Internships & Experiential Learning

Pitch Your Own Internship

Looking for internship funding? Want to intern with an organization you’re passionate about and work on a project that jives with your academic and professional interests? Pitch your idea to UChicagoGRAD! We invite proposals twice each year, with deadlines on February 15 (all students) and July 6 (PhD students only). Unsure when to apply? Review the infographic below. Want more information on the application process? Scroll to the program details below.

GGI Pitch Program Details

• The Program
• The Process
• What We Look For
• Dates
• Past Projects

The Program

UChicagoGRAD’s GRAD Global Impact (GGI) Pitch program funds UChicago graduate students to spend their summers in self-devised internships with host organizations of their choice. Since its inception in 2015, the program has facilitated over hundreds of internships in Chicago and around the world.

Pitching an Internship

Each year, students are invited to submit proposals for 250-hour summer internships with nonprofits, university entities, or small startups that are otherwise unable to pay interns. Students should work with these organizations to collaboratively design internship projects that have a meaningful impact on the organization and the student’s career. Selected students then receive $6000 stipends to complete the internships they pitched.

Internships can take one of two forms:

1. Students collaborate with host organizations to develop one-of-a-kind internships tailor-made for a student’s interests and goals. (This is the preferred internship form.)
2. Students apply to receive funding for pre-existing, unpaid internships with eligible organizations. (Note: We realize that interview and offer schedules for pre-existing internships may not align with the GGI interview timeline. In such cases, selected students will be awarded “conditional” funding, meaning that UChicagoGRAD will agree to fund them if they are selected.)

Applications are due February 15 for summer opportunities (all students) or July 6 for academic-year opportunities (PhD students only). Students may only submit a proposal for one internship. The award is not transferable to another internship.

Hours & Timing

GGI internships must be a minimum of 250 hours in duration, and they should take place during Summer Quarter. The student and organization can work together to determine the exact number of hours per week and the exact weeks in which the internship will occur.

The Process

Submission

Applicants should first choose an organization with which they would like to intern and make contact as soon as possible. Then, applicants should work their potential host to develop a project that complements the student’s academic research and career goals. Applicants then submit a written proposal (in the form of a cover letter) and a resume or CV to UChicagoGRAD.

UChicagoGRAD career advisors are available to answer questions before and during the application process. You can meet with an advisor to get feedback on GGI application materials or to discuss strategies for making connections with host organizations.

Interviews, Offers, and Confirmation

Applicants selected for an interview will have a 20-minute meeting with two members of the selection committee. Awardees will then be notified, and UChicagoGRAD will verify the project details with host organizations. We will also contact research advisors (for late-year PhD students), Directors of Graduate Studies (for early-year PhD students), or Deans of Students (for Master’s students) to confirm that awardees are in good academic standing. See the “GGI Pitch Dates” section below for a full timeline.

Other Programming & Requirements

Shortly before the end of the academic year, all recipients will attend a prep session featuring a presentation on making the most of your internship, a panel discussion with past GGI interns, and a reception with fellow members of this year’s GGI cohort. Following the conclusion of their internship, recipients will also be asked to submit a reflection essay. Finally, recipients may be asked to serve as mentors for the following year’s cohort of interns.

Non-Transferability of Award Funding

GGI Pitch funding is granted for the specific purpose of supporting the internship experience described during the selection process. While projects may change, students are not permitted to switch host organizations.

What We Look For

Applicants must submit a resume and/or CV and a cover letter describing their project. Specific dates are outlined below.

Resume/CV

In general, a traditional resume is preferred, but UChicagoGRAD will accept a CV if it is more appropriate for the internship you are proposing.

Cover Letter

Your cover letter should address 5 key questions:

1. What is your project? Please be as detailed as possible in providing an overview. We look for projects that are specific, well-defined, and encompass a scope that is realistic for a summer internship.
2. What relevant conversations have you had with your host organization?
3. How does your project draw on the academic work you have done so far and/or advance your future academic goals?
4. How will this opportunity advance your professional goals?
5. What impact will your project have on the mission of the host organization?

