Career Preparation and Development

Laura Coutts
Associate Director for Career Services, Laura Coutts

Our unique Career Preparation & Development component of the Duke Master of Biostatistics program has been created to actively meet the needs of our students by preparing them for careers as practicing biostatisticians upon graduation, going on to PhD work, and obtaining careers in other related fields. Our program offers students the opportunity to actively collaborate and innovate with Duke faculty and potential employers during internships, practicums, and capstone projects completed during the second year of the degree, giving our students a significant advantage in experience when applying for jobs before and after graduating from our program.

Our Career Development program, created expressly for the Master of Biostatistics program, is state-of-the-art, designed to help our biostatistics students find employment and manage their careers for a lifetime, not just to find a position after graduation. 

Ms. Coutts teaches a year-long course on career preparation and development during the first year of the program, including resume, cover-letter, and LinkedIn workshops, networking practicums, panels featuring expert speakers, innovative videotape techniques used to enhance presentation skills, and much more.  In addition, she provides direct help to students seeking internships and is available to every student individually to aid in their job search as graduation approaches, distributing information about openings across the nation, coaching students for phone and/or in-person, and helping students negotiate their hiring package.

Career Services Director Bio:  In August 2022, Laura Coutts joined B&B from the Duke Career Center, where she has worked with masters and doctoral students since 2018. Before Duke, she worked at Loyola University New Orleans and the University of Virginia, where she completed her graduate education. She attended the University of Richmond for her bachelor’s degree and has previously lived in VA, WV, MD, WI, LA, and NC. Outside of work, she enjoys puzzles, cooking, podcasts, and hikes along the Eno with Lily (her dog) and Kevin (her human).