Opportunities in this category will help you develop in a variety of areas that will help you achieve success in both your career and personal life. These include leadership, networking, professionalism, mental health, project management and more.

Any graduate student serving on the executive team of one of the departmental student organizations listed below can claim up to 6 hours (8 hours for direct-entry) of professional development in the Personal Effectiveness category. Please visit each organization's website below to learn more about their mission and how to get involved.

While the opportunities listed above include chemistry-focused organizations only, volunteer work with other student-led organizations or events may also be eligible. Please reach out to Professor Mark Taylor and/or Madeline Gerbig if you have a suggestion for an organization that should be added to the guide, or would like to discuss whether your service may be eligible to count towards your PD hours.

Any student serving as a member of a Departmental Committee can claim up to 6 hours (8 hours for direct-entry) of professional development in the Personal Effectiveness category.

The Faculty of Arts & Science's Office of Graduate Professional Development & Student Success (GPDSS) invites all interested graduate students to attend their workshops. Their Graduate Skills series supports academic & professional skills graduate students need to succeed within and beyond academia, and their Graduate Pathways series supports PhDs exploring careers beyond the professoriate.

If you attend one of their workshops, you can claim the real number of hours you spent on the activity under the Personal Effectiveness category.

UofT Gradlife is a hub for graduate support and finding community on campus that helps graduate students navigate the grad school experience at U of T. They host a wide variety of skill-building workshops, programs and events. Some Gradlife opportunities that are eligible your Professional Development hours in the category of Personal Effectiveness are listed below.

Visit the CLNX Gradlife Calendar for a complete list of workshops and events that you can register for.

Please note that for a Gradlife program or event to count towards your professional development hours, its primary focus must be related to personal and/or skills development. However, we would still encourage you to participate in the variety of social and recreational events that Gradlife has to offer!

UofT Student Life also offers a variety of workshops and programs that are open to all students, including graduate students.

Students taking a School of Continuing Studies course listed below may be claimed for up to 6 hours (8 for direct-entry) in the Personal Effectiveness category. Courses that may be useful for students interested in pursuing careers in industry include:

• 3198 Persuasion & Negotiation in Business
• 2756 Employment in Life Sciences
• 2757 Good Manufacturing Practice & Good Laboratory Practice (may alternatively be claimed in the Research and Teaching category)
• 2932 Finding & Managing Financing
• 0984 Accounting: The Fundamentals
• 3404 Intermediate Financial Accounting 1
• 1860 Foundations of Project Management

Note: If you are a PhD student, the Department of Chemistry provides stipends to offset costs for pre-approved courses. You will need to submit an application for approval. Contact the Graduate Office to find out more! If you are a U of T Alumni, you are also eligible for a discount for one course with the Alumni Benefit.

For SCS courses not listed above, please contact us to confirm eligibility.