Eligibility

GGI Pitch candidates must be enrolled full-time in a degree-granting graduate program at UChicago at the time of application. This includes students who meet these criteria but will have graduated by the time they begin their internship. Both domestic and international students are eligible. A student may hold up to two GGI-funded internships during their time at UChicago.

Other Funding Sources

The GGI Pitch program provides some financial support for students who are participating in otherwise unpaid (or underpaid) opportunities. While you are encouraged to consider other potential funding sources to support your internship, UChicagoGRAD will only award a stipend that brings the total support for this experience up to $6000. This condition does not include regular student support that you may receive unrelated to this internship. It does apply to funds supplied directly by the host or by another granting unit, intended to support this experience. If the amount awarded from another source is less than $6000, UChicagoGRAD will award a stipend amount for the difference between these awards.

2021 GGI Pitch Dates

January 4, 2021: Applications open

• Search for “Pitch” or requisition “67859” in the “Jobs” section of GRAD Gargoyle to submit your materials.

January 14 and 15, 2021: GGI Pitch info sessions at UChicagoGRAD

• Info sessions about the program and application expectations will be held via Zoom on January 14 from 4:00-5:00 p.m. CT and January 15 from 12:30-1:30 p.m. CT.
• Please RSVP in GRAD Gargoyle if you plan to attend by clicking Events > Info Sessions. The info sessions are listed with UChicagoGRAD as the employer. Click the session you wish to attend, and an RSVP button will be at the bottom of the screen.

February 15, 2021: Applications due

February 22, 2021: Interview invitations sent

February 25 – March 5, 2021: Interviews take place

March 11, 2021: Conditional awards offered

• UChicagoGRAD will also confirm recipients’ good academic standing with their research advisor or Dean of Students as applicable and confirm individual project plans with host organizations.

April 22, 2021: Award status confirmed

May 11, 2021: Stipends requested

GGI Final-Year PhD Internship Program

Are you about to graduate with your PhD and interested in pursuing an internship? The GGI Final-Year PhD internship program gives you the chance to pursue a paid ($6,000) internship in academia, industry, nonprofits, or government.

Final-Year PhD internships allow you to use your graduate training and develop new skills that equip you for the career path of your choice. You can either create an internship project in collaboration with a host organization or apply to an existent internship program. Internships take place during your final academic year at UChicago (before you graduate with your PhD) or directly following graduation.

Internship Prerequisites

To qualify for the GGI Final-Year PhD internship program, you must fulfill prerequisites, including:

• Schedule an appointment with your career advisor to discuss the program and subsequent steps
• Explore career options during a one-on-one career advising appointment or participate in a Career Exploration Seminar
• Work with you career advisor to put together and refine a resume and cover letter

Application Process

Meet with your UChicagoGRAD career advisor to receive full instructions on how to apply for Final-Year PhD internship funding. Application deadlines are every other month throughout the year (January 1, March 1, May 1, July 1, September 1, and November 1). Questions? Contact Kathrin Kranz at kranz@uchicago.edu.

