Preparation for Professional Study

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This is an archived copy of the 2011-12 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit http://catalog.uchicago.edu.

Arts and Entertainment

Preparation for the fields of arts and entertainment is as varied as the disciplines within these fields. Students majoring in music, cinema, theater, literature, and the visual arts will have course requirements determined for them by their respective departments. However, many University of Chicago graduates who majored in languages, fundamentals, and the natural and social sciences have gone on to have successful careers in entertainment, the arts, architecture, design, and fashion design. While a conservatory education is valuable for learning craft, the well-rounded and demanding liberal arts education offered by the College is perhaps the best preparation for a career in the arts.

The Chicago Careers in the Arts (CCIA) program is designed to assist students following one or more of three basic arts-related tracks: scholarly, administrative, and creative. Those considering careers as curators, critics, and educators should take as many arts-related history and arts-related social science courses as they can squeeze in. Those following the arts administrative track should be sure to improve their quantitative skills. Students intent on becoming practicing artists should not only concentrate on courses that will help them build a body of work, but should study basic entrepreneurship, as managing a career as a practicing artist is like managing a small business.

CCIA compliments the College’s emphasis on academics with one-on-one career advising and programming designed to connect students with emerging and established professionals in the fields of visual art, music, film, television, theater, publishing, architecture, design, and more. Internships, mentorships, apprenticeships, and collaborations with working professionals provide students with the hands-on experience and deep networking needed to launch successful careers.

At least as many non-arts majors take advantage of CCIA’s services as do those majoring in arts-related disciplines. In general, whatever course of study undergraduates pursue, CCIA can help connect them to the individuals, institutions, and knowledge communities needed to pursue careers in their given field, both during and beyond their college experience.

Business

The College provides no specific course of preprofessional studies to prepare students for graduate study in business administration. It is advisable for interested students to pursue a program of study that hones their quantitative, verbal, and written skills. In addition to course work required to complete their major, students should consider taking the following as electives.

ECON 19800	Introduction to Microeconomics	100
ECON 19900	Introduction to Macroeconomics	100
STAT 22000	Statistical Methods and Applications	100
ENGL 13000	The Little Red Schoolhouse (Academic and Professional Writing)	100
Up to six of the courses at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business that are open to qualified College students ^*

*	including BUSF 30000 Financial Accounting

Additional support is provided by the Chicago Careers in Business (CCIB) program. This structured and competitive three-year program is organized and managed by the Office of Career Advising and Planning Services (CAPS). Applications are accepted from all students, regardless of their major, from Spring Quarter to mid-August of their first year. Components of the CCIB program include:

Weekly mandatory business competencies workshops targeting career exploration, professional development, and technical skills acquisition
Advising focused on preparing CCIB participants to begin their career in business and/or to apply to a graduate program in business administration
Mentoring by students from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business
Selected Chicago Booth courses or sections open only to undergraduates (Financial Accounting is a requirement for graduation from CCIB.)

Most graduate business schools require applicants to take the Graduate Management Admissions Test (GMAT). Students planning to apply to graduate studies in business administration within two years of graduation should take the GMAT in the summer preceding their final year in the College; registration materials are available in the Office of Career Advising and Planning Services (CAPS). Graduate business schools typically expect matriculating students to have acquired several prior years of work experience.

Health Professions

Chicago Careers in Health Professions (CCIHP) provides students with the resources and support to develop the knowledge, skills, competencies, and experiences required for advanced study in the health professions. The College’s broad and intellectually expansive liberal arts education, coupled with pre-health courses and CCIHP’s support, is exceptional preparation for a career in health and medicine. Students develop the competencies required by graduate schools of the health professions, including: in-depth experience with the process of scientific inquiry; a facility in drawing linkages among scientific disciplines; strong critical thinking and communication skills; the ability to use mathematics to explain the natural world; mastery of basic principles of physics and chemistry; an understanding of the diversity of subject matter and methods of investigation in the biological sciences; and a sophisticated appreciation of the social context of health and medicine.

