Accelerate to Industry (A2i)

As of May 2023, University of Maryland, College Park has officially joined the Accelerate to Industry (A2i) TM Program founded by the North Carolina State University Graduate School. As an academic partner, UMD Graduate School is excited to leverage this innovative network to support graduate students and postdocs at UMD to prepare for industry careers. With A2i, graduate students and postdocs can explore employment opportunities with industry companies; develop the business, leadership, and communication skills that companies seek.
About A2i
A2i is a bold, new approach to workforce training for graduate students and postdocs. The Program is funded through a National Science Foundation Innovations in Graduate Education (IGE) grant. If you want to learn more about this initiative, please visit NC State's A2i page.
Professional Development Opportunities
As an academic partner, graduate students and postdocs at UMD have access to professional development opportunities hosted by NC State and local here at UMD.
Job Search Strategies
This module is a professional development series that offers opportunities to participate in workshops, career panels, and presentations that support participants in their efforts to market their abilities to industry companies, government, or non-profit organizations.
UMD virtual series (October 2023) | Registration
On every Thursday of October, 2023, the Graduate School will host four virtual sessions to introduce career pathways, transferable skills, workplace culture, and application portfolios to doctoral students and Postdocs who are interested in industry careers.
- A PhD’s career roadmap in industry: Oct 5 - BD (Becton Dickinson & Co)
- Industry culture and transferrable skills: Oct 12 - Amazon
- Project management and teamwork: Oct 19 - Intel
- Recruiter and hiring manager insights: Oct 26 - CNA
NC State virtual series (June 2023)
A2i Unbound
UMD was eligible to select 3 PhD students to attend the NC State's Summer A2i Immersion Week, July 17-21, 2023, with no cost to the student/postdoc. This year's selection is completed.