2020-21 Cohort

	STUDENT	HOST
	ROWAN BAYNE PhD Student, English	Calgary Queer Arts Society, Alberta, Canada Expanded and reimagined programming around the Calgary Pride festival
	BOWEN BAO MS Student, Computer Science	HeartBioPortal, Chicago, IL Developed a web application to support doctors and biomedical researchers in searching for guidelines and data supplements used in diagnosing cardiovascular disease
	XHESIKA BARDHI MA Student, Middle Eastern Studies	Hyde Park Refugee Project, Chicago, IL Lead a college-readiness program, promoted language-acquisition, and engaged in development work at a local refugee resettlement organization
	SONJA CASTANEDA PhD Student, Political Science	Center for Alaska Education Policy Research, Anchorage, AK Conducted a research project on the role of state-tribal compacting in K-12 education
	ABHIMANYU CHANDRA PhD Student, South Asian Languages and Civilizations	The Caravan, New Delhi, India Published interview and narrative pieces for a leading Indian magazine
	LIVIA DEWAELE MA Student, International Relations	Institute for Strategic Dialogue, London, England Collabored on ISD's European Polarization Index Project, which aims to create a standardized way of measuring polarization
	OMER EREN PhD Student, Linguistics	Laz Institute, Istanbul, Turkey Contributed to the maintenance of the endangered Laz language by creating an advanced course book
	SUAY SEYMA ERKUSOZ PhD Student, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations	The Oriental Institute, Chicago, IL Enhanced the informative and visual aspects of the OI's Syro-Anatolian exhibitions
	ANEESAH ETTRESS MDiv Student, Divinity School	Los Angeles Education Partnership, Los Angeles, CA Conducted fund development work, including soliciting corporate sponsorships and hosting small-scale fundraising events, for a nonprofit that advances educational equity
	MARISSA FENLEY PhD Student, English and Theater and Performance Studies	Theater Director and Designer Tom Lee, New York, New York and Tokyo, Japan Provided dramaturgical support for The Akutagawa Project, developed in collaboration with puppeteer Koryu Nishigawa V
	MOLLY GIBSON MA Student, Social Service Administration	EverThrive Illinois, Chicago, IL Supported the planning stages of an evaluation project at a nonprofit by helping to create infrastructure to guide the initiative
	LELAND JASPERSE PhD Student, English	City of Santa Monica, Community and Cultural Services Division, Santa Monica, CA Provided research support to an innovative community behavioral health initiative to address failings in Santa Monica's existing mental health and homelessness services
	KEVIN MAGNAYE PhD Student, Human Genetics	Pasteur Institute, Paris, France Interrogated the role of RNA editing and human immune responses in EVOIMMUNOPOP, an experimental and computational effort to understand immune response variation in human populations
	KATHRYN MCGEE MA Student, Social Service Administration	Modern Reliance, Chicago, IL Conducted research to inform the kinds of support and services that Modern Reliance and its student workforce provide to older adults and their families
	ERIC POWELL PhD Student, English	Verge Books, Chicago, IL Conducted editorial, marketing, and publicity work at an independent publisher of poetry and translation
	SHARVARI SASTRY PhD Student, South Asian Languages and Civilizations and Theater and Performance Studies	The Spaces Project, India Supported a creative and contextual documentation of the alternative and experimental spaces for the arts (particularly theatre), that have been emerging in India
	ZOË SMITH PhD Student, English	Abrams ComicArts, New York, NY Served as an assistant editor for two forthcoming graphic novels at the publisher's Megascope imprint
	WINNIE TONG PhD Student, Sociology	United Nations Development Programme, New York, NY Contributed to several core projects, including facilitating meetings of member states and conducting research for the Human Development Report 2020
	EMILY VERBURG MA Student, Social Service Administration	Collective Action for Safe Spaces, Washington, DC Created an online resource hub, facilitated bystander intervention trainings, and conducted policy research at a nonprofit working to end gender-based harassment and assault
	JESSICA VILLASEÑOR PhD Student, Sociology	Amnistía Internacional México, Mexico Assisted in the completion of the Feminicides in Mexico project, an in-depth investigation of feminicides in Ecatepec, Mexico
	ALEXANDREA WILSON MA Student, Social Service Administration	Chicago Food Policy Action Council, Chicago, IL Engaged in outreach and developed an internship program that expanded capacity and created career entry points for those interested in food justice

