Professional Development Resources
The university, college and departments offer workshops, seminars, discussion groups and other activities designed to help you engage with the faculty and develop the personal and professional skills that will enable you to be a leader in your career.
Technology Entrepreneur Center (TEC)
Technology Entrepreneur Center TEC provides opportunities through education, experiences, and resources for students and faculty to become leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship at Illinois and throughout their careers. Created in 2000 to highlight the University’s rich history and culture of innovation, the TEC continues to inspire its students to become the next generation of world-changing visionaries, leaders and entrepreneurs. This is accomplished through its courses, venture and product competitions, workshops, and other curricular and extra-curricular events that expose students to the complex concepts inherent in the simultaneous processes of technology innovation and market adoption. The Center offers on-site and online certificate programs for education and professional development and hosts outreach activities for students and alumni. The TEC also administers the annual V. Dale Cozad New Venture Competition and the $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Illinois Student Prize for innovation, among several other programs.
Illinois Leadership Center
Illinois Leadership Center
The Illinois Leadership Center at the University of Illinois provides students, faculty and staff with opportunities to develop, or enhance, essential leadership skills. The Leadership Certificate is a multi-semester structured program designed to provide students with a customized experience to help develop leadership skills in a way that integrates many of the Center's other programs and services. Certificate students are matched with a Leadership Coach to partner with during the program and create a Leadership Portfolio documenting their leadership growth upon completion. The Certificate Program is grounded in the Illinois Philosophy of Leadership which states that "all students can exercise leadership" and a skills-based model of leadership development.
Office for Technical Consulting Resources (OTCR)
Office for Technical Consulting Resources OTCR is a non-profit consulting organization run by extremely bright and technically proficient students at the University of Illinois. The mission of this entirely student-run consulting service is to: a) deliver outstanding solutions to clients for their unique business challenges; and b) accelerate learning in a high-energy environment to prepare our students to become leaders in a variety of different careers. OTCR is comprised of 50 top students, primarily from the Colleges of Engineering and Business, and has advised clients ranging in size from Fortune 500 corporations to small businesses in a variety of industries and practice areas for over 10 years.
Preparing Future Faculty (PFF)
Students intending to pursue teaching professions can develop their skills and knowledge through a variety of PFF courses and other resources.
Center for Teaching Excellence (CTE)
CTE offers a graduate student teacher certificate, a Scholarship of Teaching & Learning Community and workshops on innovative approaches to enhance teaching and learning.
College Teaching Effectiveness Network (CTEN)
CTEN is a campus student organization that helps students prepare for academic careers through workshops and activities.
If you have specific questions, contact Engineering Graduate and Professional Programs for additional information.
