APPAM Career and PhD Program Fair
APPAM is excited to host the fourth annual Career and PhD Program Fair this fall to connect employers and schools to students and seasoned professionals in the fields of public policy, management, and administration. This event is an opportunity for APPAM student members, recent graduates, and professional job seekers to connect with organizations for informational discussions about careers that typically attract public policy graduates, in addition to current and future openings. The fair is also an opportunity for PhD programs to host an informational table to talk about their program offerings with interested students. The fair will be held in conjunction with our Annual Fall Research Conference at the Marriott Copley Place in Boston this November.
November 6, 1:00 - 3:00 PM | Marriott Copley Place | Boston, MA
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The APPAM Career & PhD Program Fair is a low-cost way to promote your organization or related PhD program. Since 2023, the APPAM fair hosted an average 500 prospective PhD students & job seekers, along with more than 50 organizations and universities from around the world every year. Check out the 2023, 2024, and 2025 participants and see below for more information on this year's fair.
When: Friday, November 6, 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM, US Eastern Time
Where: Marriott Copley Place, Boston, Massachusetts
Cost:
- Exhibitors – Complimentary (you may add a fair table on your sponsor order form)
- APPAM Institutional Members – $150
- Non-Members – $250
APPAM is excited to welcome local and national employers to join our fourth annual Career & PhD Program Fair this November!
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Employer Table Package:
- One six-foot table with two chairs
- Standard conference wireless internet (not suitable for streaming)
- Three complimentary APPAM Career Connection job postings
- Two complimentary fair staff registrations (event access only)
Why should my organization participate?
In 2025, the Seattle conference hosted 2,400 attendees, about 1,200 professional and 900 students. Of the 900 students last year, 250 were in undergraduate or master's programs. Our diverse group of student members are from top undergraduate, master’s, and PhD programs studying policy, public management, public affairs, economics, health and education policy, political science, data science, and more. Some of the student members are just starting out & want to learn about potential career & degree paths, while most of our student body is already on the job market and eager to begin their post-graduate careers. Additionally, hundreds of seasoned policy researchers attend the fair for both active job seeking and potential prospects for down the road.
How do I participate?
Any college, university, institution, or organization that has an interest in hiring policy research professionals is welcome! Participants do not need to be APPAM institutional members, but institutional members receive a table discount. Participating employers are not required to be actively hiring or recruiting for a specific position. This can be used as an informational fair or an active hiring fair, depending on your organization's needs this fall.
Representatives will be expected to speak to APPAM members about possible careers and provide information about working in the field in general and in their organization specifically. This is a great opportunity for brand recognition and to engage with graduate students and experienced job seekers!
Please note that if you choose to have both a Career and a PhD Program table, you must have separate staff for both tables as the tables will not be next to each other.
Participating Employers
Check back soon!
PhD Program Tables
APPAM is excited to welcome back PhD programs! Space is limited so tables will be reserved on a first come, first served basis. The fair is open to any policy PhD program that is interested in sharing details of their program with conference attendees.
PhD Program Table Package:
- One six-foot table with two chairs
- Standard conference wireless internet (not suitable for streaming)
- Two fair staff registrations (event access only)
How do I participate?
Universities with relevant policy PhDs are welcome to reserve a table at the table. Participants do not need to be APPAM institutional members, but institutional members receive a table discount. Representatives will be expected to speak to APPAM members about possible degrees and provide information about their school's program. This is a great opportunity for brand recognition and to engage with potential PhD students!
Please note that if you choose to have both a Career and a PhD Program table, you must have separate staff for both tables as the tables will not be next to each other.
Participating PhD Programs
Check back soon!
The 2026 participating organizations will be added on a rolling basis starting in early summer.
Entering the job market soon: Meet with potential employers from Boston and all around the country to learn about how to prepare for the job market, what to expect from the interview & hiring process, typical hiring timelines, job opportunities & requirements, and much more.
Interested in a PhD: Meet with PhD Program representatives to learn about the differences between programs, what being a PhD student is like, what courses a particular program offers, and what kinds of benefits and services are offered to students.
Undergraduate or Master's student: Please join us for the Career Connections session immediately following the fair, from 3:30 - 5:00 PM. 2026 details will be available in late summer, but check out the 2025 Seminar in the meantime. This 90-minute session will feature a career panel and table breakout discussions with policy professionals. Additionally, there will be nearly 30 Professional Development and Student Research sessions scheduled throughout the three day conference that you can browse in the APPAM online program this fall.
Registration & Cost: The APPAM Career & PhD Program Fair is free to attend for conference registrants. RSVP will be requested during registration, but names will not be checked at the door. Conference registration will open in late July.
Please see the FAQ below or email Samantha Oliver Thomason, [email protected].