Harvard's Office of Career Services

GSAS: Special Programs


Please visit the GSAS calendar for the most current program information.

Below please find a description of several special programs GSAS offers each academic year. As indicated in each specific description, some programs are scheduled cyclically and others only during a given semester. For example, the Job Acceleration Work Group is offered during the fall semester and the Business Management Study Group will next be offered in the spring semester of 2010. The Career Transition Work Group is offered at various times throughout each semester. If you are interested in any of these programs, please read more detailed descriptions below and email the contact person to express your interest in future events.

Career Transition Work Group

In this four session series, PhD students consider whether a nonacademic career is right for them and learn the skills needed to begin the transition through in-depth self-assessment and brainstorming career options. Space is limited and registration is required for this workshop series. Please make every effort to commit to all four meetings. This series is typically offered once per semester.
Eligibility: PhD students and alumni from all GSAS departments
Current Session: Four consecutive Mondays, Oct. 19 - Nov. 9, 2009, 9:30 - 11:30am
Next Session: Four consecutive Tuesdays, Jan. 12 - Feb. 2, 2010, 1:00 - 3:00pm
Location: OCS Seminar Room
Registration: If you are interested in participating, email Laura Malisheski (malishes@fas.harvard.edu) with your G-level (or year of graduation) and department.


Job Acceleration Work Group—Fall 2009

Are you planning to go on the nonacademic job market this fall, either through fall recruiting or independently? Are you interested in learning about how to best present yourself to prospective employers in industries such as consulting, finance, patent law, and biotech/pharma? Then join this semester-long program designed to help you...

The group is led by OCS GSAS counselors Amy Sanford and Robin Mount.

Eligibility: The first meeting (Friday, August 28) is open to all GSAS students. The remaining sessions are open only to PhD students who will complete their degree by August 31, 2010. Space is limited; see registration information below.
Dates: Fridays, 10:00 - 11:30 am, (late August - mid October), exact dates TBD
Location: OCS Conference Room
Registration: To apply, students must submit a “market-ready” resume and a cover memo detailing their anticipated graduation date, their graduate program, and a brief description of the types of employment they are seeking by September 4, 2009. Open only to GSAS students who will complete their degree by August 31, 2010.
Submit to: Amy Sanford (asanford@fas.harvard.edu)


Business Management Study Group—Spring 2010

A long-standing GSAS tradition, this annual seminar, coordinated by the Office of Career Services and held at Harvard Business School, introduces participants to key issues, vocabulary, and cases in various fields, as well as to practical advice about making the transition to business. Participants get the opportunity try out their analytic abilities on global issues and real cases and to test interest in various aspects of the business world. Taught mainly by Harvard Business School faculty, this mini-course requires a six-week commitment.
Eligibility: GSAS Master's and PhD students and GSAS alumni in all fields
Dates: TBD
Location: Harvard Business School
Requirements: Participants must attend all six sessions; actively participate in case discussions and analysis; and carefully read cases and supplemental materials before each lecture.
Registration (in person only): If you are interested in the next cycle (Spring Semester 2010), please email asanford@fas.harvard.edu.
Cost: $30.00 case materials fee
Contact Person: Maureen Hilton (ocsgsas@fas.harvard.edu)