Master of Public Health

at Northeastern Illinois University USA

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.

This Master’s program prepares professionals who will be responsible for the training, education, and development of employee adults in organizations involved in business, health care, human services, and government. The program has been developed especially for those wishing to move into HRD field in a management or planning capacity, as well as for current practitioners desiring more formal training.

The program is designed to develop the ability to:

• Assess the nature of performance problems;
• Apply needs and task/content analysis techniques;
• Assess the relevant characteristics of learners/trainees;
• Design training, education, and instructional programs for adult learners/trainees;
• Determine the effectiveness of training/education/instructional programs;
• Communicate and interact effectively with groups and individuals;
• Consult with managers to address employee and organizational development needs;
• Manage human resource development projects and programs;
• Work effectively across an organization in order to plan, develop and implement performance improvement.

Northeastern Illinois University’s Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) in Justice Studies program gives students the opportunity to examine the social and historical roots of justice, crime, and the law. Students seek to discover how these roots have shaped public policies, including those of the criminal justice system, and study systematic explanations for the failure—or triumph—of justice in society and explore the potential for transformative justice.

Through critical inquiry, social science investigation, and experiential learning, Justice Studies students develop an understanding of social and economic justice issues and critical criminology. For instance, criminology examines the structural roots of crime and takes up the legal and social concerns of diverse, urban, low-income, and disenfranchised communities, whose members are often heavily targeted by the criminal justice system.

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.

Environmental science integrates a wide range of scientific disciplines necessary to understand the environment and the many interactions among its components.  These interactions include the impact of human activities on the environment and the impact of the environment on humans.

The Environmental Science program promotes the development of problem-solving skills, a broad and solid scientific knowledge base, and it teaches effective team collaboration, because the understanding of and solutions to environmental issues often involve expertise in many scientific areas such as geology, hydrology, biology, chemistry, physics, as well as environmental policy. Team skills, including leadership abilities, are vital to the environmental scientist and are an integral part of the new Environmental Science major. The program will produce graduates who are committed to civic engagement and are qualified for employment with industry, governmental regulatory agencies, environmental consulting firms, and graduate study in Environmental Science or related fields.

The B.A. in Physical Education K-12 Licensure prepares students to be a certified teacher in the state of Illinois. The degree program covers the most up-to-date scientific and pedagogical content knowledge relevant to the daily activities of a physical education teacher. The program combines lecture-based courses with hands-on practical clinical experiences in a variety of diverse setting throughout the program. Based on these quality experiences, students will be able to teach in urban and suburban schools. Finally, the program will allow students to create, communicate and utilize unique ideas in K-12 Physical Education.

The Physical Education K-12 bachelor's degree is accredited by the National Association for Sport and Physical Education.

Students in the program will be able to:

• Interact with faculty who are known for their expertise in physical education pedagogy, motor behavior, fitness, and adapted physical education
• Gain experience in diverse field settings within the Chicago area
• Access laboratory settings and gain experience in exercise science and motor behavior
• Utilize a variety of resources, including faculty, peers, facilites, and equipment

Physical Education majors, upon successful completion of the program and graduation from Northeastern Illinois University, are entitled to the Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL), endorsed in Physical Education K-12. Students are encouraged to complete the minor program in Health Education.

Northeastern Illinois University is the only four-year public university in the Midwest federally designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, and as such our Latino and Latin American Studies Program (LLAS) builds on the University’s commitment to diversity and community partnerships. We strive to combine classroom learning and active involvement in the community. LLAS classes are taught by faculty from an array of disciplines in education, the social sciences and humanities, who are committed to active learning through discussion, research and community engagement.

Global Studies is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program that offers a major leading to the B.A. in Global Studies. The program provides students with the opportunity to investigate and analyze the globalized world and the transnational interconnections that are its hallmark. The innovative curriculum includes required core courses housed in Global Studies as well as cross-listed courses drawn from across the university. Through critical analysis of the contemporary world, carried out in coursework and through hands-on research and internship opportunities, students in the program accrue knowledge, scholarly abilities, and practical skills that will prepare them as informed global citizens and members of the 21st century workforce. The program will prepare students to pursue graduate education and careers in a wide range of fields, including international business and law, applied social sciences, community resources management, social services, and international development.

The Global Studies Program at Northeastern Illinois University is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program that offers a major leading to the Global Studies B.A. as well as a minor.
 
In Global Studies classes, students investigate and analyze life in a globalized world from cultural, economic, political, and other perspectives. 

The program is organized around five thematic tracks:

• Culture, Society and Identity
• Language, Knowledge and Representation
• Nature, Technology and the Body
• Power, Movements and Political Economy
• Violence, Resistance and Resolution

These tracks transcend traditional disciplinary, topical, and theoretical borders, providing opportunities for creative thinking, critical debate, and novel scholarship.  
 
Through critical analysis of the contemporary world, carried out in coursework and through hands-on research and internship opportunities, students in the program accrue knowledge, scholarly abilities, and practical skills that will prepare them as informed global citizens and members of the 21st century workforce. 

This graduate program is designed to provide advanced study of communication research and the principles and practices of communication, media and theatre, for teachers of communication at the secondary level, elementary school teachers, candidates for teaching positions in higher education, students interested in positions in business and industry, and as a preparation for further graduate study. All newly admitted students begin coursework in the fall semester.

Northeastern Illinois University offers the Master of Arts in Educational Leadership degree.

• Higher Education Leadership.

The Higher Education Leadership concentration provides knowledge and skills related to the history and development of colleges, universities, and community colleges, and to effective administrative practices at that level. It stresses an understanding of administrative and supervisory skills for the development and support of instructional systems at the collegiate level. Students in this concentration have the option of completing a thesis. Courses are taught in the evenings and Saturdays at the main campus, at El Centro, at Carruthers Center, at Lake County, and at a variety of locations in the Chicago metropolitan area through Distance Education and web-enhanced courses.