Upon meeting the College's general education requirements, students are encouraged to major in any discipline in which they have a strong interest, while fulfilling the following common entry requirements for advanced study in the field:

3 quarters of general chemistry with labs
3 quarters of organic chemistry with labs
3 quarters of biology with labs
3 quarters of physics with labs
3 quarters of a general education humanities sequence (recommended)
3 quarters of calculus (recommended)

Most health professions schools also require a year of math and an increasing number require a course in biochemistry. In addition, CCIHP strongly recommends that students consider taking one to two upper-level biology courses as well as a course in statistics. Students should work closely with their College advisers to choose courses appropriate to their level of preparation and interest. Although the College offers course sequences that fulfill all of the above requirements, some schools of the health professions have additional requirements. To ensure all requirements are met, students are also encouraged to check directly with the schools to which they intend to apply.

CCIHP supports students and alumni as they explore the health professions, among them allopathic (MD) and osteopathic (DO) medicine, public health (MPH), nursing (PhD), dental (DDS) and podiatric (DPM) medicine, veterinary medicine (DVM), pharmacy (PharmD), and health services research (PhD). In addition to curricular assistance, CCIHP offers a wide range of cocurricular support that empowers students to achieve a high level of academic, professional, and personal success.

Students interested in the health professions should consult first with their College adviser and then with CCIHP, located in Harper Memorial Library, West Tower 406.

Higher Education

A University of Chicago education is excellent preparation for graduate study in the arts and sciences. Students interested in graduate study should take full advantage of the academic resources available to them. The core curriculum encourages an atmosphere of inquiry in which students develop strong analytical and writing skills that provide a solid foundation for further exploration in any discipline.

Students should develop their knowledge through advanced course work in their fields. When they can, they should take courses that will allow them to increase their critical thinking skills as well as conduct research and write papers. These courses will also help students cultivate strong relationships with faculty in their majors. Students are encouraged to seek out and take advantage of the wealth of research opportunities available to them on campus and elsewhere. They should develop their own research projects through completing BA projects and papers.

Chicago Careers in Higher Education (CCIHE) works with the faculty to develop additional resources to support students interested in graduate study. CCIHE provides individual advising on student’s academic and career planning and development, on finding and securing valuable opportunities, on preparing application materials. CCIHE also offers workshops on writing research proposals, giving research presentations, writing statements of purpose. CCIHE holds information sessions on finding research opportunities, developing a strategy for interim year experiences and the application process. CCIHE also hosts graduate school recruiting information sessions and organizes an annual Graduate and Professional School fair.

Journalism

Journalism is a broad field, covering many subjects—politics, law, international relations, medicine, technology, fashion, entertainment, sports, the environment, and many others. It includes magazines, newspapers, television, radio, the Internet, and new media. Journalism is what is new and what is different—it is content.

The deep, rigorous education provided by the College is exceptional preparation for a student wanting to become an influential journalist. The Chicago Careers in Journalism (CCIJ) program helps students secure opportunities for practical experience in this competitive field. It is open to students at every stage of their academic careers. It is certainly for students wanting to go into the field of journalism, but also for those wanting journalism as an extracurricular activity.

The program is organized and managed by the Office of Career Advising and Planning Services (CAPS). The components include:

Individual mentoring to help students win internships and jobs in their particular areas of interest
Workshops with professional journalists, including alumni journalists, to develop practical skills and networking opportunities
Grants to help support students working in unpaid internships
Advising student publications to help them grow and improve

College students are encouraged to major in any subject of their choice. Currently forty-seven majors are represented in the CCIJ program. Journalism is such a broad field that journalists cover a great variety of stories in their careers. It is important to learn to think critically, research deeply, write clearly, and gain an extensive understanding of the world.

