Our department's graduate students have a unique opportunity to learn while doing research. Each year the Chicago Area Study (CAS) collects original social science data that addresses complex social and cultural forces that influence the quality of life of residents in the Chicago metropolitan area.

UIC students can enroll in a two-semester practicum in which they work with CAS faculty investigators to design and implement a high quality, full-scale research project. The method of inquiry (face-to-face survey, telephone survey, qualitative study, etc.) varies from year-to-year, as does the specific topic and the faculty investigators, thus allowing students to learn different methodological skills and gain insights from a range of top-notch UIC faculty.

Topics that have been investigated by past and future Chicago Area Studies include: (1) a face-to-face survey focused on racial attitudes and residential segregation (2004-2005); (2) a community study of gentrification in North Lawndale (2007); (3) a telephone survey exploring racial/ethnic differences in political participation in Chicago (2008); and (4) a community-based study on how education, employment, and housing public policy strategies employed in predominantly African American and Latina/o neighborhoods in Chicago intersect and impact communities "on the ground" (2009).

The CAS relies on core funding from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the Institute of Government and Public Affairs, and the Institute for Research on Race and Public Policy. CAS reflects the overarching mission of each of these units in that it seeks to integrate basic social science research, graduate and undergraduate research training, and engaged, policy-relevant research related to issues of race/ethnicity in the urban context. This research project accomplishes these objectives by stimulating, promoting, and supporting innovative social science research that is of clear value to community leaders, policy-makers, and residents of the City of Chicago and the State of Illinois.

For more information on the Chicago Area Study contact Maria Krysan at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it .