2019-20 Cohort

	STUDENT	HOST
	JOSHUA BABCOCK PhD Student, Anthropology	soft/WALL/studs, Singapore Implemented an integrated marketing, media relations, and social media strategic plan for an arts organization
	SEAN BATTON PhD Student, Cinema and Media Studies	Chicago Film Archives, Chicago, IL Inspected, catalogued, and researched a collection at a non-profit film archive
	NILANJANA BHATTACHARYA MA Student, Public Policy	Slum Dwellers International, Capetown, South Africa Drafted monitoring, evaluation, and risk assessment plans for a transnational social movement of urban poor communities
	ROLAND BLACK PhD Student, History	Antiracist Research and Policy Center, Washington, D.C. Conducted research on the negative health and policy outcomes of whiteness at a public-facing research center
	ANDREA BONACCORSI MA Student, Humanities	Ford Heights Community Service Organization, Ford Heights, IL Created a youth-driven agricultural education program that addressed food insecurity in the Village of Ford Heights
	CLAIRE BOWMAN PhD Student, Anthropology	Charlevoix Village Association, Charlevoix, MI Researched, produced, and printed a neighborhood-level history booklet for free distribution to community members
	TRACY BRANNSTROM PhD Student, Comparative Human Development	Counterpoint Newspaper/Vermont Psychiatric Survivors, Rutland, VT Researched and wrote news articles for a quarterly mental health-focused newspaper
	MARGARET BROWER PhD Student, Political Science	Institute for Democracy and Higher Education, Medford, MA Developed new curricula and pedagogical approaches for political learning at a research institute
	COSETTE BRUHNS PhD Student, Romance Languages and Literatures	Visual Resources Center, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL Developed a digital humanities project, teaching guides, and resource guides with a focus on access and sustainability
	LAUREL CHEN MA Student, Social Service Administration	East Bay Permanent Real Estate Cooperative, Oakland, CA Developed press materials and improved organizational management at a community housing cooperative
	CARLOS CISNEROS PhD Student, Linguistics	Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indigena Oaxaqueño, Fresno, CA Documented and advised advised the development of instruction methods and materials for an introductory minority language course for primary school students
	AMY COOMBS PhD Student, History	History of Science Museum, University of Oxford, Oxford, England Participated in collections research, condition evaluation, and content planning for an exhibit on botanizing and microscopy at a history of science museum
	BASTIEN CRAIPAIN PhD Student, Romance Languages and Literatures	Digital Library of the Caribbean at FIU, Miami, FL Processed, catalogued, preserved, digitized, and promoted Caribbean collections and edited and translated newsletter at a digital research library
	BARBARA DIETLINGER PhD Student, Music	University of Chicago Press, Chicago, IL Assisted in the marketing of scholarly books at a major university press
	ADAM FALES PhD Student, English	Chicago Review, Chicago, IL Served as an editorial assistant for a quarterly literary journal
	ANJELICA FABRO PhD Student, Music	University of Chicago Center for Latin American Studies Refined and implemented an online public engagement strategy to make content on the region accessible for the general public
	MICHAEL FISCHER MA Student, Humanities	Storycatchers Theatre, Chicago, IL Supported Changing Voices, an arts employment program for justice-involved youth at a local theater
	YAEL FLUSSER PhD Student, Comparative Literature	Zoomin Software, Tel-Aviv, Israel Tackled product challenges at a startup company focused on making tech content more accessible to non-experts with the help of artificial intelligence
	ARIANNA GASS PhD Student, English and Theater and Performance Studies	Headlong Dance Theatre, Philadelphia, PA Served as an archivist for a theater company, conducted oral histories with current and former directors and collaborators, and curated an event based on archival finds
	TALIA GORDON PhD Student, Comparative Human Development	Neighborhood Engagement Hub, Flint, MI Helped design, manage, and carry out a neighborhood group mapping and resource directory development project for a community-based nonprofit agency
	MARCOS GOUVEA PhD Student, Classics	Mars Hill Audio, Charlottesville, VA Produced a template for an updated catalogue and adapted content for a weekly app at a small nonprofit
	EMRE HAKGÜGER PhD Student, Linguistics	Networked Insights, Chicago, IL Created text classifiers to predict educational attainment and identify political inclination at an analytics firm
	NOAH HANSEN PhD Student, English	Chicago Review, Chicago, IL Served as an editorial assistant for a quarterly literary journal
	PIA HECHER MA Student, Middle Eastern Studies	European Stability Initiative, Brussels, Belgium Researched and wrote reports, collected quantitative data, and produced data visualizations focusing on refugees and migration at a think tank
	DAVID HOGUE PhD Student, East Asian Languages and Civilizations	Bamboo and Silk, Wuhan, China Translated academic articles and provided support for staff at a peer-reviewed academic journal
	CAMERON HU PhD Student, Anthropology	Ditch Projects, Springfield, OR Edited a volume of essays that accompanied an exhibition at nonprofit contemporary arts organization
	NICHOLAS JOHNSON PhD Student, History	University of Chicago Center for Spatial Data Science, Chicago, IL Contributed to public outreach efforts aimed at generating widespread understanding of Keynesian economics and mid-20th century economic thought as part of the Reviving Growth Keynesianism (RGK) project
	KEVIN IRAKOZE PhD Student, Philosophy	Burundi Memory Project, Burundi Gathered data, coordinated field researchers, and drafted reports on the historical memory of Burundian youth regarding the history of ethnic conflict in the country
	GARY KAFER PhD Student, Cinema and Media Studies	Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago Supported interdisciplinary teaching with objects in the museum’s active study room and galleries
	KATERINA KOROLA PhD Student, Art History	Art Institute of Chicago Photography Division, Chicago, IL Served as curatorial assistant for an upcoming rotation of the permanent collection and researched, interpreted, and catalogued a nineteenth-century photo-collage album
