Career & Professional Development Office

The Career and Professional Development Office at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health empowers UCLA Fielding students and graduates with current career education, employment trends, job search tools, accessible resources, and a community of support — all of it designed to increase their employability and enable them to make career decisions with confidence throughout their lifetime. The office collaborates with FSPH graduates, the UCLA community, and the wider public health community, strengthening partnerships between students and public health practitioners throughout the Greater Los Angeles area and beyond. As part of their training, students are connected with potential employers through networking and recruitment events.

Building Job-Search Skills and Professional Networks

Accomplished public health professionals are in great demand in today’s job market. An FSPH degree makes graduates highly marketable, but in addition to subject-specific expertise, they need effective self-marketing skills and professional networking contacts to maximize their chances of career success. The Office of Career and Professional Development equips students with the skills, tools, confidence, and community required to successfully navigate through every phase of students’ internships, job searches, and beyond. Incoming students are made aware of their strengths through the GallupClifton Strengths assessment, helping them to better identify areas within public health where they can make the biggest impact and achieve the most fulfillment. 

Engaging With Employers

The office welcomes outreach and participation from employers interested in educating UCLA Fielding students and graduates about their company and/or actively recruiting them for positions. Employers are encouraged to create a free Handshake employer account as part of a content management system for listing jobs, internships, and other experiential opportunities (such as job shadowing, on-site visits, and challenges/competitions). This system is aligned with the central UCLA Career Center, enabling employers to reach a wider student population on campus. Organizations can post their opportunities, free of charge, for 30,000-plus UCLA undergraduates, graduate students, and alums to view. 

Employers interested in a recruitment consultation to discuss other strategies for engaging FSPH students and graduates, or who have any other questions, are encouraged to contact the office to learn more.

Prepared for Maximum Impact

Through their education and experiential learning at one of the nation’s leading public health schools, UCLA Fielding students are poised to make a difference in the field of public health. By prioritizing career and professional development training, the school ensures that its students and graduates are well equipped to maximize their impact through positions that best suit their strengths and career goals.

Public Health Workforce Research 

The CPDO collaborates with other leaders in higher education to contribute to the growing body of peer-reviewed research on how best to train the next generation of public health professionals. Two recent examples include:

Professional Organizations

The CPDO actively engages with professional organizations, including the American Public Health Association, Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health, and Graduate Career Consortium. Just as UCLA Fielding students and alumni are encouraged to continue to prioritize professional development throughout their careers, the CPDO prioritizes its own growth and commitment to the evolution of best practices in an ever-changing field. The office’s data- and feedback-driven approach allows it to both educate FSPH students and present these findings to the public health community at conferences.