Student Opportunities

Internship opportunities

  • Argonne National Laboratory internships: Visit the lab’s Graduate Programs or Undergraduate Programs pages for further information. There are multiple internship programs in different fields, and application requirements and dates may vary for each.
  • Data and Computing Summer Lab at the University of Chicago: This is an immersive, 10-week paid summer data science research program that offers similar benefits to an internship. You will get front-line access to real research in data science, and you will learn how to communicate your research findings to the audiences who care about them. Details and application are here; application deadline is February 28, 2021.
  • Security Lab Summer Internships (with benefits) at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Laboratory. Opportunities available for undergraduate and graduate students. Details and application here; apply by March 1, 2021.

Scholarships

Chris Jackson Computer Science Education Scholarship: This $5,000 scholarship is awarded to a new recipient every six months. Applicants will be required to discuss their interest in pursuing a computer science degree, their career aspirations, and why they think they should receive the award. Learn more, find out the next available application deadline, and submit your application here.

Hackathon listings

Why do hackathons?

participants in Google Tech Challenge

We strongly encourage UIC CS students to sign up for hackathon competitions. Here are some reasons why:

  • Meeting new people. Not just potential employers—who might watch a hackathon for potential new hires—but also fellow students.
  • Developing your résumé. Hackathons let you showcase the skills you’ve developed in class and build some new ones.
  • Enhancing your job interviews. Hackathons make you a more interesting interviewee. You can talk about how you approached a problem, the solutions you considered, and which skills you brought to the table.
  • Winning! (Of course.)

Research Experiences for Undergraduates

student attending an REU at another university

Research experiences for undergraduates—called REUs for short—offer undergraduate students the opportunity to complete career-building research projects over the summer. REUs are competitive (with students chosen for the research positions by application) and often are held at universities other than your home institution. They are sponsored with funding from the National Science Foundation and typically come with a stipend that you can use to cover living expenses and other costs.

REUs make excellent résumé entries and offer valuable hands-on experience that you can talk about in job interviews. If you have your eye on a master’s degree or PhD after graduation, REUs provide a head start on building your research experience and could give you insight on what you might like to pursue in graduate school.

Think of REUs as a great way to get research experience while trying out living in a different place.

Selected summer 2021 REU offerings: