Bachelor of Arts, Major in Latina/o/x and Latin American Studies

at Northeastern Illinois University USA

The M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) prepares one to teach English in the U.S. or overseas. Within the United States, our graduates teach ESL in public and private schools, as well as in the city in community colleges and adult education programs. English language learners are the fastest growing group of students in the United States today.

Northeastern’s Department of Psychology offers an undergraduate program that leads to a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. Our comprehensive Psychology program exposes you to various areas of psychology as well as opportunities for hands-on research and optional field experience.

The department faculty members represent a number of theoretical approaches as well as a wide range of content areas, enhancing your opportunity to become acquainted with the full scope of this broad and complex subject. Because of the need to create a combination of courses consistent with their career goals, students are urged to form a continuing relationship with a department faculty advisor early in their major.

The interdisciplinary nature of psychology requires familiarity with other fields. Students intending to pursue graduate studies should have a strong background in mathematics and the natural sciences. All Psychology majors will benefit from course work in philosophy, physiology, literature, history, the social sciences, and computer science.

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

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.

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 Master of Arts Program critically examines Latin American cultural forms of expression in their socio-historical contexts; develops skills to work with Latin American and US Latina/o populations in linguistically and culturally appropriate ways; and enhances career opportunities in education, government, international business, and the culture industries. Courses are regularly offered during the late afternoon and evening.

“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 General Business Administration program trains business generalists. While General Business majors learn about different functional areas of business, including Management, Marketing, Accounting and Finance, they do not specialize in any particular area. This program is most suitable for those students who may not have strong interest in any particular area of business, and who may wish to start or work in a small or medium-sized enterprise where employees and managers will be required to exhibit a broad range of business competencies. Students can qualify for a variety of jobs in many sectors of business because of their broad based preparation in general business. This preparation is especially suitable for those who want to become entrepreneurs and interested in starting or managing small to medium-sized businesses. The General Business Administration major has two options.

The M.S. in Exercise and Sport Science is designed as a multidisciplinary study of human movement and performance across the lifespan. Through classroom, laboratory, and field based experiences, our graduates learn about human performance and disease prevention from childhood to older adulthood. Students use skills to identify, analyze and explain physiological, structural and functional dynamics that influence fitness, health and performance in the sport and exercise settings. Students learn about the integrations of human physiology, movement, and cognition through both clinical and applied coursework.

Students can elect one of two concentrations in the program:

• Exercise Science
• Physical Education, Sport and Recreation

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.