Below is a [non-exhaustive] list of research courses available on campus for Spring 2019 semester. 200-level courses are intended to give students methodological tools, while 400-level courses are designed as opportunities to put those methods to work. Students who are interested in the Global Studies research track should contact Dr. Charles Fogelman, fogelma2@illinois.edu

 

QR gen ed? Rubric  Number Name Foci
x ACE 261 Applied Statistical Methods Statistical methods and computer applications for agricultural and consumer economics, including descriptive statistics, probability distribution, interval estimation, hypothesis testing, analysis of variance, simple and multiple regression, and non-parametric methods. 
  ACE 451 Agriculture in Intl Development Economics of agricultural development and the relationships between agriculture and other sectors of the economy in developing nations; agricultural productivity and levels of living in the less developed areas of the world; and studies of agricultural development in different world regions including Africa, Asia, and Latin America. 
  AFRO 474 Black Freedom Movement, 1955-present Presents the struggle of African Americans for self-definition, self-development, and self-determination from the inception of the civil rights movement to the contemporary period. 
  ANSC 446 Population Genetics Conceptual and mathematical approach to the genetics of populations: estimation of allele and genotype frequencies; Hardy-Weinberg principle; measures of genetic diversity and distance; selection; non-random mating; genetic drift; mutation; neutral theory; migration and population subdivision; linkage and recombination; coalescence and phylogenetic inference. Applications to animals, plants, human health and wildlife conservation. 
  ANTH 414 Writing Ethnography Addresses issues of the theoretical divide between the humanities and the social sciences, the unique authority of the scholar/author, and the invisibility of the reader in producing scholarly texts. Focusing on the ways in which scholars are also authors, we explore current debates by reading a selection of contemporary anthropological texts (and some prescient precursors) that boldly experiment with how ethnography is written. Students will experiment with several ethnographic writing styles. This course is designed for advanced undergraduate anthropology students and graduate students in cultural anthropology, writing studies, and education. 
  CHLH 409 Women's Health Examines the culture of women in relationship to their health. Study is devoted to selected health care issues, developmental and physiological changes in the life cycle, health problems that affect women, and the maintenance of health. 
x CHLH 421 Health Data Analysis Introduces health data analysis, sources and uses of health data, collection techniques and classification procedures, commonly used health indices, techniques of rate adjustment, graphic presentation of data as they relate to the planning, conducting, and evaluating of community health programs. 
x CPSC 241 Intro to Applied Statistics Introduces fundamental statistical procedures used to analyze and interpret data. General principles of descriptive and inferential statistics, measures of central tendency and dispersion, probability, correlation and regression, and tests of hypotheses are covered. An emphasis is placed on biological, environmental, and agricultural sciences, but numerous examples from other areas are discussed. Course content enhances students' ability to critically assess statistical information encountered in professional and every day activities. 
  CPSC 266 Data in Bio and Ag

This course focuses on the use of computing and data analysis to solve problems in biology and agriculture and includes an overview of computer methods and limitations of current computer, network and storage hardware for big data sets. The nature, use and future potential of different types of computer hardware and software in biology and agriculture (e.g. mobile applications, high performance computing, wireless networking) will be discussed. Examples of computing-related and computing-limited problems in biology and agriculture, such as image analysis, remote sensing and genetic analysis will be used as case studies. The potential of computing to improve the food system, medicine and other applications will be presented.

  CPSC 440 Applied Statistical Methods I Statistical methods involving relationships between populations and samples; collection, organization, and analysis of data; and techniques in testing hypotheses with an introduction to regression, correlation, and analysis of variance limited to the completely randomized design and the randomized complete-block design. 
  ENGL 475 Lit and Other Disciplines: Science & Technology Studies Science and Technology Studies • Why are mammals called mammals? • What do racial politics have to do with the origins of modern gynecology? • How are pharmaceutical companies changing our definitions of health? • When did sperm and eggs take on a life of their own? This course is an introduction to Science and Technology Studies. Specifically, we will explore how scientists, sciences, and technologies understand and politicize bodies. We'll pay particular attention to how those bodies are represented in a variety of literatures. We will begin by asking some practical questions: who’s doing science? How did various sciences come into being? We will then work through a series of case studies, like those listed above, that address the ways in which bodies have been used in science and created by scientific discourse. Throughout, we will discuss how fiction can be a tool-kit for challenging conventional relationships between science and the body. No exams! Course work includes audience-centered writing assignments and a research project, topic of student's choice! Short stories and novels by Margaret Atwood, Octavia Butler, Judith Merrill, H.G. Wells, Nathaniel Hawthorne . . . and many more!
  EPS 421 Racial and Ethnic Families Graduate- level sociological examination of how gender, race, ethnicity, cultural diversity and class function in the development of diverse American families, which are important foundations of education. Primary attention will be given to African American and Hispanic families. Secondary attention will be given to Asian American, Native American and other racial and ethnic family groups. 
  GEOG 379 Intro to GIS Investigates the fundamentals of geographic information science as well as the basic skills in the execution of that theoretical knowledge with industry standard software packages. Student will learn the basics of projections and coordinate systems, how geographic information is stored and manipulated, and the theory and practice behind the production of thematic maps. Includes lecture and hands-on laboratory components. 
x GEOG 380 GIS II: Spatial Problem Solving Study of the analytical capabilities of geographic information systems with an emphasis on learning to solve spatial problems in both the vector and raster data formats. Students will develop the skills necessary to answer questions or solve problems in their areas of interest, with particular emphasis on problems and questions that require multiple steps to resolve. Students will learn the fundamental theory behind spatial problem solving, but also learn to execute these procedures with industry-standard software packages. Thus, this class contains both lecture/discussion elements and hands-on laboratory work. 
  GEOG 484 Cities, Crime, and Space Focusing on US cities, this theory-intensive course surveys traditional and critical perspectives on relations between crime, space, and place. We will explore this interplay within broader contexts of industrial and post-industrial urbanization, concentrating on dynamics including governances, economic processes, and social transformations. Emphasis will be placed on the extent to which these interwoven processes generate, classify, organize, and react to crime across cityscapes. 
  GLBL 450 Poverty Interventions & Evaluation Over the last few decades a wide range of strategies and initiatives have been applied to alleviate poverty in developing countries. The record of these initiatives is mixed. While millions of people may have moved out of poverty, over a billion remain persistently impoverished. We will examine a range of anti-poverty approaches that have been implemented and evaluates their effectiveness. Students will gain a familiarity with the interventions and an understanding of the techniques used to evaluate them. 
  GWS 470 Transgender Studies What are the issues and politics related to transgender and transsexual identities? Students will examine and critically evaluate historical and contemporary debates that contest normative male/female binaries and traditional categorizations of sexuality. The course moves beyond these initial inquiries into gender theory to consider the effects of institutional discourses produced through stage and civil society. Taught with particular attention given to questions of race, national formations, medical, and legal discourses. Areas of inquiry may include gender theory, transnational identities, gendered and racial performances, medical and psychological diagnoses, violence, the law, and the Prison Industrial Complex. Through these topics, students will be asked to consider important questions over political and legal representation, autonomy, the rights of citizenship, and the practice of everyday life. 
  GWS 475 Queering Legal Cultures Exploration of the many forms of address that legal language can take, and how these legal forms affect subjects who are barely legible before the law. We will look at state laws, supreme-court decisions, policy publications, literature and social commentaries, fictional texts - as mobbed through social media platforms - to try to understand how queer (as verb, noun, adjective) emerges as a way in and out of legal spaces. Topics will include historical formations, current debates, and landmark cases in both national and transnational contexts. 
  HIST 200 Intro to Historical Interpretation Through the careful examination of a specific topic or theme, this course provides a thorough introduction to historical interpretation. Particular attention will be devoted to research strategies, writing practices, handling primary and secondary sources, and the analysis of historiography. 
  HIST 207 Publishing the Past Introduction to the craft of publishing historical materials, with a special focus on how to publish the past in the digital age. Assignments will include historical and methodological readings, as well as hands-on instruction in digital publishing techniques. Skills taught include historical research, content development, project management, and copyright analysis.
  IB 435 Critical Evaluation of Herbal Remedies One-third of Americans use health care products derived from natural sources, particularly plants, but also animals, and fungi. This course examines the biological activity of natural products with respect to their ecological functions and their therapeutic uses. Principles of evidence-based medicine will be reviewed and students will evaluate natural remedies through lectures, in-class activities, discussions, and analyses of scientific papers. Overall, students develop skills useful for evaluating alternative remedies and for communicating their conclusions to the general public. 
  KIN 201 Physical Activity Research Methods

