Are you interested in using your career to build a sustainable future? Sustainability is a highly diverse career field that offers opportunities across many different industries, including STEM, nonprofits, green finance, and more!
Whether you’re interested in doing research as an environmental scientist, crafting green policies for governments, or designing sustainable products and business practices for companies, Career Advancement's UChicago Green Careers program can help you reach your goals!
UChicago Green Careers is a track within the Careers in Policy and Social Impact program and serves students interested in any aspect of sustainability.
Take advantage of the resources below to explore different career paths, gain experience, and launch your career in sustainability. This page also provides information on green programming across campus that you can get involved in, including academic programs, research institutes, and student life initiatives.
Learn more about sustainability at UChicago by visiting sustainability.uchicago.edu.
Personalized Advising
Will Lutterman, Assistant Director of Careers in Policy and Social Impact, oversees UChicago Green Careers and serves as the lead adviser for students interested in sustainability. Before coming to UChicago, Will gained exposure to many different aspects of sustainability in his previous positions with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, an energy management company, and consulting firms serving mission-based organizations. Will holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Environmental Studies from St. Olaf College and a Master’s in Higher Education Administration and Policy from Northwestern University. You can contact Will at wplutterman@uchicago.edu.
Green Careers Listhost
Sign up for the Green Careers listhost for weekly updates on internships, professional development events, and more! Select “Green Careers” from the dropdown list and press “Subscribe” to join the listhost.
Sustainability Jobs and Internships
A diverse range of employers recruit students for sustainability jobs and internships. To search for these opportunities on Handshake:
- Log in to your UChicago Handshake account
- Click “Jobs”
- Select “All Filters”
- Scroll down to “Labeled by Your School”
- Type and then click “green careers”
Sustainability employers who have hired candidates from UChicago include:
- Alliance for the Great Lakes
- Argonne National Laboratory
- Citizens Climate Lobby
- Conservation Law Foundation
- Delta Institute
- Earth Law Center
- Environment America
- Environmental Law & Policy Center
- Institute for Applied Ecology
- Marine Biological Laboratory
- Morton Arboretum
- The Nature Conservancy
- Shedd Aquarium
- Sierra Club
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center
Internship Cohort Programs
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.
Students who obtain qualifying Conservation Corps or Global Water Innovation Cohort internships participate in professional development programming together with their peers to explore the sustainability and conservation sectors.
To learn more about these programs, please contact Will Lutterman at wplutterman@uchicago.edu.
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. Attending a trek can help you connect with employers who are tackling sustainability challenges from many different perspectives. Treks are an excellent way to explore different career paths in sustainability and rapidly grow your professional network.
During Winter Break 2020, students explored sustainability from coast to coast with a virtual trek experience that included a diverse range of employers, including Conservation International, Open Lands, and the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Students on previous sustainability treks have engaged with conservation nonprofits, government agencies, policy think tanks, and technology companies from Boston, California, Chicago, and Washington, D.C.
Treks take place during winter, spring, and summer breaks. Visit the upcoming treks page to stay up to date on future treks!
Competitions, Workshops, and Networking Events
Gain hands-on experience and meet sustainability employers at Career Advancement professional development events. Programs in the 2021-2022 academic year include:
- Global Sustainability Industry Immersion (Fall 2021): Hear from alumni experts working at the intersection of international relations and sustainability in this virtual Industry Immersion!
- Climate Career Conference (Winter Quarter 2022): Learn about career pathways focusing on climate change, network with alumni, and hear from speakers in this half-day event!
- Introduction to Green Careers (Winter Quarter 2022): In this 45-minute workshop, we'll discuss what a 'green' career really is! You will learn about the different kinds of career pathways available, see real resumes of UChicago students, and be able to hear about different internship and job opportunities.
- Sustainability Innovation Challenge (Spring 2022): Partner up with fellow students to explore a social enterprise idea that tackles carbon emissions. More to come soon!
Sustainability Initiatives Across Campus
Looking for additional ways to get involved with environmental and sustainability initiatives at UChicago? Take advantage of the programs below, visit the "Get Involved" page of the UChicago sustainability website, or take a look at Registered Student Organizations (RSOs) on Blueprint using keyword and category filters.
- The Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC), a research hub for energy and environment at the university, offers a list of internal and external fellowships, jobs, and internships for UChicago students. EPIC also hosts events throughout the year and you can stay up-to-date by signing up for their weekly student newsletter.
- The Program on the Global Environment (PGE), which oversees the Environmental and Urban Studies major and minor, offers helpful materials for students including internship and job lists, professional resources, and alumni networking tools. Included among its internship offerings are those that will automatically count towards the major requirement. The department also hosts events throughout the year. Sign up for their listhost here!
- Environmental Frontiers, housed within the Mansueto Institute for Urban Innovation, offers an exciting way for students to get involved in sustainable urban development research both on and off campus. Explore the program’s webpage to learn more and read about past projects and former student researchers.
- 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. Learn more about these programs here.
Questions?
For more information about sustainability career resources, contact Will Lutterman at wplutterman@uchicago.edu.