MUPP Internship Connection
Welcome to the 2025 MUPP Internship Connection!
On behalf of the Department of Urban Planning and Policy, we welcome you to our 2025 MUPP Internship Connection. This career development and exploration opportunity provides students with a chance to connect with potential internship providers and land their most coveted internship.
Be sure to connect with us via our official MUPP Internship Connection email address: uppcareers@uic.edu and follow UPP on LinkedIn.
The Internship Connection will be on March 21, 2025
The Internship Connection is an annual event hosted by the UIC Master of Urban Planning and Policy (MUPP) program each spring semester. This event is designed to connect students with organizations in the urban planning field, offering valuable internship opportunities.
Event Format:
- All interviews will be conducted online.
- Most interviews last 25 minutes, with short breaks in between.
- Positions range from summer-only to year-round roles.
How It Works:
- Before the event, students will receive a list of participating organizations and their available internship positions. Students can select and schedule interviews on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants must submit a PDF containing their resume, cover letter, and, if required by the organization, a writing sample or work sample.
Schedule an Interview (Registration Now Closed)
Internship Connection Details
MUPP Internship Connection – Key Details & Submission Guidelines
📅 Event Date: Friday, March 21, 2025 (Online via Zoom or Microsoft Teams)
📝 Registration Period: Opens March 7, 2025, at 6:00 PM | Closes March 14, 2025, at 6:00 PM
🎯 Interview Limit: Students may sign up for a maximum of 3 interviews
⚠️ Special Interview Restriction:
To ensure fair access to highly sought-after opportunities, students may only sign up for ONE interview slot with APA, RTA, or HNTB as part of their three interview selections. This allows more MUPP students the chance to engage with these organizations. Also, only one interview slot is allowed per internship. Please plan your selections accordingly.
Employers at the 2025 MUPP Internship Fair
| Employer/Organization | Website | Compensation | Start/End Date | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Planning Association - Summer | https://www.planning.org/ | $22/hr | 05/19/2025-05/2026 | 19 hrs/wk |
| American Planning Association - Fall | https://www.planning.org/ | $22/hr | 09/08/25-05/15/26 | 19 hrs/wk |
| Brinshore Development | https://www.brinshore.com/ | $21/hr | 10 weeks | TBD |
| Chicago Loop Alliance - Planning | https://loopchicago.com/ | $20/hr | 05/12/25-08/19/25 | 20 hrs/wk |
| Chicago Loop Alliance - Placemaking | https://loopchicago.com/ | $20/hr | 05/12/25-08/19/25 | 40 hrs/wk |
| Greenprint Planners - Internship | https://www.greenprintpartners.com/ | $23/hr | May - August 2025 | Flexible |
| Greenprint Partners - Full time position | https://www.greenprintpartners.com/ | $64,000-$72,000 | TBD | 40 hrs/wk |
| HNTB | https://www.hntb.com/ | $22.61-$33.91/hr | Summer 2025 | TBD |
| Illinois Facilities Fund | https://iff.org/ | $23/hr | 05/13/25-08/22/25 | 37.5 hrs/wk |
| Lamar Johnson Collaborative - FALL Internship | https://theljc.com/ | $21-25/hr | TBD | TBD |
| McKenna | https://www.mcka.com/ | $22-25/hr | May - August 2025 | TBD |
| North Branch Works | https://northbranchworks.org/ | $3,000 stipend | May - August 2025 | TBD |
| Preservation of Affordable Housing, Inc (POAH) | https://www.poahchicago.org/ | $22-24/hr | Summer 2025 | TBD |
| Regional Transit Authority - Regional Coordination | https://www.rtachicago.org/ | $16-19/hr | 05/27/25-open | 10-30 hrs/wk |
| Regional Transit Authority - Local Planning | https://www.rtachicago.org/ | $16-19/hr | 05/15/25 - 09/15/25 | <30 hrs/wk |
| SCB | https://scb.com/ | $25 | May - August 2025 | TBD |
| Village of Arlington Heights | https://www.vah.com/ | $20/hr | TBD | 25-35 hrs/wk |
| Village of Lake Bluff | https://www.lakebluff.org/ | $15-21.25/hr | TBD; year long | 20-24 hrs/wk |
| Village of Maywood | https://maywood-il.gov/ | $18-20/hr | Summer 2025 | 30 hrs/wk |
| Village of Mount Prospect | https://www.mountprospect.org/ | $18 | 05/19/2025-08/08/2025 | 37.5 hrs/wk |
| Village of Northfield | https://www.northfieldil.org/ | $21-29/hr | 05/01/25-04/30/26 | TBD |
| Woodstock Institute | https://woodstockinst.org/ | $22/hr | ASAP | 20 hrs/wk |
How to Sign Up
- View Available Positions: Visit the Box folder for a full list of participating employers, including organization details, available positions, tasks, compensation, and start dates.
