Career-Readiness: Requiring a Master’s Research Project Experience

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  In Roundtable Session: Career Integration, Readiness, and Support

Abstract

Historically, graduate students’ knowledge and research skills are important. However, not much research has been explored to tie these skills and professional development competencies, as stated by National Association of Colleges and Employers’ competencies for a career-ready workforce, through completing a required master’s research project. Through students’ self-reported competencies, research skills and knowledge before and after research sequence using student surveys, alumni surveys, observation, faculty and course evaluations, this study captures how master’s level academic pursuits have reflected on the past, present and future of higher education organizations and topics and also have closely tied to career-readiness, emphasizing curriculum goals, course implementation, and long-term impacts of a research sequence on students’ post-graduate careers.

Authors

• Lois Calian Trautvetter, Northwestern University

• Christopher Neary, Northwestern University