This course provides an introduction of physical activity measurement and methods. The course will focus on (a) defining physical activity and associated terms and concepts; (b) providing detailed understanding of approaches and tools for measuring physical activity; and (c) facilitating understanding of scientific methods for physical activity research (e.g., experimental and non-experimental designs).

  MACS 356 Sex and Gender in Popular Media Examines the notion that the mass media influence our development as gendered individuals, looking at those who argue for and against this notion. Considers different forms of feminist theory applied to the study of mass media, the history and scholarly criticisms of the media and their portrayal of women, and feminist attempts to create alternatives to mainstream media images. Throughout, the course considers representation of minorities in the dominant media and examines newly created alternative representations. 
  PS 231 Strategic Models

Introduces strategic models of political behavior and their implications for our understanding of politics. Uses simple models, inspired by game theory, to examine fundamental political questions.

x SOC 380 Social Research Methods Introduction to the foundations of social research and to the major types of research methods employed in sociology. Provides exposure to the major tools and terminology of social research, including the use of computers in sociology. Topics include: research design, finding and using sociology literature, measurement, sampling, survey research, field methods, use of available data, quantitative data analysis and presentation, and computer resources for research. 
  SOC 447 Environmental Sociology Examination of historical and modern consequences of environmental alteration and pollution and resource limitations on human populations in the context of various social change theories. Explores the environmental movement, population explosion, the "limits to growth debate," and the impacts of environmental change on food production, land, and water quality. 
  UP 418 GIS for Planners Detailed introduction to the design and use of computerized geographic information systems, focusing on their significance for planning. Emphasizes GIS within an institutional setting, covering not only fundamental technical concepts, but also organizational, management, and legal issues. Students will be introduced to GIS applications and products through readings, videos, demonstrations, and exercises. Computer laboratory work is included. 
  UP 470 Shrinking Cities This seminar examines urban shrinkage--a phenomenon typically associated with population loss, but also characterized by obsolescence, disinvestment, and abandonment. While some cities thrive and struggle to house the global urban majority, other cities face the stark reality of shrinkage and decline. What should we do to envision and enact a viable future for our shrinking cities? This course will be taught as a seminar, using readings, student facilitated discussions, and lectures as a means for creating a shared understanding around urban shrinkage. Literature from Planning, Economics, Sociology, and other areas will contribute to discussions of the meaning of urban decline as a set of social, economic, and spatial phenomena. Some seminar sessions will be "lab" sessions, focused on developing your analytical skillset via qualitative and quantitative methods. 
x UP  116 Urban Informatics I Introduces students to basic analytical techniques used to better understand how cities work. Topics include the foundational statistical concepts of data, variation, and inference. Students formulate a research question about an urban studies or planning issue, collect data, use statistical software to analyze data, and communicate the findings.
x UP  316 Urban Informatics II Provides an introduction to formal methods for collecting and analyzing data required in various planning processes. Methods include survey research, regional demographic and economic analysis, forecasting techniques, benefit-cost analysis, and decision analysis.