Bachelor of Arts in Communications

at National Louis University - Illinois Campus USA

Our Bachelor of Science in Health Care Leadership degree program will harness your passion for helping others and introduce you to work in the health care field. Whether you’re currently working in health care and want to advance your career or are looking to enter the health care industry for the first time, the B.S. in Health Care Leadership can help your define your interests and reach your career goals. We offer this degree at our Chicago and Florida campus locations, as well as in an online format.

Program Highlights

Flexible Class Options

• Fit your degree around your busy schedule by choosing from campus-based and online offerings, designed to accommodate the needs of working professionals.

Career Advancement

• Set yourself up for a promotion to a leadership role in a hospital, clinic, or private practice by distinguishing yourself from other candidates with a Health Care Leadership degree. Graduates also go on to pursue advanced degrees, such as an MBA or Master’s in Health Administration.

Expert Faculty

• Learn from professors who bring real-world experience in the health care industry to the classroom and are active scholars in the field. You’ll be exposed to the most current best practices in health care administration.

Hands-On Learning

• Take advantage of guest lectures, field trips, and case studies to learn what it’s really like to work in health care administration. You’ll also be mentored by a student in the Master’s of Health Administration program who’s currently employed in the health care industry.

A Customized Experience

• Enhance your degree by adding a minor or concentration, including our new Long Term Care concentration. Consisting of four courses in either online or blended format, this concentration will prepare you for licensing by the National Association of Long Term Care Administrator Boards and set you up for an in-demand career as a Long Term Care Administrator.

National Louis University's Bachelor of Science in Management degree program prepares you for the next step in your career by giving you a foundation in business principles, as well as an understanding of management, leadership, marketing and organizational dynamics. This program is designed for students in all phases of their professional career and undergraduate studies, whether you have extensive prior coursework or are enrolling in college for the first time. We offer the B.S. in Management at both our Chicago and Florida locations and also online.

Program Highlights

Class Flexibility

• Choose from both on-campus and online course offerings to fit your degree around your busy schedule.

Quick Degree Completion

• Complete your degree quickly by transferring up to 60 quarter hours of technical credit from a previous institution and qualifying for up to an additional 60 quarter hours of Prior Learning Credit. Students with extensive previous coursework can graduate in as little as 18 months.

Career Advancement

• Advance at your current company or transition to a new career with the B.S. in Management. Our program gives you the tools to succeed in a variety of business-related roles.

Hands-On Learning

• Build your management skillset with our applications-oriented curriculum that includes case studies, team-based learning, presentations and simulations. Refine your abilities in real-world situations before you hit the job market.

Customizable Experience

• Select from a variety of minors and concentrations, such as our Entrepreneurship Concentration, to specialize your degree and hone your interests. Three out of the four available concentrations will give you credit toward an MBA degree, as well.

Our Bachelor of Arts in Communications degree program prepares you for the dynamic and competitive field of workplace communication. We'll prepare you to become a well-rounded and well-informed professional by creating real-world experiences in the classroom that allow you to exercise your creativity while meeting the demands of fast-paced businesses. You’ll enter the job market as a savvy verbal, written, and visual communicator with a portfolio of work to showcase to potential employers.

Program Highlights

Customizable Experience

• Shape your degree to meet your interests and professional goals by choosing from courses in digital, video, verbal, and written communication, as well as pairing your degree with a minor, such as our new Marketing minor.

Flexible Class Options

• Choose from multiple different modalities to fit your coursework around your schedule, including campus-based, blended, online, and a new accelerated online option with condensed six-week terms (normally 12 weeks).

Professional Portfolio

• Prepare yourself for the job market by composing an e-portfolio of your best work from the program and presenting it at a capstone symposium your senior year.

Real-World Expertise

• Learn from faculty who bring years of experience in professional communications to the classroom. Become skilled in contemporary communication practices that employers are looking for, like devising a communications plan.

Our Bachelor of Science in Computer Sciences and Information Systems is designed for students interested in new technologies and computing systems. Throughout the program, you’ll gain the skills necessary to succeed in a career in computing and information, accruing technical skills, business acumen, and soft skills. Coursework is centered around web development, networking and information security, analytics, and how these disciplines integrate into businesses.

Program Highlights

Professional Certifications

• Become certified in these high-demand computing skills that will make you an attractive candidate to employers: the Associate in Python Programming Certificate, the LPI Linux Essentials Professional Development Certificate, Cisco CCNET, and Cisco CCNA Routing and Switching.

Industry Connections

• Take advantage of our Advisory Board, comprised of professionals from major Chicago tech companies (such as Oracle and Motorola) who help shape the program’s curriculum and serve as valuable contacts for student research and questions.

Customizable Experience

• Maximize your degree by adding a minor, such as Entrepreneurship or Business, and choosing between concentrations in Network and Information Security, Data Analytics, Coding and Software Development, and more.

Flexible Classes

• Fit your degree around your schedule with options that include online, campus-based, and blended courses. Choose from day-time or evening class options, as well.

Well-Rounded Curriculum

• Become skilled in the essential areas of computer science, including programming, information security, web and ux design, app development, and more. Our curriculum combines classroom theory with hands-on application so you can hit the ground running as you launch your career.

Our Bachelor of Arts in Psychology degree program prepares you to use psychological concepts and theories, and provides a foundation for working in community or business settings, as well as furthering your study in a graduate program. You'll gain an understanding of human thought and behavior while honing marketable skills, such as strong communication, the ability to think critically, analyze information, and the ability to be objective and flexible in thinking. Career paths include Substance Abuse Counselor, Psychiatric Technician, and Human Resources Advisor.

Program Highlights

A Foundation in Theory and Practice

• Learn about the workings of the human mind and human behavior with our innovative program that blends psychological theory with hands-on practice, preparing you for a broad range of careers and future graduate study.

Classes at Your Convenience

• Choose from both campus-based and online course offerings, as well as a variety of minors to compliment your marketability once you graduate.

Real-World Training

• Learn from expert faculty and industry professionals who have years of experience in the field. Get hands-on experience during your psychology internship, which will give you a leg-up when you enter the job market.

An Edge in the Business World

• Gain an understanding of interpersonal relationships and motivation, which you can use to effectively work with, or manage, peers and clients in the business world.

Our Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) degree program prepares you to support the needs of individuals, families, and communities. You will gain the knowledge, skills and experience in social work processes, collaborative problem-solving, direct practice, advocacy and community organizing that leverages the strengths and capacities of individuals, families, groups and communities. The Social Work major engages students through inclusive, community-centered educational experiences to develop and practice professional Social Work competencies necessary for effectively serving in diverse practice roles and communities, and successful application to Social Work graduate education pathways.

Program Highlights

Real-World Field Experience

• Community engagement opportunities are integrated into coursework and student experiences through community-based assignments, interactions with faculty practitioners and professional networks, case conceptualization, ‘lived experiences’ sources, and organizational highlights. Social Work students complete 400 hours of practica with an integrated seminar in their senior year, supported by field education faculty.

Expert Faculty

• Learn from professors who have real-world experience as Social Work practitioners in the field, bringing years of expertise in various roles and organizations and engaging, evidence-based practices to the classroom.

Customizable Degree

• Enhance your degree with a variety of concentrations and minors, including our Child and Family Studies, Psychology, Criminal Justice, Business and Humanities minors among others, which will allow you to tailor your degree to your passion and interest.

Flexible Classes

• Choose from online, campus-based, and blended class formats, including evening class options, which allow you to fit your degree around your busy schedule.

Our Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education degree program prepares you to work with children from birth through grade 2. In this program, you will do coursework aligned to meet the new Illinois Professional Teaching Standards (IL-PTS). Upon successful completion of all required coursework, you will earn a Professional Educator License (PEL) endorsed for early childhood and self-contained general education (birth to 2nd grade).

Program Highlights

In-Demand Credentials

• Not only will you achieve your Professional Educator License on the way to your degree, but you’ll also have the option to obtain Special Education and ELL endorsements, highly sought-after credentials in the job market.

Hands-On Experience

• Build your knowledge and expertise with two consecutive terms of student teaching in a primary school setting (grades K-2) under the guidance of an experienced teacher, totaling over 680 hours of field experience.

A History of Excellence

• Join a program with 130 years of experience preparing teachers to make a difference and that has graduated more Golden Apple Award winners than any other school in Illinois.

Flexible Class Schedule

• Choose from online, campus-based, and blended class formats that allow you to structure your degree around the demands of your everyday life.

Expert Faculty

• Learn from real-world practitioners who currently work as teachers, administrators, and leaders in early childhood education. They come to the classroom with a wealth of knowledge, contacts, and resources to shape the next generation of teachers.

Our Bachelor of Arts in Applied Educational Studies degree program prepares you to work with children in schools or community-based settings without a Professional Educator's License. The program is offered both fully online and in blended formats.

This major is ideal for students that want to work with children and families in education adjacent roles such as ECE social service, community-based family support, and home visiting.

The program provides a solid foundation in education preparation with options to study family services, infant and toddler care and education or psychology. Coursework includes topics in management and leadership, working with children and families under stress, special education and English as an additional language in educational settings.

The goal of this program is to provide a pathway for students who want to work in education adjacent roles such as family specialist, child family life educator, home visitor or social service roles related to serving children and families.

Coursework completed in this program will lead to the State of Illinois’ Gateways Level 5 Family Specialist Credential (FSC) as well as prepare students to take the exam for the National Council on Family Relations’ (NCFR) Certified Family Life Educator (CFLE) certification.

The following three specific social and behavior studies courses are needed, as elective credit, in order to achieve the FSC Level 5 and prepare for the CFLE exam: PSY 450, PSY 311 and HSM 306.

National Louis University's Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education is for students who would like to earn their elementary education degree in order to attain an Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) endorsed for self-contained general education (grades 1-6).

• Choose our Teaching Degree in Elementary Education if you:
• Want to teach 1st through 6th grade
• Are looking for a well-established and highly regarded program
• Would like to study with a group of students who will work together and support one another throughout the program
• Need flexible learning options

NLU has a long-standing reputation for its education and teacher training programs, and is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Since 1886, we’ve trained thousands of educators and continue to graduate the majority of winners honored by Illinois’ two Golden Apple Foundations with one of the most prestigious teaching and leadership honors in the state. Our instructors bring both academic skills and practical experience to the classroom, offering the best in elementary education. As a result, we're well known for preparing educators who can meet the demands of today’s diverse classrooms and become leaders in the education profession.

National Louis University’s Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice program prepares you to work in fields addressing the effects of criminality on individuals, communities and society. The program offers two concentrations: Criminal Justice Administration and Forensic Social Justice. Throughout the program, you’ll become equipped to serve in law enforcement, courts or corrections systems, or to work in related private industries.

Program Highlights

Real-World Expertise

• Directed by a former homicide detective, our program features faculty members with years of experience in criminal justice. Our program was designed in consultation with leaders in law enforcement, so you’ll be exposed to the most current techniques and theories in the field.

Hands-On Learning

• Expand your learning beyond the classroom through case studies, class trips, guest lectures, and internships. Learn how to apply theories and knowledge learned in class to the field.

Flexible Class Options

• Choose between fully online or on-campus course formats and fit your degree around your busy schedule.

Well-Rounded Curriculum

• Engage in a program that combines psychology, sociology, public policy, and organizational management, preparing you for a broad set of career options.

Customizable Degree

• Specialize your degree with concentrations in Criminal Justice Administration (focusing on how criminal justice agencies operate) or Forensic Social Justice (focusing on the role of human services and intervention in criminal justice). You can also select from a variety of minors to further enhance your degree.