Professional Development Program: All Modules

663.615 BUILDING EFFECTIVE POSTERS AND SLIDES

In this class you’ll learn to approach scientific visuals like a graphic designer. You’ll get a crash course in fundamental principles of visual perception and form through designing (or redesigning) a poster and a slide deck on your own research. Topics will include: typography, color theory, grid systems, commercial photography techniques, data visualization techniques, and other methods of establishing visual hierarchy. You’ll have the option of producing all assignments using Adobe Creative Suite software.

663.616 DATA VISUALIZATION AND PRESENTATION

This course will expose students to the principles of design involved in creating effective data visualizations. Students will learn to find the story in their data. They will then study the fundamental principles of visual design as they apply to maps, biological diagrams, graphical timetables, and other plots, charts and graphs. Toward the end of the class, they will learn to integrate their visualizations into formal presentations.

663.621 PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATION SKILLS FOR ARTS & HUMANITIES

This course is designed to give Humanities students an opportunity to refine their presentation, teaching, discussion and interviewing skills in a practice-intensive environment. Students will learn how to hone their message, to craft presentations that address both expert and non-expert audiences, deal with the media, create and manage blogs and deal with a variety of interview formats. Student presentations will be recorded for self-evaluation, and students will receive extensive instructor and peer feedback.

663.622 PROFESSIONAL PRESENTATIONS FOR GRADUATE STUDENTS

This full semester course is designed to help scientists and engineers improve their oral presentation skills in a practice-intensive environment. Students will learn how to hone their message, to craft presentations that address both technical and non-technical audiences, and create clear, compelling PowerPoint presentations. All presentations will be recorded for self-evaluation, and students will receive extensive instructor and peer feedback. Not open to Undergraduates.

663.626 IMPROVISATION FOR ENHANCED TEAMWORK AND COMMUNICATION

Following the lead of innovative communities and businesses, this course turns to improvisation techniques to develop communication skills, encourage creative problem solving, and support teamwork. Designed for students without any acting experience, there are no prerequisites to participate. In a non-threatening, judgment-free atmosphere, we begin with improv fundamentals to help students master the subtleties of communication through voice, expression, and body language. As students experiment with imaginative movement and play, they learn to respond spontaneously and confidently to unforeseen challenges. Working together in pairs and small groups, students build trust and operate as fluid and dynamic team members. Throughout the course students build skills to minimize stress, overcome rejection, find comfort in fear, unleash creativity, and trust in their ability to communicate effectively.

663.630 BUSINESS CREATION AND CONTRACTS

Businesses are legal entities with obligations and “rights” to be exercised. Some of these practices and issues are addressed in this module as students explore corporation law. In addition to elements of contracts, students will study business structures and investigate employment law issues. Expect presentations, cases and discussion.

663.631 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW

Intellectual property law grants the owners of inventions, phrases, symbols and products certain exclusive rights to use and protection of the entity. The laws includes patents, copyright a trademark protection and has gained increasing importance with the current emphasis on entrepreneurship and inventions. This class explores the process and rights associated with intellectual property law. Expect presentations, cases and discussion.

663.633 REGULATORY WRITING

Regulatory writing explores the preparation of clinical documents throughout the life cycle of a (potential) treatment, starting with describing and reporting data from clinical trials, through preparing regulatory submission documents. Clinical documents to be discussed include clinical trial protocols, clinical trial informed consents (ICFs), investigator brochures (IBs), and clinical study reports (CSRs) among others. Essential skills for creating clear and readable documents include basic grammar and usage as well as sentence structure will also be reviewed.

663.640 WRITING PROPOSALS THAT WIN

Almost regardless of professional setting, proposals are used to secure work. They are the basis of funding in consulting, academic research, many social enterprises, business-to-business commerce, and government contracting. They require huge amounts of time and energy, yet success is far from guaranteed. In this module, you will master some of the techniques required for proposal writing success. Among the topics addressed are funding sources, writing skills that work, required content for all proposals, creating one voice in shared documents, dealing with “best-and-final negotiations and other important topics. Expect to complete several writing assignments for class including at least part of your own proposal.