	EDUARDO LEAO PhD Student, Romance Languages and Literatures	Restless Books, New York City, NY Created content, monitored social media platforms, developed marking plans, critiqued submissions, and identified potential grants for a small publisher
	LAUREN LEDIN PhD Student, Anthropology	Field Museum, Chicago, IL Documented North American human remains and helped improve the approach that museums take in the respectful curation of human remains
	PATRICK LEWIS PhD Student, Anthropology	Mesopotamia Foundation, Turkey Translated text and compiled a feasibility report for a Kurdish-language education course
	SOPHIE LYNCH PhD Student, Cinema and Media Studies	Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL Worked with curators to produce three media programs to support and augment ongoing exhibitions
	DEIRDRE LYONS PhD Student, History	Journal of African History, Chicago, IL Served as an editorial assistant for a leading academic journal
	TESSA DI MANTOVA	World Relief Change, Chicago, IL Identified grant opportunities and performed community outreach at a relief agency
	FIONA MAXWELL PhD Student, History	Center for Women's History and Leadership, Evanston, IL Brought the history of nineteenth-century parlor performance and women’s public speaking to public audiences by leading museum tours, created educational programming and special events, wrote blogposts, and created plans for a digital exhibit
	SARAH MCDANIEL PhD Student, English	Modern Philology, Chicago, IL Developed and publicized an archive of critical work in the back catalogue of a leading academic journal
	JENNIFER MONDAL PhD Student, English	Critical Inquiry, Chicago, IL Copyedited two issues, fact-checked footnotes, and proofread and formatted posts for the blog of an academic journal
	ERIN NEWTON PhD Student, History	International Museum of Surgical Science, Chicago, IL Catalogued texts into an accessible and searchable catalogue, contributed to a blog, and assisted with regular conservation workshops at a history of science museum
	VICTORIA NGUYEN PhD Student in Anthropology	Materials and Applications, Los Angeles, CA Managed donor relations and served as a program associate at a creative cultural center
	HUI YAO ONG PhD Student, English	Modern Philology Enhanced and Extending the readership and international reach of a leading academic journal through strategic use of social media
	NIDA PARACHA PhD Student, Anthropology	Balance Lab, Chicago, IL Served at an alternate healing practice helping victims of trauma
	EILIN PEREZ PhD Student, History	Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago Provided research, logistics and production assistance for an exhibition about artistic exchanges across the Pacific
	KARA PERUCCIO PhD Student, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations	UChicagoGRAD, Chicago, IL Relaunched externship program to connect students and employers
	NORY PETERS PhD Student, Comparative Literature	MAKE Literary Magazine, Chicago, IL Planned, moderated, and produced a podcast on forced migration for a literary magazine.
	JOEL RHONE PhD Student, English	Court Theatre, Chicago, IL Conducted research to support the theatre’s commission of a new play on Stokely Carmichael
	ADRIANA OBIOLS ROCA PhD Student, Art History	Smart Museum of Art, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL Provided support to the museum’s efforts to present compelling and innovative public programs to both the UChicago community and city at large
	MEDARDO ROSARIO PhD Student, Romance Languages and Literatures	Newberry Library, Chicago, IL Surveyed the Caribbean geographical collections at an independent research library to create a research guide meant to support future researchers
	CHARLOTTE SAUL PhD Student, English	Modern Philology, Chicago, IL Developed and publicized an archive of critical work in the back catalogue of a leading academic journal
	TYLER SCHROEDER PhD Student, Cinema and Media Studies	UChicago Special Collections, Chicago, IL Described and classified Special Collections’ holdings of the photographs and personal ephemera, largely uncatalogued, of the street photographer Vivian Maier
	RENUKA SHAH MA Student, Threat and Response Management	Will County Emergency Management Agency, Chicago, IL Developed a new premise alert program, updated an operations plan, and tested programs at an emergency management agency
	ZHENZHOU TAN MA Student, Humanities	UChicago Press International Rights Department, Chicago, IL Translated marketing materials from English to Chinese, explored an academic press’s backlist for translation licensing, and prepared accordingly special subject catalogs
	NIU NIU TEO PhD Student, History	US History Scene, Remote Developed a podcast that interviews professors about the process of writing of their first book
	MARCO TORRES PhD Student, History	Northeastern Illinois University Library, Chicago, IL Contributed to a Latin American historiography bibliographic project and planned a public discussion series on contemporary social and political issues at a college library
	ASHLEY TRUEHART PhD Student, Cinema and Media Studies	South Side Home Movie Project, Chicago, IL Led community cataloguing events to gather descriptive information about the home movies preserved and stored on the SSHMP website; developed a film festival and outdoor screenings
	BRANDON TRUETT PhD Student, English	Barnes Foundation, Philadelphia, PA Produced object white papers about two paintings by the Spanish artist Joan Miró for curatorial files and a museum website
	SILA ULUG PhD Student, Art History	Performa, New York City, NY Performed curatorial, production, and public engagement work at a non-profit visual arts organization
	ELISABETH WILHELM PhD Student, Germanic Studies	Court Theatre, Chicago, IL Provided dramaturgical content and support to Court Theater's productions of Oedipus Rex and The Gospel at Colonus
	CAROLINE ZADINA MA Student, Social Service Administration	FutureCourse Education, Chicago, IL Lead the creation of a research-informed curriculum for high school and college team captains that educates how to recognize and respond to the mental health pressures, environmental pressures, and interpersonal challenges present in sport contexts

