UIC Business Student Life

Business Beyond the Classroom

At UIC Business, you’ll learn business concepts and skills both inside and outside the classroom. From our diverse community to our vibrant campus in downtown Chicago, we strive to be one of the best business colleges for student life. Activities for business students at UIC range from corporate visits to relay races. See the Cubs, Sox or Blackhawks play, connect with local companies or practice your leadership skills with improv — at UIC Business, there’s no shortage of ways to grow as a professional and have fun.

  • 185 + Student Org Leaders

  • 26 Business Student Organizations

  • 4 Student-Led Department Initiatives

A Day in the Life of a UIC Business Student Heading link

See what student life is like for UIC Business student Saskia Simorangkir.

Why Choose UIC Business? Heading link

  • Diverse Campus Community All within walking distance of Chicago's vibrant business district and West Loop neighborhood.

  • Student Success Team Cohort model. Selective honors program. Dedicated Business Career Center. Perfect your professional presence.

  • A Best Value Option For students seeking both affordability and impactful career outcomes.

Community Building Heading link

Building community among students is critical to fostering a supportive and engaging educational environment. Through student organizations and clubs, mentorship programs, social events, and activities, we promote diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at UIC Business to ensure all students feel valued and included in the campus community.

Cultural Months

  • Black History Month: February
  • Women’s History Month: March
  • Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Awareness Month: April

Cultural Months

  • LatinX Heritage Month:  September 15 – October 15
  • LGBTQ+ History Month: October
  • Veterans, First Generation, and Native American Awareness Month: November
  1. Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) celebrating Día de Muertos.
    UIC Business and ALPFA celebrated Day of the Dead/Dia De Los Muertos in the Douglass Hall Café with Mexican-themed food and hot chocolate. ALPFA also had an altar decorated with lights in the Latino Cultural Center to remember their ancestors. Over 40 students attended to celebrate. More people would have likely joined but we ran out of food within the first 30 minutes.
  2. Pride in Business panelists having a conversation about on-the-job queer experiences.
    UIC Business celebrated with UIC for the first time LGBTQ+ History Month, which occurs from October 1-31. More students are usually away in June for Pride Month, so UIC decided to move to October to celebrate the LGBTQ+ History Month for “Outober”. During the Pride in Business Panel, around 15 students joined us to listen to the stories from faculty, staff, and experienced graduate students.
  3. Black Students in Business club members at the BSIB Summit: Black Marketplace Party.
    Black Students in Business hosted their first Black Marketplace Party. The event featured student vendors, selling their products and promoting their businesses. While attendees shopped the exceptional vendors, they enjoyed music from DJ John West, soul food, and the company of one another. Over 200 students, staff, faculty, and Chicago community members were in attendance, ending Black History Month with a resounding success!
  4. United Women's Network (UWN) Club members posing at the 10th Annual Women in Business Conference.
    United Women’s Network and UIC Businesses hosted the 10th Annual Women in Business Conference. The conference consisted of an engaging panel of local Chicago women entrepreneurs (3 of which are UIC alumni!), a powerful Keynote and “Poker Power”, great networking sessions, as well as student entrepreneurs showcasing their products. Over 140 students, faculty and staff were in attendance to celebrate the 10th Women in Business Conference, women entrepreneurs, and Women’s History Month as a whole.
  5. Asian American Business Association group photo at the Innovasain Conference.
    Asian American Business Association and UIC Business hosted the inaugural InnovAsian Conference. With the theme of “Building Bridges and Breaking Barriers: Connecting Asian American Business Leaders”, the conference focused on the growth, development, and successes of UIC’s Pan-Asian students and professionals. The conference consisted of an insightful panel, an impressive keynote, and an engaging discussion activity. Over 40 students, faculty, and staff came together to celebrate the first ever InnovAsian Conference, Pan-Asian students and professionals, and Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Awareness Month as a whole.

UIC Students Compete in Second Annual Blaze Venture Challenge Heading link

UIC freshman Karolina Tomasik knew she had to make her pitch memorable to the Blaze Venture Challenge judges.

Standing at a podium in the Student Center East ballroom, the business major casually overturned a paper bag and sent dozens of plastic gift cards scattering over the stage. That, she told them, is what happens to many of the $1 billion worth of gift cards purchased in the United States yearly.

Tomasik’s idea, Creditz, landed her in first place, with a $5,000 prize. Creditz is a phone app that stores gift cards and allows users to send cards as gifts to others. It can even earn money by allowing the user to trade in unused portions of cards for points that can be used for other cards or be donated to charity, she said.

Tomasik’s pitch was one of eight the team of five judges — including UIC graduates and business leaders — were charged with evaluating as part of the second annual Blaze Venture Challenge. The “Shark Tank”-style competition kicked off UIC research week and was hosted by the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Innovation. The competition is designed to foster entrepreneurship and was sponsored by Comcast, which gave $13,000 in prize money.

Read more on UIC Today

Why Is UIC One of Chicago’s Best Business Colleges for Student Life? Heading link

Along with an energetic atmosphere and plenty of activities for business students, UIC Business provides exceptional career preparation with student organizations, professional development programs and access to the local business community.

What is a Business Student Organization Like? Hear From UIC Business Students Heading link

Members of the Flames Consulting Group

“The most rewarding aspect of being involved in a student organization is that you will get the opportunity to interact with your peers who have similar aspirations and a chance to build professional relationships adding immense value to the learning experience.”

Adit Bhagat  |  Senior IDS/Finance Major

Meet the 2023 CME Group Foundation Scholars Heading link

Nine UIC Business students have been awarded the prestigious Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) Group Foundation Scholars Program scholarship. This high-value scholarship supports the education of historically underserved groups who are majoring in finance, information technology, computer science, or applied mathematics. Each recipient will have the opportunity to attend a one-day market education program at CME Group in Chicago in August 2024.

Read More

In Their Own Words Heading link

Christian Zavala

“Through hard work and a lot of support from different people, specifically from UIC with all its resources, I was able to see the version of myself that I wanted to become,” he said. “It’s definitely made me a better person, and I’m excited to navigate the next chapter of my life.”

Christian Zavala  |  BS '23, Marketing and Finance Major

Business Student Organization Spotlight Heading link

Slalom Consulting recently hosted the Flames Consulting Group at its Chicago headquarters. Fifteen students and Ginger Lacy, Associate Director – UIC Business Career Center, learned about the firm’s opportunities in technology, analytics, and business advisory consulting, toured the office, and networked with Slalom consultants.

Read more on the UIC Business Blog