663.641 IMPROVING PRESENTATION SKILLS FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

This course is designed to help scientists and engineers who are non-native English speakers improve their oral presentation skills in a practice-intensive environment. Students will learn how to hone their message, to craft presentations that address both technical and non-technical audiences, and create clear, compelling PowerPoint presentations.

663.643 SCIENCE OUTREACH: COMMUNICATING SCIENCE TO THE PUBLIC

In this era of information overload, how can scientists connect with non-scientist audiences? How can they best convey urgency and relevance? This class will go beyond urging the use of plain English—students will learn how to create emotional connections, why myth-busting is pointless, how to finesse the challenge of teaching people new things, and more. Projects include writing assignments, a hands-on presentation, and the creation of visuals. The process of receiving and giving feedback, as well as the necessity of revision, will be emphasized.

663.644 WRITING ARTICLES AND TECHNICAL REPORTS

Professionals in almost every occupation write – for multiple audiences in various information formats and for many reasons. Estimates of time spend writing in various occupations range from 25% to 35% of work time spent writing. With so much time invested in the activity, it is imperative to learn to write effectively and efficiently. This Module addresses critical skills including how to adjust text for various audiences; how to frame powerful arguments; and how to adjust to the conventions of various publications.

663.645 IMPROVING PRESENTATION SKILLS FOR SCIENTISTS & ENGINEERS

As a scientist or engineer, good communication skills can make you or break you. You may be smart enough to be the next Nobel Laureate or MacArthur genius, but if you can’t communicate the “big picture” of your results skillfully, you will have trouble securing grants, getting published, gaining employment, and being promoted. Whether you realize it or not, you need to be as good a communicator as you are a scientist. This class will help you manifest that ability.

663.647 ACADEMIC WRITER’S WORKSHOP

Do you struggle with writers’ block? Do you have trouble setting writing goals and sticking to them once the hustle and bustle of the semester begins? This module is for academic writers of all stripes and persuasions–dissertation students, creative writers, post-docs, and new faculty–who would like to work with other academic writers on setting writing goals, strategizing how to overcome individual obstacles that are impeding the writing process, and getting feedback on work in a positive, supportive atmosphere of non-specialists/non-experts. The module emphasizes productivity rather than critique. Suggested readings: How to Write a Lot by Daniel Silvia, The Now Habit by Neil Fiore

663.648 INTRODUCTION TO DISSERTATION WRITING

This course is designed to help students in any discipline and in any phase of the dissertation process move their work forward. Whether you are a beginning student who has no idea what your topic is or an advanced student facing the submission process in a few months, you will be able to use this workshop to help you focus your efforts more effectively and find out best practices for doing dissertation writing here at JHU.

663.649 CONTINUING DISSERTATION WRITING WORKSHOP

This workshop provides continuing dissertation writers with the structure of a traditional classroom environment to help facilitate work on the dissertation and to provide a framework of personal accountability in meeting personal writing goals. This course is only open to students who have taken EN.663.648 Introduction to Dissertation Writing.

663.650 FINDING A JOB / BUILDING YOUR CAREER

So you have been in school for years, learning and preparing. You have knowledge and skills in a discipline, but where do you use that wealth? How do you find that job and how do you grow your career? Those are the key topics of this course. The primary format for learning in this course is seminar style with reading, researching and sharing of information as well as structured, experiential activities designed to build skills through practice and interpersonal exchange. Class time is devoted to discussion, observation, feedback, exercises and presentation.

663.651 THE ENTREPRENEURIAL CYCLE & BUILDING EFFECTIVE BUSINESS PLANS

So you have an idea for a business – now what? How do you convert your idea to a plan? What factors must you consider and how should you do that? How do you think about customers and competition? How much money do you need and where can you find it? How do you pitch your idea for maximum impact? Answers to these questions and more are the topics of concern for this module. Expect to build at least several sections of a business plan for your idea with the time period of the class.

 

663.652 EMOTIONAL AND CULTURAL COMPETENCY

We live in increasingly diverse society and an increasingly connected world. Times require new skills and awareness; “smarts” as defined by IQ is no longer sufficient for success. Instead, an understanding of other cultures, a willingness to explore the positions of various stakeholders in situations, the capacity and willingness to exercise empathy, and the ability to identify and work with the feelings of self and others are keys to successful participation in the workforce. This Module addresses these skills in theoretical and practical ways so as to expand the awareness and capacities of participants.

663.653 INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

This one-semester course in innovation and entrepreneurship is designed to give students the requisite skills to generate and screen ideas for new venture creation and then prepare the business plan for an innovative technology of their own design. The curriculum will focus on the ability of students to identify market needs, validate those needs, develop appropriate solutions, and construct the business case. Students will form multi-disciplinary teams where each team will explore a specific market space. Each market space will be sponsored by an external organization or individual. In other words, each team will be paired with a sponsor and will work closely with that sponsor to: 1) explore the market space, 2) identify problems worth solving, 3) select one problem, 4) develop a solution to that problem and write a business plan.

663.654 COMMERCIALIZING YOUR INVENTION OR IDEA

It is one thing to have an idea and quite another to move the idea from idea and basic research to use in the world of business or manufacturing. This course addresses the process and skills required to make that transition. Among the topics addressed in this class are the following: recognizing the potential of ideas, addressing the patent landscape, understanding markets, determining resource requirements, design and prototypes, and finding financing.

663.655 SOCIAL MEDIA INTEGRATION FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Today, word-of-mouth is super charged via social media seriously affecting the practice of business from marketing and public relations to research and customer service. Entrepreneurs can leverage the power of consumer voice through interactive and integrated practices in social media strategy and metrics. Discover the latest methods in real-time research for consumer insight and marketing optimization. Exploit crowdsourcing for funding, new product development, and task accomplishment. Use consumer-generated content for brand evangelism and employ social media for superior customer service.

663.656 DEVELOPING AND MANAGING WEBSITES

Explore how to develop and manage a website that supports an organization’s goals and objectives. This holistic approach to websites will include case studies, application-oriented exercises, and group assignments. Each student will develop a professional WordPress website, employing strategies for meeting organizational goals and customer needs, using best practices for engagement and design, and creating systems for successful management and revision.

663.657 BUILDING AN EFFECTIVE BUSINESS PLAN

So you have an idea for a business – now what? How do you convert your idea to a plan? What factors must you consider and how should you do that? How do you think about customers and competition? How much money do you need and where can you find it? How do you pitch your idea for maximum impact? Answers to these questions and more are the topics of concern for this module. Expect to build at least several sections of a business plan for your idea with the time period of the class.

663.660 MANAGING PEOPLE AND RESOLVING CONFLICT

Have you ever had to deal with a difficult person at work or in the lab? Have you been a member of a team on which team dysfunction was so bad that it makes television sitcoms look normal? Why are some companies much more productive and pleasant to work with than others? Do you understand techniques of persuasion and how to participate effectively in negotiations? These topics are among the ideas we develop and practice in this class, using a combination of seminar style reading and discussion, lecture and in-class activity.

663.661 SEARCHING THE ACADEMIC MARKETPLACE

The academic job search can be especially vexing, given the fewer graduates that actually enter that market as opposed to private industry. This class offers opportunities to generate search strategies and skills to help you find that academically based position. Among the topics you will explore are building your CV, interviewing, networking, and search listings.

663.662 SETTING UP AND OPERATING YOUR OWN LAB

Directing and managing a lab effectively requires attention to activities ranging from leading and working with people to finding financial support to publishing papers. Many of these activities require skills that are not intuitive, and in fact require specific concentrated attention. This course addresses many of these skills through topics such as managing teams, dealing with time pressures and stress, budgeting for the non-financial manager, mentoring and getting published.

663.664 MARKETING STRATEGIES

This course, designed for students who have no prior instruction or experience in marketing, provides students with the opportunity to develop skills in formulating, implementing, and controlling a strategic marketing program (including sales and profit forecasts) for a given product-market entry. Using a structured approach to case analysis, students will learn how to make the kinds of strategic marketing decisions that will have a long-term impact on the organization. Through textbook readings, students will learn how to identify appropriate marketing strategies for new, growth, mature, and declining markets and apply these strategies as they analyze a series of marketing cases. The supplementary readings, from a broad spectrum of business periodicals, are more applied and will allow students to see how firms are addressing contemporary marketing challenges. And, one or more guest speakers from different functional areas of marketing, will be invited to speak to the class. In addition to analyzing cases individually, each student will be part of a team that studies a case during the latter half of the semester, developing marketing strategy recommendations with corresponding financials and presenting them to the class.

