• Make a gift
  • ConnectCarolina
  • Information for:
  • Prospective students
  • Current students
  • Faculty and staff
  • Alumni and friends

Academic Presentations and Posters

Reccomendations and resources.

Last updated: August 2023

General Presentation Advice: (presenting academic research, communicating to a lay audience)

  • Presenting with PowerPoint

Designing Posters for Specific Disciplines

  • Poster Design Information from UNC Sources
  • Using PowerPoint to design posters
  • Using InDesign or Illustrator to design posters
  • UNC Computer Labs with Design Software
  • Poster Templates
  • Poster Examples
  • Printing Resources at UNC-Chapel Hill
  • Alan Alda Center for Communicating Science (Stony Brook University)
  • 12 Tips for Scientists Writing for the General Public (American Scientist)
  • Presenting in the Sciences : A Guide (Tulane University Library)
  • Houston, We Have a Narrative- Why Science Needs Story (book) - Randy Olson,The University of Chicago Press
  • Poster Presentations: Tips and Tricks (Inside Higher Ed: Gradhacker)
  • There's a movement for better posters at science conferences (Inside Higher Ed)
  • On Research Presentations at Conferences (Inside Higher Ed)
  • Communicating Research to a General Audience (Inside Higher Ed: Gradhacker)
  • Making Data Talk: A Workbook (Communicating Public Health Data to the Public, Policy Makers, and the Press) - National Cancer Institute
  • How to write for a non-academic audience: Communicating about research is more important than ever - American Psychological Association

pdf icon

  • How to Prep for a Presentation (Lifehacker)
  • Art of the Conference Paper- advice from a graduate student (Inside Higher Ed)
  • Giving a Good Scientific Presentation (American Society of Primatologists)
  • Effective Presentations for Chemists and Other Scientists (Lab Manager Magazine)
  • Preparing Effective Oral Presentations (University of Kansas)
  • Informative Speaking (Colorado State)
  • Dos & don'ts of giving a good 15 minute talk (Australian National University)
  • The Art of Communicating Effectively
  • Impromptu Talks: Addressing a nonscientific audience (NC State)
  • Ten Secrets to Giving a Good Scientific Talk
  • Designing Effective Oral Presentations (Rice University)
  • Dazzle 'em with Style: The Art of Oral Scientific Presentation (Book)
  • How to Give a Bad Talk- Oral Presentation Advice (UC Berkeley)
  • How NOT To Give a Scientific Talk (York University)
  • Presentation Zen (Garr Reynolds)
  • Presentation Skills (Decker Communications)
  • Presentation Tips (Garr Reynolds)

Presenting with PowerPoint:

  • Effective Virtual Presentations
  • Effective Hybrid Presentations
  • How to build a slide deck in PowerPoint that isn’t god awful
  • PowerPoint Accessibility Tips - Penn State Accessibility Group
  • 48 Effective PowerPoint Presentation Tips
  • Tips for Making Effective PowerPoint Presentations
  • 5 Ways to Make PowerPoint Sing! (And Dance!)
  • Simpler is Better in Presentation Slides
  • PowerPoint Does Rocket Science--and Better Techniques for Technical Reports (Edward Tufte)

powerpoint icon

  • Oral Presentations and Writing for PowerPoint (George Mason University)
  • Some Tips for Preparing a Research Presentation (Swarthmore)
  • Learning from Bill Gates & Steve Jobs (Presentation Zen)
  • Life After Death by PowerPoint (Funny video clip: How NOT to do PowerPoint )
  • 14 Tips for Better Presentation Slides (Viget Labs)
  • PowerPoint Is Evil (Edward Tufte in Wired Magazine)

Visual Communication & Design

  • Effective Communication with Visual Design (Association of American Universities)
  • 11 Design Tips for Beautiful Presentations
  • 10 tips on how to make slides that communicate your idea, from TED's in-house expert
  • Selecting the correct font size for slides

Academic Poster Design

  • #betterposter: There's a movement for better posters at science conferences. But are they really better? - Inside Higher Ed
  • Better Posters - A resource for improving poster presentations
  • Create a More Impactful Scientific Poster with UX Design Tips - Mike Morrison, YouTube
  • How to Create a Better Research Poster in Less Time - Mike Morrison, YouTube
  • Visual and UX design principles can improve the effectiveness of poster sessions - Derek Crowe
  • How to Choose the Best Layout for Your Scientific Poster (Animate Your Science)
  • A Graphic Design Revolution For Scientific Conference Posters (Forbes)
  • How to make an academic poster (Annals of Medicine and Surgery)
  • How to design an award-winning conference poster (Animate Your Science)
  • Poster Perfect- How to drive home your science with a visually pleasing poster (The Scientist)
  • How to design an effective scientific poster - The Planetary Society
  • Designing conference posters - excellent tips and examples (Colin Purrington)
  • Better Posters: A resource for improving poster presentations (Blog from DoctorZen)
  • Conference Posters (Organizing Creativity)
  • So, Your Poster Got Accepted--Now What? (recorded webcast from the Natonal Library of Medicine)
  • The Scientist's Guide to Poster Design (Katie Everson, University of Alaska Fairbanks)
  • Creating Effective Poster Presentations: An Effective Poster- excellent overall (NC State)
  • The Basics of Poster Design- useful for all disciplines
  • Designing Effective Posters- online tutorial (Kansas University)
  • Intro to Designing Conference Posters (University of Minnesota)
  • Neuroscience Poster Design
  • Presenting Conference Papers and Posters in the Humanities (Texas Tech University)
  • Developing Poster Presentations in the Social Sciences (George Mason University)
  • Poster Presentations in the Natural Sciences (George Mason University)

