Bachelor of Art, Major in Studio Art

at Northeastern Illinois University USA

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.

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 Couple & Family Counseling, M.A., offered through the Department of Counselor Education, fulfills the educational requirements for the two levels of licensure as a professional counselor in the State of Illinois: Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC); and two levels of licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of Illinois, Associate Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (ALMFT) and the Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT).

Graduates of this program also meet the educational requirements for Clinical Membership in the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy. The Couple and Family Counseling program is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) through the year 2024. In addition, the program’s graduate students are eligible to sit for the National Counselor Examination (NCE) during their last year of study. A passing score on the NCE is one of the requirements for the LPC or LCPC. Graduates from the Couple and Family Counseling Program are eligible to sit for the AMFTRB National Marriage and Family Therapist Exam.

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.

The Bachelor of Arts in Music is designed for students who wish to study music in the context of a comprehensive liberal arts experience, immersing themselves in both the practice and theory. The program's flexibility allows for students to pursue specific music topics to augment their interests, as well as broaden their post-graduate career paths.

Students admitted to this program will be enrolled as Music Majors. Participation in musical ensembles is a requirement of all music students, as well as attendance at live performances each semester. All students seeking admission to the program must perform a live audition.

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 B.A. in Art with a concentration in Art History introduces students to numerous periods of art, cultural and historical events, visual means of expression and communication, and research methods. Students begin the program with survey courses that cover the history of Western art from ancient to modern eras, plus selected areas of non-Western art and continue on to seven specialized courses at the upper-division level, which include areas such as:

• early European art
• Latin American art
• Pre-Columbian art and architecture
• African, Native American and Oceanic art (through the lens of art and ritual)
• Contemporary art (national and international movements across media in the visual arts)

Upper-level art history courses include theory, analysis, and criticism and students have access to NEIU’s extensive database of more than 300,000+ art history images. Students have the opportunity to take part in international art history study trips to Italy and Peru and are able to work with the Northeastern Art + Design Association (NADA), our student art and design organization, on a variety of student organized art exhibitions and events. Each semester one art history major is appointed to tutor students in 100-level art history courses through the NEIU Learning Support Center.

The Marketing major is designed for those who wish to develop a thorough understanding of how to find what customers or potential customers think, how to get products across and appealing to potential customers, and how to close a deal when products and customers meet.

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.

The curriculum for the Marketing major is designed to provide students with a foundation of marketing theory and practice in all types of business and organization. Modern developments in technology (e.g., social media, digital media, and internet) are emphasized in the Marketing curriculum.

Successful completion of the Marketing major will enable you to approach a marketing situation from a problem-solving perspective: abstract key issues to be addressed in the situation, identify relevant marketing knowledge and options suitable for the situation, critically analyze these options and make a clear written and oral recommendation.

The Master of Science in Biology program serves those interested in advanced training in applied or basic biological research and teaching. The program also provides a basis for further graduate or professional studies. The M.S. in Biology is broadly based, allowing students to tailor their courses to suit their interests. Laboratory skills are integral to many Biology careers, thus students are encouraged to include lab courses in their program of study. Faculty in the M.S. in Biology program have expertise in a range of sub-disciplines including ecology, organismal, cell, and molecular biology. All newly admitted students matriculate in the Fall semester.

Program Goals

Upon completion of the M.S. in Biology program students will have:

•     A strong understanding of disciplines across the breadth of Biology and a deep understanding of select Biology sub-disciplines.
•     Developed the knowledge base necessary to critically evaluate research methods, data, and results, either produced by them or published in the primary literature.
•     Developed strong written and oral presentation skills.
•     Developed the analytical skills necessary to synthesize information in an area of research based on existing and new data.
•     Developed strong research design and laboratory/field research skills.

Graduates completing the Non-Thesis or Library Thesis options for the M.S. in Biology will meet goals 1-4. Graduates completing the Research Thesis option will meet all 5 goals.

The Bachelor of Science in Earth Science prepares students for graduate study, or a wide range of positions in Environmental Geoscience fields, including industry, consulting, or state/federal agencies. In addition to required and elective ESCI courses, additional courses in cognate fields (math and science) are required for completion of the degree program. All students are urged to plan their program with the help of ESCI faculty advising.