2018-19 Cohort

2017-18 Cohort

2016-17 Cohort

2015-16 Cohort

Phillip N. Norton GGI Internship

The Norton award is presented to an outstanding GGI Pitch winner from the Physical Sciences Division. The award is made possible by a generous donation from alumnus Phillip N. Norton (Ph.D. Statistics 1988). The award does not require a specialized application process; all GGI Pitch applicants from PSD are automatically be considered for this prize.

2020 Winner: Bowen Bao, M.S. Student in Computer Science

“With the support of the Phillip N. Norton GGI Internship, I spent my summer in the Department of Medicine in the Section of Computational Biomedicine and Biomedical Data Science. I helped develop Heart Clinical Guidelines, a web application meant to support doctors and biomedical researchers to search for guidelines and data supplements used in diagnosing cardiovascular disease, currently a manual process in the healthcare industry. I parsed PDF charts from XML to JSON and worked on a Node.js web application to make the guidelines searchable. The internship gave me a chance to dig deeper into algorithmic thinking and allowed me to learn new tools to do web development.”

2019 Winner: Matthew Shin, M.S. student in Computational and Applied Mathematics

“With the support of the Phillip N. Norton GGI Internship, I spent the summer abroad in England studying under Dr. Ruth Baker of the Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford. The research group at the Wolfson Centre for Mathematical Biology probes modern problems in biology using techniques from applied mathematics. In particular, I considered methods from stochastic processes and statistical mechanics to model cell dynamics (such as stem cell migration) with simulations and PDEs. This opportunity provided me a unique and didactic introduction to the world of academic research, tailored to my particular interest in quantitative biological models. I come away from the experience with a greater understanding of the tools required and eagerness to tackle large scientific questions through mathematics.”

2018 Winner: Erin Lipman, M.S. student in Statistics

“Through the generous support of the Phillip N. Norton GGI internship, I spent my summer interning with Human Rights Data Analysis Group (HRDAG) in San Francisco, CA. HRDAG is a non-profit organization that uses rigorous and objective statistical science to to investigate human rights abuses worldwide. At HRDAG I worked on issues of racial bias in the criminal justice system, in particular concerning the use of automated risk assessment systems for pretrial detention decisions. The experience was invaluable in building my data science skills and giving me a clear picture of my career path forward as a statistician concerned with issue of human rights and fairness.” 

