Benefits of Being a Graduate Student Mentor

In addition to providing growth opportunities for undergraduates and creating a pipeline for broadening participation in STEM, undergraduate research can also have important benefits for mentors.

Mentor and student work on robot with corn in the background

Grow Your Skill Set

Most graduate students will enter careers where mentoring is part of their job. However, mentorship training is not often a formal part of graduate programs. By serving as a mentor to an undergraduate, you can build these skills and be more prepared for future positions.

Mentor and student wearing lab coats and working on an instrument together

Gain Credentials

If you complete the Graduate College Mentoring Certificate, you can gain a credential that future employers will notice. In addition, many funding agencies are increasing their focus on the mentoring credentials of potential PIs — serving as a mentor and participating in formal training can make you more competitive for future grant proposals.

Mentor and student in front of a microscope and images of stained tissue samples.

Advance Your Research

Undergraduates can be a huge help in advancing the progress of your research. It will take you some time to train and guide your mentee, but if you can forge a solid mentoring relationship, you may be able to create a partnership that can last several semesters and make a significant impact on your research output.


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