663.666 MANAGING PERSONAL FINANCES

The class in Managing Personal Finance is designed to familiarize the student with the basic concepts and quantitative techniques of personal financial planning and financial literacy. The course begins with a discussion of budgeting and the time value of money and moves on to the basic principles of financial planning in the areas of taxation, consumer credit, housing decisions, insurance, investing fundamentals and retirement planning.

663.670 PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Projects are temporary activities devised to achieve very specific goals in a designated time frame for a specified amount of resources. Often they involve disparate activities, frequently separated by distance and sometimes involving different staff and materials. For the project to successfully meet its objectives, all these items must be planned, coordinated and orchestrated. This module explores the processes and tools available to those who must manage projects to optimize outcomes within the primary constraints of time, quality, scope and budget. Class time involves presentations, examples and discussion.

663.671 LEADING CHANGE

Course Overview: Change happens, like it or not! It is necessary for progress and the result of innovation, yet change makes individuals and organizations so uncomfortable that most people and groups within organizations vigorously resist change. So the questions become how to cause, how to embrace, and how to lead constructive change in ourselves, our organizations and our communities – in ways that colleagues and would-be colleagues support and contribute toward success. The primary format for learning in this course is seminar style with reading, researching and sharing of information as well as structured, experiential activities designed to build skills through practice and interpersonal exchange. Class time is devoted to discussion, observation, feedback, additional exercises and presentation. Additionally, participants engage in reflection and explanation of their considerations as the course progresses. Further, participants read several texts and articles as well as perform extensive research in preparation for assignments.

663.672 MANAGEMENT AND TECHNOLOGY CONSULTING

Management consulting, an American innovation in organizational development, now has world-wide practice and effects. Almost every business sector— including private, governmental and NGO’s— employs consultants. Consultants must be able to effectively frame problems, understand their context, generate solutions, and protect the client and stakeholders, as well as work in a team environment and deliver a quality product. This class addresses the fundamental skills and expectations of working in this profession through a combination of lecture, discussion and exercise.

663.673 LEADING TEAMS IN VIRTUAL, INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL SETTINGS

Team-based leadership takes place in many different contexts. Basic principles related to all contexts will be discussed. The nuances of leading in teams in different environments including face to face, virtual teams such as Skype, Google Chat, etc., and culturally different/global teams will be explored and practiced. The class environment will be discussion, team and practically based.

663.674 FUNDAMENTALS OF MANAGEMENT

Managers must juggle knowledge of and tasks associated with operations, finance, information technology, strategy, and projects.
Much of managerial success, however, depends less on managers’ direct input – the sweat of their brows– than on their ability to enlist the active involvement of others: direct reports, other managers, other team members, and those above them on the organizational chart.
It is imperative that managers be adept at influencing those over whom they have no formal authority as well as guiding and directing those who report to them. In this course, you will learn and practice the concepts and skills necessary to manage, direct, and guide others as well as content associated with building strategy and structure in organizations.

663.675 COMMUNICATING IN CRISIS

Course Overview: How will Toyota survive its safety crisis? Can Goldman Sachs preserve its brand in the face of mounting public anger across the globe? Did Sheila Dixon hurt or help her career by resigning as Baltimore’s mayor? How should St. Joseph’s Hospital, once a premier coronary care center, manage the scandal over a stent-happy surgeon? All organizations, from corporations to government agencies to nonprofits small and large, face unexpected crises. Whether the crisis damages, destroys or even strengthens the organization most often depends on management’s ability to communicate strategically to key stakeholders.
Using the case method, this course explores the ways that managers can defuse and mitigate crisis situations. We will pay particular attention to overt and covert tactics and strategies for dealing with the media before, during, and after a crisis.
Students work in teams to consider issues including organizational culture, defining strategy, leadership styles, project management, negotiation and conflict management, crisis management, defending positions, disagreeing agreeably, managing large and small groups, ethics, and social responsibility.