Teaching & Instruction
UChicago Career Advancement offers in-depth and immersive experiences that position you to launch careers in teaching and beyond. At UChicago, you have the opportunity to connect your Education and Society coursework with experiential learning opportunities in local schools via volunteer service, student groups, and career treks with local teachers, principals, and children.
Explore these short Careers in Teaching and Instruction videos, and resources below to chart your path to a successful career!
Sold on a career in teaching and instruction?
Find the role that's right for you:
- Teach 4th grade in an experimental school that emphasizes social-emotional learning
- Teach English abroad before returning to the states to pursue graduate studies
- Serve as a full-time teaching assistant as an AmeriCorps Member to help children get on track academically
1-5 Day Long Experiences
Job Shadowing and Career Treks
Dive deep into teaching via a day-in-the-life Job Shadowing experience, ‘Coffee Chats’, or a Trek visit with current teachers in local Chicago Public Schools, The Noble Network of Charter Schools, and more.
Specialized Programming
Gain specialized knowledge and build your network through opportunities such as UChicago Alumni Dinners, Meaning-Making for Educators, and the Education Summit that bring students together with leading professionals in the field.
Volunteer & Community Engagement
Develop your teaching skills and serve your community through numerous Civic Engagement programs and student groups like the Neighborhood Schools Program and Jumpstart!
Month-Long Experiences
Student Organizations
Develop your own work and skills as part of student clubs (RSOs) like Maroon Tutor Match, Friends of Washington Park, Peer Health Exchange, or Moneythink.
Metcalf Internships
Experience substantive internships in teaching and youth development throughout the academic year and into the summer with employers such as the Chicago Park District, Breakthrough Collaborative, Debate It Forward, or CPS Central Office through UChicago's Jeff Metcalf Internship Program.
Year-Long Experiences
Education and Society Minor
Shape your teaching interests by expanding your understanding of the education landscape through the Education and Society Minor. Courses address Child Poverty and Chicago Schools, Childhood Development in the Classroom, Learning and Memory, and Adolescent Development.
Graduate School and Teaching Fellowships
Gain specialized knowledge by enrolling in a UChicago graduate program and take advantage of the Susanne H. Rudolph Scholarship. Ready to enter the classroom or make a difference around the world? Consider a fellowship with organizations such as City Year, Teach for America, or the Peace Corps.
EdPros Selective Track
Build skills and grow your network through this three-year selective-track professional development opportunity, which includes a dedicated career advisor, customized programming, and a community of like-minded peers.
Policy & Research
Students in this space care deeply about education and want to help improve the system by using their analytical skills. UChicago Career Advancement offers many experiences to help you build skills and contribute while at the College and beyond.
You’ll have the opportunity to explore the breadth of the education policy and research fields that include advocacy groups, non-profits, think tanks, government entities, and much more.
Watch this short video and explore the resources below to chart your path to a successful career!
Sold on a career in education policy and research?
Find the role that's right for you:
- Procure teacher employment and job satisfaction data to examine teacher retention factors and recommend new ideas for a public school district
- Interview parents, teachers, and school leaders to study how social-emotional interventions affect learning outcomes for a charter school network
- Provide curriculum enhancement recommendations by identifying which learning features correlated with student success for an education non-profit
1-5 Day Long Experiences
Job Shadowing
Dive deep into analytical policy and research careers by meeting with current professionals working in the field with organizations such as Mathematica, Brookings Institute, and the Chicago Public Schools Office of Equity through UChicago's Job Shadowing Program.
Specialized Programming
Gain specialized knowledge through program opportunities such as policy brief writing, ‘Coffee Chats’ with alumni in the field of research, and Department of Education policy talks with leaders in the field.
Career Treks
Meet with the analysts, researchers, and advocates influencing education reform and educational equity on a Career Trek while visiting employers such as N.O.R.C., Urban Labs, Ounce of Prevention, and the City of Chicago.
Month-Long Experiences
Metcalf Internships
Experience substantive internships throughout the academic year and into the summer with employers such as Advance Illinois, the Chicago Public Schools Assessment Office, The Consortium on Urban School Reform, and EduDream through UChicago's Jeff Metcalf Internship Program.
Student Organizations
Develop your own work and skills as part of student clubs (RSOs) like LegUp, Comer Tutors, and Phoenix Tutoring.
Year-Long Experiences
Education and Society Minor
Shape your analytical skills and expand your understanding of the education landscape through the Education and Society Minor. Courses address Research in School Improvement, The Economics of Education, The Effects of Schooling, and Violence in the Early Years.
Graduate Programs
Gain specialized knowledge by enrolling in a graduate program, such as an MS in Data Analytics, MA in Public Policy, or other graduate programs at UChicago and take advantage of the Susanne H. Rudolph Scholarship.
EdPros Selective Track
Build skills and grow your network through this three-year selective-track professional development opportunity, which includes a dedicated career advisor, customized programming, and a community of like-minded peers.