Career Services

Alumni Career Panels (1-3x/quarter)

We invite Social Work, Urban Planning, and Public Policy alumni to speak with current students about their career trajectories and the processes involved when applying for public and private sector positions.

Career & Internship Fair (2x/year)

Typically held in Fall and Spring quarters, we invite 40-60 employers to come discuss their internships and opportunities post graduation exclusively with UCLA Luskin graduate students and senior undergraduates majoring in Public Affairs.

Career Planning and Management Course: M297F (1x/year)

A 2-unit graduate level course that covers professional branding, job search strategies, networking, and interviewing all with a public affairs lens and is typically offered in fall quarter.

City Hall Day (1x/year)

A City Hall legislator hosts UCLA Luskin graduate students to study an urban social policy issue important to their constituents.  This event is co-sponsored by UCLA’s Office of Local Government Relations to promote careers in politics and public service, as well as to engage UCLA with local government.

US Conference of Mayors (1x/year)

Recipients of the Bohnett Fellowship are invited to participate in the annual United States Conference of Mayors’ Winter Meeting in Washington, D.C.

DEI in Career Development Workshops (1x/quarter)

We partner with D3 initiative to offer culturally responsive career development workshops. (e.g. salary negotiations as a woman of color, navigating the workplace as a first generation professional, etc.)

Employer Information Sessions (1-2x/quarter)

Organizations and agencies that are of interest to our students are invited to campus to talk about internship and career opportunities.

Intro to Networking with Employers & Luskin Alumni (2x/year)

These workshops shed light on best practices to network in in-person and virtual situations including networking events, career fairs, LinkedIn, and more!

LinkedIn Headshots (1x/year)

We host a professional photographer to take our graduate students’ photos to use for their LinkedIn profiles and for graduate student research presenters to use at professional conferences, symposia, etc.

Professional Development Certifications, Societies and Pipelining Programs (1x/quarter)

Student learn about opportunities for post graduate fellowships and certifications.

Senior Fellows Tea (1x/year)

The kick-off to the Senior Fellows mentoring program- the premiere mentoring program connecting UCLA Luskin graduate students to executive-level professionals in the public affairs field. This occurs in Fall Quarter.

Yearlong & Summer Fellowship Information Sessions (2x/year)

Students will learn about yearlong fellowship opportunities, such as the Bohnett Fellowship, as well as summer internship and fellowship funding opportunities, with a variety of organizations and agencies across LA and California.

Luskin Graduate Students may also attend events from the UCLA Career Center. They host events specifically for Masters Students and PhD/Doctoral Students. These tend to cover generalist topics from resumes and cover letters to interview strategies, salary negotiations, and how to best use your first 90 days on the job. To view their upcoming events and register please visit: https://career.ucla.edu/events.

To view other events hosted by other UCLA Luskin departments that may be of interest, please visit the general Luskin events calendar: https://luskin.ucla.edu/events.

In order to obtain the certificate of completion, students must complete the requirements by Friday of Week 7 of the student’s graduating quarter. Students will attend 14 events and programs from different categories.

• 1 LinkedIn Photos Event OR Intro to Networking/UCLA ONE Session
• 1 Luskin Academic Career Course (M297F OR 291A)
• 1 Luskin Sacramento Briefing OR participation in Luskin Senior Fellows Program
• 1 Luskin Career Fair OR 1 OSAAR Career Tour
• 1 City Hall Day OR Luskin Summit
• 1 Luskin Lecture
• 1 Senior Fellows Lecture OR Fellowship Info Session
• 2 OSAAR Employer Info Sessions
• 2 OSAAR Alumni Panels
• 1 Luskin D3 Event
• 2 OSAAR Student Support/Wellness Events

*If you attend an event and do not sign in to record your attendance, we will be unable to count the event towards your certificate progress. Please make sure to sign in at every event you attend.**

Students who complete the Luskin Leadership Development Certificate of Completion will receive:

• A physical certificate
• Notation in the Luskin commencement program
• A LinkedIn certification
• An exclusive Luskin swag item

How do I find out about these events?

All events will be advertised in the OSAAR weekly newsletter and you can find and RSVP for most events on CareerHub. Schoolwide events such as D3 events, Luskin Summit, and Luskin Lectures can be found on the main Events calendar: https://luskin.ucla.edu/events.