Poster Design Information from UNC Sources:

  • Research Poster Creation (Carolina Population Center)
  • Designing Effective Posters (Health Sciences Library)
  • Poster Design and Printing Resources (UNC School of Pharmacy)

Poster Design Software

  • Advice on Designing Scientific Posters (Microsoft PowerPoint)
  • How to create beautiful and effective academic posters in PowerPoint (BrightCarbon)
  • Creating a research poster in PowerPoint (Indiana University)
  • Designing Effective Posters Using Powerpoint (UNC-Health Sciences Library)
  • Designing Effective Posters Using Powerpoint 2016/2011 for Macintosh (UNC-Health Sciences Library)
  • Creating a Poster in PowerPoint (University of Washington)
  • Creating Posters with PowerPoint (Northwestern University)
  • Designing Effective Posters Using InDesign (UNC-Health Sciences Library)
  • Designing a Poster with Adobe Illustrator (Whitman College)

UNC Computer Labs with Design Software:

  • List of all ITS campus computer labs
  • ITS Virtual Computing Lab (VCL)
  • UNC Library Data Services
  • Health Sciences Library Media Design Services
  • Medical Campus/Health Sciences Library Computer Labs
  • SILS Lab Facilities and Equipment
  • House Undergraduate Library Design Lab
  • University Libraries Media Resources Center Media Lab
  • School of Journalism Park Multimedia Lab
  • School of Education Technology Services

Poster Templates:

  • Poster Templates (UNC-Health Sciences Library)
  • Google template search
  • Poster Example Files (UC Davis)
  • PowerPoint Poster Templates (Wake Forest University)
  • PowerPoint Poster Templates (Penn State)
  • PowerPoint Poster Templates (Rice University)

Poster Examples:

  • Poster Sessions Flickr Group (Colin Purrington)
  • Academic Poster Examples (UC Davis)
  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/89596909@N05/sets/72157631922038937/
  • Pimp My Poster Flickr Group
  • Poster Examples (NC State)
  • Washington NASA Space Grant Consortium

Printing Resources:

  • PhD Posters (UNC on-campus pick up)
  • Lab Poster Service (located in Chapel Hill, NC)
  • FedEx Office Print & Ship Center
  • MegaPrint- PosterSession.com
  • UNC Print Stop and Copy Center
  • Health Sciences Library Media Design Studios: Poster Printing
  • UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy- Poster Printing
  • UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Digital Imaging Facility
  • UNC Computer Science - large format color printer (plotter and 11×17 printer)
  • UNC Libraries
  • HSL Academic Process
  • Poster Design & Images
  • Help / Classes

Poster Design & Images: Help / Classes

Created by health science librarians.

HSL Logo

  • Design & Presentation
  • Working With Images

UNC Chapel Hill Libraries Media Design Services

  • Poster Printing

Need some personalized help?  ...a second set of eyes to review your poster?  ...a consultation?  ...a customized session for your class?  

  • Design Lab The Design Lab, located in the House Undergraduate Library, is devoted to the teaching and learning of digital design. See the website for online design guides and additional resources such as workshops,
  • Schedule a class via your Liaison Faculty: contact your Liaison Librarian to schedule poster and presentation instruction.
  • Schedule an individual or small-group consultation Online or in person

We are here to help!

Email or Chat

One-on-One Consultation

Classes Phone (919) 962-0800 Text/SMS (919) 584-5931

  • << Previous: UNC Logos
  • Next: Poster Printing >>
  • Last Updated: Aug 14, 2023 9:42 AM
  • URL: https://guides.lib.unc.edu/poster_design

Search & Find

  • E-Research by Discipline
  • More Search & Find

Places & Spaces

  • Places to Study
  • Book a Study Room
  • Printers, Scanners, & Computers
  • More Places & Spaces
  • Borrowing & Circulation
  • Request a Title for Purchase
  • Schedule Instruction Session
  • More Services

Support & Guides

  • Course Reserves
  • Research Guides
  • Citing & Writing
  • More Support & Guides
  • Mission Statement
  • Diversity Statement
  • Staff Directory
  • Job Opportunities
  • Give to the Libraries
  • News & Exhibits
  • Reckoning Initiative
  • More About Us

UNC University Libraries Logo

  • Search This Site
  • Privacy Policy
  • Accessibility
  • Give Us Your Feedback
  • 208 Raleigh Street CB #3916
  • Chapel Hill, NC 27515-8890
  • 919-962-1053

ESE Administrative Services Handbook

This site is for the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering only. Do not follow these instructions if you are not in this department.

