Center for Career & Professional Development

Mission Statement

The Center for Career & Professional Development’s (CCPD) mission is to offer relevant and timely career development training to Detroit Mercy students. The Center provides opportunities for students to explore career options, obtain career-related experience and to research and find meaningful employment appropriate to their knowledge, abilities, aspirations and interests. The CCPD website provides resources for students and alumni to research career options, explore job postings, apply for actual positions, learn more about career-related subjects and view activities and events offered by the  Center for Career & Professional Development. To contact the CCPD see the CCPD site

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    Overview

    We accomplish our mission by providing students with:

    • Opportunities to learn and implement lifelong career development and career management skills through courses, workshops, seminars and online career resources
    • Opportunities to network with recruiters’ through campus interviewing, career fairs, employer information sessions and online career management software

    • Experiential learning opportunities through mentoring, internships, externships, informational interviews, etc.

    CCPD Core Values

    • We are committed to empowering students to make purposeful career-related decisions.
    • We are committed to building and fostering partnerships with employers, faculty, staff and administration to facilitate the accomplishment of the CCPD mission.
    • We are committed to supporting the University's mission to provide excellent student-centered education in a welcoming and supportive environment.
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    Career Services

    The Center for Career & Professional Development offers many services that will assist graduate students to make career choices appropriate to their personal goals. The resources and services offered can assist graduate students in the development of a plan to advance or change their career.

    Handshake

    The Handshake online recruitment system provides Detroit Mercy students and alumni with access to hundreds of part-time, internship, and career job postings. A Job Agent can be created to alert you by email when new employment opportunities are posted in the system.

    Handshake Benefits

    • Upload a current resume to apply for job opportunities
    • Create a Job Agent to receive email notification of new employment opportunities
    • Track and manage job search activities
    • Access career development resources 
    • View and register for upcoming career development/job search workshops and career fairs
    • Schedule appointment with a CCPD career advisor/coach

    Self-Directed Career Resources

    Handshake contains resources to assist Detroit Mercy students and alumni with a self-directed career search. The site contains information, links and articles on career development and planning; job search, resume tips; and provides additional online links to employment resources available on the Internet. The site has everything from "What can I do with this major?" to interactive personality/interest inventories (Focus 2), to resume writing tutorials, practice interviews (Big Interview), to salary negotiation and a link to the occupational outlook handbook.

    Career Advising/Coaching

    Career advisors assist students and alumni in determining the best career options for their interests, career goals, values and personality types. Career advisors are available to assist with job search skills, salary and employment trend information. The advising appointments can be made through Handshake or by contacting the center by email careerlink@udmercy.edu or phone 313-993-1017.

    Career Development & Job Search Workshops

    The CCPD staff and/or professionals in the field facilitate workshops and career information panels on a variety of career and job search related topics including resume writing, job search strategies, self-assessment and interviewing skills. Workshops are open to all Detroit Mercy students and alumni. The current event schedule is available on Handshake.

    Networking Opportunities

    The CCPD coordinates several career networking opportunities for students and alumni. Expos allow students and alumni to meet representatives from companies in their industry of choice and to establish a network of contacts. Annual expos include the Fall Career Fair and the Spring Career Fair.

    On-Campus Interviews are scheduled in fall and winter with employers recruiting for cooperative education, entry-level and experienced employment opportunities. Employer Information Sessions are often held prior to campus interviewing to familiarize applicants with the employer. Practice interviews help students prepare for the actual interview and are conducted by actual employers or by retired Detroit Mercy alumni executives. Big Interview software allows students to use web-cameras to practice interviews at their convenience.

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    Experiential Education

    Experiential education is an umbrella term for student work and academic integration. Participation in the experiential education program is a privilege extended to those students who meet certain criteria and who demonstrate their ability through their initial academic work. Experiential education opportunities may be classified by the employer as cooperative education, paid or unpaid internship, or student employment.

    • Cooperative education (co-op) is defined as multiple periods of work related to the student's major or career goal and typically alternate terms of full-time classroom study with terms of full-time, discipline-related employment. Virtually all co-op positions are paid, and the vast majority involve some form of academic credit.
    • Internships are defined as one-time work or service experiences related to the student's major or career goal. During the internship, students work in professional settings under the supervision and monitoring of practicing professionals. Employers may offer paid or unpaid internships. (Note: The issue of pay is dictated by the Fair Labor Standards Act.)
    • Student employment is defined as part time/seasonal jobs on or off campus. The position must be related to the student's major or career goal. Some students may be able to use financial aid work-study awards for off-campus employment in designated non-profit agencies.

    Students in all majors are strongly encouraged to participate in an experiential education program. The CCPD provides opportunities for students to network with employers to secure experiential education opportunities via job postings on Handshake, campus interviews, employer information sessions, sponsored career fairs, and announcements about other area career networking events.

    CCPD Coordinated Experiential Education

    Students in programs that do not require co-op or do not have an internship component may complete two to three academic work terms through the Center for Career & Professional Development. Students seeking academic credit through the CCPD for co-op/internship work terms must register for the appropriate course during the semester they engage in the learning experience. The Center for Career & Professional Development does not provide academic credit retroactively.

    Participants must be "full-time" matriculating students carrying a minimum of twelve (12) academic credit hours during the fall and winter semesters. Students must successfully complete Cooperative Education Preparation (CCPD 3000) course; meet the minimum grade point average requirement and coursework appropriate for their major.

    Because experiential education integrates work with classroom training, students in non-required programs will not be allowed to enroll for credit through the CCPD in the final semester of study.

    NOTE: Students in required experiential education programs in Architecture, Business Administration and Engineering should follow guidelines and policies of the School of Architecture & Community Development, College of Business Administration or College of Engineering & Science.

    International Students & Experiential Education

    International students are subject to the same prerequisites as all other Detroit Mercy students who wish to participate in cooperative education. International students should be aware that many employers may have citizenship requirements that exclude opportunities for international students. ISO will certify international students who have requested permission to complete an experiential education work term with the Center for Career & Professional Development and with the Department of Homeland Security.

    International students in required experiential education in Architecture, Business Administration and Engineering should follow guidelines and policies of the School of Architecture & Community Development, College of Business Administration or College of Engineering & Science.