Career Services

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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.

View upcoming events

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.

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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.

See current Fels Lab projects

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

Read student stories about internship experiences

Sara Autori
Discover your career path
Two internships at Fels taught Sara Autori (MPA ’19) that local government is the best place to make an impact.
Matthew Forrest
Complete your skill set
Matthew Forrest (MPA ’19) saw his Fels Lab as an opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a new field.
Join a dedicated community
Fels students are committed to creating change locally, nationally, and globally.

Fels Institute of Government

The Fels Institute of Government
3814 Walnut St. 
Philadelphia, PA 19104

(215) 898-7326
felsinstitute@sas.upenn.edu