  • PhD Posters – This is a locally run print service that can mail your poster or leave it for pickup at the Health Sciences Library.
  • UNC Student Stores Print Stop & Copy Center – They’re located on the 3rd floor of Student Stores. They can print on paper, cloth, and vinyl, and have options for foam board or lamination.
  • Spoonflower Research Posters – Spoonflower is a Durham-based company that prints custom fabric posters.
  • Printer, Copy and Printing Services: Print Documents, Online Printing – FedEx Office – There is a FedEx Office Print & Ship Center (formerly known as Kinko’s) on Franklin Street. Contact info: 114 W Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC 27516. Phone: 919-967-0790.

Poster printing is subject to the same determination process as travel, even if you are not going anywhere. Please use the ESE Student Pre-Authorization Travel Form .

If the form is set to “Student”, add poster printing to your travel expenses . (Receipt required.) We cannot use the pcard for this.

If the form is set to “University”, see below under “Faculty/Staff.”

Faculty/Staff

UNC Print Stop will accept chartfields. Contact Robin or your account manager if you don’t know what chartfields to use for a specific grant or account.

For all other alternatives, contact Robin to use her pcard. Please do this well in advance of your need.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email

UNC BBSP

Apply to BBSP

Neuroscience

Program website :  https://www.med.unc.edu/neuroscience/curriculum director of graduate studies : jay brenman, phd student services specialist: sue modlin, program overview.

phd poster unc

The Curriculum in Neuroscience is an interdepartmental, interdisciplinary training program leading to a PhD degree in Neuroscience. We represent 15 different departments and specialized research centers, but we are united in our interest in understanding the brain, neurons, glia, nervous systems, behavior, neurological disease, and neuropsychiatricdisorders. Faculty in this program develop and use cutting edge genetic, cellular, molecular, behavioral, and imaging technology to understand how brain forms and functions. Our program has outstanding courses, broad training in scientific communication skills, and diverse research areas to pursue during rotations and dissertation research. Currently we have 61 core faculty.

Program of Study

The Neuroscience training program requirements:

  • Complete core and elective courses..
  • Attend weekly Neuroscience seminars (talks by leading neuroscientists from around the world, followed by lunch meeting with students).
  • Present a poster each year at the Annual Pierre Morell Student Research Day.
  • Pass a written qualifying examination covering the material in the core courses.
  • Write and defend a dissertation proposal in NIH grant format.
  • Publish one or more first-author papers.
  • Write and defend a dissertation.

Spotlight on Student Research Poster Competition

The UNC Gillings Student Government offers the annual Spotlight on Student Research Poster Event. Each year, the Spotlight on Student Research Poster Event showcases original research by students at the Gillings School of Global Public Health.

Please contact your UNC Gillings Student Government department/concentration representative with any questions about participating in the event.

Previous Winners

2020 Research Poster Winners: Caroline Chandler and Maura Drewry

Poster Title: “The Bold Ones”

2020 Entrepreneurship Poster Winners: Snigdha Peddireddy and Gretchen Mason

Poster Title: eMPower

2019 Gillings Student Poster Award: Anita Amin

Poster Title: “Factors Associated With Improved Glycemic Control in Type 2 Diabetes Patients: A Secondary Analysis Of Data From The ENGAGE-DM Trial”

2018 Gillings Student Poster Award: Alex Gertner, PhD Candidate

Poster Title:  “Expedited Medicaid Enrollment Increases Substance Use Service Utilization among Released Prisoners with Severe Mental Illness”

2018 Delta Omega Award: Karthik Adapa, MPH ’17, Health Policy and Management; PhD candidate, Carolina Health Informatics Program

Poster Title:  “Readiness assessment of public health system to implement quality of care program”

2017 Gillings Student Poster Award: Lily Jones, BSPH ’17, Nutrition

Poster Title:  “Hold that spoonful of sugar: Higher sweetness does not correlate with increased desire to consume”

2017 Delta Omega Award: Paul Shafer, PhD candidate, Health Policy and Management

Poster Title: “ Effect of advertising for a state-based health insurance marketplace on information-seeking behavior” Related News Story

2016 Gillings Student Poster Award: Nelson Pace , PhD candidate, Epidemiology

Poster Title: “Antioxidant Consumption is Associated with Decreased Risk of Congenital Limb Deficiencies”

2016 Delta Omega Award: Pranati Panuganti ,  BSPH ’16,  Nutrition

Poster Title: “ A School-Based Intervention for Diabetes Lifestyle Management Among Adolescents in Chennai.   O besity R eduction  and A wareness of N on-communicable diseases through G roup E ducation (ORANGE) Phase II Study”

Since 2007, the Gillings Innovation Labs (GILs) faculty awards have transformed the Gillings School, putting us on the map for pioneering work in clinical trials, brain health, new methods and more GILs are innovative, interdisciplinary, and strive to achieve fundamental breakthroughs in public health.