Danette Gentile Kauffman GGI Internship

The Kauffman award is presented to outstanding GGI Pitch winners from the Humanities Division. The award is made possible by a generous donation from alumna Danette Gentile Kauffman (M.A. Humanities 1969). The award does not require a specialized application process; all GGI Pitch applicants from the Humanities Division are automatically be considered for this prize.

2020 Winner: Julia Rossi, Ph.D. student in English Language and Literature

With the support of Danette Gentile Kauffman, I will be completing an internship this year with The Odyssey Project – a free, college-credit earning humanities course for income-eligible adults with limited or no access to higher education.  Due to the ongoing public health crisis, The Odyssey Project’s programming will take place online for most (if not all) of this year.  My internship will be geared toward encouraging a sense of intellectual community for students and alumni during this difficult and isolating time.  I will be responsible for planning, designing, and editing a publication to mark the 20th anniversary of The Odyssey Project, which will feature stories, poems, and essays written by current students and alumni.  I am also excited to work directly with students as a tutor, helping them to improve their academic writing and to formulate their papers.

2019 Winner: David Hogue, Ph.D. student in East Asian Languages and Civilizations

With the support of Danette Gentile Kauffman, I interned at the Wuhan University Center of Bamboo and Silk Manuscripts, which operates an English-language academic journal that publishes leading research in the field of early Chinese excavated texts. In my internship, I have served as an academic linguist and editorial services support staff member, translating Chinese-language articles into English for publication in the Center’s peer-reviewed journal, “Bamboo and Silk.”

2018 Winner: Simone Levine, M.A. student in Humanities

“With the support of Danette Gentile Kauffman, my GGI internship provided me with the opportunity to be involved in an exhibition catalog published by the Smart Museum of Art.  The catalog was published for the occasion of the exhibition The Allure of Matter: Material Art from China, curated by Professor Wu Hung with Orianna Cacchione. I wrote three artist profiles for the publication, for was credited as a contributor.  My GGI Internship marked the first time I have undertaken comprehensive research and historical writing on contemporary Chinese art outside of my studies.  Most importantly, the internship enabled me to begin making scholarly contributions in the art world, the field in which I plan to invest myself professionally.”

2018 Winner: Charlotte Saul, Ph.D. student in English Language and Literature

“With the support of Danette Gentile Kauffman, I completed a research-based curatorial internship at Chatsworth House, engaging specifically with the Devonshire Collection and its group of rare 17th-century court masque designs. Only half of the drawings’ catalog entries had been recently revised, so my task was to update the catalog entries for the remaining drawings, writing physical descriptions and critical narratives for each object. This internship gave me the opportunity to learn how to best work with a collections management system used by many institutions, and a chance to work directly with unique archival materials; as a student of literary and visual culture, this was a particularly meaningful experience.”

Credential in Higher Education Administration

Are you interested in a career in higher education administration? UChicagoGRAD’s Credential in Higher Education Administration (HEA) is a co-curricular professional development program that enables UChicago graduate students and postdocs to explore administrative careers and gain meaningful experiences that will help prepare them for work in colleges and universities. The Credential in HEA is self-paced. You can track your progress through a Canvas course, and you will receive a digital badge that can be displayed on LinkedIn upon completion.

What You’ll Do

The Credential in HEA has three components:

• Building Knowledge. You will learn about the higher education administration landscape (including the wide range of career possibilities); how a university is organized and functions; and the economic, social, and political forces shaping higher education.
• Building Skills. You will build transferrable administrative skills in areas of your choosing, such as proficiency with commonly used software, strategies for office communication, or best practices for creating effective programs.
• Building Experience. You will put your skills into practice with a hands-on, real-world project.

For more details on the requirements, including the various forms that “Building Experience” projects can take, please see the “Requirements” section below.

What You’ll Gain

The Credential in HEA offers UChicago graduate students and postdocs the following benefits:

• Opportunities to explore career paths in higher education administration that draw on your interests and graduate-level skillset
• Connections and networking opportunities in the field
• Skills and experiences that are attractive to employers
• A better understanding of how the university functions
• A chance to shape programming and policy
• A digital badge to recognize your achievement and verify your completion of the training required by the Credential

Get Started Today

The Credential in HEA is open to all current, full-time UChicago graduate students and postdocs. Students and postdocs who wish to earn the Credential need to be invited to join the associated Canvas course. To request an invitation, please email Deborah Blumenthal.

