Three transformative weeks.

Sprinternships are designed by the organizations that host them, so each experience is unique in many ways. These are three weeks that you can call your own. However, all Sprinternships are built around several common features:

• Company overview: Knowing about the inner working of organizations can help you to think in new ways about the career paths that might be in your future. You will meet with a range of your organization’s internal departments and learn more about what people do.
• Challenge project: Your Sprinternship organization will identify a business problem for you to work on. You’ll have the chance to collect background information, size up the problem, come up with a creative solution that uses technology, and pitch it to the leadership team.
• Teamwork! In real life, challenges are solved when people work together. Employees from your sponsor organization will work with you, providing details and guidance along the way. You might have a chance to work with other Sprinterns, too.
• Résumé reviews: You likely get résumé help at school, but an industry perspective can offer extra value. Staff from your Sprinternship organization will review your résumé and give suggestions for new experiences you could seek out to improve it even further.

Watch our Sprinternships video here:

Sprinternships FAQ

Who can apply for Sprinternships?

We welcome Sprinternship applications from Break Through Tech Chicago members and UIC undergraduate students (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, or seniors) who are interested in pursuing a career in tech. Most Sprinterns major or minor in computer science, data science, computer science and linguistics, or other tech-oriented disciplines, but students in other majors who have a strong interest in a tech career also are welcome to apply. To apply for a Sprinternship, you must:

• Be enrolled in and actively taking classes at UIC during the spring semester immediately before the Sprinternship takes place
• Have a GPA of 2.5 or higher
• Have the required work authorization to work within the United States, if you are an international student
• Feel a sense of alignment with Break Through Tech Chicago’s mission of preparing more women (cis and trans) and nonbinary individuals for jobs in the tech world

When do Sprinternships take place?

Sprinternships take place over the course of three weeks in the month of May. We chose this time frame because it is between the end of the spring semester and the start of the first summer session at UIC.

What kind of time commitment is required?

Sprinterns are required to be at their work site (which may be in person or online, depending on the organization) for eight hours per day, Monday through Friday, for all three weeks of the Sprinternship. The exact work hours will be determined by the organization, but you can generally expect them to be 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

How am I paired up with an organization?

Break Through Tech Chicago staff members review applications for Sprinternships and assign applicants to partner organizations based on the students’ strengths and the partner organizations’ needs and challenge projects. Participants apply for the program in general, not to a specific Sprinternship.

How much do Sprinternships pay?

The compensation is approximately $15 to $20 per hour for a 40-hour work week.

Can international students apply for Sprinternships?

All UIC undergraduate students, including international undergraduates, are welcome to apply for Sprinternships. To be considered for the program, students must present valid authorization to work in the United States at the time of application, enrollment, and the duration of the Sprinternship program. These acceptable documents will be considered for eligibility, which will be verified by UIC Human Resources.

International students accepted to the program will be placed with UIC-based Sprinternship hosts and will work in these positions as on-campus employment. The Sprinternship program does not allow for Curriculum Practical Training (CPT). For any questions about your work authorization status, please contact the Office of International Services.

Can a person do more than one Sprinternship?

If you enjoy the program and want to do another Sprinternship the following year, you are welcome to apply! You may express your interest when we are accepting the next round of applications.

What if I have further questions?

Email us at btt@uic.edu, and we will be able to help.

How do I apply?

We will post a link here when we begin accepting applications. In the meantime, please note these important dates:

• October 25, 2023: In-person student information session (registration link coming soon)
• November 10, 2023: Applications due by 11:59pm
• March 14, 2024: Required orientation for all participating Sprinterns
• April 5, 2024: Required all-day workshop for all participating Sprinterns
• May 6 to May 24, 2024: Sprinternships run