We accelerate public health innovation from ideas through implementation, for faster solutions and greater impact in the world.

Our faculty, staff, and students work in all 100 North Carolina counties and in 35+ countries. Learn about our global health work and all the resources that we offer.

We provide guidance and support in the areas of Research, Innovation and Global Health.

Combining food taxes and subsidies can lead to healthier grocery purchases for low-income households

Information for:.

JavaScript is required!

Contact info, local pickup.

Baltimore / Johns Hopkins Hospital - CRB2

Boston / The Longwood Collective at 375 Longwood Ave

Brooklyn / SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University

Click here for courier delivery in these Edison ZIP codes: 08901 08904 08906 08933 08854.

Duke University

Click here for courier delivery in these Durham ZIP codes: 27701 27702 27703 27704 27705 27706 27707 27708 27709 27710 27711 27712 27713 27513 27514 27516 27517 27519 27560 27599.

Edison / Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School

NC School of Science and Math

San Francisco - Inner Sunset

Click here for courier delivery in these San Francisco ZIP codes: 94129 94123 94109 94133 94121 94118 94115 94108 94105 94122 94117 94102 94103 94116 94131 94114 94110 94132 94127 94112 94134 94124.

UNC Heath Sciences Library

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

Click here for courier delivery in these Denver ZIP codes: 80230 80202 80203 80204 80205 80206 80211 80207 80303 80309 80209 80249.

Virginia Commonwealth University

Conference Pickup

SKCCC Trainee Research Day 2024 Final submission deadline in 6 days (Mon 4/22 at 09:00PM Eastern). Starting Sun 4/21, a $25.00 USD rush fee applies.

UCSF 2024 Research Symposium Final submission deadline in 26 days (Sat 5/11 at 09:00AM Pacific). Starting Fri 5/10, a $25.00 USD rush fee applies.

Virtual Imaging Trials in Medicine 2024 Final submission deadline in 4 days (Sat 4/20 at 06:00PM Eastern). Starting Fri 4/19, a $35.00 USD rush fee applies.

WEPAN ADVANCE Equity in STEM Community Convening Final submission deadline in 44 days (Thu 5/30 at 09:00PM Eastern). Starting Wed 5/29, a $25.00 USD rush fee applies.

ADAA 2024: Boston, MA Submission deadline has passed, inquire with [email protected]

Don't see your conference? Use the Local Pickup or Shipping options above.

Organizing a conference or event and want to work with us? Email [email protected] .

Shipping Address

Group account.

We're still determining your tax status... please finish filling out the form.

No sales tax will be due on your order, because we do not have a location in your state yet.

Any normal sales taxes will be applied to your order. ( why? )

Normal sales taxes will be applied to your order because we don't recognize your email address as belonging to a tax-exempt institution. (Please make sure you're using your institutional email address !)

If you expected to be tax-exempt and can wait a day or two, please follow these instructions , then wait for confirmation before placing an order.

If you didn't expect to be tax-exempt, you can ignore this message.

Any normal sales taxes will be applied to your order.

(Although you seem to belong to a tax-exempt institution , your order is being delivered outside that institution's home state, where their tax-exempt status no longer applies!)

Your order is probably sales tax exempt, because we recognize your email address as belonging to a tax-exempt institution .

I am submitting it as a representative of a tax-exempt institution , for business rather than personal use. ( see our policy )

To comply with legal requirements, all emails must go to your email address . Please check those emails. We cannot substitute or "carbon copy" any non-institutional address!

Unless your order is for personal use, you're about to tick off your lab secretary or bookkeeper! That person is probably going to be unhappy that you were charged tax on this order. You may not get reimbursed. Please take a minute to go find out your tax exemption code -- it will save everyone some time and effort!

By continuing, you agree to PhD Posters' privacy notice and terms of service .

« All Events

  • This event has passed.

Poster Design

03/28/2023 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm.

phd poster unc

Get ready for the Celebration of Undergraduate Research or other symposia this Spring and create an academic poster that stands out in the presentation hall! In this workshop, learn the design principles and guidelines that will help you create an effective and aesthetically pleasing poster. We’ll discuss layout, fonts, colors, graphics and more.

