Professional Pathways
Holistic career exploration and professional development starting in year one
To support lifelong flourishing, Emory is taking an intentional approach to career exploration and professional development—connecting students not only to potential employers and opportunities but to an expanding ecosystem of alumni, parent, and community mentors who can help them discover meaningful postgraduate lives and opportunities.
Career Guidance
“The Pathways Center has the potential to provide amazing support for a diverse group of students, including those who may need additional resources and guidance. It is very encouraging to see Emory create such a meaningful initiative to aid students in discovering their postcollege journeys.”
—Joy Knowles 22C, member of the Pathways Search Advisory Committee
Professional Pathways Highlights
The Pathways Center
Launched in fall 2022, the Pathways Center helps Emory College students and alumni reach their full potential through integrated career services, undergraduate research, national scholarships and fellowships, pre-health advising, and experiential learning. Led by Branden Grimmett—Emory’s first vice provost for career and professional development and associate dean in Emory College of Arts and Sciences—the center serves as a national model for higher education in seamlessly preparing students for and connecting them to competitive internships, full-time employment, graduate and professional school, and postgraduate fellowships. It also serves as a single hub for recruiting Emory talent, attracting top employers locally, nationally, and globally.
Oxford Center for Pathways and Purpose
The counterpart to the Emory Pathways Center, Oxford’s CPP is a model of integrative learning that supports student flourishing on the Oxford campus. Launched in spring 2024, the center bridges Oxford's experiential learning programs to professional ambitions and life design, with signature programs ranging from local community-engaged learning to domestic career exploration and internships, to international global education programs and internships. Among the center’s highlights is Oxford’s Impact Lab, the hybrid student/industry professional engagement space that centers career discernment and questioning with external industry professionals on site; the recently expanded Global Oxford office, which features the London Launch first-semester admission feature as well as houses 4-6 global education courses annually; and a thriving Career and Professional Development team, which provides career coaching and credentialing as well as engages students with Career Treks and internship cohorts. The CPP features both endowed and college-funded summer experiences and resources that help students connect their classroom work to real-world organizations.
Career Treks
The Career Trek program connects students with alumni across the country to explore potential career paths. Through workplace visits, industry talks and networking events, students gain critical insights into different industries and make valuable professional connections. The program has facilitated visits to New York, Los Angeles, Miami and San Francisco to tour companies like Goldman Sachs, Disney and Google, offering students firsthand exposure to a variety of career options and opportunities to build their industry knowledge and network.
Sophomore Summit
A two-day overnight event, the Sophomore Summit provides second-year students with a dynamic and supportive environment to connect with peers, hear from professors and alumni and discover next steps for their future. The event includes short talks, small group discussions, an alumni panel and information on internships, research and other opportunities. The activities are designed to help students reflect on their Emory experience so far, explore potential academic and career interests and identify concrete next steps for the rest of their time at Emory.
