Beyond Academia is a nonprofit run by UC Berkeley graduate students and postdocs that helps PhDs explore careers outside the tenure-track. Members organize panels, workshops, speaker series, and a flagship annual conference featuring around 100 PhD speakers across STEM and humanities fields. Joining the organizing team means planning events, connecting with professionals who've made the transition, and building a cross-disciplinary network of grad students who are all figuring out what comes next beyond academia.
100
Annual conference speakers (Ph.D. holders)
7
Annual professional development workshops (2025)
2
Annual keynote lectures (2025)
11
Annual conference panels and workshops (2025)
2012
Founded in 2012 (first conference held in 2013)
1000+
Attendees at conference
Events They Host
Beyond Academia Annual Conference
A two-day virtual event held each February featuring around 100 PhD speakers, keynote lectures, career exploration panels, and professional development workshops across STEM and humanities fields. Open to grad students and postdocs from any institution. Registration is free. Now in its 13th year as of 2025.
Exploring Non-Profit Careers Panel
April 28, 2026, 5:10-6:30 PM PST. Panel with professionals across philanthropy, research and strategy, and IT services in the nonprofit sector.
Exploring Careers in Publishing Panel
Thursday, April 2 at 5 PM PST. Panel featuring professionals from traditional and digital publishing, academic editing, and multimedia fields discussing how to transition from academia.
Exploring Careers in Data Science and AI Panel
Thursday, April 2 at 6 PM PST. Panel with professionals across data science, artificial intelligence, and machine learning on breaking into these industries using graduate training.
Strategies for Effective Interviewing Workshop
Workshop on how to gather information, prepare for the interview process, and translate research experience into compelling stories for non-academic job applications.
Transferable Skills Workshop
Virtual workshop led by Andrew Green, Ph.D. on identifying and articulating transferable skills for competitive nonacademic job searches.
Preparing for Non-Academic Careers Workshop
Virtual workshop led by Karen Kelsky, Ph.D. on preparing for careers beyond academia.
BA Speaker Series
Recurring Zoom sessions throughout the year, each featuring one PhD who has transitioned to a non-academic career. Attendance capped at 20-30 RSVPs to keep discussion informal. Past speakers have come from fields including biotechnology, science policy, journalism, entrepreneurship, and consulting.