Academics
Learning objectives
The ACM Chicago Program aims to help students learn about the methods, importance, and rewards of using liberal learning in a global city. Designed to examine topics from the cross-disciplinary perspectives of the social sciences, humanities, and arts, the program combines specialized internships with coursework and cultural immersion in Chicago neighborhoods to achieve these overall learning goals:
- To understand – through intense interaction with key communities and leaders – how the threads of arts, entrepreneurship, and civic engagement weave together in the complex, rich tapestry of the city;
- To develop an understanding of Chicago and the multicultural character of contemporary cities through immersive living, direct involvement, and structured analysis of neighborhoods and their assets; and
- To develop skill and confidence in using liberal learning, including independent inquiry and discovery processes, to understand and live productively in a global city.
At the end of the semester, students should be able to “read” a city, drawing upon their experiential and academic encounters with Chicago to decipher the ways in which artists, entrepreneurs, and activists interact with each other and create the fabric of a complex city. Students should have the ability to apply their liberal learning in a 21st-century city, using it on their own to live and continue learning through an active intellectual, civic, and professional life.
Academic overview
The curriculum of the Chicago Program is designed to provide students with a conceptual framework for approaching and synthesizing their academic, work, and personal experiences while living in Chicago. All students participate in the team-taught Chicago Core Course, while also completing an internship, independent study project, and a seminar focused on the arts, entrepreneurship, or urban studies. Students have the opportunity to explore one of these topics in-depth, or participate in classwork and projects across these disciplines. Note: Students participating in the spring trimester option will take the core course, program seminar, and will have a choice between an internship or an independent study project.
In stressing an interdisciplinary approach to learning, the program encourages students to reflect upon strategies for integrating what they learn through their coursework, internships, and interactive experiences in Chicago with their on-going academic work on campus.
Program credit
Students should consult with their academic advisors and off-campus study offices before applying to the ACM Chicago Program. Most students participating in the semester-long program receive 16 semester hours, or the equivalent, distributed variously as general education, independent, or departmental work. Students participating in the spring trimester option should typically receive credits equivalent to a trimester of academic work. However, the specific terms for receiving and distributing credits are determined by each student's home institution.
ACM and Chicago Program faculty and staff will be happy to work with students and advisors to provide the appropriate information for facilitating the crediting process. It is important that these considerations be made before students enter a program.
All students who complete an ACM off-campus study program receive a grade report that lists their courses, credits, and grades. Most colleges accept this grade report as an official academic document. If a college requires an official academic transcript, ACM can arrange to have a transcript issued through Beloit College for a $350 processing fee. To request an official transcript, students must make a formal request through ACM.