Chicago Studies supports students and instructors in studying Chicago in and beyond the classroom. We cross-list both Chicago-focused (content is about Chicago) and Chicago-engaged courses (that regularly use Chicago examples, data, or experiences) as Chicago Studies (CHST) classes. We also sponsor special curricular opportunities like Chicago Studies Quarters, sequenced classes, and course bundles. All CHST classes count toward the College's interdisciplinary Certificate in Chicago Studies.
For instructors, we support Chicago-based teaching and learning with course/instructional design consultation, content resources, and micro-grants and logistical support for experiential learning.
Chicago Studies (CHST) cross-listed classes explore aspects of Chicago's ecology, culture, politics, history, social structure, and economic life, either as their primary focus or as a significant example/case study. Many engage students directly in the life of the city’s communities, cultural institutions, or community organizations through experiential learning and fieldwork. You can search for Chicago Studies classes when registering -- choose "Chicago Studies" as the department OR look for "CHST" classes in AIS.
All CHST classes contribute to fulfillment of the academic requirements of the College’s interdisciplinary Certificate in Chicago Studies.
Each quarter, a limited number of classes take some aspect of Chicago's history, culture, ecology, etc. as their main theme. Many also include experiential learning in the city (as do all the "Chicago-engaged" courses that follow).
Chicago’s Linguistic Landscape (Amy Dahlstrom)
LING/CHST 27150
Imagining Chicago’s Common Buildings (Luke Joyner)
ARTH/AMER/ARCH/CEGU/CHST/ENST 24190; ARTV 20210
Chicago-engaged classes consistently integrate Chicago examples, data, archives, and/or experiential learning to enrich course content with real-world experiences and applications.
Art and the Archive in Greater Latin America (Diana Francisco) - LACS 26384; HIST 26319; ARTV 20017
Documentary Production I (Marco Ferrari) - CMST/ARTV/MAAD/CHST 23930
Education and Social Inequality (Lisa Rosen) - EDSO/CHST/CHDV/CRES 23005; SOCI 20297
Environmental Justice in Principle and Practice (Ray Lodato) - CEGU/ENST/PBPL 26260; CHST 26259
Formations of Indigeneity (Matthew Kruer) - RDIN 12300; HIST 17800; CRES/ANTH 12800
Games & Performance (Heidi Coleman) - TAPS/CHST 24415
High Intermediate Modern Standard Arabic I - (Hala Abdel Mobdy) ARAB/CHST 20601
Historical and Contemporary Issues in US Racial Health Inequality (Micere Keels) - CHDV/CHST/CREW/HLTH/PBPL 24599
Human Rights: Contemporary Issues (Susan Gzesh) - SOSC/LLSO/LACS/CHST/HMRT/CRES 21001
Inequality in Urban Spaces (Micere Keels) - CHDV/EDSO/PBPL/CHST 20305
Intro to Directing (Shade Murray) - TAPS/CHST 23000
Intro to Genres: The River’s Running Course (Stephanie Soileau) - CRWR/CHST 12147
Introduction to the Built Environment (Wei-Cheng Lin) - ARTH/ARCH/CHST 15705
Organizing Coalitions for Change, Growing Power and Social Movements (Jane Ramsey) - SSAD 64700; CHST 24700
Policing in America: Black, White and Blue (Clayton Harris) - PBPL/RDIN/CRES/CHST 28502
Public Policy Practicum: Qualitative Research in Urban Transportation (Karlyn Gorski) - PBPL/CHST 26305
Race in Contemporary American Society (Sharon Hicks-Bartlett) - RDIN/CHST 20233
Sociophonetics (Jacob Phillips) - LING/CHST 21720
Structuring Refuge: US Refugee Policy & Resettlement Practice (Jessica Darrow) - SSAD/CHST/CRES 26922
Urban Design with Nature (Sabina Shaikh/Emily Talen) - ENST/GISC/BPRO/CHST 27155; PBPL 27156
Water, Water Everywhere? (Susan Gzesh) - BPRO/ARTH/CEGU/CHST 24193; HMRT 24193; SOSC 21005
Women’s Work (Kindon Mills) - ARTH/ARCH/GNSE/CHST 17915
Writing Art Criticism (Christine Mehring) - ARTH/ARTV/CHST 27314
From any disciplinary or interdisciplinary perspective
for fieldwork, community-based learning, or archival research
to execute academic projects that impact Chicago communities
to local data, local organizations, and local histories