THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO
Outcomes
With just the one year it takes to complete a MAPSS degree, MAPSS alums gain an increasingly important credential in a wide number of professional and academic fields. MAPSS alumni pursue careers across more than seven major sectors, including government, NGOs, international organizations, consulting firms, and leading research institutions with 88% employed within 6 months of graduation. Additionally, in the last five years, 79% of MAPSS graduates who applied to PhD programs received funded offers. MAPSS achieves these impressive numbers through a combination of Professional and PhD support.
We encourage you to look at the detailed summaries of our professional career outcomes and our recent PhD placements.
Professional Support
Our dedicated and specialized Career Services team offers workshops to train students in effective career preparation, including career exploration, resume and cover letter writing, networking, interviewing, negotiation, and more. They also run experience-based programs in which students can explore different career paths through internships and externships (project-based opportunities). The team is led by Senior Director of Career Services and Professional Development, Shelly Robinson. Visit the SSD MA Career Resources Website to learn more.
Beyond the Career Services team, MAPSS hosts monthly career preparation and professional development workshops, an annual industry showcase, and a career conference (featuring alumni panels and TED-style talks on how to secure career-level positions in different sectors). Our Alumni Association also hosts networking and social events throughout the year.
MAPSS students also make use of the resources available at UChicagoGRAD, which offers additional support, oral communication training and writing resources, fellowships advising, and campus-wide programs and recruitment events.
PhD Support
MAPSS professors work closely with our students and graduates to identify the right doctoral programs, review and strengthen applications, and help with negotiating a final decision. This process often begins with a conversation between the student and their preceptor about which final project (a thesis or a capstone) would best suit the student’s goals (PhD-based or otherwise). This is because MAPSS students are best positioned to apply for PhD programs the year after they graduate from MAPSS, as the thesis or capstone is a cornerstone of a successful PhD application.
MAPSS alumni find that the program has prepared them to complete their PhD requirements expeditiously. Some MAPSS students go on to study in UChicago PhD programs, but in many cases, the students find their best fit at other impressive institutions. We encourage you to explore the full range of PhD placements for MAPSS students.