Northwestern’s Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences prepares you for success in a complex world. There is one defining trait of Weinberg College students and alumni: they embrace opportunities to change the world – in energetic, organized and impressive ways.
Weinberg College graduates follow their passions into a world of career possibilities. Get inspired by the diverse pathways that align with your passions and ignite your potential.
People pursue careers in museums, galleries, historical societies, digital arts, graphic design, advertising, and publishing. Some professionals work in diverse areas such as medicine, law, art history, business, education, government, non-profit organizations, and financial services.
People pursue careers in computer science, psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, philosophy, biology, anthropology, social work, social services, academia, and research, with many advancing into fields like medicine, law, education, counseling, healthcare, and technology.
People pursue careers across sectors like mineral resources, environmental consulting, government labs, academia, and specialized fields such as ocean, atmospheric, polar, high-elevation science, and space science, with some also branching into law, medicine, and politics.
People pursue careers in diverse fields like law, government, healthcare, international development, business, medicine, politics, education, non-profit work, human rights, social work, public health, urban planning, human services, and entrepreneurship.
People pursue careers in law, business, medicine, education, nonprofits, government, politics, consulting, communications, marketing, international affairs, and museums. They also work in advocacy, human services, education, media, and the arts.
People pursue career opportunities across government, healthcare, operations management, information technology, biotechnology, data science, pharmaceuticals, scientific research, development companies, banking and finance, sports, insurance, academia, and education.
People pursue careers in research, medicine, engineering, government, academia, consulting, computing, public policy, law, and business. They also work in the chemical industry, biomedical sciences, genetics, ecology, biotechnology, agriculture, veterinary medicine, and military-technical fields.
People pursue roles in government, industry, finance, consulting, banking, law, media, non-profits, corporations, labor unions, marketing, education, and technology. People also work in market forecasting, revenue analysis, and cost-benefit studies in education, health, and transportation.
People pursue roles in anthropology, archaeology, international studies, museums, gender services, and education. People also work in government, law, non-profits, healthcare, business, marketing, consulting, research, technology, politics, foreign service, and social activism.
Do you wonder where your academic path will take you? The Ask a Wildcat website provides answers and advice to specific questions from a community of over 80,000 Northwestern alumni.
Sam Rappin's opportunity to explore experiences was instrumental in his future path —from tapping trees to make maple syrup in a climate change class to studying sustainable food in Copenhagen.
His journey even took him to Sicily, where he climbed a volcano and tasted vegetables grown on volcanic soil. The people Sam met and the hands-on learning inspired his passion for sustainability. His advice? Pursue what excites you, and don’t hesitate to chart your own path.
Our students have gone on to become leaders in business, government, social services, law, science, education, medicine, media, and the performing arts. Meet some recent graduates and learn about their career paths.
Cody Gronewold, who was an Economics major, is now a financial analyst at Goldman Sachs' Chicago office. He secured the position after interning at Goldman Sachs through Northwestern’s Chicago Field Studies program. The academic internship program helped him secure an internship during the academic year and learn about the finance industry through an accompanying seminar. "After two weeks, I knew I wanted to work there after college."
Currently a student at Montana State University, Parker Levinston has a degree in environmental science as well as African studies. After graduating from Weinberg, Parker worked on two different projects in Antarctica as a National Science Foundation grantee. There, she monitored penguins and seals, their breeding patterns, and how the environment affects their lives.
Northwestern taught me to be inquisitive and search for answers independently. I think that’s an important skill going into science and fieldwork, rather than having someone tell me what to do. I’m able to understand why things are happening and what it means for the ecosystem and build from there.”
Parker Levinson (’18), Environmental Science and African Studies majors
Daniel Kim ’20 majored in statistics at Northwestern and today is an Associate Manager in Data Analytics at Walgreens. After experimenting with a few fields of study, he discovered a corporate career path in the pharmaceutical space. He has found that working in the business side of healthcare has leveraged both his interests and skills.
Meet more alumni and learn about their professional journeys after graduation.
Chicago Field Studies (CFS) is an academic internship program that matches over 500 students every year with over 250 employer partners.
CFS participants receive guidance on choosing internships based on their passions and values, navigating applying and interviewing, and succeeding in the professional world. While interning, students process their experiences in weekly CFS seminars, where they reflect on the place of work in their lives and the role of their industry in society.
Through Weinberg's Chicago Field Studies program, Alexis Barber ('20) interned with Dana Rebecca Designs. The political science major where she learned marketing and sales – the skills she is using in her current job at Google. The head of the company became her mentor who noticed and nurtured her skills. Now, Alexis works on the YouTube team in a growth marketing role with small and medium businesses.
Explore just a few of the recent locations that Northwestern students have interned through Chicago Field Studies.
Meet just a few of the Weinberg College students and alumni who received Fulbright awards that allow them to teach, study and research around the world.
Spanish major Ella Bartt was a recipient of a 2023-24 Fulbright scholarship. The award allowed her to teach English at a high school in Tlaquepaque, part of the Guadalajara metropolitan area in the Mexican state of Jalisco. There, she uses the knowledge she gained as a Spanish major at Northwestern to help students build language skills and learn about American culture through classes, tutoring and a conversation club.
Robinson Markus, a double major in Political Science and Radio/Television/Film is investigating housing, climate change and inequality in Quito. Through the award, he is examining a government program offering a relocation subsidy to residents of neighborhoods deemed susceptible to climate-related risks like landslides and urban flooding.
This program helps undergraduate students connect with alumni for career exploration and planning. It features programming such as alumni panels, industry-specific conversations, and professional skills development workshops.
Learn About the ProgramThis podcast features discussions with alumni around hot topics in careers, alumni profiles for students to learn more about life with an arts and sciences degree, and explore the ins and outs of different career paths. Explore featured episodes below.
This episode features a few clips previous alumni conversations highlighting their memorable experiences relating to their majors in the humanities and how those experiences helped in their future careers.
This episode includes clips from a panel on Nontraditional Paths in Science and Medicine with Yujia Ding ’14. Yujia goes into detail about how her background colored her time at Northwestern, and how those experiences allow her to connect with students and be a better teacher.
This episode includes an interview with Khoury Cooper, who talks about memorable political science and African-American studies classes. He also speaks on how an arts and sciences background impacts him as a lawyer today.
This episode features highlights from the career summit focusing on the changing landscapes in these industries. Speakers from all three fields discuss topics such as hybrid work, work-life balance, travel expectations, and more.