Integrating career preparation in higher education

The 21st-century workplace demands adaptive leaders with interdisciplinary strengths and collaborative skills. With college costs rising faster than incomes and an ongoing student-loan debt crisis, UC Davis must succeed in preparing Aggies to launch their careers or embark on further study as soon as they graduate.

We know that comprehensive career services give college students the ability to thrive in a rapidly changing professional landscape. Our data show that the earlier an undergraduate becomes involved with the UC Davis Internship and Career Center (ICC), the more likely she is to graduate with a career-track job in place. Now is the time to ensure every Aggie has that advantage, and is engaged in career exploration as a part of their degree seeking process.

Building professional development and interdisciplinary studies

Aggie Launch is the fabric that binds UC Davis’ world-class academic experience with a journey towards career readiness. Aggie Launch highlights and facilitates equitable access to existing and new professional development opportunities, experiential learning, and structured mentorship pathways within and around the UC Davis’ world-class curriculum. Not only will participation in these activities help students succeed in their classes, but it will also ready them for full employment or entry into a selective graduate or professional program immediately upon graduation. By advancing all students at a major public research institution along highly personalized professional paths, we will break new ground in career preparation in public higher education—and most importantly, we will equip all of our graduates with a lifelong competitive advantage.