Why should I join Chicago Tech Circle?

Understanding data and artificial intelligence will open up a wider range of jobs as you finish your UIC degree and look for work after graduation.

Consider this:

• Today, only 16 percent of data-science-oriented jobs in Illinois have people to fill them
• The demand for data- and AI-skilled workers is expected to grow 60 percent in the next two to three years

You can pair data and AI exposure with any career interest or UIC area of study. You’ll stand out to employers with a better understanding of data and AI, a stronger résumé, and the ability to tell a persuasive story about how you used teamwork and project-based skills to solve a problem.

Our program

Chicago Tech Circle offers:

• Classroom skill development: Build fluency in data and AI by taking our semester-long UIC course. Designed for students with no prior experience with either subject, it teaches key concepts and allows students to apply them in team projects. (View the course site here!)
• Industry immersion lab: Students who have taken our course can develop their data and AI skills further in one of three industry immersion “labs.” Each lab provides on-the-ground experience applying data and AI in an area where companies are expanding: health equity, sustainable finance, or the future of energy.
• Talent marketplace: Once students have a basic data and AI skill set, they can become part of CTC’s talent marketplace. Companies and organizations may select students from our talent pool for paid work: short-term consulting projects, micro-internships, full-length internships, and more.

Getting started

If you have no background in data or AI, fill that gap by joining CTC! Your first step will be to apply to the fall semester data + AI course. You are a good candidate for the CTC experience if you:

• Have completed 30 college credit hours and have UIC sophomore standing or higher
• Like to exercise your critical-thinking abilities
• Are curious about data and AI
• Have done well in a UIC course that fosters logical and analytical thought, such as MATH 105, MATH 110, ACTG 2010, ECON 120, or STAT 101

If you already do have some knowledge of data and AI — because you are majoring in computer science or data science, and have completed coursework through CS 251 for example — you should also join CTC! Depending on your prior experience, you may be eligible to go straight into the CTC talent marketplace, or you can choose to take our introductory data + AI course and participate in an industry immersion lab.

How to apply

Apply here for our fall 2025 data + AI course

(Note: Clicking the button above will prompt you to enter your UIC login credentials.)

We also suggest you follow the Chicago Tech Circle page on LinkedIn!

Questions?

We are here to answer your questions about Chicago Tech Circle, help you identify the best way to get started in the program, and more. Email us at chicagotechcircle@uic.edu and a member of our team will get back to you.