In addition to our practical, results-oriented curriculum, the Fels Institute of Government offers programs and services designed to help students build a professional network and take their careers to the next level.
Events
The Public Policy in Practice series brings distinguished public figures to campus to talk about their illustrious careers with students. Past speakers include public sector leaders such as Ezekiel Emanuel, Tina Tchen, Marty Baron, and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush. Fels also offers programming focused on job-related skills and career day events in Philadelphia and beyond.
Mentoring and counseling
At Fels, staff advisors work with students from day one to identify career goals and opportunities, and the mentoring program matches each student with a mentor who can help develop professional contacts and provide personalized guidance and expertise.
Fels Lab
A keystone of the Fels experience inspired by our commitment to context, analysis, and practice, Fels Lab projects connect students with specific tasks or inquiries that serve the real-world needs of nonprofit organizations and government agencies. Fels Lab projects are submitted by public sector organizations that have identified particular deliverables or a specific need that would support their mission. Most Fels Lab projects are completed in fulfillment of students’ capstone requirement.
Internships
Internships temporarily place Fels students in the workforce of a local nonprofit or government agency in fields such as economic development, nonprofit administration, politics, public health, and urban policy. Rather than focusing on a singular project, internships allow students to apply knowledge gained in the classroom toward identifying and implementing real-world solutions to real-world problems on a day-to-day basis. For more information about internships, please contact the Fels team at felsinstitute@sas.upenn.edu.
