Master of Arts in Africana Studies

at Northeastern Illinois University USA

Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies (WGS) is an interdisciplinary field that explores the experiences of women and the many ways that gender works throughout everyone’s lives. Gender shapes our identities, how we are perceived socially and our opportunities in life.

At Northeastern Illinois University, we approach our studies through intersections of feminist, anti-racist, multicultural, global and ecological perspectives. We examine how power is distributed and used along the intersections of race, class, gender, geography, age, abilities and sexualities.

We work together to create an environment of learning and passionate commitment to social justice. Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies is not just about learning facts and theories, but also about praxis—using our knowledge to become practitioners, researchers, learners, leaders and activists. We work to develop and implement meaningful social change within the University and beyond.

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 major requires a set of six required Biology courses (including a cornerstone course, BIO-150), five elective courses in Biology, a capstone course in Biology, and a set of cognate courses in Chemistry, Mathematics and Physics. As such, the curriculum provides broad training in the sciences, allows for students to take a sequence of courses that fit their particular interests within Biology and allows students to prepare themselves for specific careers in Biology.

Students who are seeking to be licensed to teach Biology in secondary schools should consult with both an advisor in Biology and an advisor in the Goodwin College of Education.

Students interested in pursuing graduate studies are strongly encouraged to take one year each of organic chemistry and calculus, and a course in statistics.

Students who are planning to pursue professional training in medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and other health professions should contact the professional schools to which they intend to apply in order to determine their specific program requirements. Students should also consult regularly with an advisor in Biology to ensure that they take an appropriate set of elective courses. Finally, these students can receive guidance on recommended courses, graduate-school test preparation and the application process from the Coordinator of Student Services in the Office of the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences as well as the Student Center for Science Engagement.

The Master of Arts in Geography and Environmental Studies is a program offered in the evenings and on weekends. The program is designed for students with various academic backgrounds who are interested in a career that spans the human and natural environments -- the social and physical sciences -- and who desire the spatial analytical skills of geography. Graduate students develop an area of proficiency within the broad scope of environmental policy, planning, and management or within the geographic realm of spatial analysis. The program is both theoretical and practical; students gain knowledge, conceptual skills, and technical skills. The program provides a solid basis for a career, a career shift, career enhancement or preparation for post-graduate studies.

Students are expected to:

• Acquire knowledge about human-environmental relations in which the environment is considered as both space and milieu;
• Acquire knowledge of rapidly changing landscapes, synthesizing diverse but interrelated information;
• Acquire knowledge related to locational studies concerning geometrics of movement, size, shape, and distance;
• Acquire knowledge related to environmental resources including interpretation, planning, development, use, and conservation;
• Acquire knowledge related to socio-economic development;
• Use computer cartography and geographic information systems to analyze, monitor, evaluate, and project spatial data;
• Refine skills related to map interpretation, composition, types, and preparation, and in interpretation of aerial photographs, field observation, and satellite imagery;
• Refine skills in collection and analysis of statistical data;
• Develop skills related to computerized data processing;
• Refine computational and oral as well as written communication and research skills.

The Economics major provides students with a rigorous applied and theoretical curriculum designed to prepare students for careers in quantitative and analytical positions in private, public and non-profit organizations. We provide a flexible program based on a common core of theory courses and an array of elective courses offered at a range of times designed to accommodate both daytime and evening students.

Our curriculum is designed around five concentration tracks based on faculty skills and popular career paths, but Economics majors have a great deal of freedom to choose elective courses that meet individual goals.

Economics, as a field in general and at Northeastern in particular, provides training in building strong economic fundamentals, and sharpens analytical and critical thinking skills. The program is rigorous, and yet accessible to a large population of students with diverse backgrounds. Some of the program benefits include:

• Build/enhance quantitative and written skills
• Sharpen critical and analytical thinking power
• Studying content with depth and substance
• Rigorous and yet accessible curriculum
• Focus on both theoretical and applied components
• Dynamic range of concentrations available
• Almost all courses taught by field experts
• Small class size
• Opportunities for research collaborations
• Prepare for graduate studies

The M.S. program in Mathematics is designed to provide the mathematical background needed to pursue careers in applied mathematics, statistics, industry, and teaching. Students in the program have the option to concentrate in Applied Mathematics or Secondary Education. Applicants for the program must choose their concentration area when they submit their application for admission to the College of Graduate Studies and Research.

The M.S. in Mathematics is designed to provide the mathematical background needed to pursue careers in applied mathematics, statistics, industry, and teaching.

Students in the program have the option to concentrate in:

• Applied Mathematics: is designed for those with a strong undergraduate background in mathematics who wish to better prepare themselves for careers that include statistics, applied mathematics, or who intend to pursue a Ph.D. degree at another institute.
• Secondary Education: prepares students to successfully teach mathematics at High School level. It is designed for teachers who wish to improve their level of competence in mathematics or wish to serve as High School Mathematics Specialists, or wish to teach mathematics at the High School level.

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 master's degree program in gerontology is a multidisciplinary degree intended to provide both breadth and depth in the study of aging. The required portion of the 36 credit program consists of three parts: The classroom component consists of seven required courses (21 credits), the experiential component consists of an internship (3 credits) and the capstone component involves a thesis (3 credits). In addition to the internship, a practicum is required for those students who do not have prior experience in the field. The thesis may be in basic or applied research or may be a theoretical integration of a topic area.

The combination of required and elective courses prepares graduates to assume positions of responsibility in direct service, administration, social policy, and research with, or on behalf of, older people.

By design the program is part-time, with courses offered in the evening and Saturdays. A student may complete all but the thesis in three academic years by enrolling in one course in the first semester and two courses each semester thereafter. The thesis is the final course and is usually taken after all classroom work is completed.

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.

What difference does it make if we join a gang, have a baby, or go to college? What difference does it make to have money? What do changes in the family mean for future generations? What do social policies, such as AlDS legislation, or social campaigns, such as anti-choice or anti-drug activities, mean to society? How do military and governmental activities or changes in technology affect people’s everyday lives? What is the social significance of cultural diversity, race, social class, and gender? What can we do in our everyday lives to effect positive changes in our families, communities and society?

Sociologists try to answer questions like these in order to understand what society is and how it affects individuals. One of the main insights of sociology is the understanding that groups and group life influence every aspect of our lives. Sociology is the systematic study of human societies, their patterns and arrangements, and their processes of development and change. Our faculty have a strong commitment to critical analyses of social structure and social arrangements, emphasizing analyses of race, class, gender inequality and social change.

The Sociology major sharpens students’ sociological imaginations through close study of social structures and processes in which our personal biographies are embedded. As a Sociology major, you will have the opportunity to analyze society with an intersectional lens that challenges the status quo.