Metadata
Title
First Year Career Cohorts
Category
general
UUID
2001e386afbb4ea3bfa51d4daab99e29
Source URL
https://careeradvancement.uchicago.edu/class-of-2030/student-programs/first-year...
Parent URL
https://careeradvancement.uchicago.edu/
Crawl Time
2026-03-09T06:54:00+00:00
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First Year Career Cohorts

Source: https://careeradvancement.uchicago.edu/class-of-2030/student-programs/first-year-career-cohorts/ Parent: https://careeradvancement.uchicago.edu/

First Year Career Cohorts help first year students get on the fast track to success with specialized programming and advising. 100% of participants receive funding for a summer internship!

Applications for the Class of 2030 will open on April 8. All incoming students are eligible to apply, including new transfer students. Students will participate in programming during Autumn Quarter of their first year.

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

Sample Employers

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 Tony Abeyta at tabeyta@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 1st 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.