Careers in Biological Sciences
From CRISPR gene editing technology to global climate change solutions, biologists are using new breakthroughs to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges. UChicago offers a world-class biological sciences curriculum and comprehensive career support to prepare students for these rewarding careers, including bioengineering, biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, public health, sustainability, and more. Students of all years and majors are welcome!
Pathways
Explore all of the pathways within biological sciences, and start your journey today impacting science, healthcare, and society through the study and application of biological principles.
Computation and Engineering in the Life Sciences (CELLS)
CELLS helps students use the tools of computer science and data analytics to answer big questions in the life sciences. Cohort members receive two years of comprehensive support to help them begin careers in biotech, bioinformatics, neuroscience, pharmacology, and more.
Personalized Advising
Careers in Biological Sciences offers advising support to students of all years and majors. Students receive personalized coaching based on their interests and can take advantage of individual time with our advisers when preparing job and graduate school applications. Students can make an appointment with our advisers online through UChicago Handshake under both the Careers in Science, Computation, and Innovation and Careers in Health Professions.
EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
Gain hands-on experience and meet employers and alumni at Career Advancement professional development events and competitions. Programs in the 2021-2022 academic year include:
- Biological Sciences & Healthcare Innovation Challenge: This team competition focuses on assessing and providing the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically focusing on drug development and distribution, and recommending improvements (be they systemic, biotechnological, policy, etc.) to better prepare for subsequent health crises.
- Biology Explorers: Launch your exploration of biology career pathways in an interactive 5 week-long series of workshops and talks with innovative industry experts, leading researchers, and faculty.
- Engineering Career Forum: The Engineering Career Forum focused on immunoengineering, bioengineering, and other interdisciplinary engineering themes connecting students with employer including IsoPlexis, LanzaTech, Abbott, Twist Bioscience, Genentech, and BillionToOne.
- Climate Career Conference: Learn about career pathways focusing on climate change, network with alumni, and hear from speakers in this half-day event!
- Biological Sciences Careers Pathways Spotlight: Learn about Biological Sciences career pathways through workshops, keynote talks, and panels with employers and graduate programs from across the globe.
- Sustainability Innovation Challenge: Partner up with fellow students to explore a social enterprise idea that tackles carbon emissions.
CAREER TREKS
Career “treks” are experiences that give students the opportunity to meet multiple employers in their field of interest from a specific city or region. Past treks have showcased biology career paths in Boston, North Carolina, and San Francisco. Trek participants visited companies including Biogen, Impossible Foods, as well as graduate programs. Treks take place during winter, spring, and summer breaks. Visit the upcoming treks page to stay up to date on future treks!
GET EXPERIENCE
The Jeff Metcalf Internship Program provides 4,000 paid substantive internships to students each year across a variety of career fields. Students studying biology can intern and work with leading industry experts at the forefront of biological research and innovation as biotech companies, government agencies, “green” organizations, and pharmaceutical firms.
For example, University of Chicago students have had opportunities to work with a number of organizations in these exciting fields, such as: 3TBiosciences, Cascade Forest Conservancy, the Center for Disease Control, Heat Biologics, and the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center.
Additionally, the University of Chicago is closely affiliated with the Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA, which offers multiple educational, research, and career opportunities for students interested in biology and environmental science including an annual summer internship program. Learn more about these programs here.
Finally, for students interested in exploring the sustainability and conservation sectors, the UChicago Conservation Corps and the Global Water Innovation Cohort are cohort-based professional development programs. They support students from a variety of backgrounds who have secured internship opportunities in the areas of sustainability, clean energy, water engineering, environmental policy, and environmental conservation and rehabilitation across the country. To learn more about these programs, please contact Will Lutterman at wplutterman@uchicago.edu.
SUPPORT THE PROGRAM
Careers in Biological Sciences could not succeed without the support of alumni and experienced professionals. If you are an employer or practitioner in a biology-oriented field, please consider getting involved in our career treks, participating in our signature events, hosting an intern, and donating to the program. If you are interested in any of these options or have ideas of your own, please contact Dave Lerner at dlerner@uchicago.edu.