An Individual Development Plan (IDP) is a goal-setting tool to assist graduate students (as well as scholars and professionals of all stages) to meet short- and long-term career goals. Graduate students should use an IDP to: reflect on career goals, make actionable plans to achieve those goals, and track progress in academic performance and professional development. It is expected that all graduate students will utilize an IDP throughout their graduate experience.
The MU Graduate School’s IDP is aligned with our gradESSENTIALS professional development categories. These categories reflect key transferable skills useful for a broad spectrum of careers. Use the fillable IDP template below, or use the Word doc version if you need to make changes to the IDP to meet your needs. It is recommended that graduate students review their IDP at least annually with their faculty advisor/mentor. IDPs are not submitted to the Graduate School for review, but rather are used at the academic program level for students to track their individual progress and set goals.