In 2008, the William F. Sharpe Fellows Program was created by the UCLA Department of Economics and their Board of Visitors to engage UCLA alumni, community members, and employers in supporting the career and professional development needs of UCLA’s business undergraduates. Named in honor of Nobel Laureate and UCLA alumnus William F. Sharpe, the program has been successful in bringing together top employers with UCLA’s brightest students interested in pursuing business careers. Today, the program is run by the UCLA Alumni Association staff in collaboration with the Department of Economics and their Board of Visitors to strengthen the Bruin community in business.
Benefits
Leadership Development
Sharpe Fellows are campus role models; many are rising stars among their respective campus communities and serve on executive roles across various student organizations. As our next generation of business leaders, Sharpe Fellows also spend their Fellowship year refining their leadership skills beginning with the Leadership Foundations portion of orientation.
The program helps equip Sharpe Fellows with the competencies and knowledge to be successful leaders and global citizens. Because of this, candidates for the Sharpe Fellows Program should demonstrate an excitement for and commitment to developing key aspects of leadership including purpose, impact, commitment, responsibility, accountability and civic engagement. Candidates should also exhibit a proactive, go-getter approach to career development, demonstrated through active participation in relevant treks (company visits) organized by the program team to provide Fellows access to top organizations, as well as a genuine interest in leadership growth and civic engagement. For the civic engagement portion of the program, Sharpe Fellows alumni that are current students spend the remainder of their time at UCLA giving back by serving as mentors to Sharpe Fellows and other students interested in business at UCLA.
Career Development
Sharpe Fellows receive assistance securing and preparing for a summer internship through training and by leveraging an exclusive network of connections and partnerships with alumni, industry leaders, and Alumni Affairs staff. Currently, the Fellowship provides support for students pursuing summer internships in investment banking, finance, management consulting, and technology.
Through the Career Development Foundations portion of the orientation, Sharpe Fellows receive training on how to successfully secure an internship and how to effectively network.
Each Sharpe Fellow has access to receive the following:
- Individualized career coaching and industry introductions to help launch a successful career through virtual office hours
- Resume inclusion in a resume book that is distributed widely to employers
- Opportunities to be selected for the Bruin Champions program whereby the program sends your resume to alumni in top organizations with the understanding that the alum will advocate for you within the organization
UCLA Sharpe Fellows Class of 2026 reported accepting summer internships at the following top organizations: Bank of America, CBRE, Citi, Ernst and Young, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Lazard, McKinsey & Company, Moelis & Company, NBC Universal, Perella Weinberg Partners, PIMCO, PwC, Qualcomm, Uber, UBS, Warner Bros. Discover and Wells Fargo.
Mentorship & Networking
Upon being named a Sharpe Fellow, each student is paired with one alumni mentor with relevant industry experience. The alumni mentors have at least 1 year of full-time professional experience, although most alumni mentors have extensive years of work and knowledge. The alumni mentors serve as resources as Sharpe Fellows navigate summer internship recruitment and can also provide broader career planning advice.
Sharpe Fellows also have exclusive access to a network of over 800+ Sharpe Fellows alumni that are either rising leaders or leaders in the business world, and other alumni invested in the professional success of UCLA students. This Fellowship is especially valuable for those looking to expand and deepen their professional network and are self-motivated to connect with UCLA alumni in advancing their career.
Program Commitment
The 2026-2027 UCLA Sharpe Fellows will be one cohort made up four sections based on each vertical (investment banking, finance, consulting, and technology) that all meet in-person for the two required session of the program:
- Orientation: Leadership and Career Development Foundations – Friday, September 18 from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. PT at the James West Alumni Center on the UCLA campus
- Networking Night – Tuesday, September 29 at a location in the Los Angeles area (more details to follow)
All other activities in the program are optional but strongly encouraged in order to maximize the full range of opportunities offered through the program.
As a Sharpe Fellow, it is required to actively participate in the mandatory Orientation and Networking Night. While the program partners with you to strengthen your career outcomes, each fellow is ultimately responsible for their own professional development. By applying for the Sharpe Fellows Program, you understand and acknowledge that attendance at required programming is mandatory and you are responsible for taking ownership of your career.
Program Eligibility
- Undergraduate students, enrolled full-time (12+ units) at UCLA during the 2026-27 academic year
- Expected graduation date of December 2028, March 2029 or June 2029
- Minimum 3.5 GPA
Events
| ACTIVITY | DATE / TIME |
| Sharpe Fellows Peer Mentorship | July - August |
| Mandatory Full Day Orientation at JWAC | Friday, September 18 from 8:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. PT at JWAC |
| Mandatory Bruins in Business & Tech Networking Night | Tuesday, September 29 from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. PT |
| Finance & Consulting Los Angeles Trek (Company Visits) | Friday, September 25; Friday, October 2; Friday, October 9; Friday, October 16 |
| Alumni Mentorship Pairings | September - June |
| Investment Banking New York Trek (Company Visits) | Monday, December 14 - Tuesday, December 15 |
| Technology & Consulting Bay Area Trek (Company Visits) | Monday, December 14 - Tuesday, December 15 |
| Optional Virtual Office Hours | September - June |
| How to Secure the Full-Time Offer | Thursday, April 8 from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. PT |
| End-of-Year Sharpe Fellows Reception | Friday, May 7 |
Application Process
The Sharpe Fellows Program annually selects top-notch UCLA undergraduate students going into business, and are supported by alumni, community members, and employers who are invested in the career and professional development needs of Sharpe Fellows. Prospective candidates must have a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in business administration. Successful candidates should also have an interest in leadership development and a genuine enthusiasm for civic engagement.
Candidates will be asked to submit a well-crafted resume. Candidates interested in private equity should apply for the investment Banking industry vertical. After a review of all applications, selected students will be invited to participate in in-person interviews with UCLA alumni at the UCLA Career Center (virtual interviews for transfer applicants).
The 2026-2027 application timeline for Rising Sophomores (current UCLA Freshmen) is below:
[SHARPE FELLOWS APPLICATION FOR CURRENT UCLA FRESHMEN IS CLOSED]
| ACTIVITY | TIMELINE |
| Applications Opens | Monday, March 2 |
| Hybrid Information Session | Tuesday, April 14 from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. PT at JWAC/Zoom |
| Application Deadline | Monday, April 20 at 11:59 p.m. PT |
| Applicants Notified If Advancing or Not Advancing to Interviews | Week of May 4 - 8 |
| In-Person Interviews with Alumni for All Industry Verticals | Friday, May 15 and Friday, May 22 at UCLA Career Center |
| Students Notified of Final Decisions & Deadline to Confirm Participation | Late June |
The 2026-2027 application timeline for transfers (prospective UCLA students) is below:
[SHARPE FELLOWS APPLICATION FOR UCLA TRANSFER APPLICANTS IS NOW OPEN]
| ACTIVITY | TIMELINE |
| Applications Opens | Monday, May 11 |
| Virtual Information Session (RSVP here by Wednesday, May 27) | Thursday, May 28 from 12:00 - 1:00 p.m. PT on Zoom |
| Application Deadline | Monday, June 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT |
| Virtual Interviews with Alumni for All Industry Verticals | Friday, June 12 |
| Students Notified of Final Decisions & Deadline to Confirm Participation | Late June |
Contact Us
If you have any questions, want more information about the UCLA Sharpe Fellows Program, or are interested in hiring Sharpe Fellows, please contact Ella Rae Columbres at ecolumbres@support.ucla.edu Associate Director of Alumni Career Engagement, UCLA Alumni Affairs.
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