Poster Design - March 28, 2023

  • Name * Required First Last
  • Email * Required
  • PID * Required
  • Major(s) * Required
  • Year at Carolina * Required First Year Sophomore Junior Senior
  • OUR Newsletter
  • OUR Website
  • Social Media
  • From a professor
  • From a student/student org
  • What do you hope to learn in this workshop?
  • Google Calendar
  • Outlook 365
  • Outlook Live

UNC Department of Communication

Department of Communication’s inaugural  “Comm Day” Research Symposium

Comm day schedule.

Student presenting project in front of audience

10:00-10:40 Panel 1: Internet Parents, The History Chanel, Facebook, Race, and Capitalism (3)

10:00-10:05 Avi Santo – Introduction

10:05-10:15 Jacob Smith – Parasocial Parenting, Adoption, and Mediated Parental Absence with the Griswolds on TikTok

10:15-10:25 Courtlyn Pippert – Channeling History: The History Channel and The Role Of Popular Historical Knowledge In Understandings Of U.S. National Identity

10:25-10:35 Sean Mcewan – Diversity And Exclusion: Facebook And The Post Racial Production Of Racial Difference

10:35-10:45 Q&A

10:45-11:35 Panel 2: Labor, Syllogisms, Political Economy, and Power (5)

10:45-10:50 Introduction

10:50-11:00 Karsen Kitchen – Estranged Labor In the Democratic Republic of the Congo

11:00-11:10 Trent Porter – A Rhetorical Analysis of David Walker’s Appeal

11:10-11:20 Charlene Wu – Applying Karl Marx and Louis Althusser to the Working Class’s Relationship with Work and Unhappiness

11:20-11:30 Daniel Russo – An ordoliberal shift? Assessing the Biden state’s public response to American capitalism in crisis

11:30-11:40 Joshua Richardson – Gender Expression: Prescribed and Ignored

11:40-11:50 Q&A

Poster Session with Refreshments

11:50-12:30

Laila Okoli – Thematic Analysis of the Payton Gendron Manifesto

Virginia Llewellyn – A Persuasive Critique of the Buffalo Shooter Manifesto

Charles Coleman – Blackest Darkness

Ethan Kim – The Dishwasher: Soap, Sponge, Scrub (Honor’s Thesis Performance Excerpt)

Sydney Van Buren – Imposter: The Dancing Body (Honor’s Thesis Performance Excerpt)

12:20-1:15 Panel 3: Chronic Illness, Body Modification, and the Performance of Hiking (4)

12:30-12:35 Introduction

12:35-12:45 Spirit Elder – Performance Studies on Trial: Contemplating Hiking as Performance

12:45-12:55 Haley Ernst – Chronicles of Crohn’s: Navigating Time and Normalcy in Chronic Illness

12:55-1:05 Stephen Ross – Primitives in Theory and Practice

1:05-1:15 Q&A

The question of master’s pay for North Carolina teachers

Wake County Schools recently re-implemented the master’s pay system that had been in place statewide in North Carolina until 2013. | Cover by Jane Durden

Story by Hannah Rosenberger

Visuals by Jane Durden

When Diana Chapman was applying to UNC-Chapel Hill’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program earlier this year, she knew she eventually wanted to teach in the Wake County Public School System — or leave North Carolina entirely. 

The convenience of being close to her family in Raleigh was one factor, but a more important one was pay. Last year, Wake County Schools re-implemented a master’s pay program for teachers in the district: a 10% pay bump for teachers with a master’s degree. 

This pay raise was an initiative funded statewide in North Carolina until 2013. Teachers who already had a master’s degree retained their raises, as did any teachers who had already started a master’s program in education or a related field before August 1, 2013 — but anyone who began their program after that date did not receive the higher pay. 

The program was discontinued at the state level that year because of studies demonstrating that teachers with master’s degrees aren’t more effective at raising student test scores than teachers without them.

But to future teachers like Chapman, test scores aren’t the only way she sees herself measuring student success — and her own skills in the classroom — after she graduates with her MAT.

“I think there’s a lot more merit to be said about getting a master’s degree than teacher effectiveness via student test scores in the classroom,” Chapman said. 

Education Funding in North Carolina

Last March, Wake County’s school board voted to reinstate the 10% pay bump for teachers with master’s degrees using local recurring funds. 

Elena Ashburn, the central area superintendent at Wake County Schools, didn’t work directly on the proposal, but fully supports it. She said master’s pay compensates qualified teachers for an increased level of professionalism they bring to the classroom. 

“We have a lot of staff who have committed to this work that have their master’s degree — that are, quite frankly, going to do this work, even if they didn’t get this 10% raise,” Ashburn said. “So on the one hand, it rewards, it helps retain, it helps professionalize the people that we already have that are doing such incredible work in our schools.”

The other reason for the salary bump was to help recruit new teachers, Ashburn said. 

For teachers in Wake County already grandfathered into the program, there weren’t any salary changes. But with the pay bump, a new teacher with a master’s degree would be making almost $400 a month more, according to North Carolina’s 2023-2024 State Salary Schedules . 

