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09/22/2014 02:38 PM
Grad Advising Weekly Bulletin 9/22/14 - S15 Practica Info Sessions, SIS Graduate Research Grants and Econ
Placement Exam
Grad Advising News and Announcements
UPDATED Spring 2015 SIS Practica - Info Sessions Sept 22 - Oct 3, Applications due Oct 5
The SIS practicum is one of the options available to students to fulfill their MA capstone requirement. Descriptions of the
practicum courses being offered for Spring 2015 and the application process can be found here. There will be a general
information session on Monday, September 22, 5:30-6:30pm (SIS-349), and course-specific information sessions will be
held from September 23 - October 3. A full schedule of course-specific information sessions with the practicum
professors can be found here. To be eligible to participate in an SIS practicum, MA students must be in good academic
standing and have completed at least 18 credits of graduate coursework prior to the semester in which they will participate
in the practicum. Students are not required to attend an info session to be eligible to apply. Applications are due
Sunday, October 5.
NEW SIS Graduate Research Grant Applications
The SIS Graduate Research Grants, sponsored by the SIS Dean's office and the SIS Graduate Student Council, are
designed to subsidize the costs of travel for current SIS graduate students attending conferences, conducting research or
participating in an internship, while also promoting graduate student scholarship and professionalism. Grant recipients
may be awarded up to $500 for domestic travel and and up to $1000 for international travel. Applications to fund travel
that will occur in Winter 2014/Spring 2015 are due by Monday, October 20th. The application and more information can
be found here. SIS Graduate Research Grants cannot be used to pay tuition or to fund an SIS Practicum.
NEW Economics Placement Exam Registration
Students wishing to take the SIS economics placement exam to waive the ECON-603 prerequisite to register for SIS-616
International Economics or ECON-661 Survey of Economic Development may now register for the October exam. Some
MA programs may allow students to waive ECON-603 based on other criteria - students should check with their academic
advisor if they have any questions about whether they should take the exam.
The online economics placement exam is offered live and is proctored (students must be on webcam during the test
administration). The exam consists of 50 multiple-choice questions that cover both microeconomic and macroeconomic
principles. Students have 90 minutes to complete the exam. Students may only take the examination once as an SIS
graduate student. A passing score is a 74%. There are four different time options available in October:
Monday, October 6th - 5:30-7:00pm EDT
Tuesday, October 7th - 10-11:30am EDT
Wednesday, October 8th - 7:00-8:30pm EDT
Thursday, October 9th - 2:00-3:30pm EDT
Saturday, October 11th - 10:00-11:30am EDT
Please click here to register for the exam. The registration deadline is Friday, September 26th. After registering, you
will receive information about how to access the online testing space. The next exam will be offered in late November.
Now Scheduling Advising Appointments
The SIS Graduate Advising office is now scheduling 30 minute student appointments. Unlike Express Advising,
appointments allow for more in-depth advising conversations, including longer-term course/degree planning. We
particularly encourage new students to consider meeting with their advisor. Appointments are available in-person or via
phone or Skype, and can be scheduled by calling 202-885-1690.
Apply to Graduate for Fall 2014
Students planing to complete all program requirements this semester must apply to graduate via their myAU portal (under
Academics – Apply to Graduate). While students can apply through Friday, October 31, we recommend that you
complete the application as soon as possible (the application takes less than 5 minutes) so that your advisor can begin
reviewing your graduation eligibility for fall.
Upcoming Events
NEW Graduate Enhancement Workshop: Graduate School Budgeting for Dummies
TOMORROW, Tuesday, September 23, 5:30-6:30pm, Graduate Research Center
For more information and to RSVP: http://www.american.edu/provost/grad/upcoming-events.cfm
Presented by Shirleyne McDonald, Associate Director Financial Aid, Office of Enrollment
This workshop will cover online budgeting for graduate students, including how to manage housing options, transportation
and personal expenses while in grad school. Attendees should please bring a laptop/computing device to the session.
Open House: Carnegie Endowment for International Peace
TOMORROW, Tuesday, September 23, 5:00-7:00pm, 1779 Massachusetts Avenue NW
For more information and to register, click
here.http://carnegieendowment.org/events/forms/?fa=registration&event=4510&lang=en&forward=true
The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace is holding an inaugural open house for faculty and students interested
in international affairs. Students will have the opportunity to learn about Carnegie’s role in public policy and international
relations, working in a think tank, and our Junior Fellows Program. Carnegie President Jessica T. Mathews will introduce
the evening in conversation with Tom Carver, Vice President for Communications and Strategy. Scholars Karim
Sadjadpour and George Perkovich will speak about their careers, offer insights into the nature of their daily work, and field
questions. A reception will follow with an opportunity to meet and network with our scholars and staff working on Asia,
Europe, the Middle East, Nuclear Policy, and Energy and Climate issues.
