Introduction to msIDP
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What is
msIDP ?
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The Master of Science Individual Development Plan (msIDP) is a Career Roadmap and tool to empower professional STEM students to take ownership of their education and career planning. It is an interactive guide to help assess career pathways, and the skills and experiential learning needed to push forward to reach academic and professional goals.
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Whether a master’s degree program is to help land first professional positions, promotions, changes of profession, or higher academic degrees, the msIDP provides a roadmap to get there. There are IDPs designed for business employees and other degree-seeking students, but this is the only one designed specifically for students pursuing a STEM professional master’s degree.
What does msIDP contain?
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The full msIDP has eight sections, each addressing a core element of individual development planning:
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Self-Assessment
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Meeting Program Requirements
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Exploring Careers
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Networking and Mentoring
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Upskilling Transferable Skills and Competencies
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Experiential Learning
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Work and Volunteer Experience
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Applying for a Job
​Each section contains a brief introduction, including its importance to the STEM master’s student, and resources for additional information
Phase One of
msIDP
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Intended for beginning STEM M.S. graduate students with little experience in career exploration. Phase One of STEM msIDP [link] provides an overall view of student journeys. In this context, they assess motivations and lifestyle preferences (1), plan academic programs (2), begin career exploration (3), and start building networks (4). Guidance (links) are available to help advisers and students use STEM msIDP.
Phase Two of
msIDP
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COMING SOON. Intended for mid-matriculation students. After revisiting the Career Roadmap and entries in Sections 1, 2, and 3 from Phase One, they make any necessary adjustments. They identify their mentors (4). Students continue career exploration (3) with an emphasis on transferable skills and competencies (5), and experiential learning (6).
Phase Three of
msIDP
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COMING SOON. Intended for the student near or at the end of matriculation. After reviewing the Career Roadmap and prior entries, students prepare to apply for jobs by continuing career explorations (3) with an emphasis on active, relevant job postings and qualifications. Networking (4) becomes more focused. Students also reflect on prior work and volunteer experiences (7) to identify desirable skill sets they acquired. Section 8, applying for positions, is the final goal in STEM msIDP.
