OUR MISSION

Venture Fellows is a year-long fellowship for full-time McCombs MBAs with a strong interest in venture capital and private equity. Since 1999, we've partnered with leading VC and PE firms across the country to give Fellows a full year of hands-on investing experience — while giving our partner firms access to motivated, well-prepared MBA talent.

FELLOWSHIP EXPERIENCE

• The internship: Each Fellow is placed with a partner VC or PE firm for the full academic year — spring and fall semesters. Fellows contribute 12–18 hours a week to real work: deal sourcing, market research, diligence, and portfolio company support. Internships are structured as a course requirement and are unpaid.

• The curriculum: The fellowship includes a 6-credit, two-semester course covering the full spectrum of private investing — from early-stage venture to later-stage PE and buyouts. Weekly sessions feature GPs, LPs, and founders on topics the Fellows help shape, alongside hands-on work in valuation, financial modeling, term sheet negotiation, and investment committee simulations.

• National treks: Twice a year, Fellows travel together to meet leading VC and PE firms in cities like New York, San Francisco, and Miami. The treks are one of the most distinctive parts of the program — a chance to build relationships with investors across the country outside of a classroom setting.

NETWORK

One of the most lasting benefits of Venture Fellows is the community it creates. Fellows spend a full year working, learning, and traveling together — and those relationships tend to stick.

With 450+ alumni now working across venture capital, private equity, startups, and large companies, the Venture Fellows network is active and genuinely engaged. Alumni regularly return to the program as mentors, speakers, and advisors — and are known for looking out for the Fellows who come after them.

Our partner firms span the country, from Austin-based funds to leading firms in New York, San Francisco, and beyond. Each year, we work with a select group of VC and PE firms to place Fellows in meaningful internship experiences.

OUTCOMES

Venture Fellows alumni have gone on to full-time roles at some of the most respected firms in private equity and venture capital.

Past placements include Blackstone, Vista Equity Partners, Evercore, Silverton Partners, S3 Ventures, and many others. Fellows have also gone on to roles at high-growth startups, leading corporations, and investment banks — carrying the skills and relationships they built during the program into whatever comes next.

Many alumni stay close to the program long after graduation — coming back as mentors, hosting Fellows at their firms, and helping the next class find their footing in the industry.

OUR PARTNERS

Each year we partner with leading VC and PE firms—locally and nationwide—to secure premier internships for our Fellows.