The Master’s Advance internship program invites UChicago master’s students to create a 300-hour summer internship with an organization of their choosing. The internship should be otherwise unfunded, and it should provide the intern with new professional skills. Master’s Advance internships are open to international students and can take place anywhere in the world. Successful applicants will receive a $6,000 stipend to support their pursuit of the opportunity.

The Master’s Advance program prioritizes applicants who design customized, project-based internships. Project-based internships are those that engage the intern in a coherent set of responsibilities that progressively build toward a specific deliverable or outcome. Internships involving unrelated, ad-hoc tasks are not considered project-based opportunities. The program supports internship projects at organizations with which the applicant has had no significant involvement. For more details, attend the information session hosted each January.

Internship Hours and Timing

Internships must be 300 hours in duration and occur during Summer Quarter. Students and their host organizations collaborate to determine exact weekly hours and beginning and end dates for the internship.

Eligibility for Master’s Advance

The program is open to master’s students in full-time, degree-granting academic programs at the University of Chicago. Both domestic and international students are eligible. If you graduate in Spring Quarter, your internship can occur in the summer following your graduation. UChicagoGRAD internship funding is available once during your time at UChicago. Currently, master’s students in professional schools (Chicago Booth, the Crown School of Social Work, Policy and Practice, the Harris School of Public Policy, the Law School, and the Pritzker School of Medicine) are ineligible.

Non-Transferability of Funding

Master’s Advance funding is intended to support the specific internship experience described in the application materials. While students may adjust their internship projects, they may not change host organizations after submitting their applications.

Application Deadline

Applications are due at 5:00 p.m. Central Time on February 28. Students may only submit one application.

The Process

Step 1: Develop a Project with Coaching from UChicagoGRAD

Students who are interested in Master’s Advance are encouraged to set up a meeting with their UChicagoGRAD career advisor. Your advisor will help you reflect on your career goals, craft an outreach strategy, and develop a realistic project. Your advisor can also provide feedback on your application materials. If you are an international student, please familiarize yourself with the work authorization processes and connect with the Office for International Affairs if additional support is needed.

Step 2: Submit Your Application

Submit (1) an application letter, (2) a resume, and (3) your host’s confirmation of the internship to UChicagoGRAD by February 28 at 5:00 p.m. Central Time. Use the GRAD Gargoyle Job and Internship board posting (search for “9168187”) to submit your application.

• A field-appropriate, one-page resume is required.
• Application Letter. Prepare a two-page, single-spaced letter addressed to UChicagoGRAD.
  • Discuss your academic work and its connection to the internship project.
  • Describe the host organization, including your supervisor’s name.
  • Explain the internship project, including your duties, timelines, and deliverables.
  • Clarify how the project will help you develop new skills and advance your career.
• Internship Confirmation. Submit an email or letter from your host that confirms your internship project. This short note should include your name, your supervisor’s name, and the internship project you would be pursuing.

Step 3: Receive a Decision

A selection committee will assess applications and select awardees. UChicagoGRAD will then notify awardees, connect with their host organizations, and contact applicants’ Deans of Students to confirm that applicants are in good academic standing. Awardees must agree to the program conditions before internship funding is confirmed.

Step 4: Complete Your Internship and Program Requirements

Awardees begin their internships after attending a UChicagoGRAD prep session. Upon completion of the internship, awardees must respond to a survey and be available to mentor the following year’s interns.

Other Funding Sources

The Master’s Advance program provides financial support for students who are participating in otherwise unpaid (or underpaid) opportunities. Applicants are encouraged to consider other potential funding sources to support an internship, including those available from the host organization. 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 that are intended to support this experience. If the amount awarded from another source is less than $6000, UChicagoGRAD will award a stipend for the difference between these awards.