What is the field research practicum?
The field research practicum is a two quarter course designed to teach research methods in a hands-on way. Students in the practicum work collectively on a real-world policy problem, with a focus on Chicago. Recent projects have included developing and testing measures of the impact of cultural organizations on local communities for the city of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs, examining the impact of welfare reform on former welfare recipients entering the labor market under Welfare-to-Work programs and assessing economic development in the South Shore Neighborhood. Each year, the class project results in a final report prepared for the client, and often a public presentation of the findings, as well. The research practicum is generally taken by students in their second or third year.
