First Year Career Cohorts

The AI, Computer Science & Data Science cohort empowers first-year students to explore the vast landscape of computing, from software engineering and artificial intelligence to cybersecurity, data science, and more.

Sample Programs

Early Careers in Technology: UChicago Recent Grad Panel
Paths to Tech: Engaging with Leading Recruitment Professionals
The UChicago Tech Network: Alumni Mixer
Career Advancement in Tech: Skill-Building Workshop Series
Chicago Tech Immersion: Company Visits & Career Conversations

Sample Employers

Abbvie
Amazon
Apple
Argonne
eBay
Epic
Google
IBM
Meta
OpenAI
Palantir Technologies
Snowflake
TikTok

Questions?

Please contact Joey Velez at jvelez09@uchicago.edu.

The Arts & Humanities cohort helps students discover career paths that share storytelling, artistic production, and communication at their core, as well as explore the dynamic changes that these industries are undergoing. This fall-quarter program brings together early-career students focused on combining the robust UChicago Arts and Humanities curriculum with cutting-edge skill development to prepare to make an impact on film, literature, visual arts, music, gaming, theatre, animation, academia and more.

Sample Programs

• JAMfest: Creativity, Communication, and Convergence – a day-long series of panels and workshops on the changing nature of careers in Journalism, Arts, and Media

• Careers in Publishing: The UChicago Press

• The Art of the Biography

• Careers in Film with Directors, Screenwriters and Producers

• The World of Animation and VFX

Sample Employers

• ABC News

• Art Institute of Chicago

• Disney

• Penguin Random House

• Film Independent

• UChicago Press

• Simon & Schuster

• The New York Times

• The Point Magazine

• The Goodman Theater

• HBO

• Red Wagon Pictures

Questions?

Please contact Ben Waltzer at waltzer@uchicago.edu.

The Business cohort empowers first-year students to explore the dynamic world of business, from finance and consulting to entrepreneurship, marketing, and more.

Sample Programs

Recruiting Readiness: Building a World-Class Business Resume
Excelling in the Interview: Business Behavioral and Technical Preparation
Building Technical Skills: Excel Best Practices and Data Analysis
Making an Impact: Leadership Development for Business and Finance
Building Business Acumen: Exploring Business Career Pathways

Sample Employers

Accenture
Amazon Bain & Company Boston Consulting Group
Capital One
Evercore
Goldman Sachs
Google
JPMorgan Chase
McKinsey & Company
Morgan Stanley
PwC
UBS
Walmart

Questions?

Please contact Jackson Lehmar at jlehmar@uchicago.edu

The Biological Sciences cohort empowers first-year students to explore careers at the intersection of biology and data, spanning biotech, bioinformatics, neuroscience, pharmacology, and more, by harnessing the power of computer science and analytics to answer big questions in the life sciences.

Sample Programs

Early Careers in Computational Biology: Kickoff Event
Internship Preparation & Application Workshop
Life After UChicago: Alumni in Computational Life Sciences
Phoenix Biology Lab Night and BSCD Fellowship Info Session
Beyond the Lab: Employer Spotlights & Career Conversations
Cohort Lab Tours

Sample Employers

AbbVie
Argonne National Laboratory
Biogen
Broad Institute
Genentech
Ginkgo Bioworks
GlaxoSmithKline
Illumina
Moderna
National Institutes of Health
Pfizer
Tempus
Tessera Therapeutics

Questions?

Please contact Brittany Wisniewski at bwisniewski@uchicago.edu.

The Education cohort empowers students to explore the vast landscape of education via a curriculum that includes professional development workshops, career treks, funded internships, and guest speakers including faculty, administrators, and employers.

Sample Programs

Local treks to education-focused organizations
Professional networking sessions with employers over lunch
Panels and conversations with professionals in the field
Skill building workshop series

Sample Employers

Advance Illinois
High Jump Chicago
Chicago Public Schools
Forging Opportunities for Refugees in America
Institute for Educational Leadership
Teach for America
City Year Chicago
University of Chicago Consortium on School Research
Play Smart Literacy

Questions?

Please contact Swapna Shaw at srshaw@uchicago.edu

The Entrepreneurship cohort creates a platform for first-year students to engage with founders and the startup community to learn more about the ideation process, raising capital, and building a company.

Sample Programs

Journey to Entrepreneurship Panel
Startup Fundraising Process
Storytelling: How to Pitch your Startup
Working in a Startup Panel
How to Secure a Startup Internship Workshop

Sample Employers

CareLumi
Blockalicious
KindEd
SkinIO
Techstars
Sifty
Three Pillars
TipTop Technologies

Questions?

