Graduate Mentorship Certification

The Graduate Mentorship Certification (GMC) is a year-long professional development program that provides students with the skills necessary to effectively be mentored and serve as a mentor in higher education settings. Students will strengthen their mentorship skills by attending workshops, completing a portfolio, serving as a mentor throughout the program, and more. The mentorship portfolio is comprised of 3 parts: 1.) Strengths Assessment self-reflection; 2.) Diversity Statement; and 3.) self-reflection of the mentoring process throughout the program duration. The GMC workshops are designed to foster intellectual discussion of ethical issues in mentoring, as well as to provide insight and training on best mentoring practices.

This is a medallion-qualifying program for 51ԹϺ graduate & professional students. For additional information, please see the Graduate College Medallion Program website.

In order to participate in the program, graduate students must:

  • have completed at least one semester of graduate studies at 51ԹϺ by program start date.
  • currently be enrolled.
  • be in good academic standing in a graduate degree program.

Applications are only accepted once per year. Applications will be open from July 1 to September 15. There is no application fee.

The 2024-2025 online Graduate Mentorship Certification Application can be found on . Please log in to the Grad Rebel Gateway, click on The Grad Academy tab, then click on the TGA Applicationsbutton to Submit a New Application.

As a part of the application form, please be prepared to provide a statement of interest that details your experience and goals for participating in the Graduate Mentorship Certification program.

All program requirements need to be completed in full by the student in order to complete the program, receive a certificate of completion, and have the Graduate Mentorship Certification completion noted on their 51ԹϺ transcript.

  • Program requirements will be submitted through the Graduate Mentorship Certification WebCampus Course. Participants will be added to the course upon program acceptance.
  • Students must attend all three required cohort meetings.
  • Accepted students must serve as a mentor throughout the program for another graduate student, an undergraduate student, or an individual affiliated with a club/organization/other group. If participants are not actively mentoring throughout the program, they will be expected to complete an embedded mentorship course via WebCampus.
  • Students must watch 1 mandatory workshop and submit a one-page summary. The mandatory workshop will be provided via WebCampus.
  • Students must attend a minimum of 4 elective workshops scheduled in the fall and/or spring terms. Workshop options will be listed below under this year’s workshop schedule. Alternatively, students can select recorded workshops from the Workshop Summary Options tab and submit one page summaries via WebCampus.
  • Participants must complete all components of a mentorship portfolio, which include:
    • Strengths Assessment Self Reflection
    • Scholarly Diversity Statement
    • Mentorship Experience Reflection OR Effective Mentoring Approach Guide
  • Participants will receive portfolio feedback from a faculty member.
  • Students must complete all program forms/surveys.”

  • Students must apply and be admitted before they can begin participating in the Graduate Mentorship Certification Program.
  • Once admitted, students must complete all program requirements in one academic year with their cohort.
  • All cohort meetings are mandatory.
  • If a student is not in good standing in their degree program, or if they create any problems as a participant in the GTC, they may be removed from the program at the discretion of the graduate college dean

Cohort meetings are mandatory unless a documented excuse has been approved.

Meeting Schedule for 2024-2025 Graduate Mentorship Certification Program:

  • Introductory Cohort Meeting: Thursday, September 26, 2024, 3:30-5 p.m.
  • Mid Cohort Meeting: Wednesday, November 20, 2024, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
  • Final Cohort Meeting: Wednesday, April 30, 2025, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
  • The Grad Academy ​Mixer: ​Thursday, December 12, 2024 from 5-6:30 p.m., University Gateway Building, Room 268 & 269 (optional)
  • The Grad Academy End of Year Celebration: Thursday, May 15, 2025 from 5:00-6:30 p.m., University Gateway Building, Room 268 & 269 (optional)

The below workshops will help fulfill the requirements for the Graduate Mentorship Certification. You must RSVP for all workshops at least 24 hours in advance. To RSVP, please click on the workshop below. This will send you to the calendar entry page, which has the RSVP information. A full list of the workshops offered this semester can be found on the Graduate College Student Workshop Calendar.

Event Title Date Time Location
The Essentials of Lab Management Tuesday, October 1, 2024 11:00am
Virtual
CV Lab: One Day Boot Camp for Graduate and Professional Students Monday, October 7, 2024 9:30am
Graduate College, Gather Rooms 268 & 269, 2nd Floor
Grounded Grad Rebel Series: Finding Your Work-Life Fit Tuesday, October 8, 2024 10:00am
Virtual
Graduate College: Multilingual Writing at Grad School in the Age of AI Friday, October 11, 2024 1:00pm
Hybrid Workshop:
Virtual & Gather Rooms 268 & 269, University Gateway Building, 2nd Floor
Graduate College: Paths after Graduation for F-1 and J-1 International Students Friday, October 18, 2024 12:00pm
Lied Graduate Student Commons (Second Floor) or Virtual
Graduate College: Navigating the Non-Profit Job Market Wednesday, October 30, 2024 1:00pm
Virtual
Grounded Grad Rebel Series: Cultivating Mindfulness Thursday, October 31, 2024 10:00am
Gather Rooms (Graduate College, University Gateway Building, Second Floor) or Virtual via Zoom
Graduate College: Mentorship Matters: Building Successful Research Relationships Wednesday, November 13, 2024 10:00am
Virtual
Graduate College: Academic Bullying: Awareness & Action Tuesday, November 19, 2024 11:00am
Graduate College
Gather Rooms 268 & 269
Graduate College: Gen AI - Getting Started, Benefits, Ethics, and Pitfalls Wednesday, November 20, 2024 1:00pm
Virtual
Graduate College: How to Use Social Media for Industry Professionals Thursday, November 21, 2024 12:00pm
Virtual
Graduate College: Open Call! Practice Your Job Talk/Teaching Demonstration Monday, December 2, 2024 9:00am
Multiple Rooms at the Graduate College, Gateway Building
Room will be assigned following registration
Graduate College: Open Call! Practice Your Job Talk/Teaching Demonstration Wednesday, December 4, 2024 9:00am
All sessions will be at the Graduate College, Gateway Building
Specific rooms will be assigned following registration

The below workshops will help fulfill the requirements for the Graduate Mentorship Certification. To receive credit for a workshop, click on the workshop recording you would like to watch, write a 1-page summary (single or double-spaced), and submit the summary via WebCampus. 

The Graduate College will be hosting Tuesday Talks: Your Questions Answered for current The Grad Academy program participants. Please drop by on any of the following Tuesdays, 4-5 p.m., to ask us any questions you might have or just to check your progress:

  •  (University of Michigan’s Rackham Graduate School)
  •  (University of Michigan’s Rackham Graduate School)
  • Sarah Brown, The Chronicle of Higher Education: