Business | Education Professions | Entrepreneurship | Health Professions | Journalism, Arts, and Media | Law | Public and Social Service | Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

Business

The College provides no specific course of preprofessional studies to prepare students for graduate study in business administration. It is advisable for interested students to pursue a program of study that hones their quantitative, verbal, and written skills. In addition to course work required to complete their major, students should consider taking the following as electives.

ECON 19800	Introduction to Microeconomics	100
ECON 19900	Introduction to Macroeconomics	100
STAT 22000	Statistical Methods and Applications	100
ENGL 13000	Academic and Professional Writing (The Little Red Schoolhouse)	100
Up to six of the courses at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business that are open to qualified College students *

*	including BUSF 30000 Financial Accounting

Additional support is provided by the UChicago Careers in Business program. This structured and selective three-year program is organized and managed by Career Advancement. Applications are accepted from all students, regardless of their major, from Spring Quarter to mid-August of their first year. Components of the UChicago Careers in Business program include:

• Weekly mandatory business competencies workshops targeting career exploration, professional development, and technical skills acquisition

• Small group employer site visits to meet with and learn from professionals in the industry

• Industry experienced adviser team focused on preparing program participants to begin their careers in business and/or apply to graduate programs in business administration

• Mentoring opportunities by students from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business

• Minimum of three courses at Chicago Booth, one of which must be BUSF 30000 Financial Accounting

Most graduate business schools require applicants to take the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). Students planning to apply to graduate studies in business administration within two years of graduation should take the GMAT in the summer preceding their final year in the College; registration materials are available in Career Advancement. Graduate business schools typically expect matriculating students to have acquired several prior years of work experience.

Education Professions

To strengthen the University of Chicago's reputation as a "teacher of teachers," the College and Career Advancement launched UChicago Careers in Education Professions in the fall of 2012. UChicago Careers in Education Professions provides specialized preparation for students in pursuing careers in teaching as well as educational administration, research, and policy.

UChicago Careers in Education Professions is a selective program that provides a variety of resources for students, including advising, workshops, guest speakers, teacher-training programs, partnerships with public and private local schools, internship opportunities, and treks to various education institutions.

Advising: Students have access to one-on-one advising with the program director of UChicago Careers in Education Professions, an expert with extensive experience in education. The program director provides students with personalized assistance in career planning, finding job and internship opportunities that match their interests, and preparing application materials.

Workshops and Events: Workshops are held three times per academic term and cover an array of topics and issues in the field of education. Events have included a talk with U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and the first Urban Education Summit.

Metcalf Internship Opportunities and Career Treks: Education Professions is committed to offering students valuable internship opportunities at a wide range of education-focused organizations. In addition, the program offers career treks to Chicago area primary, secondary, and higher education institutions. During these treks, students have the opportunity to experience firsthand the work environments in these organizations.

Partnership with the Urban Education Institute: Through a close partnership with the Urban Education Institute (UEI), students have access to unparalleled resources:

Course Offering: In partnership with UEI, UChicago Careers in Education Professions is able to offer the following course to College students: PBPL 27821 Urban Schools and Communities.

Entrepreneurship

Students with an interest in starting a business, working at a start-up, or exploring entrepreneurial finance will find a wide range of resources available to them through UChicago Careers in Entrepreneurship. The goal of this pre-professional program is not to have every student start a business, but rather for every student to have the opportunity to be exposed to an entrepreneurial way of thinking through experiential learning opportunities that complement the Core curriculum.

In addition to organizing College-specific workshops and opportunities, this Career Advancement program also works closely with the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. College students are able to take advantage of world-class opportunities and resources available through the Polsky Center, including attending industry conferences, attending workshops organized by the MBA student–run Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital Club, and attending office hours with Entrepreneurs-in-Residence. Students are also able to take courses at Chicago Booth, notably an undergraduate-only section of Building the New Venture.

• The College New Venture Challenge, entering its third year, is an undergraduate-only business plan competition that enables students to go through the progression of discovering an idea, building a team, creating a proof of concept, and pitching to investors. Throughout the competition, students are engaged with mentors drawn from alumni and local entrepreneurs.
• Many student teams also enter competitions that are not sponsored by the University. Examples include competitions sponsored by Clinton Global Initiative, Clean Energy Trust, Net Impact, Enactus, Microsoft, Google, and Wal-mart, as well as competitions sponsored by such other universities as Stanford and MIT.
• Social entrepreneurship is a popular topic on campus with many student organizations, including Enactus, GlobeMed, Campus Catalyst, and Envision Do, supporting students who want to solve social and environmental issues through new innovations.
• Start-up careers and internships are another area of student interest. Many local companies participate in the Metcalf Internship program, and local start-up companies are encouraged to hire UChicago students through subsidies and other promotions. Of note, the University has a strong partnership with the 1871 incubator at the Merchandise Mart, placing 34 academic year interns in Winter Quarter 2013.
• In addition to bringing in alumni and local entrepreneurs as speakers, the program also engages with local angel investors and venture capital firms. Students have worked in associate roles while in school with such local groups as Hyde Park Angels and such international groups as Softbank and Sequoia Capital.
• Career treks are an outstanding way for students to meet with companies in various industries as well as learn about different regions of the country or the world. In addition to treks to Silicon Valley, UChicago Careers in Entrepreneurship looks to engage with other regional hubs of entrepreneurial opportunity, including New York City, Boston, Austin, and Chicago.

Health Professions

UChicago Careers in Health Professions (UCIHP) provides students with the resources and support to develop the knowledge, skills, competencies, and experiences required for advanced study in the health professions. The College’s broad and intellectually expansive liberal arts education, coupled with pre-health courses and support from UChicago Careers in Health Professions, is exceptional preparation for a career in health and medicine. Students develop the competencies required by graduate schools of the health professions, including: in-depth experience with the process of scientific inquiry; a facility in drawing linkages among scientific disciplines; strong critical thinking and communication skills; the ability to use mathematics to explain the natural world; mastery of basic principles of physics and chemistry; an understanding of the diversity of subject matter and methods of investigation in the biological sciences; and a sophisticated appreciation of the social context of health and medicine.

Upon meeting the College's general education requirements, students are encouraged to major in any discipline in which they have a strong interest, while fulfilling the following common entry requirements for advanced study in the field:

• 3 quarters of general chemistry with labs

• 3 quarters of organic chemistry with labs

• 3 quarters of biology with labs

• 3 quarters of physics with labs

• 1 quarter of biochemistry (strongly recommended)

• 3 quarters of a general education humanities sequence (recommended)

• 3 quarters of calculus (recommended)

• 1 quarter of statistics (recommended)

The Biological Sciences Collegiate Division (BSCD) offers several course sequences that prepare students for advanced study in the health professions. Students should consult the Biological Sciences page in this catalog and work closely with their College advisers to determine which sequence is most appropriate.

Students should be aware that the MCAT has expanded to include a section on Behavioral and Psychological Sciences aamc.org/students/applying/mcat/mcat2015/testsections. Students are encouraged to consider SOSC 18100 Topics in Behavioral and Social Sciences Relevant to Medicine or other course work within the Social Sciences Collegiate Division to assist in preparing for this section.

Students with a score of 5 on the Advanced Placement Chemistry Exam may accept credit for CHEM 11100-11200-11300 Comprehensive General Chemistry I-II-III and directly enroll in either CHEM 22000-22100-22200 Organic Chemistry I-II-III or CHEM 23000-23100-23200 Honors Organic Chemistry I-II-III. Alternatively, they can register for CHEM 12100-12200-12300 Honors General Chemistry I-II-III. Students who complete one to three quarters of Comprehensive General Chemistry or Honors General Chemistry forgo partial or full AP credit. Students who decide to use test credits and enroll in CHEM 22000-22100-22200 Organic Chemistry I-II-III or CHEM 23000-23100-23200 Honors Organic Chemistry I-II-III will need to supplement those credits with one quarter of BIOS 20200 Introduction to Biochemistry and one quarter of an upper-level chemistry course to be chosen in consultation with a health professions adviser.

Students who are unable to complete three quarters of a general education humanities sequence in their first year should plan to take a writing-intensive English course when their schedule allows. They should understand however, that this English course cannot be applied to the general education humanities requirement.

It is recommended that students work closely with their College advisers to choose courses appropriate to their level of preparation and interest. Although the College offers course sequences that fulfill all of the above requirements, some schools of the health professions have additional requirements. To ensure all requirements are met, students are also encouraged to check directly with the schools to which they intend to apply.

UChicago Careers in Health Professions supports students and alumni as they explore the health professions, among them allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medicine, nursing (PhD), dental (DDS) and podiatric (DPM) medicine, veterinary medicine (DVM), pharmacy (PharmD), and health services research (PhD). In addition to curricular assistance, UChicago Careers in Health Professions offers a wide range of cocurricular support that empowers students to achieve a high level of academic, professional, and personal success.

Students interested in the health professions should consult first with their College adviser and then with UChicago Careers in Health Professions, located in Harper Memorial Library, West Tower 406.

Journalism, Arts, and Media

Preparation for careers in journalism, arts, and media is as varied as the disciplines within these fields. Students majoring in music, cinema, theater, literature, and the visual arts will have course requirements determined for them by their respective departments. However, many University of Chicago graduates who majored in languages, fundamentals, and the natural and social sciences have gone on to have successful careers in journalism, publishing, entertainment, the arts, architecture, and design. While a conservatory or art-school education, for instance, is valuable for learning craft, the well-rounded and demanding liberal arts education offered by the College is perhaps the best preparation for a career in many of these fields.

UChicago Careers in Journalism, Arts, and Media compliments the College’s emphasis on academics with one-on-one career advising and programming designed to connect students with emerging and established professionals in the fields of journalism, publishing, visual art, music, film, television, theater, architecture, design, and more. Internships, mentorships, apprenticeships, and collaborations with working professionals provide students with the hands-on experience and deep networking needed to launch successful careers.

