Memorial University’s School of Graduate Studies (SGS) emphasizes whole-person learning that helps graduate students become the very best scholars, practitioners, and/or leaders in their chosen fields. Graduate education at Memorial is viewed as a comprehensive learning experience. In both curricular and non-curricular forms, graduate students at Memorial have opportunities to build knowledge and develop diverse skills and competencies to contribute to society in meaningful ways.

Endorsed by SGS Academic Council on September 17, 2018, the high-level intellectual skills listed below are fostered through academic programming and supports offered through Memorial’s Enhanced Development of the Graduate Experience (EDGE). These broad skills and competencies are understood to be critical for success in the knowledge economy (COU, 2011). They are qualities Memorial expects of all graduates under our University’s Teaching and Learning Framework (MUN, 2014) and aligned with the employability skills identified by the Conference Board of Canada (2016) as being vital in today’s world of work. Adapting Travis’ (1972) wellness continuum model, EDGE’s resources and workshops are intended to build awareness of, enable practice in, and foster expertise with these collaborative skills and competencies.

 

                                                                                      
Through a special agreement with Athabasca University’s (AU) Faculty of Graduate Studies, EDGE resources, workshops, programs are open to both MUN and AU graduate students (unless noted in the workshop title). Workshops and programs offered by AU are also made available to MUN graduate students through the EDGE website.

Learning and Research:

• act with honesty, integrity, and in an ethical way
• recognize different dimensions of a problem (human, technical, etc.)
• gather, analyze, and organize information to solve problems or make decisions
• use different research methods and forums for information
• engage complex issues and respond based on principles
• think originally and critically when exploring solutions
• assess personal strengths and areas for improvement
• set and achieve learning goals

Management and Responsibility:

• set goals, plan, manage time, and meet deadlines
• ability to work independently and carry out multiple tasks
• plan, design, and carry out projects or tasks
• assess and manage risk
• evaluate solutions and make recommendations for improvement
• be decisive and adapt to complex, dynamic, and uncertain situations
• select and use appropriate tools for projects or tasks
• take initiative and be socially responsible

Communication and Teamwork:

• read, synthesize, and understand information in different forms
• ask effective questions, listen, and appreciate other points of view
• accept and provide feedback in a respectful manner
• communicate knowledge clearly in both oral and written forms
• support or lead others in a group to help achieve common goals
• work with others to understand, manage, and resolve conflicts