Research opportunities for graduating seniors

I write to announce the beginning of this fall’s pre-doc hiring cycle at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and to provide information on how these pre-doctoral positions can help your students. Pre-docs (sometimes called Research Professionals or full-time RAs) are two-year appointments working directly for faculty on their research in the quantitative social sciences (QSS). Students who are interested in graduate study in QSS fields but do not yet feel ready for a PhD program, or who are uncertain whether they want to pursue a PhD, find these positions to be especially useful. Students with rigorous quantitative backgrounds outside of the social sciences (e.g., physics, engineering) have used the pre-doctoral path to transition into QSS programs. Through their work for faculty, pre-docs expand their research toolkit, learn more about the research process, and pick up important credentialing through faculty letters of reference. These are competitively paid positions with full benefits.

If you know of students at any stage in their undergraduate career who might be interested in a research career, please encourage them to visit our website to learn more. Students can sign up to hear about new job opportunities when they are ready to apply (e.g., a freshman could sign up to hear about new postings in three years). The PREDOC Consortium also provides a wealth of programming and information sessions, as well as guides to the pre-doc application process. PREDOC’s offerings are growing rapidly, so students should check back frequently.

Staff at Booth and PREDOC are more than happy to answer any questions you have about pre-doctoral opportunities. Please reach out to ResearchProfessional@lists.chicagobooth.edu or info@predoc.org with any questions or to arrange a meeting.