<p>What are UChicago's strongest departments? </p>
<p>For example, MIT and Berkeley are strongest in Engineering, Harvard is strongest in Government, what about UChicago?</p>
<p>And how would you rate the CompSci program?</p>
<p>Pure mathematics, economics</p>
<p>Cultural anthropology is a big one at UChicago. Also, the Near Eastern Civilizations and Languages is pretty top-notch, if I may say so myself. (Yay, Oriental Institute!)</p>
<p>The computer science program . . . I don’t know much about it, and I’m sure it’s not bad, per se. But it’s just not that great. UIUC and U Illinois-Chicago are both better for CompSci, I think.</p>
<p>Many, to name a few. It’s a shame they don’t offer engineering.</p>
<p>It’s not only what they are good at but how they go about it. The school has a reputation as the “Teacher of Teachers.”</p>
<p>ab2013, good to hear from you – how is Michigan? Are you happy?</p>
<ol>
<li><p>Both MIT and Berkeley are “strongest” in a lot more than just “Engineering”. Engineering covers about 3/4s of what MIT does, so it doesn’t help you think about what it does best. I’m not certain Engineering would be among the top 5 departments at Berkeley.</p></li>
<li><p>Chicago is a top international brand-name in Economics, Mathematics, Physics, Sociology, Classics, Ancient Near Eastern Studies, Public Policy. Also very strong in life sciences, English, Anthropology, Political Science, Statistics, History, foreign language teaching, and probably a bunch of other areas, too.</p></li>
</ol>
<p>so called “top programs” are pretty meaningless for undergrads: Most ranking refer to graduate programs, and they may or may not correlate with undergrad; most undergrads change majors while in college; </p>
<p>The only bad program you’ll find at most good unis is the one they don’t offer, like engineering at UofC.</p>
<p>I found it funny that my two majors (both small, neither “famous”) have Chicago alumni (undergrads) who have been EXTREMELY productive in the fields. Maybe not household fame, but wikipedia fame for sure.</p>
<p>I have been very satisfied with my educational experience here. I think Chicago has a very well-regarded reputation in lots of academic circles, which doesn’t hurt.</p>
<p>I know back in the day it was the meeting place for like minds in the subject of sociology, but has it declined over the years?</p>
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The department has been overtaken by a handful of publics in recent years, but it’s still a superb program. </p>
<p>It should be noted that most of Chicago’s interdisciplinary fields like Gender Studies are quite strong.</p>
<p>I am not familiar with the tippy top of contemporary sociology, but William Julius Wilson was on our faculty before Harvard swept him away from us (he was on campus last year and gave a fabulous talk!) But I think (or, rather, hope) that Andrew Abbott and Mario Small are well-known in the field, even though they are not quite as groundbreaking as some of the Chicago School folks who basically founded the field</p>
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<p>Excuse my ignorance, but what do you mean by publics?</p>
<p>State Universities (public schools)</p>
<p>Top evolutionary biology program. Not so good in psychology.</p>