Can I deduct"as biz expense"(reqrd for PhD) conference-Am grad studnt(&unemplyd sftwrdvlpr as of 4/4/2017)Knowldge gained&networking would help w/ job search&prof dvlpmt.

[jsueb]

Can I deduct as "a business expense re improving myself toward getting a future job" for a conference I attended (that was required for PhD). I'm a  grad student as well as unemployed software engineer (worked till April 4 2017). Knowledge gained & networking would help with my occupation going forward. Am looking for another software developer job. The conference was also  required in that I need to get 2 papers published to graduate and the way to get them done is via these conferences. This is common practice as journal papers can take too long to get published.
I cannot deduct for education expense as reached limits re agi-

[maglib]

Job Search Expenses possibly but you would have to itemize and see limitations (read the can't part), or possibly Grad school expenses. 

Taxpayers who are looking for a new job that is in the same line of work may be able to deduct some job-hunting expenses on their federal income tax return, even if they don’t get a new job.

Here are some important facts to know about deducting costs related to job searches:

1. Same Occupation. Expenses are tax deductible when the job search is in a taxpayer’s current line of work.
2. Résumé Costs. Costs associated in preparing and mailing a résumé are tax deductible.
3. Travel Expenses. Travel costs to look for a new job are deductible. Expenses including transportation, meals and lodging are deductible if the trip is mainly to look for a new job. Some costs are still deductible even if looking for a job is not the main purpose of the trip.
4. Placement Agency. Job placement or employment agency fees are deductible.
5. Reimbursed Costs. If an employer or other party reimburses search related expenses, like agency fees, they are not deductible.
6. Schedule A. Report job search expenses on Schedule A of a 1040 tax return and claim them as miscellaneous deductions. Taxpayers can claim the amount of expenses that is more than two percent of their adjusted gross income.

Taxpayers can’t deduct these expenses if they:

• Are looking for a job in a new occupation,
• Had a substantial break between the ending of their last job and looking for a new one, or
• Are looking for a job for the first time.