Bachelor of Art, Major in Studio Art

at Northeastern Illinois University USA

The Department of Africana Studies offers a vibrant and highly competitive graduate program. The department’s Master of Arts degree is designed to provide students with a rigorous interdisciplinary training in the scholarly investigation of people of African descent. The faculty and the courses of the graduate program are drawn from the department and other academic units throughout the university.

The Master of Arts degree in Africana Studies offers two areas of concentrations: the Community Empowerment track and the Culture and Aesthetics track. The Community Empowerment concentration focuses on the historical and contemporary strategies to empower people of African descent. This track exposes the student to the political, economic, and policy responses to the impediments of African and African-descendant community development. The Culture and Aesthetics concentration focuses on the understandings and the interpretations of the philosophical, literary, and artistic contributions of people of African descent.

Students are prepared to pursue a doctorate in Africana Studies or other related disciplines in the social-sciences or the humanities. The M.A. degree in Africana Studies also enhances a career in government, education, the professional fields, and the non-profit sector.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design is an applied arts program with a focus on the development of visual solutions to communication problems, and offers students guided hands-on experience in the creation of visual messages in print and electronic media through the use of type, color, photography, animation and various other techniques. In addition, students will receive a broad historic and theoretical understanding of Graphic Design. Career opportunities in advertising, marketing, publishing, branding and interactive services will be introduced to students and special attention will be paid to establishing a relationship with the local design community.

The Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design is an applied arts program with a focus on the development of visual solutions to communication problems, and offers students guided hands-on experience in the creation of visual messages in print and electronic media. Degree candidates in the program are prepared for professional careers in the field and are challenged to research and evaluate the role contemporary design practices hold in our society.

The B.F.A. in Graphic Design begins with a strong foundation in design principles, introduces students to digital technologies and progresses into more specialized courses. Particular emphasis is placed on the development of typographic skills, and students are familiarized with a range of topics including branding/identity design, packaging design, systems design and environmental design through studio and special topics courses. Interaction design, mobile apps, and web design are taught alongside publication design, as well as historic print processes that inform contemporary design practice. The program is enriched through mentorship by professionals in the related fields of photography, digital arts, and printmaking. Courses in these areas help our students develop image-making and print production skills, exposes them to base level coding and web development skills, and introduces them to experimental areas of design, which merge elements of branding, web design and development.

The B.F.A. in Graphic Design is a professional degree and students must fulfill required coursework to be admitted to the program.

The Middle Level Education program (MLED) will provide students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to be successful teachers in grades 5-8.  Candidates choose a minimum of one discipline to earn their endorsement from Social Studies, Math, Science, and/or Language Arts.  Subject area endorsements require 21 hours of approved content courses in the discipline.  MLED Candidates complete two clinical experiences in grades 5-8 classrooms totaling 200 hours and full-time student teaching in their endorsement area for 16 weeks.  Candidates who complete the MLED program qualify for the Illinois Middle Grade Professional Educator License to teach in their endorsement area(s). 

Environmental Studies is an applied major designed to give students knowledge of and the ability to develop solutions to environmental problems. Students can focus on one of two areas:

• Environmental policy and planning, or
• Environmental interpretation / education.

Students in option 1 investigate the causes, results, and solutions to environmental problems from a policy perspective. They study regulations influencing environmental protection and degradation; they also gain practical skills useful in the field.

Students in option 2 specialize in community interaction and will qualify for careers as naturalists with parks and other outdoor agencies and as environmental educators in schools and non-profit organizations.

The program culminates with an internship experience in which the student applies knowledge, gains practical experience; it often constitutes a first job in an environmental career. To earn a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies, students must complete 24 credit hours of core requirements and 18 credit hours of approved electives. Up to nine hours of credit from other relevant fields may be accepted toward the major, with advisor approval.

Northeastern Illinois University is the only four-year public university in the Midwest federally designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, and as such our Latino and Latin American Studies Program (LLAS) builds on the University’s commitment to diversity and community partnerships. We strive to combine classroom learning and active involvement in the community. LLAS classes are taught by faculty from an array of disciplines in education, the social sciences and humanities, who are committed to active learning through discussion, research and community engagement.

