The Grad Academy (TGA) Advisory Board is the main organizational body responsible for planning and executing outstanding professional and career development for graduate and professional students.  The Grad Academy Advisory Board serves in an advisory capacity to the Graduate College to ensure that centralized professional and career development initiatives and offerings reflect the needs of graduate programs. These programs do not replace mentorship or professional development within graduate programs; rather, these opportunities are designed to supplement discipline-specific training by providing access to more generalized professional development in a variety of areas, such as teaching and learning; grant writing; human and animal subjects training; library resources; computer skills; and career readiness. 

The Grad Academy is built around six pillars of personal, professional, and career development: research, teaching, communication, leadership, career prep, and wellness (financial, mental, and physical). These pillars, informed from literature on key skills graduate students need to be successful in their personal and professional lives, are designed to ensure that all workshops, events, and professional/career development opportunities are user-friendly, relevant, and intentional.