Law

The College curriculum provides excellent preparation for the study of law. More important than a specific major is the acquisition of certain skills necessary for the intelligent practice of law: the ability to communicate effectively in oral and written expression, a critical understanding of human institutions and values, and the ability to reason closely from given premises and propositions to tenable conclusions. Such skills can be developed in various majors and by taking courses in English language and literature, philosophy, American history, political science, mathematics, and economics.

Students interested in a career in law should use the resources provided by the Chicago Careers in Law (CCIL) Program, which is organized and managed by the Office of Career Advising and Planning Services (CAPS). CCIL supports students as they explore their interest in law through programming, internships, and advising. Alumni lawyers often return to the College to participate in programs sponsored by CCIL, including panels in such specific areas of interest as international law, intellectual property, and criminal law. Students can work with CCIL to identify and secure internships with employers ranging from large law firms to public defender services. CCIL assists students in targeting law schools, preparing successful applications, and choosing the most appropriate law school.

Public and Social Service

The Chicago Careers in Public and Social Service (CCIPSS) program works with students interested in the government and nonprofit sectors. Given that these sectors are extremely broad, students of all majors are encouraged to participate in CCIPSS. Since employers in the public and social service arenas look for individuals with a deep commitment to their organization's mission, students who pursue courses of study that are interesting and exciting to them will be most successful in government and nonprofit careers. Through their rigorous academic studies, University of Chicago students learn many essential skills necessary to contribute meaningfully in the service fields. These include extensive research skills, the ability to analyze complex problems and develop creative and effective solutions, exemplary written and oral communication skills, and the ability to manage and prioritize numerous projects and commitments.

CCIPSS, which is organized and managed by the Office of Career Advising and Planning Services (CAPS), is open to students at all levels, and students may join the program at any point during their college years. Students interested in public and social service are encouraged to meet with the CCIPSS program director to begin to explore their specific areas of interest. Numerous resources are offered to educate students about specific areas within public and social service and to connect them with alumni and employers in their chosen fields. One of the main goals of the program is to connect students with meaningful, hands-on internships or volunteer experiences in the public or social service sectors. Other resources include:

Skill-building workshops to educate students about how to navigate job searches and careers in the public and social service sectors
Information sessions with employers to help students learn about different organizations and agencies and the types of opportunities available for students of all levels
Paid internship opportunities with government agencies and nonprofit organizations
Panels with alumni from a variety of fields to offer students networking opportunities and the opportunity to learn how University of Chicago graduates have translated their educations into careers in these sectors
A one-day trip to Washington, DC, over spring break, where students visit employers and alumni at government agencies and nonprofit organizations

Science and Technology

Students with an interest in the rapidly changing fields of science and technology should use the resources provided by the Chicago Careers in Science and Technology (CCIST) Program, which is organized and managed by the office of Career Advising and Planning Services (CAPS). The goal of CCIST is to help undergraduate students explore, prepare for, and obtain careers in science and technology. CCIST provides experiential opportunities to students as they explore ways that science, technology, and innovation provide solutions in areas that range from particle physics, bioinformatics, and national security to search engines, alternative energies, and entertainment. Students with any major may join CCIST throughout their years in the College.

Components of the program include advising, career exploration, skill building, and real-world experiential learning. Benefits may include (but are not limited to):

Exploration of the diverse career options in the field of science and technology through the Career Exploration Series and facility tours to Chicago-land organizations such as Argonne National Laboratory
Opportunities to hone skill sets that employers are looking for by participating in the CCIST Skill Building Workshops, which include sessions such as "Presenting Yourself Effectively"
Gaining real-world experience and putting skill sets into action while participating in the CCI Innovation Competition with a cross-functional team in conjunction with other CCI programs
Exposure to industry information, workplace cultures, and networks of alumni mentors and student peers on the San Francisco Technology Trek and the Boston Biotech Trek
Opportunity to participate in the spring/summer for-credit CCIST Research and Innovation Seminar, to learn about the process of innovation in science and technology through case studies and lectures from industry experts and UChicago resources, which can then be applied during a research opportunity over summer.

2011-12 College Catalog