The LAS Global Studies Program is committed to student research. We believe every student in our major should undertake a substantial research project during their time at the University of Illinois. 

Research can take many forms, and one of our main functions as teachers, advisors, and administrators is to direct students to the type of research most germane to their interests and goals. We encourage some students to take Biostatistics, some to take Qualitative Research Methods, and others to take Queer Theory. Some students may even build research projects out of all three of those foundations.

At this page, you will find a non-exhaustive list of research-based courses offered in the current semester all over campus. If you're not sure which one to take, please make an appointment with a Global Studies advisor today!

To achieve this goal, the Program has developed a long term goal of having every student produce a scholarly research project within their time here. This is not yet instituted as policy, but it is part of our next five years' objective.

Long-term learning outcomes:

  1. Every GS major will be able to discern the advantages and disadvantages of different research methods: quantitative, qualitative, and mixed.
  2. Every GS major will have expertise in locating data sources for their key area of interest—both thematic and geographical.
  3. Every GS major will have completed a research project by the time of graduation that has been designed and completed in close guidance with an instructor or professor. This research project doesn’t have to be based on primary data collection; it can result from an analysis of strategically selected studies, published scholarly articles, white papers and reports of governmental and non-governmental organizations or open data sources.
  4. Every GS major will give at least one oral presentation on their project in which they will answer questions from peers and instructors.
  5. Every GS major will document their research and upload it to the GS webpage, where it will have a permanent home.