (GEU), the time from May 11, 2025, through May 22, 2025, should be treated as time off. Please work with your supervisor to ensure you finish the duties associated with your assistantship before May 11, 2025. You will still receive your full Spring 2025 GA stipend.
In addition, ISSS will be updating your I-20 or DS-2019 program end date to May 11, 2025, if you are graduating in May and hold a GAship this term. This means your grace period to depart the U.S., or your first eligible date to begin post-completion practical training will begin May 12, 2025. Please plan for this accordingly. ISSS will adjust your I-20 or DS-2019 end date automatically based on notification that you have applied for graduation, or at the time you apply for post-completion OPT (F-1 students) or Academic Training (J-1 students), whichever comes first. ISSS will notify you when your adjusted I-20 or DS-2019 is ready to download from your ISSS portal account later in May.
If you will be offered a summer GA appointment and will complete your degree during Summer 2025, please be aware that the summer term will be considered your final semester, and you may be employed for no more than 20 hours per week. The date you submit all final degree requirements to Degree Audit will be your degree completion date and the last date you may be employed under a graduate payroll title. Your form I-20 will be shortened to this date.
Please reach out to ISSS at international@uconn.edu if you have any questions about this change as it relates to your visa status, I-20, grace period, or practical training timeline.
Leslie M. Shor
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Dean of The Graduate School
Arthur Galinat
Director, International Student and Scholar Services
2025 Summer Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship
We are pleased to announce that The Graduate School’s Summer Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship will begin accepting applications on February 1, 2025!
The Graduate School is committed to helping graduate students achieve their academic, professional, and personal goals during their time at the University of Connecticut. In support of this goal, The Graduate School invites applicants for the Summer Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, which is intended to support the successful completion of the dissertation. Please review the eligibility criteria for this fellowship carefully before applying. This is a one-time $2,000 fellowship. If awarded, the funds will given during the summer term and paid through the Office of the Bursar. Please note that The Graduate School will validate each student’s status as of the Summer 2025 semester and are entitled to rescind the fellowship if a student has graduated or is no longer an active student.
Eligibility Criteria:
- The applicant must be a doctoral student in a program that requires a dissertation.
- The applicant must be an active student when they apply and are awarded. Students who complete their degree during the prior semester cannot be awarded.
- The applicant must have documented successful completion of the General Examination by submitting the Report on the General Exam.pdf to the Office of the Registrar’s Degree Audit team no later than February 28, 2025.
- The applicant must have documented successful completion and submission of the dissertation proposal by submitting the Dissertation Proposal form.pdf to the Office of the Registrar’s Degree Audit team no later than February 28, 2025.
- The Dissertation Proposal form may be submitted to Degree Audit without IRB/IACUC approval. The milestone will be posted as “in progress” and that will satisfy eligibility for this application. IRB/IACUC approval must be submitted to Degree Audit when received so that the milestone may be updated to “complete” on the student record.
- Students in the following doctoral programs may submit their application without having the Dissertation Proposal milestone on their account:
- Business Administration
- Communication
- Clinical Psychology
- Industrial and Organizational Psychology
- EPSY – Research Methods, Measurement, and Evaluation
- EDLR – Learning, Leadership, and Education Policy
- The applicant is not eligible if they have previously received a Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship.
- Students at UConn Health (with the exception of Public Health doctoral students) and UConn Law are not eligible to apply for this fellowship.
Please note, while we hope to provide funding to all eligible applicants, fellowships are not guaranteed, as funds are limited and pending budgetary approval.
The application period for this fellowship is February 1-February 28, 2025. Applications received outside of these dates will not be processed. You can access the application form and more information on this page.
If you have questions regarding your eligibility for this fellowship, please contact gradschool@uconn.edu before applying.
Graduate Student Timely Topics Series
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
“Distinguished Graduate Fellows” and “Impact Scholars” Programs
Official guidance on The Graduate School’s new Distinguished Graduate Fellows and Impact Scholars fellowship programs for incoming students has been made available to the Executive Committee of The Graduate School, the Graduate Faculty Council, Department Heads, Directors of Graduate Studies, Graduate Student Administrators, Associate Deans for Graduate Education, and Academic Deans. Please reach out to those groups or jack.corcoran@uconn.edu from The Graduate School for access to this guidance.
