<p>is it worth it to go to UC for anything other than economics? UC seems to be a graduate school powerhouse, but outside of its niche (econ) is it any good for other undergraduate majors?</p>
<p>This question sounds to my ears like, "Is Tiffany and Co. good for anything else besides diamond earrings?" </p>
<p>The University of Chicago is a lap of luxury when it comes to academics, and this is coming from a non-economics major. One of the extra-luxurious things about this school is that for many programs (sciences might be an exception,because it's more based on years of experience in the field) the lines drawn between undergraduates and graduates are very thin to begin with and are constantly moving around.</p>
<p>Math, physics, sociology...a veritable smorgasboard!</p>
<p>Poly Sci especially, other social sciences majors. UChicago is a beast in academics</p>
<p>When on academic circles it is considered "Magistra Magistrorum"" (Teacher of Teachers), I don't think it refers only to postgraduate programs.</p>
<p>In addtion to the foregoing, strong life sciences, physics, top departments in many, perhaps most social science fields, strong English, very strong Classics/Ancient History and related stuff (dead languages rule). Indiana Jones taught there. So did Leo Strauss and Allan Bloom.</p>
<p>No university is unique in any field. Chicago has a great economics department, but so do many other brand-name universities, and the same is true in dozens of other areas. What makes a university great is being in the top group in a wide variety of fields, and creating some sort of cohesive identity (and communication/synergy) across departments and schools. The University of Chicago has that in spades.</p>
<p>anthropology, obscure languages. all you have to do is walk around one of our museums on the campus, especially the Oriental Institute, to understand the superior resources uchicago has for studying anthropology. definitely sociology.</p>
<p>how come engineering is non existent at UC?</p>
<p>umm b/c engineering has very useful and practical applications in the real world?</p>
<p>lol kidding</p>
<p>^Except, that's just about right. Chicago considers engineering akin to vocational education, and thus incompatible with a liberal arts education, which is what it offers at the undergraduate level. Plus, it would be difficult (although probably not impossible) to have an accredited engineering program co-exist with the core curriculum. Most of Chicago's possibly-practical departments (like Computer Science and Economics) track heavily theoretical on the spectrum of possible approaches.</p>
<p>^^JHS and J'Adoube -- Which is precisely why my math/CS guy is at Chicago rather than an engineering school!</p>
<p>i don't think that's why uchicago doesn't have engineering. everyone here wants to contribute it to that reason, but i think uchicago doesn't have engineering because they have never had engineering, and probably wouldn't have preeminence in the field. there are plenty of people here who want to get out and get a job and avoid the world of academics.</p>
<p>plus, there is nothing "vocational" about engineering. it's not like someone who majors in engineering goes on to become a plumber or something, engineering is one of the most lucrative fields of study, and can be very rigorous. furthermore, many engineers are just as interested in making money as the econ majors here, and want to go into investing or financial consulting.</p>
<p>i hear they are strong in the research sciences</p>
<p>About engineering…
[Committee</a> debates engineering plan](<a href=“Alcohol bans felt at third of campuses nationwide – Chicago Maroon”>Alcohol bans felt at third of campuses nationwide – Chicago Maroon)</p>
<p>
[Report</a> of the Ad Hoc Faculty Committee on Molecular Engineering](<a href=“http://provost.uchicago.edu/pdfs/MolecularEngineeringReport.Final.pdf]Report”>http://provost.uchicago.edu/pdfs/MolecularEngineeringReport.Final.pdf)</p>
<p>(This was strongly endorsed by the committee, as it turned out, and the goal is to have 25 new faculty members in this area.)</p>
<p>I didn’t say that the reasoning was correct, I just reported what it was historically. Remember, around the time Chicago was created, Harvard was abandoning its engineering school in favor of MIT, and Yale got rid of its engineering school about 40 years later.</p>
<p>Yes, today they are taking some steps in the opposite direction. But “molecular engineering” is a far cry from building bridges or designing circuits. Traditional engineering is not even on the drawing board yet at Chicago.</p>
<p>The Crerar library was once located a IIT and had a major engineering component. When U of C was asked if they would like to have the library on its campus they said yes, if the engineering books went elsewhere. U of C has never been engineering friendly. One of “those” t-shirts that Chicago is so famous for reads something like: That is all good and well in practice, but how does it work in theory?</p>
<p>If Chicago were to build such a program, it would immediately be a preeminent program. They would simply higher the best faculty available, and put them in world class facilities, which is how the school began in the first place. However, president Zimmer has all but ruled out a typical engineering program at Chicago. Molecular engineering, as JHS said, is what one may see.</p>
<p>I agree with your reasoning, JHS. Chicago used to keep a list of majors it DOESN’T offer to emphasize this. </p>
<p>[Chicago:</a> Non-Majors](<a href=“http://web.archive.org/web/20060213093430/collegeadmissions.uchicago.edu/level2.asp?id=346]Chicago:”>Chicago: Non-Majors)</p>
<p>I am always reminded of [url=<a href=“http://www.collegeconfidential.com/discus/messages/8/67088.html?]this[/url”>http://www.collegeconfidential.com/discus/messages/8/67088.html?]this[/url</a>] post from the old forum:</p>
<p>engineering is an awesome discipline and X is a fine school. however, uchicago has its own merits. this post is like making the most beautiful crystal vase in the world, then throwing it out the window to see if its bounce will hold up against a basketball’s.</p>
<p>Idad, the name of the team representing UChicago at the International Collegiate Programming Competition this year is (aptly) named “Works in Theory.” 'Nuff said!</p>