Unpacking Wellbeing and Professional Skill Development: A Study of Engineering Graduate Students

This innovative practice full paper qualitative study explores the relationship between wellbeing and professional skill development among engineering graduate students in the United States, with a comparative focus on domestic and international students. Drawing on Seligman's PERMA framework and the Situated Learning Theory, the study investigates how students' lived experiences of graduate school influence their acquisition of professional skills such as communication, leadership, and ethical responsibility etc. Data from semi-structured interviews with six doctoral students were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that while both groups face common academic pressures and value professional growth, international students encountered additional challenges shaped by structural and cultural inequities. These findings underscore the need for inclusive support systems that promote holistic professional skill development in engineering education.