Chicago has long been known as the urban laboratory of the world. Many of the world's most famous social scientists and writers have made Chicago the object of their attention. Jane Addams' Hull House and the "Chicago School" of sociology made Chicago synonymous with field research and progressive reform. UIC has one of the largest and most significant concentrations of urban scholars at any university, anywhere.

To take advantage of these resources, UIC initiated the Chicago Cluster— a multidisciplinary learning experience focused on Chicago.

The graduate and undergraduate courses are linked by periodic symposia, public talks, and other events based on common themes, problems, and texts. All the courses focus on Chicago's rich multiethnic history and current scholarly research on the urban experience. The Chicago Cluster is directed by nationally known English Professor Gerald Graff, UIC's associate dean of curriculum and instruction, and offers courses from the Colleges of Liberal Arts & Sciences, Urban Planning and Public Affairs, Public Health, Social Work, Education, and Architecture & the Arts.