According to a recent study, roughly 50% of college graduates are unemployed or underemployed. Those statistics have only gotten worse since the pandemic. Our objective is to help students navigate the college-to-career transition with concrete, practical curriculum and meaningful experiences with companies, peers, and mentors that are truly invested in their success.

Experience Lab was co-founded by Experience Institute, a leader in experience-based corporate training and Sage Corps, a globally recognized career accelerator program for college students, and is hosted by the University of Pennsylvania College of Liberal and Professional studies. 

We have designed the program to be completely integrated from the preparation courses to the paid full-time field experiences. Each cohort stays in contact throughout the program through instructor-led check-ins, panel discussions with industry leaders, and ongoing training with our teaching team. Fellows often continue to stay in contact long after the program finishes. 

Experience Lab staff interacts with not only the fellows, but also the field experience companies throughout the program to ensure that relationships are strong and great work is being completed. 

Often university career centers are limited in how much individualized support they can provide. We believe our small cohort model and 6-month program format gives each person consistent attention, feedback and encouragement that makes a real difference in the lives of each program participant.

Most master’s degree programs require at least 1-2 years of experience. If a master’s degree is in your future, Experience Lab at Penn is a great stepping stone. Master’s programs typically follow the traditional pedagogy of higher education, require at least 1-2 years to finish, and typically require a greater investment of resources. Experience Lab at Penn is a 6-month certificate program that acts as a bridge from college to career through experiential learning. Fellows gain real- world experience in which they apply the theories and skills they learn from our instructors in real-time. By the end, they have a better understanding of their skills, a wider network, a portfolio of work, and more clarity about if and why a master’s program may be in their future.

Georgetown, Missouri, UT Austin, Cornell, Princeton, Vanderbilt, Michigan, UCLA, UChicago, Muhlenberg, Boston College, Rutgers, Indiana, Northwestern, Temple, La Sierra, James Madison, Duke, UC Irvine, Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Delaware, USC, Wisconsin, Washington University.

Experience Lab at Penn creates the missing “bridge” from college to career. Our fellows complete the program with more confidence in how to navigate work-related challenges, more focused on how to identify and pursue their interests, and with tools and a starter network to help them launch their career. 

We have a global network of partner organizations, and we continuously recruit new ones. We look for companies that are willing to partner with us to give our fellows meaningful experiences, provide coaching and mentoring, and who need the contributions that recent graduates with fresh perspectives can bring. These are growing companies where our fellows have the opportunity to make significant contributions and have access to staff at all levels of the organization. We also specifically recruit companies with social missions and world-improving market focuses that connect with our Fellows’ interests.

Many of our fellows receive job offers from their Field Experience company. Others have used what they learned to confidently network and find employment elsewhere. We have also built a network of career coaches and hiring partners who consider fellows for any open roles coming out of our program.

The curriculum tracks that are currently available and planned for the future focus on in-demand skill sets in today's startup and growing company environment. Five of the 15 on-demand job categories on LinkedIn's 2021 Jobs on the Rise survey (Business Development, Digital Marketing, Digital Content Development, UI/UX Specialist and Data Science) are taught in our curriculum tracks.  

Experience Lab at Penn's paid fellowship program allows students to have their program fee covered entirely through field experience stipends.

Fellows will be connected with their field experience company during our application process, and if a match, will have their program fee covered 100% by their field experience company. Our program is selective, so we recommend applying as soon as possible if you believe your student would be a good fit.