PhD Career Pathways is a nine-month fellowship program for doctoral students in the arts, social sciences and humanities to explore careers in public art and humanities, community outreach, program evaluation, writing, editing and more.
Fellows are employed for 10 hours per week, on or off campus in project-based internships. Examples of past projects include curating exhibits, conducting public outreach projects and developing humanities initiatives. In addition to building their networks and gaining work experience, fellows also receive significant career support through the Office of Career and Life Design, with monthly professional development seminars and a dedicated career coach for the duration of the fellowship.
Fellows are employed and paid by their organizations and are awarded a professional development fellowship for participation in the cohort.
2024-2025 Application Process
Application
Applications are currently closed. Check back in June 2025 for the new application.
Timeline
Applications Open : June 3, 2024
Applications Close : June 30, 2024
Interview with PhD Career Pathways Team: July 8 – July 12, 2024
Final Decisions Announced: July 26, 2024
Onboarding: August 12 – 16, 2024
Fellowship start date: September 2, 2024
Applications Now Closed for Fall 2024
Requirements
Applicants must meet the following criteria:
Current doctoral student at UT Austin. Contact Colleen Gleeson with any questions.
Enrolled as a full-time student (at least 9 credit hours) during the 2024-25 academic year.
Able to be employed for at least 10 hours during both the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters.
In good academic standing with approval from academic/graduate advisor.
Past Projects
We work with Pathways sites to scope projects for 9-month internships and facilitate their collaboration with Ph.D. students.
About the PhD Career Pathways Fellowship
Launched in 2020, PhD Career Pathways is a collaborative initiative by the Graduate School Office of Career & Life Design and partner organizations that helps Ph.D. students in the humanities, arts and social sciences prepare for a broader range of careers within, alongside and outside of the academy.
Inspired by the AAU PhD Education Initiative, PhD Career Pathways is a professional development and project-based internship opportunity for students to gain experience working in community and professional organizations.
Fellows are paired with a dedicated graduate career advisor and participate in professional development seminars throughout the academic year, enabling them to:
- Build a community with fellow graduate students from different departments who are exploring similar career experiences.
- Learn how to translate their skills into a variety of professional contexts.
- Explore career options outside of academia.
Current 2024-2025 PhD Pathways Fellows
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Rachel Caldwell Hill
Digital Content & Social Media Strategist, I’m From Driftwood
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Pelin Cunningham-Erdogdu
UX Researcher, Affirma Consulting
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Bhoopali Keshav Nandurkar
Talent Management Graduate Intern, RWE Clean Energy
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Daniel Miranda
Content Developer, Voces Oral History Center
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Kate Nelson
Graduate Consultant for First-Generation Programming
Office of Career and Life Design
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Sydney Okland
Program Evaluation Analyst, Innovative Learning Center
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Amanda Smith
Social Justice Research Analyst, Sol to Soul Harvest Foundation
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Diego Salinas Yee
Assistant Production Coordinator, Texas Folklife
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Catalina Vasquez
Data Analyst, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
Past Fellows
Learn about previous fellows, their areas of study and the experiences they gained through PhD Career Pathways Fellowship.
2024-2025 Fellowship Sites
Participating organizations and internship positions for the 2024-2025 PhD Career Pathways Fellowship can be found below.
Office of Career and Life Design
Contact Us
If you have any questions about PhD Career Pathways Fellowship, please contact Annie Maxfield.
Meet the Team
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Annie Maxfield, M.S.
Director
The Office of Career & Life Design, The Graduate School
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Colleen Gleeson
Associate Director for Employer Integration
The Office of Career & Life Design, The Graduate School
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Connor Behrmann
Ph.D. Student in Music
Humanities, Arts & Social Sciences Industry Consultant
The Office of Career & Life Design, The Graduate School