How do I get credit for attending a workshop?

Students must sign in to receive credit for the workshop towards their certificate of completion. There is a 15-minute grace period at the beginning and end of the workshop. If a student arrives after or leaves before the 15-minute grace period, their attendance for that workshop will not count towards the certificate of completion.

How do I check on my progress towards the certificate?

Please email our office at careerservices@luskin.ucla.edu.

Are event/program substitutions accepted?

No.

Make a 30- or 45-minute appointment with a Luskin Career Counselor for Public Affairs-specific guidance on your career and internship search, in-person and digital branding (including elevator pitch, resume, cover letter, and LinkedIn), networking, offer negotiation, and other career-related topics.

Please attach your resume to your appointment in CareerHub. If you choose to make an appointment first and email your resume later, please do so no later than 24 hours in advance of your appointment so that we have ample time to provide intentional feedback on your resume.

If you do not send us your resume in advance to your appointment, we will cancel your appointment and ask you to reschedule at a later time.

To sign up for a career counseling appointment with a Luskin career counselor, follow the instructions below: 

• Login toCareerHub.
• Click “Appointments” on the left-hand navigation bar.
• You are assigned a Career Counselor based on your last name to ensure an equitable caseload.
• Select a time block that has your preferred time in it, which works for your schedule.
• Click “Book Appointment” and you’ll be prompted to select the appointment type, select the time, and attach any relevant documents (resume/cover letter) directly to the appointment.

If you want us to conduct a secondary review of your resume or cover letter after your career counseling appointment with us, you are welcome to make a follow-up appointment with us OR you can email us your updated resume or cover letter with the incorporated edits from our first appointment.

We will provide our feedback on your updated resume via email within three business days.

Luskin Career Hub

CareerHub is Luskin’s career management system. You will find internship and job opportunities specifically for Public Affairs graduate students. You can also register for workshops and programs in CareerHub.

UCLA 12Twenty

12Twenty is UCLA’s campus-wide platform that connects Bruins with internships, jobs and career opportunities. Use 12Twenty to find workshops, events, other career development programs hosted by the UCLA Career Center and to schedule counseling appointments with Career Center advisors.

Fellowships & Internship Funding

Visit our comprehensive Fellowships & Internship Funding page for more information on academic and professional fellowships. This includes post-graduate full and part-time opportunities.

Public Job/Internship Search Databases

For a comprehensive list of search databases and tools grouped by geographic area and industry, Luskin graduate students and alumni can access our resource page through BruinLearn. Alumni who graduated prior to Fall 2023 can self-enroll for the page here.

Career Exploration and Planning Tools

For a comprehensive list of planning tools and assessments, Luskin graduate students and alumni can access our resource page through BruinLearn. Alumni who graduated prior to Fall 2023 can self-enroll for the page here.

Working at UCLA

Graduate programs at UCLA offer employment opportunities to graduate students including teaching and research assistantships.  Additional work resources are available here, such as special readers, departmental scholars, postdocs, and internships.

Senior Fellows Program

Then, Congresswomen Karen Bass with her then mentee, Veronica Calkins (MSW candidate in 2015).

The Senior Fellows Program is the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs’ premier mentorship and networking program. Established in 1997, the Senior Fellows Program connects current graduate students in the Public Policy, Social Welfare, and Urban Planning masters programs to prominent community,  government, and business leaders in the public service arena. These influential executive-level professionals provide graduate students with: industry-specific guidance on preparing for a career in public service, an expanded professional network, access to professional spaces they may not have otherwise had access to, and opportunities to apply, synthesize, and critique the theory they learn in the classroom to the real-world.

