Course Description
Provides graduate students with presentation and seminar skills. The goal is to teach students, through practice, examples, and critique, how to give an effective scientific talk and what components of a seminar constitute an effective presentation.
Athena Title
Presentation Skills
Semester Course Offered
Offered fall and spring
Grading System
S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory)
Course Objectives
1. Understand what components of a seminar constitute an effective presentation 2. Describe the differences between a "good" versus "great" seminar 3. Give an effective seminar to your peers 4. Improve your own seminar skills over the course of the semester
Topical Outline
Students will present one seminar during the semester. Student research presentations are expected to last either 30 minutes (Ph.D.) or 20 minutes (M.Sc.) in duration. Presentations should be clear and use a style that reflects effective communication. The emphasis of the presentations should be on style and delivery of the talk rather than quantity of the scientific research content. Students will also engage in the evaluation of each seminar speaker via evaluation forms and direct verbal in-class communication. By the Wednesday of the week prior to the date of the talk, students must submit their presentation slides and a presentation abstract to the course instructor(s) for review. The student and instructors will then meet by Friday to discuss and give feedback on the slides and abstract. The student is expected to make necessary revisions based on input from the instructor(s) prior to the presentation on Monday. The student must also send to the class the presentation abstract 24 hours in advance of the presentation.
Syllabus
Public CV