The Elementary Education Program provides students with knowledge of philosophical and psychological elements of  teaching and learning, general and specific methods of instruction, and clinical intern experiences of at least 200 hours in local schools prior to the full-day student teaching experience.  Students who complete this program qualify for elementary education licensure. Upon licensure, they are eligible to teach elementary school (grades 1-6).
Program Outcomes:

Students completing the Elementary Education major will:

• Develop highly reflective, creative, and critical teaching skills and demonstrate the knowledge to connect theory to practice.
• Show evidence of a wide repertoire of teaching strategies across the curriculum, and an understanding of inquiry and project-based teaching.
• Demonstrate deep content knowledge across the curriculum.
• Demonstrate knowledge of skills and practices in literacy instruction for diverse learners across the curriculum.
• Develop the skills and habits of mind to critique knowledge, curriculum, and standards, and analyze the political and moral dimensions of schooling and teaching.
• Develop the skills and knowledge to implement culturally relevant pedagogy that considers all forms of diversity; and show evidence of the ability to integrate this content into their classroom curriculum.
• Demonstrate their ability to use and integrate technology and media in their teaching and across the curriculum.
• Demonstrate their ability to use a variety of assessment approaches for instructional decision-making.
• Have an understanding of educational research and demonstrate the skills to locate and critique scholarly and relevant studies.
• Demonstrate excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Demonstrate the ability to create a classroom community that is safe, creative, caring, inclusive, and motivating for learning.
• Understand the principles of social justice, the role of schooling in a democracy, and the ability to teach for active citizenship and critical literacy.
• Demonstrate the ability to integrate critical thinking and problem solving in their teaching.
• Show evidence of professionalism, responsibility, integrity, and the ability to work collaboratively for the success of all students.
• Assume responsibility for their own on-going professional development, and understand the role of teachers as school and social change agents

The B.A. in Physical Education K-12 Licensure prepares students to be a certified teacher in the state of Illinois. The degree program covers the most up-to-date scientific and pedagogical content knowledge relevant to the daily activities of a physical education teacher. The program combines lecture-based courses with hands-on practical clinical experiences in a variety of diverse setting throughout the program. Based on these quality experiences, students will be able to teach in urban and suburban schools. Finally, the program will allow students to create, communicate and utilize unique ideas in K-12 Physical Education.

The Physical Education K-12 bachelor's degree is accredited by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education.

Students in the program will be able to:

• Interact with faculty who are known for their expertise in physical education pedagogy, motor behavior, fitness, and adapted physical education
• Gain experience in diverse field settings within the Chicago area
• Access laboratory settings and gain experience in exercise science and motor behavior
• Utilize a variety of resources, including faculty, peers, facilites, and equipment

Physical Education majors, upon successful completion of the program and graduation from Northeastern Illinois University, are entitled to the Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL), endorsed in Physical Education K-12. Students are encouraged to complete the minor program in Health Education.

This graduate program is designed to provide advanced study of communication research and the principles and practices of communication, media and theatre, for teachers of communication at the secondary level, elementary school teachers, candidates for teaching positions in higher education, students interested in positions in business and industry, and as a preparation for further graduate study. All newly admitted students begin coursework in the fall semester.

The Department of Counselor Education offers a 48 credit hour program (16 courses) leading to the Master of Arts in Counseling: Rehabilitation Counseling.

The degree in Rehabilitation Counseling fulfills the educational requirements for the two levels of licensure as professional counselors in the State of Illinois:  Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). Graduates of the Rehabilitation Counseling program can also obtain Certified Rehabilitation Counseling (CRC) certification.

On July 1, 2017, the Council for Rehabilitation Education (CORE), the accrediting body of this rehabilitation counseling program, merged with the Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP).  CACREP will now have the responsibility for the review of Rehabilitation Counselor graduate programs. Find out more information at Counselor Education accreditation, licensures, and credentialing.

The major in History provides students with the skills to analyze and develop perspectives on the past, its cultures, ideas, and value systems. Possession of these skills allows students to better understand and appreciate the present state of affairs and future possibilities.

For information about the Department of History's academic programs, please contact Charles Steinwedel, Department Chair.