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Chicago Programs

Chicago, Illinois

Note: The application deadline for the fall Chicago Programs has been extended.  If you are still interested in applying, go to www.acm.edu/apply and contact the ACM office immediately.

With a vibrant arts scene, a remarkable array of start-up companies and non-profits, and a diverse mix of cultures and ethnicities, there's no better place to be than Chicago.  The ACM Chicago Programs are designed to engage students academically, professionally, and personally with this dynamic city.  During their time in the program, students participate in coursework, an internship, and an independent study project.  With three distinct programs working together through an innovative interdisciplinary approach, students are able to explore the important issues facing cities and the people who live and work in them, and dig deeper to relate those issues to their lives, education, and career aspirations.

  • The Business, Entrepreneurship, & Society program introduces and builds upon the central themes of entrepreneurship – creativity, innovation, and problem solving – as the fundamental tools of successful businesses and organizations of all types.
  • The Chicago Arts program introduces students who are interested in a broad range of the arts – music, theater, dance, film, fine arts, creative writing, and related liberal arts – to the creative process as it is expressed within the context of a major urban arena and by the individual students themselves.  
  • The Urban Studies program introduces students to the complexities of life and society in Chicago, examining subjects such as public policy, community development, social justice, gender, race, and ethnicity through the personal perspectives of Chicago’s community leaders, politicians, and activists.  

For more detailed information about any of the ACM Chicago Programs, please click on one of the links above or on the left-hand side of this page.

Chicago Programs students meet Mayor Richard M. Daley during a visit to City Hall.

Quick Facts

  • Terms: Fall semester, spring semester, & spring trimester (March-May)
  • Language prerequisite: None
  • Language of instruction: English
  • Living arrangements: Apartment

Application deadlines

Application deadline extended! Please contact the ACM Office for more information.

March 15, 2010

Fall 2010 semester

March 15, 2010

Spring 2011 semester early application date
Do I need to apply early?
The early application date is available for students whose college requires that all off-campus study applications for the entire upcoming academic year must be completed the prior spring semester. If your college does not require a spring decision for programs the following spring, you may simply apply by the regular application deadline.

October 31, 2010

Spring 2011 semester

If the deadline has passed and you are interested in applying, contact the ACM Office immediately. Late applications may be accepted on a space-available basis.

Publications & Resources

Chicago Programs brochure

Chicago Programs Student Handbook 2009-10

Chicago Programs internship list

Chicago Programs

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Ben Cronin During my semester in the ACM Chicago Arts program, I had a personally educational experience with my internship at the Numero Group. I received relevant and useful knowledge that helped me understand the music industry. To organize a concert and see it realized was a rewarding and unique experience. The internship component provided a strong fundamental experience in the working world that I will remember for a long time.

—Ben Cronin, Chicago Arts, Spring 2009

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