Penn Career Services is excited to announce the 2026 PhD Career Exploration Fellowship (CEF) – a unique opportunity for doctoral students to explore diverse career pathways outside of academia. This program allows you to receive one-on-one mentorship from advanced-degree professionals working in industry, non-profits, and other sectors, providing valuable networking opportunities to help you make informed career decisions.
Participating hosts this year span the humanities, social sciences, and STEM, and include:
- Pharmaceutical companies like Merck, GSK, Janssen, and AbbVie
- Tech companies like Amazon, LinkedIn, and Duolingo
- Consulting firms like Lumanity, Veeva Systems, InnovApproach, CFAR, and Bloom Funding
- Museums like the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Franklin Institute, and the Penn Museum
- Libraries like the American Philosophical Society, the Penn Center for Global Collections, and the Kislak Center
- Ed tech companies like Duolingo, Imagine Learning, and Concord Consortium
- Nonprofit research institutes like the Beeck Center for Solution Impact and Poverty Solutions
- University centers like the Price Lab for Digital Humanities, the Penn Center for Innovation, the Kleinman Center for Energy Policy, and Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies at Penn
The complete list of hosts is available here.
The CEF program offers you the chance to:
- Network with graduate alumni in a career field of interest
- Receive mentorship and insight into the day-to-day responsibilities, opportunities, and challenges of non-academic careers
- Strengthen your professional profile by developing career-readiness competencies and skills
Program Details
- Timeline: February to May 2026
- Time Commitment: Approximately 20 hours total (or 1-2 hours per week), split evenly between meetings with your mentor, informational interviews with other professionals, small projects, professional development workshops, and community-building events.
- Eligibility: Doctoral students in any department or school at Penn may apply, including international students. Note that CEF alumni are not eligible to participate again, but applicants from previous cycles who were not selected are welcome to reapply.
- Application Deadline: December 19, 2025
***Info Session***
To learn more about the CEF program, including tips on how to approach the application essays, please join us for a virtual info session on Wednesday, December 3, at 12pm ET. Advance registration is required; please register at this link. A recording of the session will be sent to all registrants.
PhD students are highly encouraged to apply for this valuable program to enhance future career prospects and expand professional connections. Access the application here. For more information, please visit the CEF website. You can also learn about past fellows’ experiences by reading the CEF Spotlight Series or viewing the 2025 Outcomes Report. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact Sammie Delcy, our PhD Professionalism Fellow, at samuelle.delcy@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.