- Sign Up for Interviews: Choose your desired interview slots within the registration period.
- Prepare & Submit Application Materials:
- Deadline: Submit your cover letter and resume by March 17, 2025
- Where to Send: Email your materials to Resumes.8pakih5cpsklvm2s@u.box.com
- Cover Letter Requirement: Even if not explicitly mentioned in the job description, please include a cover letter with your application.
guidelines
One PDF per organization: If you sign up for two interviews, you must submit two separate PDFs, each containing your resume and cover letter tailored to the respective organization.
🚫 DO NOT:
- Send multiple cover letters and a single resume as separate documents.
✅ DO:
- Name your file using the following format:
Organization Name_Your First Name_Your Last Name - Use the organization name exactly as listed on the Signup page.
- Use the same name you registered with on the Signup page.
If you require any accommodations, please email uppcareers@uic.edu as soon as possible.
We look forward to your participation!
Fine Print Tips
💻 Interview Format: All interviews will be conducted via Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet.
📩 Meeting Links: A link to your scheduled interview will be sent to you after March 17.
👔 Dress Code: Please dress professionally for your video interview.
⏳ Rescheduling or Cancellations: If you are unable to attend, you must notify the employer at least 24 hours in advance. Their contact information can be found here: Employer Contact List.
🔍 Interview Preparation:
- Research the organization and review some of their past projects to help tailor your responses.
- Attend CUPPA Career Day for interview tips and networking opportunities.
- For additional interview resources, visit: UIC Career Services – Interview Prep.
📢 Take advantage of these resources to ensure you make a strong impression!
Additional Details
MUPP Internship Requirement
UPP 590: Professional Practice Experience (4 credits), commonly known as the Internship, consists of 300 hours of practical training in the field. Students may register for UPP 590 either during or after the internship (fall semester), but must have completed at least 12 hours in the MUPP program before registering for the internship credits. The majority of full-time students complete their internship hours during the summer after their first spring term to minimize disruption to their course schedules.
Internship placements should be selected according to the following criteria:
- The agency should be interested in the purpose of the internship, committed to making the experience worthwhile for the student, and capable of handling the student’s needs.
- The assignment should be related to the student’s interests and area of specialization.
- The student should have a clearly identifiable supervisor and definable work tasks.
- The assignment may result in a specific work product or deliverable.
Internship Agreement Form
In order to ensure that all parties to the internship assignment have a clear understanding of what is involved, students and their prospective supervisors must complete the Internship Agreement Form in advance the start of the internship. The form is available in the Student Resources section of the UPP webpage: https://uofi.app.box.com/file/149432452920?s=5we2krht7107rzg5xnwn9uk29vbgbpny.
The Internship Agreement Form outlines:
- The nature of the work to be done
- The supervisor
- Compensation (if any)
- The expected final product (if any)
The Internship Agreement Form must be signed by the student, their prospective supervisor, and Dr. Tilahun (ntilahun@uic.edu) BEFORE the student may register for UPP 590 and before internship hours can begin counting toward the 300-hour internship requirement. Internship hours worked will not be approved retroactively. Note that some agencies prefer to hire students for one or even two-year internships. Students may begin such an internship, but should consult with the DGS about the suitability and timing of the internship credits.
Evaluation Form
Students will receive credit for UPP 590 after they have completed 300 hours of internship experience and submitted the MUPP Internship Evaluation Form, which can be found at https://uofi.app.box.com/file/237174736455?s=8o55vhb0s1lkk39idm3ke2wz20bydahe. The form must be reviewed and approved by the DGS.
Our Alumni Employers
Our alumni address pressing urban issues, organize communities, confront poverty and inequality, document inequitable distributions of resources, analyze spatial data, incubate new ideas and design new programs, improve community and regional infrastructure, and consult, research, strategize, analyze, and generate policy. Below are a handful of employers (and the kinds of employers) who have recently hired MUPP graduates: