Northern Illinois University

[EduCativ]

Northern Illinois University is a place where future generations of leaders are learning today for productive tomorrows. Guided by our Vision 2020 Initiative, a strategic road map toward becoming the most student-centered public research university in the Midwest, we produce creative critical-thinkers and communicators.
Students here enjoy unlimited and life-changing opportunities for enriched and engaged learning, bolstered by our strong emphasis on undergraduate research and honors.
The vision of Northern Illinois University is to be the premier student-centered, research-focused public university in the Midwest, contributing to the advancement of knowledge to benefit the region, the state, the nation, and the world. With this vision, the mission of the University is to promote excellence and engagement in teaching and learning, research and scholarship, creativity and artistry, and outreach and service.
Chartered in 1895, Northern Illinois University first opened its doors in 1899 as the Northern Illinois State Normal School to prepare college-educated teachers.
Today, NIU is a world-class university that attracts students worldwide, but we remain deeply committed to providing an excellent and affordable higher education to Illinois families, some of whom have never sent a child to college before.
Over the next 120 years, enrollment grew 145-fold as the campus spread to 755 acres and became home to nearly 60 buildings and 25,000 students at its peak. World War II and the wars in Korea and Vietnam accelerated enrollment as returning veterans put their GI Bill benefits to working.
The school became Northern Illinois State College on July 1, 1955, and Northern Illinois University on July 1, 1957.
The Illinois General Assembly granted NIU its governing board in 1996. Regional education centers in Hoffman Estates, Naperville, and Rockford were built to better meet residents' needs throughout the University's vital service region.
When you enroll at NIU, you are assigned an academic advisor who will help guide you toward educational achievement. Our advisors do not just help you choose the classes. They provide you with the resources you need to make your NIU experience a success. We are all in this together, but your involvement counts – by meeting with your advisor every semester, you will take charge of your academic progress.
If you have declared your major, contact your college advising office to make an appointment with your advisor. If you are undecided or are considering changing your major, an advisor in the Academic Advising Center will help you explore your options.
Become a global citizen! Studying abroad makes you highly desirable to employers and transforms the way you see the world. Choose a program that fits your major and schedule. Our study abroad opportunities include 80 countries and range from 10 days to full academic years. Plus, we will make your study abroad experience affordable through financial aid and scholarships.
Turn your passion into an exciting and rewarding career. Our Graduate Research Program offers more than traditional education. Through our unique programs, you will explore your field through hands-on research. You will study under a diverse and supportive faculty who make significant contributions in their respective fields. Their guidance and encouragement help you navigate your research successfully. Do fieldwork. Attend international conferences. Collaborate with world-renowned experts in your field. Make connections and networks. This program is precisely what you want it to be. Graduate ready to take the world by storm.
NIU only recognizes degrees awarded by regionally accredited institutions or foreign institutions that have equivalent recognition. For example, suppose you are from India. In that case, we consider institutions recognized by the University Grants Commission (UGC), designated by the UGC as deemed to be a university, or designated as an Institute of National Importance as possessing the equivalent to regional accreditation. Usually, to be considered for admission, a non-U.S. citizen shall have completed a four-year undergraduate degree.
NIU strives to create an environment that celebrates diversity to prepare students for a global workforce and to enrich the lives of all who live, study, and work here. The Office of Academic Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are focused on helping NIU's diverse student population succeed in their educational goals, find supportive communities and graduate with the skills and experience needed to coexist with people from all backgrounds.
Each floor on campus promotes academic success and offers programs tied to transition students as they move through their college years. Our residential communities go one step further in strengthening connections between you, faculty, and other Huskies.
Connect to faculty and engage in hands-on learning experiences through field trips and career-related activities. Each community requires you to be fully committed to participating in programming and learning opportunities throughout the year.
Living on campus with our 5,000 other residents allows you to meet people from different cultures, countries, and ethnic backgrounds that may become lifelong friends and forge relationships with staff that are here to support you along your journey. Residence hall communities are where you can live with other students and socialize with others who share your academic and career interests. Partnerships with faculty and student support centers enable you to learn where you live.

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