NEW Career Center Workshop: How to Prep for the PMF Online Assessment
Tuesday, September 23, 3:00-5:00pm, MGC 200 or Thursday, September 25, 6:00-8:00pm, MGC 5
To register, please log-in to AU CareerWeb
The http://www.pmf.gov/Presidential Management Fellows (PMF) Program is one of the best ways to launch a career in
the federal government. Graduate students and recent alumni who have received/are receiving their degree between
December 2012 and August 2015 are invited to attend this workshop to learn more about the PMF application process,
including how to prep for the online assessment in early October.
Students interested in applying to the PMF program can also register for access to a special Blackboard Prep site with
fact sheets and materials that AU offers to help students prepare for the online assessment. To be given access to the
Blackboard site, please email AU.PMFcandidate@gmail.com (from your AU account or a Gmail account) including your
full name, graduation date and your AU school.
NEW Office of Merit Awards Info Session: Boren Fellowship
Tuesday, September 30, 6-7pm, MGC 3
The Boren Graduate Fellowship supports students pursuing the study of languages, cultures, and world regions that are
critical to U.S. interests, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America and the Caribbean,
and the Middle East. Applicants must propose study of a foreign language appropriate to their country or region. All
Fellowship recipients have a post-award national-security related work requirement. This information session will include a
presentation from a Boren representative. The national deadline for 2015-2016 is January 27, 2015.
NEW Alumni in the Know: Ed McGinnis, Department of Energy
Wednesday, October 1, 6:30-8:30pm, MGC 4-5
For more information and to RSVP: http://alumniassociation.american.edu/AITKEdwardMcGinnis
AU's alumni relations next Alumni in the KNOW program will feature Ed McGinnis SIS/MA '92. Mr. McGinnis is the deputy
assistant secretary of energy for international nuclear energy and cooperation at the Department of Energy, where he is
responsible for international civilian nuclear energy activities and also serves as Steering Group Chairman of the
International Framework for Nuclear Energy Cooperation. Prior to working in the Office of Nuclear Energy, Mr. McGinnis
led United States Government initiatives at the Department of Energy including having served as the Senior Director for
the office of Global Radiological Threat Reduction. Mr. McGinnis is a graduate of the Kennedy School's Senior Executive
Fellows Program and holds a master's degree from American University's School of International Service. This free event
will include a lecture style presentation and a question-and-answer period. Students will also be invited to join the
speaker at a dessert reception after the Q&A portion.
Alumni in the KNOW is a distinguished lecture series that brings highly accomplished AU alumni back to campus to give a
lecture on their paths from AU to their current positions. It is focused on career development and it is an event of great
value for GGPS students looking towards their post-graduate career options. Business casual attire requested.
NEW Graduate Enhancement Workshop: First Impressions: Interviews and Etiquette
Wednesday, October 1, 5:30-6:30pm, Graduate Research Center
For more information and to RSVP: http://www.american.edu/provost/grad/upcoming-events.cfm
Presented by Sue Gordon, Director of Career Development, AU Career Center
This workshop will address various ways to impress prospective employers throughout the interview process. Learn how
to make a great impression from the first phone call through the offer phase of the interview process. Tips to be discussed
include preparing for the interview, effective strategies for answering tough interview questions, and appropriate ways to
follow up when the interview is over! Sue will also share tips for salary negotiation.
NEW Open House: International Institute for Strategic Studies
Wednesday, October 1, 6:00-8:00pm, 2121 K St NW, Suite 801
For more information and to register, click here.
The Institute is hosting a free "Back to School Night" event for graduate students of international affairs, especially those
interested in security studies, to discuss opportunities and resources available to students. The purpose of the evening
will be to introduce them to key IISS publications, some of our leading fellows and the IISS-US staff, as well as to outline
upcoming public events they can attend in the fall.
FOR SIS EVENTS: http://www.american.edu/sis/events
To schedule an appointment, please call the Graduate Advising Office at (202) 885-1690.
For advising resources, and Express Advising schedules (as applicable), please visit the Graduate Advising website
at: www.american.edu/sis/gradadvising.
For up to date advising information, please visit our News and Announcements page at:
http://www.american.edu/sis/gradadvising/News-and-Announcements.cfm.