Opportunity Examples

Each fellow-mentee relationship is different, as each mentee’s needs differ. However, some sample activities of past mentorship relationships included:

• Discussing the Fellow’s career path/ informational interview
• Shadowing the Fellow at work/committee meeting(s) or conference(s)
• Seeking career development advice on resume, cover letter, job searching, elevator pitch, interviewing, and/or negotiating
• Discussing leadership, management, and/or influence approach
• Discussing identity/community specific issues (e.g. being a woman of color in a leadership role at the organization, discussing starting an LGBTQ employee resource group, etc.)
• Discussing their professional response to current events and how that may differ from their personal response
• Meeting additional individuals in your Senior Fellow’s network

Timeline

• Early Fall (September-October): Application period opens (applications are open only once a year)
• Mid-October: Mentors/Mentees are matched an kick-off event takes place
• October-June: Mentors and Mentees meet either monthly or every other month

The Luskin Senior Fellows program is only open to current Luskin graduate students, who apply to the program in early Fall quarter via CareerHub.

The complete list of former UCLA Luskin Senior Fellows Mentors from 1997 onward can be found here.

If you have any nominations for future senior fellow mentors that are not on the above list, please email Kevin Medina at kmedina@luskin.ucla.edu.

City Hall Day Program

1-23-2026, Los Angeles City Councilmember Katy Yaroslavsky welcomes students from UCLA Luskin  to Los Angeles City Hall.

Program Overview

Since 2004, select Luskin graduate students visit Los Angeles City Hall every spring to meet with local government officials, nonprofit leaders, and business executives to explore careers in local government and discuss pressing policy issues affecting Los Angeles residents. Previous topics include: housing and homelessness, green technology, first/last mile investments, the digital divide, impacts of a football stadium in Los Angeles, and the privatization of the LA Zoo. This program is organized in collaboration with UCLA Government & Community Relations.

Program Goals

The Luskin Day at City Hall Program aims to provide Luskin graduate students with:

• the opportunity to network with high-level leaders in public affairs, including Luskin Alumni
• information on how to pursue an internship or job with the City of Los Angeles
• the experience of attending a Los Angeles City Council meeting with their peers
• an in-person introduction to the physical spaces of Los Angeles City Hall

Program Timeline

City Hall Day info session and program registration can be found on CareerHub

• Fall: Info Session & Application
• Winter: City Hall Day

Are you interested in learning more about this program? Please contact Luskin’s Managing Director of Student Affairs & Alumni Relations, Kevin Medina: kmedina@luskin.ucla.edu

Examples of Past Programs

2026 Luskin Day at City Hall: Immigration Policy & Local Government Reform

2025 Luskin Day at City Hall: Policymaking & Public Service Careers in Los Angeles City Government

2024 Luskin at City Hall: First/Last Mile Investments

2023 Luskin at City Hall: Homelessness Governance Reform

2020 Luskin at City Hall: Alternative and Affordable Housing

2013 Luskin at City Hall: Creative Solutions to LA’s Transportation Needs

2010 Luskin at City Hall: Privatization of the Los Angeles Zoo

Alumni Career Panels

UCLA Luskin alumni often return to campus to share specialized skills or areas of expertise with current Luskin students. Topics of recent career panels include Careers in Transportation, Long Beach Management Training, Capital Fellows, Careers in Education Policy, Careers in Social Welfare, and Environmental Sustainability. Check CareerHub and the Luskin Events Calendar for any upcoming alumni Panels.

UCLA ONE

UCLA ONE (Opportunity, Network and Experience) is your ONE-stop-shop for your professional needs and to connect with UCLA. Created to engage UCLA alumni and students, UCLA ONE serves as a resource for opportunities, events and professional development for Bruins worldwide. Please join the Luskin School of Public Affairs Group once you register.

LinkedIn

Luskin community members can connect with our LinkedIn page for updates on OSAAR programming, alumni spotlights, and job opportunities. To access a free course from LinkedIn Guys on how to “Land the Perfect Job with LinkedIn”, Luskin graduate students and alumni can access our resource page through BruinLearn. Alumni who graduated prior to Fall 2023 can self-enroll for the page here.

Business Cards

Luskin Business Cards

As Luskin graduate students, you can order UCLA branded business cards! You must display your relationship with UCLA on the business card for your card to be approved. For order instructions, current Luskin graduate students can access our resource page through BruinLearn.

Digital Business Cards

For a dynamic business card, you can explore a service such as Blinq, which has free and paid options. You can personalize your own digital business cards with your headshot, your logo and design templates, while keeping your information instantly up to date. Cards and contact information can be shared digitally with anyone, even without the app, though QR code, LinkedIn, or even email.

