Franklin students graduate ready to lead, create, and solve complex problems. Our role is to help them translate their academic excellence into fulfilling professional paths—whether in established industries, emerging fields, or entrepreneurial ventures. term success through curiosity, creativity, ambition, innovation, and leadership. We call this the Franklin Spark, and it drives our commitment to preparing students not just for their first job, but for a lifetime of purpose and impact.

We have integrated UGA Career Center’s ARCH professionalization curriculum directly into many departmental courses. When students learn how to build résumés, network, and pursue internships as part of their academic experience, participation increases and outcomes improve. We have built a more consistent, collegewide approach to career readiness. New internship and career development coordinators—now in the humanities and biological sciences, with more to come—provide discipline-specific guidance and help students connect with industry partners, alumni, and experiential learning opportunities.

With more than 110,000 alumni across every industry sector, Franklin has an extraordinary network of leaders eager to support the next generation. Our new initiatives deepen alumni engagement through mentoring, career panels, internship pathways, and entrepreneurship support. These connections help students explore career possibilities, gain real-world experience, and build relationships that last long after graduation.

Departments are the heart of the student experience, and they play a central role in our career readiness strategy. Faculty champions, supported by department heads and college-level resources, are helping embed career development into the everyday fabric of academic life. Departments are creating career and internship courses, defining diverse pathways that students in the major might pursue and linking their courses to UGA’s institutional competencies to show how courses translate into professional skills that employers, graduate and professional schools desire.

Experiential learning in the department includes direct participation in faculty-led projects where students gain practical skills in designing studies, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting findings. This hands-on approach fosters critical thinking and collaboration, preparing students for professional careers and advanced studies. 

Transforming the student experience requires both structure and culture. We are investing in long-term efforts that help students feel connected, supported, and inspired from their first days on campus. Our annual Franklin Fest for First Years introduces new students to mentoring, study away programs, entrepreneurship resources, alumni networks, and the Career Center - setting the stage for a successful and engaged college journey. Long-term efforts help students feel connected, supported, and inspired from their first days on campus.

Today’s job market evolves rapidly, and the gap between academia and industry can shift just as quickly. That’s why Franklin is committed to helping students navigate new opportunities, understand emerging fields, and build adaptable skills. Our internship and career coordinators, faculty mentors, and alumni partners work together to bring industry insights directly to students—through internships, site visits, workshops, and entrepreneurial programming.

Franklin students are driven, intellectually curious, and eager to make a difference. We believe they deserve an environment where academic excellence and career success reinforce one another. We know employers are increasingly seeking graduates who can think critically, communicate clearly, adapt quickly, and solve complex problems. That’s exactly what a Franklin education delivers.