Students learn about the Mexican mural tradition in the Pilsen neighborhood.

4th Year Students

Submit your Chicago-focused BA thesis or capstone for this year’s Chicago Studies Undergraduate Research Prize!  Accepting submissions in all disciplines through May 8.  Finalists will present at the annual Chicago Studies Colloquium on May 26.

Faculty & Course Instructors

Interested in experiential learning, online instruction, or ways to introduce hands-on, Chicago-focused content within your discipline? Chicago Studies can help with pedagogy, logistics, funding, and more.  One-on-one consultation also available for online or experiential pedagogy.

About Chicago Studies

Chicago Studies offers curricular and co-curricular opportunities to discover, study, engage with, and positively impact the diverse communities of our world-class city. Working with campus- and city-wide partners, we support the College community in encountering and learning with Chicagoans from all walks of life. In so doing, we facilitate the development of reciprocal, respectful collaborations between campus and city that empower students in the College to deeper critical inquiry and more impactful responses to complex and systemic issues in Chicago and in cities around the world.

Photo Contest

Got the Blues for Chicago?  Show us all about it -- photo contest accepting submissions now through April 30.  Winners in both built environment and natural environment categories!  More contests here...

Spring 2020 Programming

Feeling disconnected from Chicago this Spring? Let Chicago Studies help you stay connected with weekly contests, podcasts, virtual events, and more.  Click here to learn more.

Certificate in Chicago Studies

The College's interdisciplinary Certificate in Chicago Studies recognizes students’ meaningful integration of academic inquiry with positive, impactful engagement in Chicago during their College careers. The Certificate is available to students in any field of study; its requirements include completing three or more Chicago-focused classes (or a Chicago Studies Quarter), 200 or more hours of direct engagement in the city, and completion of an individually-designed capstone project. Students may focus their certificate on discipline-based, academic study of the city; pre-professional experience with one or more Chicago institutions; deep engagement with a particular Chicago community; or social change. 

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Engage Chicago through Research

Let Chicago Studies support your Chicago-focused research project or BA Thesis! We can connect you with community partners and datasets from across the city, research mentors from across the University's divisions and academic centers, and mentorship for developing and executing collaborative or participatory engaged research projects. When your work is done, we can help you showcase it through our annual undergraduate research prize colloquium, our "Engage Chicago through Research" data repository, and the prestigious Chicago Studies Annual.

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