The purpose of an Individual Development Plan (IDP) is to enable students to establish meaningful goals and create a strategy for how they will accomplish these goals. IDPs have been implemented at many graduate institutions in North America, the majority of which have made it mandatory to submit an annual IDP.
Master’s degrees offer valuable pathways to professional advancement with a relatively short time investment. Students in non-thesis programs can often opt to gain practical experience through internships, research projects, or practicums. The versatility of a non-thesis master’s program leaves students with impactful choices to make in a short time-frame. Tools, such as an IDP, that help students set goals and make plans can enhance students' ability to succeed in their programs and use those programs to launch rewarding careers.
Annual requirement for all master's non-thesis* students admitted from fall 2022:
1. Participate in ONE myPath IDP workshop each year
- you must attend at least 50% of the workshop to meet the participation requirement.
- myPath tracks attendance. Please use your McGill email address when attending online workshops.
2. Create/Finalize an IDP using any myPath tool by June 1st each year
- myPath has a variety of options from our easy to use IDP Template to our comprehensive workbook and online web app.
- You do not need to submit your IDP! Your IDP is a personal document that you do not have to share with your department or with GPS.
3. Submit the IDP Verification Form by June 1st each year
- IDP Verification form for the 2023-2024 academic year.
- You will need to be logged into your McGill student account to access the form.
Please note that Masters non-thesis students admitted from Fall 2022 onwards who wish to apply for funding for the Graduate Internship Program for Engineering and Computer Science must have completed this requirement. Please contact myPath [at] mcgill.ca for assistance.
*This requirement does not apply to students in the Desautels Faculty of Management or Max Bell School of Public Policy.