In North Carolina, public school teachers are paid a base salary from the state dependent on years of experience. In the 2023-2024 school year, a first-year teacher earned $39,000 annually, while a teacher with 15 years of classroom experience earned $52,060 as their base pay. 

phd poster unc

That number can increase based on bonuses for classroom achievement and local supplements that range widely between districts . The average supplement is just over $5,000, but some counties don’t have a local supplement at all.

Before reintroducing the master’s pay program, Wake County’s average teacher supplement was $8,670 — the second-highest in the state in 2021-22, according to a BEST NC report on teacher pay. 

Because these extra funds come from local dollars, lower-wealth counties typically aren’t able to offer as high of a supplement. If other districts wanted to re-implement a master’s pay program, they wouldn’t necessarily have the money to, unless the funds came from the state.  

“Our rural counties can’t do that kind of supplemental pay program that our urban counties are doing,” said Susan Book, one of the co-founders of Save Our Schools NC. “And so we see great inequities in teacher pay across the state, which I find concerning.”

Paths to teaching with a master’s

The master’s degree in history Katie Bollinger received from American Military University in 2010 meant she was eligible for North Carolina’s master’s pay program when she started teaching middle school in Wake County in 2011. 

She taught primarily social studies and science classes, and also a few in language arts, during her 12 years in Wake County. But because her degree was in history — and not a master’s in education or a master’s in teaching — she was more constrained in how that pay was applied. 

“I actually had to teach my subject matter to get that pay,” Bollinger, who now teaches in Onslow County Schools, said. “Because if I were to teach anything less than 50% social studies, I would not get that master’s pay.” 

Master’s pay programs offering raises to teachers with advanced degrees are popular throughout the rest of the country — North Carolina was the first state to eliminate the program in 2013. About 90% of the largest districts in the country have some kind of incentive for teachers with master’s degrees, according to the National Council on Teacher Quality’s Teacher Contract Database .

Critics of master’s pay programs claim that master’s pay only incentivizes getting a degree, not being a better teacher. 

When the statewide program was in place, the master’s degree received had to be content-specific to a teacher’s subject area — like Bollinger’s — or in education.

That meant a teacher could get an advanced degree in School Administration, for example, for the sake of the master’s pay bump, but then go straight back to the classroom — where the skills they built during the graduate degree weren’t necessarily being applied to make them more effective educators.  

In other cases, a master’s degree is how a future teacher gets their teaching license after an undergraduate degree in another subject — like Chapman, the future MAT student, who will graduate from UNC-CH in May with a degree in English and a minor in education. 

UNC-CH does not have an undergraduate education major where students graduate with a teaching license. For UNC-CH students, a master’s degree — or an external program like Teach for America — is a natural next step toward a career in teaching. 

While Chapman has both content-specific and teaching knowledge from her minor going into the MAT, Frank Forcino — the director of the science education program at Western Carolina University — said that’s not always the case.

“Folks that are trying to get in [Western’s] MAT program don’t have that content knowledge as often as they used to,” Forcino said. “And that is typically not as good for the students because in order to, you know, explain content, teach content, you really do need to have a deep understanding of it.”

Students who come into the MAT from other disciplines or careers don’t always have the opportunity to develop a pedagogical background — and because so much of the MAT structure is in the classroom, it can feel like they’re just being thrown in the deep end, Forcino said.

“They are learning how to be a teacher by being a teacher,” Forcino said. “They don’t have any training when they start and they’re getting this training as they go, while they’re being overwhelmed with being a first-time teacher.”

He said it’s hard to generalize which route leads to “better” teachers because there are so many factors affecting teacher effectiveness and student success in the classroom.

Forcino, though, almost always recommends a four-year education degree over just a MAT to the students he advises at Western. Even if it takes an extra semester of a student’s undergraduate career, there is much more time for a future teacher to develop both content-specific knowledge and learn teaching methods, he said. 

But that’s the route that wouldn’t get a teacher a pay bump with a master’s pay system in place. 

Beyond master’s pay

Since accepting admission to UNC-CH’s MAT program, Chapman has changed her mind about Wake County Schools. As someone who eventually wants to teach future teachers in a higher education setting, she thinks the experience of teaching in different districts in North Carolina will be valuable for her future career. 

And the scholarships she’s gotten from UNC-CH mean she now knows she won’t have to worry about student loans going into her teaching career. 

“But I think that for a while, I was definitely looking around, like, ‘Where can I live comfortably, and not have to eat ramen every day?’” Chapman said.

Bollinger now teaches at a middle school in Onslow County. She makes less there than she did during her years in the Wake County Public School System, but the rapidly rising cost of living in the Triangle area was too much for her to sustain on a teacher’s salary, she said. 

phd poster unc

The base pay for a new teacher will increase to $41,000 for 2024-2025 school year, due to raises approved in the North Carolina General Assembly’s most recent budget. 

