The moment has finally arrived. You’re about to embark upon your PhD journey at CMU. The road in front of you is long, but you aren’t alone. You’re now a part of the SCS community.
Below are some resources we’ve assembled to help start your PhD journey. From all of us with the SCS PhD Advisory Committee…
Welcome to SCS.
Welcome Presentation
Please view our committee’s welcome presentation for Fall 2021 here.
Welcome events
Welcome BBQ: Sept 11, 1PM, Gates 3rd Floor Patio
Welcome Picnic: Sept 11, 6PM, Gates 3rd Floor Patio
First DPAC General Body Meeting: Sept 8, 3PM, GHC 6501
SCS PhD student and postdoc slack
This slack workspace is open to join with a cs.cmu.edu email: cmucsstudents.slack.com
Doctoral Student Review (formerly Black Friday)
Black Friday, the formal PhD progress review at the end of each semester, has had an aura of mystery in the past. Unfortunately, this intrigue has led to anxiety and mismatched expectations, with little prior documentation available for students to compare experiences.
This summer, we worked with the Dean’s Office to assemble two complementary documents that paint a more vibrant picture of Black Friday, now known as the Doctoral Student Review. We’re pleased to share this pair of documents that describes this process from both the perspective of the SCS faculty and the PhD students.
Doctoral Student Review: The Faculty Perspective
Doctoral Student Review: The PhD Student Perspective
Mental Health and Wellness
Here is a compiled list of resources for remote wellness (and also in-person wellness), based off of interviews conducted by members of DPAC.
PhD Advice
How To Be A Successful PhD Student by Mark Dredze and Hanna M. Wallach
Outreach and Community Service: SCS and Local
The Dis-Orientation Guide, written by students in Summer 2020, explains the history of activism at CMU and provides resources for students with various identities, including international and neurodivergent students.
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