The program is organized and managed by Career Advancement. The components include:

• Individual advising to help students win internships and jobs in their particular areas of interest
• Workshops with leading practitioners to develop practical skills and networking opportunities
• UChicago Careers in Journalism, Arts, and Media–wide emphasis on building a body of work, including a stress on personal entrepreneurship
• Grants and apprenticeships to help support students working in unpaid internships and student-initiated projects
• Advising of registered student organizations to help them grow and improve

Law

The College curriculum provides excellent preparation for the study of law. More important than a specific major is the acquisition of certain skills necessary for the intelligent practice of law: the ability to communicate effectively in oral and written expression, a critical understanding of human institutions and values, and the ability to reason closely from given premises and propositions to tenable conclusions. Such skills can be developed in various majors and by taking courses in English language and literature, philosophy, American history, political science, mathematics, and economics.

Students interested in a career in law should use the resources provided by the UChicago Careers in Law program, which is organized and managed by the Career Advancement. UChicago Careers in Law supports students as they explore their interest in law through programming, internships, and advising.

Advising: Students have access to one-on-one advising with the program director of UChicago Careers in Law, an expert with extensive experience in the legal field. The program director provides students with personalized assistance in career exploration and planning, finding job and internship opportunities that match their interests, and preparing application materials for those positions. UChicago Careers in Law also assists students in targeting law schools, preparing successful applications, and choosing the most appropriate law school.

Workshops and Guest Speakers: UChicago Careers in Law workshops are held throughout the academic year and cover an array of current topics and issues in the field of law. These programs include alumni lawyers practicing in private, public, and nonprofit sectors who give students an accurate picture of professional experiences across a broad range of fields, including international law, corporate law, public interest, and government services.

Metcalf Internship Opportunities: Internships in law-related organizations provide students with on-the-job experience—which can be extremely useful in determining whether or not law is the correct path to take—and to explore different areas of legal practice. The Metcalf Internship Program provides paid, substantive internships exclusively to UChicago students.

Treks: UChicago Careers in Law students visit public and private institutions in order to gain exposure to a wide range of legal careers and workplaces. Several treks are available to students throughout the academic year and include opportunities to meet with attorneys in such major legal markets as Chicago and New York.

Public and Social Service

The public and social service sectors cover a wide range of opportunities in government and nonprofits, including domestic and international policy, direct social service, philanthropy and development, and nonprofit consulting and administration, among many others. The UChicago Careers in Public and Social Service program works with students interested in the government and nonprofit sectors, and encourages students of all majors to participate in UChicago Careers in Public and Social Service. Furthermore, since employers in these arenas look for individuals with a deep commitment to their organization's mission, students who pursue courses of study that are interesting and exciting to them will be most successful in government and nonprofit careers. Through their rigorous academic studies, University of Chicago students learn many essential skills necessary to contribute meaningfully in the service fields. These include extensive qualitative and quantitative research skills, the ability to analyze complex problems and develop creative and effective solutions, exemplary written and oral communication skills, and the ability to manage and prioritize numerous projects and commitments.

UChicago Careers in Public and Social Service, which is organized and managed by Career Advancement, is open to students at all levels, and students may join the program at any point during their College years. Students interested in public and social service are encouraged to meet with the UChicago Careers in Public and Social Service advisers to begin to explore their specific areas of interest. Numerous resources are offered to educate students about specific areas within public and social service and to connect them with alumni and employers in their chosen fields. These resources include:

• Paid internship opportunities with government agencies and nonprofit organizations
• Skill-building workshops to educate students about how to navigate job searches and careers in the public and social service sectors
• Information sessions with employers to help students learn about different organizations and agencies and the types of opportunities available for students of all levels
• Panels with alumni from a variety of fields to offer students networking opportunities and the opportunity to learn how University of Chicago graduates have translated their educations into careers in these sectors
• Treks to such locations as Washington, DC, New York City, Chicago, and Springfield to visit a variety of organizations and agencies to learn about public and social service work in the field

Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math

UChicago Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (UCISTEM) helps students explore, prepare for, and obtain careers or professional school placement in these fields. Students of any major may join UChicago Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, in which they have the opportunity to participate in an elective workshop curriculum in addition to such experiential learning options as research assistantships, internships, externships, and innovation competitions. Opportunities for mentorship, alumni networking, and one-on-one advising are readily available as well. UChicago Careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics students have gone on to successful graduate school programs and careers in a variety of fields, including alternative energy, biotechnology, entrepreneurship, and national laboratory research.

Components of the program include advising, workshops and expert speakers, the UCISTEM Engineering Graduate School Fair, research and internships opportunities, career treks, the Research Mentorship program, and connections with such University partners as the Institute for Molecular Engineering. Benefits may include:

• Exploration of the diverse career options in STEM fields through workshops led by alumni, industry treks, and facility tours to such Chicagoland organizations as Argonne National Laboratory
• Exposure to industry information, workplace cultures, and networks of alumni mentors and student peers on diverse industry treks such as the Houston Energy Trek or the Woods Hole Marine Biology Trek
• Opportunities to hone skill sets for graduate school applications and employers such as GRE preparation and programming skill sets
• Finding laboratory positions on campus or off campus through the Metcalf Internship Program
• Gaining real-world experience and putting skill sets into action while participating in innovation or other competitions such as the College New Venture Challenge