Course Titles and Descriptions

All GCAC courses are eligible for the myGPD program. You can read about myGPD here.

​​​ACS – Academic Conversation Skills (for non-native speakers of English)

This course is for non-native speakers of English who wish to improve their listening and speaking skills in order to communicate more effectively in an academic environment. If you have difficulty participating in class discussion or speaking to your classmates and professors, either online or in person, this course is designed to meet your needs. Over six weeks, participants will gain confidence as they develop their ability to engage in academic discussion. Through active student participation and reflection, ACS focuses on topics such as how to ask and answer challenging questions, how to disagree respectfully, and how to manage academic interactions sensitively.

Course duration: 6 weeks.

​​AW1 – Academic Writing 1: Focus on Essentials​ (for non-native speakers of English)

This course is designed for non-native speakers of English who wish to improve the overall quality of their academic writing. Students will learn to improve the formality of their writing; to understand the correct use of verb tense in academic writing; to paraphrase effectively; to develop clear transitions and coherent paragraphs; to make claims commensurate with their evidence; and, overall, to see how academic writing in their new context may differ from writing they have done in the past. The goal of the course is to show graduate students some key strategies to improve their academic writing. The course will consist of five lectures of 2 hours each; students will also have an opportunity to submit a writing sample for individual feedback. This course is the first in our Academic Writing sequence; the second course (Academic Writing 2: Focus on Grammar) deals with grammatical issues and the third (Academic Writing 3: Focus on Style) tackles more sophisticated issues of style.

Course duration: 5 weeks. 

If you have any questions about the Academic Writing c​ourse, please contact Dr. Rachael Cayley: rachael.cayley@utoronto.ca.

​​AW2 – Academic Writing 2: Focus on Grammar (for non-native speakers of English)

This course is designed for non-native speakers of English who wish to improve the grammatical correctness of their academic writing and understand the way grammatical structures are used in academic writing at the graduate level. Students will learn to self-diagnose their most common grammatical errors, to apply the key grammatical rules learned throughout the course, to develop strategies to enhance grammatical correctness, and to identify resources for improving their grammar. Specific topic areas covered in the course include maintaining subject-verb agreement, avoiding punctuation errors, using relative clauses correctly, minimizing article errors, avoiding misplaced and dangling modifiers, and clarifying incorrect or vague pronoun references. The course will consist of five lectures of 2 hours each; students will also have an opportunity to submit a writing sample for individual feedback. This course is the second in our Academic Writing sequence; the first course (Academic Writing 1: Focus on Essentials) presents strategies to improve the overall quality of academic writing and the third (Academic Writing 3: Focus on Style) tackles more sophisticated issues of style.

Course duration: 5 weeks. 

If you have any questions about the Academic Writing c​ourse, please contact Dr. Rachael Cayley: rachael.cayley@utoronto.ca.

​​AW3 – Academic Writing 3: Focus on Style​ (for non-native speakers of English in all divisions)

​The most advanced in our Academic Writing sequence, AW3 is designed for non-native speakers of English who wish to improve the style of their academic writing. This course helps students use their existing linguistic sensitivity to answer a number of key questions such as the following: What strategies can writers use to produce smooth, readable texts that guide the reader from sentence to sentence and from paragraph to paragraph? How can writers effectively incorporate the work of others into their writing? How can “metadiscourse” help readers negotiate our texts? Should we avoid the passive voice, and how can we avoid repetition and redundancy in our writing? Academic Writing 3: Focus on Style assumes that students already understand the essential attributes of academic writing at the graduate level and that they already have a solid command of English grammar. It is therefore strongly recommended that students take this course only after they have completed Academic Writing 1 and 2.

Course duration: 5 weeks. 

If you have any questions about the Academic Writing c​ourse, please contact Dr. Rachael Cayley: rachael.cayley@utoronto.ca.

​​CIHR – Writing CIHR Proposals 

During three, two-hour online classes, participants will learn strategies to improve the persuasiveness, clarity, and impact of their research proposal. While we use the CIHR proposal as an exemplar, the strategies taught during the course will be applicable to many other research proposals, including those for the Vanier and OGS. Students are expected to work on their proposal during the course, and will be eligible to have their draft proposal reviewed by the course instructor or a GCAC consultant. Note that this course focuses on writing strategies, not the application process for CIHR Trainee awards.

