Frequently Asked Questions

According to our current plans, some classes will be dual modality and others will be fully remote, depending on the program, campus, and faculty member. If taught in dual modality, faculty and students have the option to be either remote or in class. We will monitor the ongoing health situation and adjust our planning as needed.

Yes, dual modality gives both faculty and students the option to learn in person or remote.

The health and well-being of students and faculty is our first priority. We have asked faculty to record all class sessions so that you will be able to participate in classes whether or not you come to class.

Early estimates indicate that most rooms will accommodate classes sizes of 25 to 30 percent of our normal class size. We are looking into several options to increase the number of students who can attend class in person.

Full-Time and Part-Time MBA and PhD classes will be held Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturdays from 9 to 5 p.m. Central Time. We’re strongly encouraging faculty to record their lectures, provide additional options for class participation, and find other ways to support international students.

For Executive MBA class times, we have adapted each cohort’s schedule to accommodate virtual learning. The classes will be offered by cohort at times that are convenient for that group:

• Chicago Cohort (XP): Thursday 6–9 p.m., Friday/Saturday 9 a.m.–12 p.m. Chicago
• London Cohort (EXP): Thursday 6–9 p.m., Friday/Saturday 2–5 p.m. London
• Hong Kong Cohort (AXP): Thursday 7–10 p.m., Friday/Saturday 9 a.m.–12 p.m. Hong Kong

In addition, the first session of the LEAD course will be offered at three different times from which students can choose and does not need to be taken with your home cohort.

The university recognizes the challenges that COVID-19 has brought about for many of our students and their families; additional assistance is available for those who encounter unexpected expenses.

Booth continues to follow the university and local guidelines. Everyone living in university residence halls will be tested for COVID-19 when they arrive on campus, followed by weekly, mandatory testing. However, eligible students, instructors, researchers, and staff who will be on campus during this quarter can request to be a part of a voluntary testing program, where volunteers are tested frequently throughout the year in order to track asymptomatic infections on campus. For more information, visit this UChicago COVID-19 Testing Program page.

Currently, there are no plans for voluntary testing at the Hong Kong or London campuses. Instead, both campuses will follow local health and safety guidelines. We will continue to update both campuses as necessary.

If you test positive for COVID-19, you will need to notify the university by emailing C19HealthReport@uchicago.edu. You will have to remain isolated until at least 10 days have passed since the emergence of symptoms, and at least twenty-fours have passed since recovery. For more details, see Information on COVID-19 Exposures.

Yes. Everyone will be required to take a training course and sign the Health Affirmation before entering any university building. For details, see COVID-19 Health Requirements.

The UChicago Forward website is a great resource if you have general questions about COVID-19. Visit the website to learn more.

While some of the measures for this quarter call for our community’s adherence to health and safety requirements, they must be combined with institutional measures to test, trace, isolate, and treat COVID-19 cases that may emerge. In Chicago, these procedures include provisions for mandatory and voluntary testing, a contact tracing team, guidelines for isolation and quarantine, and resources for treatment of COVID-19 cases. FAQs are available with further information.

Our Hong Kong and London campuses will follow local health and safety guidelines to address any COVID cases that emerge in those campus communities.

For the most up-to-date information, please visit UChicago’s COVID-19 Vaccination page.

Travel and quarantine procedures to follow when arriving in Chicago for this quarter.

Students should be mindful of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines that recommend travelers assess whether they have recently engaged in “higher risk activities” for exposure to COVID-19 and take extra precautions to protect others after travel. For more information, including a list of higher risk activities, visit the CDC’s website.

We recognize that students living off campus have a wide variety of living situations, but at a minimum, all off-campus students should observe a transition period before returning to campus. In the seven days before they return to campus, we strongly encourage all students living off campus to limit their contact with others and limit movement outside their home, including refraining from attending any gatherings. 

Additional restrictions apply if students are coming from a state covered by Chicago’s Emergency Travel Order. In accordance with the Chicago Department of Public Health (CDPH), students who arrive in Chicago from designated states/territories must quarantine for 10 days. The list of designated states—note that it changes frequently—is available on the City of Chicago’s website. Off-campus students arriving from CDPH designated states must complete the 10-day quarantine period in Chicago before coming to campus for courses, research, or any other in-person activities. Students need to make arrangements to have food and other needed supplies delivered to their residences.

International travelers should be aware that the CDC maintains a list of countries from which foreign nationals may not enter the United States if they’ve been in those countries anytime during the previous 14 days. These countries currently include China, Iran, and Brazil. For more information and to check for additions or changes to the list, please visit the CDC’s website. Similar entry restrictions remain in effect for Schengen-area countries, the UK, and Ireland, with exemptions provided to international students entering the US in F-1 or J-1 visa status. For information about these exemptions, visit the US Department of State’s website. 

For more information, please see the Travel and Quarantine Procedures and International Students sections of the university’s FAQ and the September 2nd update on university travel and quarantine procedures.

Yes, we anticipate that most student-led groups will continue to operate with a combination of in-person and virtual experiences. During the Spring Quarter, for instance, Booth’s student group OUTreach celebrated Pride Month with a virtual version of the Pink Party, the group’s traditional celebration of LGBTQ+ culture, while Booth’s Dance Club put together a virtual music video to inspire students during the spring stay-at-home orders. Students attending in-person gatherings should adhere to CDC guidelines and local ordinances.

We are committed to facilitating meetings, performances, exhibits, social activities, and other events in our adapted environment with strict maintenance of health and safety requirements. For more information, please review this announcement.

The university is continuing the suspension of university-sponsored international and domestic travel until further notice due to COVID-19. In addition, nonessential personal travel is strongly discouraged. For more information, please see the University’s September 17 update.