Spring 2021 Modules

Attention graduate students and postdoctoral fellows!

Enroll in the Spring 2021 PDP modules. The 7-week professional development modules are open to all Hopkins graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and come at no additional tuition for students in full-time JHU programs.

 

 

 

First Half Modules: January 25-March 19, 2021

First half modules, Spring 2021
        • 663.626 IMPROVISATION FOR ENHANCED TEAMWORK & 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.

        The class meets on Thursdays from 3:00-5:30p.m.

         

    • EN.663.631 INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW
      • Arranged in modules and taught largely through the case method, the course features the following topics: intellectual property; principal-agent relations; and product liability. Not only will participants learn the principles associated with each topic, but also they will master the questions and concerns to use when working with legal counsel on these issues in the future. GRADING: P/F for most students; letter grades for MSEM students.
      • The class meets on Tuesdays from 5:30-8:00 p.m. 
    • EN.663.640 Writing grants and contract proposals
      • 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.
      • The class meets on Thursdays from 4:00-6:30pm.
    • EN.663.660 managing people and resolving conflicts
      • Have you ever had to deal with a difficult person at work or in the lab? ave you been a member of a team on which 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 or 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.
      • The class meets on Mondays from 3:00-5:30p.m.
      • EN.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.

      • The class meets on Thursdays from 4:00-6:30p.m.
    • EN.663.672 management & 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.
      • The class meets on Thursdays from 4:00-6:30p.m.
    • EN.663.677 GLOBAL CONSULTING
      • Students partner with research teams at the International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory through remote meetings to help transition scientific and engineering concepts from lab to life. Consulting projects cover areas including market and competitor analysis, the identification of consumer locations and demographics, and the development of market entry strategies for innovative products and technologies. Students will learn how to navigate the unique nature of international consulting, paying particular attention to building rapport across cultures and technologies. Deliverables come in the form of proposals, memos, comprehensive reports detailing findings and recommendations, and a slide deck of key findings optimized for remote presentations.
    • The class meets on Mondays from 9:30am-12:00pm online only
  • EN.663.645 improving presentation skills for scientists and engineers
    • This 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.The class meets on Wednesdays from 4:30-7:15p.m. 

 

Second Half Modules: March 22-April 30, 2021

Spring 2021 Second half

  • EN.663.631 Intellectual property law
    • Arranged in modules and taught largely through the case method, the course features the following topics: intellectual property; principal-agent relations; and product liability. Not only will participants learn the principles associated with each topic, but also they will master the questions and concerns to use when working with legal counsel on these issues in the future. GRADING: P/F for most students; letter grades for MSEM students.
  • The class meets on Tuesdays from 5:30-8:00p.m.
  • EN.663.634 Improvisation for communication
        • It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it. Science and Engineering are disciplines which mandate immersive study, attention to detail, and extreme forethought. Is it possible, then, that as students condition themselves to meet these needs, they compromise their ability to navigate impromptu social situations, public speaking events, and the like? In this class, students will expound upon improv techniques to strengthen their ability to share scientific and technical information fluently and spontaneously without confusion or ambiguity. This class turns to improvisation techniques to develop communication skills, encourage creative problem solving, and support teamwork.
      • The class meets on Wednesdays from 3:00-5:30p.m
  • EN.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. All presentations will be recorded.
    • The class meets on Wednesdays from 4:30-7:00p.m.
  •  EN.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.
      • The class meets on Wednesdays from 3:00-5:30p.m.
      • EN.663.668 BREWING SCIENCE
    • Micro-breweries, the fastest growing segment of the manufacturing sector in the US, is an enterprise opportunity for students who are fascinated by fermentation. The class addresses the fundamentals of the science and the manufacturing processes together with enterprise considerations of identifying customers, locations and finances.
      • This class meets on Mondays from 3:00-5:30p.m.
  • EN.663.671 LEADING CHANGE
      • 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 our selves, 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.
      • This class meets on Mondays from 3:00-5:30p.m.
         
  • EN.663.675 communicating in a crisis
    • A crisis is a major occurrence with potentially negative consequences. In Chinese, the word “crisis” means “dangerous opportunity,” signifying that an individual or an organization can emerge stronger from a crisis – not without damage but stronger – with the right management and communication deployed effectively to the right audiences in the right channel. In this course, we will explore what managing a crisis well actually means. Who do you need to communicate with? What channels are appropriate? What messaging works for different audiences? Using the case method, live simulations, and real-world examples we will distinguish the factors that create opportunities from crises from those that deepen the danger.
    • This class meets on Wednesdays from 5:30-8:00p.m.
    • EN.663.644 writing for clarity
      • 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 total work time. 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 find and qualify publishing opportunities; understanding and adjusting to different requirements; matching text to various audiences; developing striking visuals; and dealing with issues of clarity, coherence and style.
      • This class meets on Wednesdays from 4:30-7:15p.m.
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