Course duration: 3 weeks.​

If you have any questions about the CIHR c​ourse, please contact Dr. Rachael Cayley: rachael.cayley@utoronto.ca.

EDIT – Becoming a Better Editor of Your Own Work (all divisions)

For native speakers of English in all divisions.

Editing is a vital skill for graduate students. Most academic writers struggle to produce reader-worthy first drafts; becoming a better editor is what allows you to transform our early efforts into strong final drafts. This course is designed to introduce graduate students to a range of strategies for improving their own texts: strategies for establishing structural coherence, strategies for crafting effective sentences, and strategies for developing clear linkages. Classes are practical and focused on issues that are commonly found in graduate student writing. This course will consist of five lectures of 2-hours each and students will also have an opportunity to submit a writing sample for individual feedback.

Course duration: 5 weeks.

If you have any questions about the Editor c​ourse, please contact Dr. Katherine Fry: katherine.fry@utoronto.ca.

ISJ – Introduction to Science Journalism

This course is designed for graduate students with an interest in the communication of science in the news media. Science journalists play a key role in the public understanding of science by reporting on the results and implications of scientific research. The guiding principles and basic techniques of science journalism will be explored through examples from print and broadcast media and through exercises in class. The focus will be on how science becomes news, where science journalists find their stories, how they conduct interviews and assemble information and then translate the complexities and motivations of research into plain language for a mass audience. The course will also consider the evolving relationship between science and media in the online environment and provide students with an overview of the professional landscape.

Course duration: 3 weeks.​

If you have any questions about the Introduction to Science Journalism c​ourse, please contact Dr. Rachael Cayley: rachael.cayley@utoronto.ca.

NPP – Navigating the Publishing Process

Graduate students are often encouraged to publish, but for many first-time authors, navigating the publishing process can be intimidating. The goal of this course is to demystify the publishing process by examining the various steps involved. We will begin by considering the genre of the book review―a common first publication for sole-author graduate students. In subsequent weeks, we will discuss strategies for selecting journals to which to submit; revising articles for different audiences/lengths/journal mandates; communicating with journal editors through cover or query letters; and responding to reviews or rejection. If you are already in the process of writing to publish or looking to start soon, this course is designed for you.

Course duration: 5 weeks

If you have any questions about the Navigating the Publishing Process course, please contact Dr. Adeiza Isiaka: adeiza.isiaka@utoronto.ca.

OPS Modular – Modular Oral Presentation Skills Course

This asynchronous version of GCAC’s Oral Presentation Skills (OPS) course is comprised of a series of pre-recorded videos and handouts on a range of specific topics related to giving effective presentations (such as effective slide design, structuring presentations well, managing nerves when presenting, effectively managing a Q and A session, presenting online, etc.). Unlike OPS NS and OPS NNS, which provide a live online community in which to practice presenting together, this modular version of the course allows you to pick and choose both how much time you want to spend and which specific oral presentation skills you would like to work on at what time. There will be no live lectures. Instead, students watch pre-recorded videos at their convenience. Those who want to practise giving a presentation after learning helpful techniques form the videos may sign up to give a trial presentation in bi-weekly presentation sessions. These sessions include a teacher and 3-4 other graduate students. Each student comes prepared to give a 7-8 minute presentation and to receive feedback from the teacher and other students. if you decide to sign up for a presentation session then you must participate in the full 60-minute presentation session in order to give feedback to the other presenters who have given feedback to you. You are welcome to use these sessions as an opportunity to rehearse part/all of a presentation you are preparing for a course, thesis committee meeting, or conference. This version of the course is for both native- and non-native speakers of English. 

Course duration: Videos and handouts will be available through the course page all term. Presentation sessions will be available every other week.

If you have any questions about the Oral Presentation Skills c​ourse, please contact Dr. Rachael Cayley: rachael.cayley@utoronto.ca.

OPS – Oral Presentation Skills (for native and non-native speakers of English)

This course will teach you how to present your ideas more clearly and confidently both online and in person. During this six-week course, you will receive guidance on various aspects of presenting, such as how to structure presentations, design visual aids, manage nerves, and handle the question period. You will have a valuable opportunity to learn from the presentations of others and to practice what you learn in front of an informed and supportive audience of your peers. As a member of that audience, you will be able to practice active observing to further improve both your listening and presenting skills. Throughout, we’ll consider key differences between presenting online and in person.

Course duration: 6 weeks.

If you have any questions about the Oral Presentation Skills c​ourse, please contact Dr. Rachael Cayley: rachael.cayley@utoronto.ca.

PRE – Prewriting Strategies for Developing and Organizing Your Ideas (all divisions​)

For students in all divisions.

This course is designed for graduate students who are conducting research towards a PhD or Master’s degree in any division. In order for a research paper to be clear to readers, it must first be crystal clear in the mind of its author. Whether you are writing a course paper, a journal article, or a thesis, this course will help you clarify in your own mind the content and structure of your argument before you begin to write. Participants will be introduced to a range of strategies for developing and organizing their ideas — strategies such as organizing notes, outlining, diagramming and use of Aristotle’s Topics  — and will be encouraged to consider which strategies work best given their own learning styles. Drawing on techniques from classical rhetoric, the course will give students the chance to practice strategies for investigating and organizing ideas at both the pre-writing and mid-writing stages.

Course duration: 4 weeks.​

If you have any questions about the Prewriting c​ourse, please contact Dr. Jane Freeman: jane.freeman@utoronto.ca.

PRE 1/2 – Prewriting Strategies for Developing and Organizing Your Ideas (Divisions 1 and 2​)

For students in the Humanities and Social Sciences.

This course is designed for graduate students who are conducting research towards a PhD or Master’s degree in the humanities or social sciences. In order for a research paper to be clear to readers, it must first be crystal clear in the mind of its author. Whether you are writing a course paper, a journal article, or a thesis, this course will help you clarify in your own mind the content and structure of your argument before you begin to write. Participants will be introduced to a range of strategies for developing and organizing their ideas — strategies such as organizing notes through key words, outlining, diagramming and use of Aristotle’s Topics  — and will be encouraged to consider which strategies work best given their own learning styles. Drawing on techniques from classical rhetoric, the course will give students the chance to practice strategies for investigating and organizing ideas at both the pre-writing and mid-writing stages.

Course duration: 4 weeks.​

If you have any questions about the Prewriting c​ourse, please contact Dr. Jane Freeman: jane.freeman@utoronto.ca.

PRE 3/4 – Prewriting Strategies for Developing and Organizing Your Ideas (Divisions 3 and 4)

For students in the Physical and Life Sciences.

This course is designed for graduate students who are conducting research towards a PhD or Master’s degree in the physical or life sciences. In order for a research paper to be clear to readers, it must first be crystal clear in the mind of its author. Whether you are writing a course paper, a journal article, or a thesis, this course will help you clarify in your own mind the content and structure of your argument before you begin to write. Participants will be introduced to a range of strategies for developing and organizing their ideas — strategies such as organizing notes through key words, outlining, diagramming and use of Aristotle’s Topics  — and will be encouraged to consider which strategies work best given their own learning styles. Drawing on techniques from classical rhetoric, the course will give students the chance to practice strategies for investigating and organizing ideas at both the pre-writing and mid-writing stages.​​

Course duration: 4 weeks.​​

If you have any questions about the Prewriting c​ourse, please contact Dr. Jane Freeman: jane.freeman@utoronto.ca.

TH 1/2 – Thesis Writing in the Humanities and Social Sciences (Divisions 1 and 2)

Writing a thesis is often an unprecedented challenge in the life of a graduate student. This synchronous online course is designed to assist students in the humanities and social sciences who are encountering common problems in writing and structuring their theses. Together, we will consider how to approach and construct the various components of a thesis. As we unpack the dimensions of these different components, we will focus on the essential aspect of any thesis: articulating your own contribution. We will also discuss some useful strategies for revision and productivity during the thesis writing process. Throughout, the emphasis will be on strategies to help with common structural problems. This course will consist of six online lectures of ninety minutes each; students will also have an opportunity to submit a writing sample for individual feedback.

Course duration: 5 weeks.

If you have any questions about the Thesis Writing c​ourse, please contact Dr. Rachael Cayley: rachael.cayley@utoronto.ca.

TH 3/4 – Thesis Writing in the Physical and Life Sciences (Divisions 3 and 4)

The academic thesis is a powerful genre that offers you an opportunity to explain how your research contributes to a fuller understanding of our world. The thesis is also unique in scale and in scope, and you probably haven’t written anything quite like it before. To ease your way into the thesis-writing process, this course will introduce you to disciplinary expectations around the thesis and guide you through the rhetorical and structural decisions you’ll make to effectively organize and communicate the contexts, justifications, and outcomes that comprise your research project. Over five weeks, you will engage with examples and exercises designed to hone the creative, iterative, and motivational skills that will serve you well throughout your thesis experience. All graduate students who are currently writing their theses in the physical and life sciences are welcome to register in the course. 

Course duration: 5 weeks.​

If you have any questions about the Thesis Writing c​ourse, please contact Dr. Fiona Coll: fiona.coll@utoronto.ca.

RA 3/4 – Understanding the Research Article: Reading towards Writing

For students engaged in experimental and population-based research​.

What are the typical “moves” made in research article’s Introduction? Should you integrate your discussion with your results? How do you get readers to see the importance of your work? How much explaining do you need in a methodology section? Should I use the personal voice? What about the passive voice? These are typical questions asked by graduate students writing research articles that follow the “Introduction-Methods-Results-Discussion” (IMRD) format. This synchronous online course is designed to help graduate students engaged in experimental work to not only answer those questions, but also to improve their research article writing by increasing their familiarity with the established forms of such articles. To do so, we will analyze the discourse strategies of articles that follow the IMRD pattern and consider research that has been conducted into writing in this genre. The course will involve lecture, class discussion and close readings of articles drawn from representative fields of study. Students will be expected to submit weekly assignments to the Quercus discussion board that should require only about twenty minutes of out-of-class work each week.

RA 3/4 consists of five 90-minute synchronous (live) interactive online classes. Please enroll only if you expect to attend all five sessions.  Students will also be urged to book one-on-one online conferences to discuss their own academic writing samples with the course instructor.

Course duration: 5 weeks

If you have any questions about the Research Article c​ourse, please contact Dr. Fiona Coll: fiona.coll@utoronto.ca.

NSERC – Writing NSERC Proposals

This three-week online course is open to students who are applying for NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada) graduate scholarships (PGS M and PGS D). While several of​ the concepts examined will also be of relevance to students applying for an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS), the focus of the course is on writing an effective NSERC proposal. (Check with your department regarding your eligibility to apply for funding through NSERC and/or OGS.) Each week during the two-hour lecture, the instructor will examine the specific features of good and bad proposals. Students are expected to work on their own proposals and to submit them during the course for feedback. Feedback is available to course participants through guided peer review and/or through feedback from the course instructor.​

Course duration: 3 weeks.

If you have any questions about the NSERC c​ourse, please contact Dr. Fiona Coll: fiona.coll@utoronto.ca.

SSHRC – Writing SSHRC Proposals (Humanities and Social Sciences)

This 3-week course is designed for students in the Humanities and Social Sciences who are applying for SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada) Master’s Scholarships or Doctoral Awards. While several of the concepts examined will also be relevant to students applying for an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS), and OGS applicants are welcome to register, the focus of the course is on writing an effective SSHRC proposal. The course will examine topics such as the format and evaluation criteria for SSHRC proposals, strategies for clarifying the content, structure, and style of proposals, and common errors to avoid. In this time of social distancing, we are experimenting with a new format for the course. The course will consist of three weekly two-hour plenary sessions online, supplemented by smaller group tutorial sessions and the opportunity for students to submit draft proposals for feedback.

Course duration: 3 weeks.

If you have any questions about the SSHRC c​ourse, please contact Dr. Katherine Fry: katherine.fry@utoronto.ca.

SSHRC MA – Writing Master’s SSHRC Proposals (Humanities and Social Sciences)

This synchronous online course is designed for students in the Humanities and Social Sciences who are applying for SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada) Master’s Scholarships. Several of the concepts we’ll examine will also be relevant to students applying for an Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS), and OGS applicants are welcome to register. Over four weeks, we’ll learn strategies for clarifying the content, structure, and style of your proposal and common errors you’ll want to avoid. SSHRC MA consists of four 90-minute synchronous (live) interactive online classes.  Students will also be eligible to submit draft proposals for receive feedback via an online one-on-one conference.

If you have any questions about the SSHRC MA c​ourse, please contact Dr. Katherine Fry: katherine.fry@utoronto.ca.