An Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a valuable tool designed to help you outline your personal and professional development goals, map out strategies to achieve them, and track your progress over time. Your IDP serves as a roadmap to guide your growth and enhance your skills.
It is expected that all graduate students will utilize an IDP throughout their graduate experience. We recommend that graduate students review their IDP at least annually with their faculty advisor/mentor.
It’s important to note that IDPs are not submitted to the Graduate School for review. However, specific academic programs may require that students complete an IDP as part of the annual review process. We encourage you to consult with your program for more information on their requirements and guidelines.
Create your IDP:
At the Graduate School, we encourage students to choose the IDP format that best aligns with their current stage and field of study. Below, we offer a selection of IDP options to support your unique journey:
- Grad School IDP (Condensed) – NEW!
A streamlined version designed for simplicity and ease of use. Ideal for those looking for a quick and straightforward approach to goal setting and development planning.
Download (.pdf) Download (.docx) - Grad School IDP (Original)
Empowers you to set distinct goals for each competency within the GradEssentials framework.
Download (.pdf) Download (.docx) - myIDP
myIDP is a free, web-based career-planning tool for graduate students and postdocs in the sciences to define and pursue their career goals. - Imagine PhD
Imagine PhD is an online career exploration and planning tool for PhD students and alumni in the humanities and social sciences (though master’s and PhDs in all disciplines will find it useful).