Requirements

The Credential in HEA requires you to complete the 3 modules listed below. For a printer-friendly version of these requirements, please click here.

BUILDING KNOWLEDGE MODULE (CHOOSE 4):

• Attend “Introduction to Careers in Higher Education Administration: History, Context, Futures,” next being offered on January 20, 2021 at 3:30 p.m. RSVP here.
• Attend the “Careers in Higher Education Administration: Perspectives from Alumni” panel, next being offered on March 12, 2021 at 12:30 p.m. RSVP here.
• Create an annotated bibliography of 20 items focused on a particular issue in higher education administration.
• Conduct an informational interview with a professional working in higher education. You may conduct up to 2 informational interviews and count them individually toward the Building Knowledge requirement.

BUILDING SKILLS MODULE (CHOOSE 4):

• Attend the “Principles of Effective Program Design” workshop, next being offered on February 17, 2021 at 12:30 p.m. RSVP here.
• Attend the “Conquering Email: Effective Office Communication” workshop, next being offered on April 28, 2021 at 12:30 p.m. RSVP here.
• Attend a UChicago Inclusion Workshop, such as “Hearing One Another.”
• Attend Mental Health First Aid Training, offered by UChicago Student Wellness. Register here.
• Complete one of the following LinkedIn Learning courses. Note: only one course can count toward the requirements for this module. You may also choose another LinkedIn Learning course that better meets your needs. Please email Deborah Blumenthal to request a substitution.
  • Excel Data Visualization (Mastering 20+ Charts and Graphs and Designing Custom Visualizations)
  • Excel PivotTables: Mastering PivotTables and PivotCharts
  • PowerPoint Essential Training
  • Database Foundations: Core Concepts
  • Learning Design Research
  • Project Management Foundations
  • Business Writing Principles
  • Organization Communication

BUILDING EXPERIENCE MODULE (COMPLETE 1):

Fulfilment of this module requires undertaking a hands-on project that enables you to utilize your skills in research, analysis, communication, leadership, and project management. Past HEA projects have included writing a strategic plan, compiling procedural manuals, organizing and publicizing events, revising the content and structure of websites, devising methods for engaging students in outreach initiatives, writing case studies, creating literature reviews, and putting together program proposals. These projects can take one of two forms:

HEA Internship Project. HEA internships provide mentored, project-based experiential learning opportunities that help advance the university’s mission. HEA internships are listed in GRAD Gargoyle. You can find them by navigating to the job board’s “Advanced Search” function and filtering by position type for “Internship – Higher Education Administration.” To be eligible for fulfilling the “Building Experience” Credential requirement, an internship must be at least 100 hours in duration. Note: An HEA internship cannot exceed 20 hours/week during the Autumn, Winter, and Spring quarters, nor can it exceed 20 hours/week during Summer for students who are registered in that quarter. For students not registered in Summer quarter, the internship cannot exceed 37.5 hours/week during the summer. Please check with your Dean of Students to see if you are registered during the summer . If you are participating in an HEA internship and also hold a job, research assistantship, or teaching position on campus, the cumulative number of hours contributed to these activities may not exceed the totals above. For more information on this and other relevant policies, please click here.

Independent Project. Independent projects are self-directed opportunities to practice applying your skills to an area of administration. Some on-campus jobs may offer you opportunities to pursue an independent project alongside regular work duties. Alternatively, you can devise your own independent project. If you’d like to create your own project, you will be required to create a written proposal for review by UChicagoGRAD staff and to attend two meetings to discuss the project with Deborah Blumenthal, UChicagoGRAD’s Assistant Director of Employer Relations and Experiential Education. To discuss possibilities for an independent project, please email Deborah.

Questions?

If you have questions about the Credential in Higher Education Administration, please contact Deborah Blumenthal (deborahb@uchicago.edu). If you are an on-campus office interested in hosting an HEA intern, please click here.