Another option is a one-time purchase of a dot.device, which transfers all of the information on your dot.Profile with a single tap onto someone else’s phone, with no app required. Your dot.Profile is fully customizable —including a bio, social media links, payment info, and more— and enables you to share every important detail about you and your business with your network.

Public Affairs Professional Associations

For a comprehensive list of professional associations grouped by industry, Luskin graduate students and alumni can access our resource page through BruinLearn. Alumni who graduated prior to Fall 2023 can self-enroll for the page here.

Send Us Your Updates

Interested in speaking on a panel, serving on a committee, or helping with recruitment? Have you moved or changed jobs? Please take a moment to update your contact information and tell us how you’d like to get involved.

We would love to hear from you! Update us with your professional milestones, your day-to-day victories, as well as your ideas.

Dr. Karina Mascorro
Director of Alumni Engagement
kmascorro@luskin.ucla.edu

Connect With Us

Network with fellow alumni & students via UCLA Luskin Office of Student Affairs and Alumni Relations page on LinkedIn.

Connect with hundreds of UCLA Luskin alumni and students in four easy steps by updating the education section in your personal LinkedIn profile:

1. In the Education section of your profile, add “UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs” as your school (not UCLA, the undergraduate college)
2. Add your “Dates Attended”
3. Add your “Degree”
4. Click “Save,” and your profile will automatically connect to UCLA Luskin alumni & student profiles via the UCLA Luskin Office of Student Affairs and Alumni LinkedIn university page so you can network with fellow Luskin-ites!

Post career promotions, and job opportunities, learn about other group members, and keep up-to-date on all things Luskin.

Alumni Career Resources

Luskin Alumni are invited to continue using CareerHub to access our public affairs job postings. If you do not yet have access to this system, don’t hesitate to contact careerservices@luskin.ucla.edu with your name, email, Luskin program, and graduation date to request account activation. We also invite you to connect with our LinkedIn page to connect with fellow alumni, current students, and employers. You can also continue to access our BruinLearn resource page for our career development library. If you graduated prior to Fall 2023, you can self-enroll in the page here. As a Luskin Alum, you have lifetime access to these resources.

Recent Luskin graduates have continued access to Luskin Career Services for three months after their last academic term. Recent Luskin Alumni may also attend the next career fair after graduation. For example, if you graduate in June 2022, you can access Luskin career counseling appointments and workshops through September and you may attend the Fall Internship and Career Fair. However, alumni can continue to access campus wide resources for career development through Alumni Career Engagement resources provided by the UCLA Alumni Center. Lastly, in your first year as an alum, you have one year of free access to UCLA’s campus-wide “Handshake for Alumni.” After your first year, a six months subscription is available.

UCLA ONE

Register for UCLA One to:

Connect: Find Bruins you know or meet Bruins you should know in a trusted UCLA environment.
Give back: Introduce, employ and offer to mentor current students and recent grads.
Expand: Leverage your Bruin network to further your knowledge and career aspirations.
Re-connect with old classmates: UCLA ONE allows you to find and re-connect with old classmates and expand your professional network.
Build Community: This is your community, where Bruins help Bruins. Leverage the collective power of the vast alumni network and cultivate a culture of helping and giving back.

Please join the Luskin School of Public Affairs Group once you register.

78% employed or continuing education within 6 months

81% working in California

54% working in Los Angeles, the primary employment center

$57,794 average salary

Among the cohort’s 125 graduates, we have achieved a 90% knowledge rate.

80% employed or continuing education within 6 months

81% working in California

65% working in Los Angeles, the primary employment center

$87,396 average salary

Among the cohort’s 78 graduates, we have achieved a 78% knowledge rate.

80% employed or continuing education within 6 months

95% working in California

80% working in Los Angeles, the primary employment center

$78,313 average salary

Of the 114 graduates, including MSW, PhD, and the dual-degree program in MSW/MPP, we have achieved an 82% knowledge rate.

89% employed or continuing education within 6 months

87% working in California

75% working in Los Angeles, the primary employment center

$79,200 average salary

Among the 66 graduates in the Urban Planning cohort — including MURP, PhD, and the Urban and Regional Planning-Institut d’Études de Paris — we have achieved an 85% knowledge rate.