Please contact Derek Scalf at dscalf@uchicago.edu

The Global Health cohort introduces students to diverse global and public health career paths including think tanks, multilaterals, government, and domestic and international nonprofits. Students will explore the connections between global, national, and local public health issues and the research, communication and collaboration skills needed to address them.

Sample Programs

Career Exploration Week in New York
Introduction to Global Health Careers
Global Health Policy Case Challenge
Public Health Research Careers & Skill Building Overview
Preparing for your non-profit summer internship
Employer Spotlight Sessions with International NGOs with International Rescue Committee, Medecins Sans Frontieres and WHO
Mentorship and Networking Dinners with Global Health Scholars

Sample Employers

mWater
NYC Health + Hospitals
International Aids Foundation
International Rescue Committee
Central American Network of Health Informatics
Population Services International

Questions?

Please contact Maha Ezalarab at ezalarab@uchicago.edu.

The Healthcare cohort program helps first-year students kickstart their career discernment journey in clinical roles such as physicians, dentists, social workers, and more. This program will introduce students to professional development resources and activities they can utilize to pursue careers as skilled, compassionate, and dedicated care providers.

Sample Programs

CIH Welcome Mixer (employer, pre-health RSO, and grad school fair at the start of each school year)
Pre-Med Bootcamp for Incoming 1^st Years and Transfer Students
Q&A Panel with Current Med Students
“Beyond the Clinic” Speaker Series for students considering non-provider roles

Sample Employers

Brigham & Women’s Hospital
Chicago Center for HIV Elimination
Dimension Bio
Heartland Alliance
Illinois Department of Public Health
Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago
Mayo Clinic
MD Anderson Cancer Center
Yale School of Medicine

Questions?

Please contact Elise Gruneisen at egruneisen@uchicago.edu.

The Law cohort helps first-year students kickstart their career discernment journey in the legal field by introducing them to resources and activities they can utilize to plan their journey to law school and a legal career.

Sample Programs

Legal Resume Writing Workshop
How to Get (and Thrive in) a Legal Internship
Exploring Civil Discourse in an Adversarial Profession
Networking at your Legal Internship
Professional Communications in Legal Workplaces

Sample Employers

Brooklyn Defenders Service
Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Harriet Buhai Center for Family Law
Hudson Valley Justice Center
International Refugee Assistance Project
Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office
Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund
NYU Law School’s Policing Project
Ropes & Gray
Sidley Austin
University of Chicago Law School

Questions?

Please contact Priya Laroia at plaroia@uchicago.edu.

The Policy, Government, and Nonprofits cohort introduces students to a range of public policy career paths including think tanks, state and local government offices, and nonprofits. Students will explore policy research, constituent services, communications, development, and other functional areas within these industries.

Sample Programs

Local Nonprofit Careers Speaker Series
Policy and Government Careers Alumni Dinner and Panel
Skills for Policy Research Careers Bootcamp
State Government Trek to Springfield
Think Tank Careers Virtual Lunch and Learn Series

Sample Employers

Center for Tax and Budget Accountability
Chicago Council on Global Affairs
Correctional Association of New York
Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights
Illinois State Treasurer's Office
Milken Institute
Northwest Immigrant Rights Project
Office of Alderwoman Jeylu Gutierrez, 14th Ward
Office of IL Governor J.B. Pritzker
Office of IL Senator Javier Cervantes
Office of U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth
Potomac Institute for Policy Studies
Step Up Women's Network

Questions?

Please contact Tala Ali-Hasan at talihasan@uchicago.edu.

The Quantum cohort empowers first-year students to explore dynamic careers in quantum technology! Programming will support students interested in both technical and business roles in quantum.

Sample Programs

Introduction to Quantum Careers & Chicago Quantum Landscape
Quantum in Finance: Quantum Applications Across Industries
Chicago Quantum Exchange Q-Ready Programming
Quantum Entrepreneur Networking Luncheon
Quantum Workshop & Skill Building Overview
Quantum Recruiting Forum
Germany Quantum Summer Fellows Program

Sample Employers

Argonne National Laboratory
Duality
EeroQ
qBraid
Infleqtion
Qblox
GLCT
Quantum Rings
Ingenii
HRL Laboratories
Qoro
Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory

Questions?

Please contact Lauren Banks at laurenbanks@uchicago.edu.

For more information about First Year Career Cohorts, please contact Beth Uding at uding@uchicago.edu.