Master in Social Work

at Northeastern Illinois University USA

The Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (BAIS) is a degree completion program designed to meet the undergraduate needs of experienced adults in a manner compatible with career and family responsibilities.  Students complete graduation requirements through an alternative, self-paced approach to higher education.

The Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies (BAIS) is a degree completion program designed to meet the needs of adult and experiential learners, in a manner compatible with career and family responsibilities. Students complete graduation requirements through an integrative, self-paced approach to higher education.

Interdisciplinary Studies students design a unique curriculum based on personal interests, career, or academic goals. These options include:

• a second academic major
• an academic minor
• an Interdisciplinary Studies Concentration

Northeastern Illinois University's B.S. in Accounting is one of the six largest accounting programs in the state of Illinois.

Accounting is the language of business. It’s essential that all small and large organizations have employees who understand basic accounting principles and can employ them for best business practices. In corporate, government, nonprofit and public accounting, the knowledge of debits and credits, financial statements and accounting information systems is basic for all business activities.

The College of Business and Management has a set of well-established Program Learning Goals and Learning Objectives across all programs that are assessed on a periodic basis. The College of Business and Management is accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) and is among the top five percent of the worldwide business schools offering degree programs. See the Dean’s Welcome for four compelling features to study in the College of Business and Management.

NEIU offers a Master of Arts degree for those individuals seeking an advanced degree in Community and Teacher Leaders. The program is designed to develop knowledge, dispositions, and skills to foster reflective, collaborative and transformative leaders in both community and school settings. Specifically, students will learn to harness the collective knowledge of community members and educators to have a positive impact on community and school success in both traditional and non-traditional settings; promote collaborative governance and leadership in communities and schools with a consistent focus on improved outcomes; model excellence in community leadership and teaching with a strong foundation in transforming the climate; and provide coaching, mentoring, and support to educators and community members to promote and influence change.  Instructional strategies include research, inquiry, analysis, and evaluation as well digital literacy and technology skills.  

Students may select one of two concentrations: community leadership or school-based teacher leadership. While both the Community and Teacher Leaders concentration lead to a Master of Arts degree, the Teacher Leader concentration also leads to a Teacher Leader Endorsement as recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education. Teachers who already have a Master's degree and an Illinois teaching license may take a subset of these courses to earn only the Teacher Leader endorsement. This school-based teacher leader concentration provides knowledge and skills related to leadership and mentoring, professional development, promoting school culture that focuses on student learning, using data to improve educational outcomes, and building collaborative relationships with stakeholders. The community-based leader concentration provides knowledge and skills that foster leadership in ethical and culturally sensitive public engagement, acknowledgement and consideration of the complexities of local and global communities, and leverages community assets to promote social justice.

The undergraduate program in Mathematics leads to a bachelor's degree in Mathematics and has been designed to provide the students with options suitable for various career plans. In addition, Northeastern is listed in the Society of Actuaries University and Colleges with Actuarial Programs, in the tier Introductory Curriculum.

CONCENTRATIONS

The choice of concentration determines the set of mathematics courses required, as well as those that can be taken as electives. Concentrations include:

• Applied Mathematics
• Secondary Mathematics

Mathematics provides tools and techniques that can be applied to solve problems in many fields. With a major in Mathematics, students learn to apply these tools, and consequently improve their career opportunities. Our programs are designed to prepare Mathematics majors for jobs currently offered by industry, business, educational and government institutions. The choice of a concentration should reflect the student’s academic interests as well as career plans.

Global Studies is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program that offers a major leading to the B.A. in Global Studies. The program provides students with the opportunity to investigate and analyze the globalized world and the transnational interconnections that are its hallmark. The innovative curriculum includes required core courses housed in Global Studies as well as cross-listed courses drawn from across the university. Through critical analysis of the contemporary world, carried out in coursework and through hands-on research and internship opportunities, students in the program accrue knowledge, scholarly abilities, and practical skills that will prepare them as informed global citizens and members of the 21st century workforce. The program will prepare students to pursue graduate education and careers in a wide range of fields, including international business and law, applied social sciences, community resources management, social services, and international development.

The Global Studies Program at Northeastern Illinois University is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program that offers a major leading to the Global Studies B.A. as well as a minor.
 
In Global Studies classes, students investigate and analyze life in a globalized world from cultural, economic, political, and other perspectives. 

The program is organized around five thematic tracks:

• Culture, Society and Identity
• Language, Knowledge and Representation
• Nature, Technology and the Body
• Power, Movements and Political Economy
• Violence, Resistance and Resolution

These tracks transcend traditional disciplinary, topical, and theoretical borders, providing opportunities for creative thinking, critical debate, and novel scholarship.  
 
Through critical analysis of the contemporary world, carried out in coursework and through hands-on research and internship opportunities, students in the program accrue knowledge, scholarly abilities, and practical skills that will prepare them as informed global citizens and members of the 21st century workforce. 

The Bachelor of Science in Physics program allows students to pursue careers in teaching, research, and development, or to go on for further graduate study. All instruction is provided by full-time faculty in small classes, affording many opportunities for close personal contact between students and instructors. All advanced undergraduate courses are given in the evening, allowing students to complete studies on either a full- or part-time basis. Faculty members are actively engaged in research projects which offer exciting opportunities for student participation. Also, faculty members offer assistance to students pursuing projects on their own.

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). 

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 primary purpose of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being. Social workers help meet the basic human needs of all people and empower those who are vulnerable, oppressed or living in poverty. A historic and defining feature of social work is the profession’s dual focus on the individual in a social context and the betterment of society. Social workers help people identify and manage the environmental forces that create, contribute to, and address problems in living.” National Association of Social Workers (NASW), 2002

Social work, as a helping profession, involves working with people in a variety of situations. Social workers assist individuals, families, groups, organizations and communities in the areas of child and family welfare, corrections, health, mental health and a variety of other social service settings.

The undergraduate social work curriculum at Northeastern is designed to prepare you for entry-level professional social work and for graduate study. You will build knowledge of human behavior, and develop the skills needed for helping individuals, families, small groups, organizations or communities in a diverse society.

Northeastern Illinois University’s Social Work program is fully accredited by the Council of Social Work Education, assuring the program’s excellence in preparing students for future employment in the field.

Because of the program’s national accreditation, students are eligible for membership in the National Association of Social Workers.

The major in Special Education is designed to meet state teacher licensure requirements by training students to be knowledgeable and skilled regarding the education of all school aged children and adolescents with disabilities. Majors are selected during October to begin studies during the following Spring semester. Majors progress through the program as a cohort. Most coursework is offered during daytime hours.