But, according to Forbes , the average two-year master’s program in the United States costs almost $40,000. UNC-CH’s MAT costs roughly $13,000 in tuition for the yearlong program, with Duke University’s MAT running closer to $50,000  — more than the starting teacher base salary. 

Tara Wojciechowski, a chemistry teacher at Wake County High School, has reached the top of the North Carolina teacher pay scale — which caps at 25 years — with her 27 years in Wake County classrooms. Even so, for her, it’s never been about the dollar figure she brings home. 

“It’s not about the pay, necessarily — I mean, if you have a partner that makes a decent amount of money, anyway,” Wojciechowski said. “I feel bad for all the single teachers out there.”

Wojciechowski said she has never felt the need to get her master’s degree — partially because of her financial situation, but also because she has her National Board Certification — which comes with a 12% pay bump paid out at the state level. 

To be National Board-certified, teachers who have been in the classroom for at least three years to “demonstrate standards-based evidence of the positive effect they have on student learning,” according to the National Board website . 

Research has demonstrated National Board certification is correlated with student achievement, but high-poverty districts have a much lower percentage of certified teachers.

According to a 2023 BEST NC report on teacher pay, just 5% of teachers at the highest-poverty schools are National Board-certified, compared with nearly triple that in the most well-off districts — presumably, at least in part, because of temptingly higher salaries in those districts. 

Forcino said in his eight years teaching at Western, there have been only a few students who have stayed in the area to teach after graduating. Most of them, he said, have headed back to where they’re from, or to Raleigh and Charlotte for those more competitive salaries. Others have left to go to Georgia, South Carolina or even further away. 

Keeping salaries competitive, by whatever means, is essential for ensuring there are qualified teachers in North Carolina classrooms, he said, but there’s more to it. Forcino said if parents and administrators are making teachers’ lives more difficult, that hardly incentivizes them to remain in a classroom, much less advance their professionalism with a degree.

“We need to pay teachers more — that’s the definitive fact. We need to pay them a competitive salary,” Forcino said. “But aside from that, the other key factor that goes into ensuring teachers stay in the field is giving them support, making them feel valued in their career.”

phd poster unc

Hannah Rosenberger

Hannah Rosenberger is a senior from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, double majoring in Media and Journalism and English, with a minor in Hispanic Studies. She is passionate about all types of journalistic writing (especially features and data-based stories) and also has experience with editing, PR writing and social media. She hopes to pursue a career in print journalism after graduation.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

phd poster unc

“They see them as dollars”: A student-athlete, coach and bettor on sports betting in North Carolina

phd poster unc

‘It was all-consuming’: How one teen’s social media addiction turned into advocacy

phd poster unc

The lasting mental health challenges post-COVID college shutdowns

phd poster unc

Homegrown fashion designers foster community in Durham

phd poster unc

Delivery continues to drive the Triangle restaurant industry

IMAGES

  1. Crafting an Excellent (PhD) Research Poster

    phd poster unc

  2. B. How to make Research Poster\Scientific Research Poster\PhD Project

    phd poster unc

  3. A1 Scientific Poster Template

    phd poster unc

  4. (PDF) PhD Project Poster

    phd poster unc

  5. How To Create An Effective Case Report Poster Presentation Template

    phd poster unc

  6. Poster Gallery Phd Posters Stunning Best Scientific P

    phd poster unc

VIDEO

  1. We're Going Asteroid Wranglin'!

  2. Balloon Water Poping||popping balloon water experiment||balloon pop water||Balloon outdoors poping

  3. Speed Art Bukayo Saka Into Art Poster

  4. Anthony Edwards’ POSTER Dunk from the Preseason! #nba #shorts

  5. Secret Place in Fridge

  6. MAA RUDRA KALI GAHANI {{MP3 Version}} SHRI CHARAN MOHANTY // New Odia Gahani 2024//

COMMENTS

  1. Poster and Presentation Resources

    UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy- Poster Printing. UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Digital Imaging Facility. UNC Computer Science - large format color printer (plotter and 11×17 printer) The Graduate School of The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

  2. PhD Posters

    Step-By-Step Instructions. All the tips and tricks you need for designing a winning poster in PowerPoint or Illustrator. 1. Prep It. 2. Print It. 3. Get It.

  3. PhD Posters

    With PhD Posters, printing a new poster starts at just $39.99. Save Time and Money. Spending all day printing, re-printing, cutting and pasting is no one's idea of fun. PhD Posters is a fast and inexpensive way to make your poster look great, so you can get back to your real work. Highest Quality.

