GSJ Symposium

Symposium Participation

The GSJ Symposium is a monthly opportunity for MA students, PhD students, and faculty to interact and learn in community. Typically there are six Symposium events a year on Friday afternoons, three in Fall semester and three in Winter semester. Pay attention to your email to learn when Symposium events are scheduled.

Some examples of Symposium events that might happen in a given year:

• learn a new skill like completing a Research Ethics Board protocol or practicing a new data analysis method,
• meet some GSJ alums and learn about their career paths,
• engage in a conversation with a visiting scholar,
• read and discuss an article or chapter together,
• or many other events: if you have an idea for an event, feel free to make a suggestion to the Program Director!

Regular attendance at Symposium events is a vital component of the PhD Diploma. To satisfy this requirement, attend at least two symposium events each year that you’re enrolled in the program. Of course, it’s even better for your learning if you attend more than two each year!

Symposium Presentation

The other requirement of the PhD Diploma is to present your thesis research-in-progress in the Symposium. One common way this presentation happens is as a conference-length talk as part of a research panel, or via participation in a roundtable discussion. Your symposium presentation ordinarily happens in your third or fourth year. This requirement enhances your dissertation work by providing a useful forum for sharing preliminary research results and receiving feedback from interested students and faculty members across a range of disciplines.