Home Professional Development Biotech Career Development Program Biotech Career Development Program Preparing STEM trainees for careers beyond academia. The Biotech Career Development Program (BCDP) is a structured, cohort-based career development program for STEM graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. BCDP provides guided self-reflection, skill building, and career exploration to prepare participants for full-time employment, internships, or externships beyond the traditional academic faculty career path. I didn’t know what careers were out there! And the ones I did know about, I didn’t know what they looked like. I am really excited to have taken this course because it helped me identify what I want in a career and how to pursue it.” BCDP Alumni The program provided me with goals and deadlines for my career development.” BCDP Alumni Assignments created accountability and certainly helped my progress. The structured access to relevant information is hard to find elsewhere.” BCDP Alumni All the resources I learned about—even if it is not what I am interested in, I can share this information with a friend or colleague. All the information I gathered I think will help me be a more competitive candidate when I am applying for a job, or at least I will know where to reach out to ask for help and feedback during that process.” BCDP Alumni Prev Next Who the Program Is For Why BCDP Program Overview Program Structure Program Expectations and Completion Alumni Highlights Steering Committee Who the Program Is For BCDP is open to graduate students (M.S. and Ph.D. candidates), postdoctoral fellows, and early-career researchers in life and biomedical sciences on the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor campus, including the Medical School. Participation is by application only. Why BCDP Back to Top BCDP was created in response to the growing need for STEM trainees to explore and prepare for a wide range of career pathways beyond academia through a structured, sequenced program rather than stand-alone workshops. Participants benefit from: A cohort-based, guided approach to career exploration and professional development Exposure to diverse biotechnology and STEM career paths Skill development aligned with industry and non-academic expectations A supportive, low-stakes environment that encourages reflection and informed decision-making Program Overview Back to Top Format Duration: 12 weeks Meetings: Weekly Format: Primarily virtual, with select in-person sessions There is no cost to participate. Sessions alternate between skill-building workshops, seminars, and career exploration panels. The program also includes four in-person events: a welcome and introduction, a Life Design reflection module, a mid-program networking event, and an end-of-program celebration. What You Will Do By participating in BCDP, you will: Explore diverse career pathways in biotechnology and related sectors Strengthen written and verbal communication for networking, interviewing, and job applications Identify transferable skills and develop a personalized career action plan Engage in guided exercises, discussions, and reflective-learning activities Expand your professional network through interaction with professionals, alumni, and peers Program Structure Back to Top Phase I: Career Exploration and Skill Building Participants attend weekly sessions that include skill-building seminars and career exploration panels. Skill-building focuses on: Self-reflection, goal setting, and understanding the career landscape Communication, networking, and professional branding Career panels feature professionals from industry, startups, large corporations, government, nonprofits, law, and academia-adjacent roles. Phase II: Experiential Learning (Optional but Encouraged) Phase II is a self-driven application of skills developed in Phase I. Participants receive guidance and curated resources to support internships, externships, immersion experiences, or job applications. Resources may include career coaching, workshops, internship funding opportunities, and group debriefs during the program finale. Program Expectations and Completion Back to Top BCDP is a career development program and is not graded using traditional academic metrics. Engagement, participation, and completion of assignments are required. To earn a certificate of completion, participants must: Attend all Phase I skill-building seminars and career exploration panels Complete required assignments, including conducting informational interviews Submit a final reflection Phase II participation is strongly encouraged but not required for successful completion. Alumni Highlights Back to Top Nearly 300 students and postdocs have completed BCDP. Participants represent over 50 programs or departments across the University of Michigan. Alumni transition into many career areas immediately after leaving U-M: 38 percent biotech or pharma 23 percent continuing education or training 10 percent research careers in academia 7 percent consulting and medical science liaison careers 6 percent science communication careers Steering Committee Back to Top The Biotech Career Development Program is a collaboration between Rackham Graduate School, the Office of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (U-M Medical School), and Fast Forward Medical Innovation (U-M Medical School). For inquiries about the program, please email The BCDP Committee.