  4. Designing Effective Posters: Printing Your Poster

    You can pick up your poster from this reasonably priced online service on campus or have it delivered to your location. Use a UNC email address when you place your order to get a sales tax exemption. Foldable fabric available

  5. PhD Posters

    A beautiful panoramic photo, and a nice welcome back for some UNC students -- we do more than just research posters :) Looks a bit like an Easter-egg hunt, but the no-two-alike boxes really convey "compartments". ... One of the few blue posters I've seen that looks decent, because the blue is a bit desaturated: RGB 53,53,153 (#333399). Mine ...

  6. Poster Design & Images: Design & Presentation

    The UNC HSL staff will teach you about poster design elements, the design process, and how to get started in either PowerPoint or Adobe Indesign in this tutorial. ... Poster & Presentation Resources from the UNC Graduate School. A very comprehensive set of resources both for design/creation of posters and for preparing and giving the actual ...

  7. Designing Effective Posters: Home

    The purpose of Designing Effective Posters is to help you communicate through a poster. This research guide includes the following sections: Starting the Poster Design Process: Describes the tasks for creating a poster. Refer to this section for help with planning and carrying out your poster project. Getting Started With PowerPoint and Adobe ...

  8. (Allied) Health Sciences: PhD and Post-Doc Resources ...

    This guide was created by Gabrielle Scronce, PT, DPT, UNC Human Movement Science PhD student and Barbara Rochen Renner, PhD, Health Sciences Library Liaison, (Allied) Health Sciences, and Adjunct Professor, Department of Health ... PhD Posters (poster printing) Drop-Off: Right near the 1st floor User Services Desk. Additional poster printing ...

  9. Designing Posters

    This worksheet will help you plan your academic poster. Planning might not be exciting, but with a project this big and with all your awesome research to share planning is a must. This guide will help you map out your ideas and plan your design, and also has a handy final checklist to make sure your academic poster is ready to share with the world.

  10. Poster Design & Images: Help / Classes

    Resources for designing academic posters and poster presentations

  11. Posters

    Options. PhD Posters - This is a locally run print service that can mail your poster or leave it for pickup at the Health Sciences Library.; UNC Student Stores Print Stop & Copy Center - They're located on the 3rd floor of Student Stores. They can print on paper, cloth, and vinyl, and have options for foam board or lamination.

  12. Neuroscience

    Director of Graduate Studies: Jay Brenman, PhD Student Services Specialist: Sue Modlin ... Present a poster each year at the Annual Pierre Morell Student Research Day. ... For Admissions: [email protected] General Inquiries: [email protected] (919) 843-6960

  13. PhD Posters LLC

    Specializing in scientific posters for affordable prices, PhD Posters is the graduate student's dream. ... University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 27599, US Get directions ...

  14. Poster Design & Images

    335 S. Columbia Street CB 7585 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7585 (919) 962-0800 Searchable campus map

  15. Spotlight on Student Research Poster Competition

    2017. 2017 Gillings Student Poster Award: Lily Jones, BSPH '17, Nutrition. Poster Title: "Hold that spoonful of sugar: Higher sweetness does not correlate with increased desire to consume". 2017 Delta Omega Award: Paul Shafer, PhD candidate, Health Policy and Management. Poster Title: " Effect of advertising for a state-based health ...

  16. Where can I pick up posters printed by PhD Posters?

    There is a poster caddy on the first floor of the Health Science Library, next to the column by the User Services Desk. The poster caddy faces MacNider Hall. It is self serve- simply pick up your printed poster and go! Ask a staff member at the User Services Desk if you can't find the caddy.

  17. Order form

    Order form - PhD Posters. Click either. Local Pickup. Generally next day in Aurora CO ⋅ Baltimore MD ⋅ Boston MA ⋅ Brooklyn NY ⋅ Chapel Hill NC ⋅ Durham NC ⋅ Edison NJ ⋅ Richmond VA ⋅ San Francisco CA. or.

  18. Poster Design

    Poster Design. 03/28/2023 @ 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm. Get ready for the Celebration of Undergraduate Research or other symposia this Spring and create an academic poster that stands out in the presentation hall! In this workshop, learn the design principles and guidelines that will help you create an effective and aesthetically pleasing poster. We ...

  19. Department of Communication's inaugural "Comm Day" Research Symposium

    COMM Day aims to celebrate the academic achievements and guided research endeavors of extraordinary undergraduate and graduate students within the Department of Communication. ... Poster Session with Refreshments. 11:50-12:30 . Laila ... The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3285. t. (919) 962-2311 | f. (919) 962 ...

  20. Can I print a poster at HSL?

    You can pick up your poster from this reasonably priced online service on campus or have it delivered to your location. There is a pickup area in HSL near the information desk. Use a UNC email address when you place your order to get a sales tax exemption.

  21. The question of master's pay for North Carolina teachers

    But with the pay bump, a new teacher with a master's degree would be making almost $400 a month more, according to North Carolina's 2023-2024 State Salary Schedules . In North Carolina, public school teachers are paid a base salary from the state dependent on years of experience. In the 2023-2024 school year, a first-year teacher earned ...