Northern Illinois University
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

By the Numbers

• 34 baccalaureate degree programs
• 33 graduate programs
• 19 departments
• 12 doctoral level programs
• 3 research centers
• 5 interdisciplinary research and teaching programs
  • The Center for Latino and Latin American Studies
  • The Center for Southeast Asian Studies
  • The Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies
  • The Center for the Study of Women, Gender and Sexuality
  • The Institute for the Study of the Environment, Sustainability, and Energy (Environmental Studies)

The college is committed to promoting excellence in undergraduate liberal education and in graduate programs built around cutting-edge research and to fostering the connections between teaching and research, to their mutual benefit.

Points of Pride

The general Anthropology Lab is home to 27 articulated primate skeletons and more than 10,000 bones.

Biological Sciences is one of the few programs in the Midwest to have a anatomy lab not attached to a medical school.

NIU has one of only a few programs in the country that offers a comprehensive language immersion experience. The Foreign Language Residence Program (FLRP) is an active learning community for students interested in a second language. Students meet Monday through Thursday from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. to hone their language skills in a relatively stress-free environment. The FLRP environment also helps equip students culturally and linguistically for study abroad experiences in a non-English speaking country. In addition to class, students participate in cultural excursions, dinners and can earn one credit hour of elective credit by fulfilling all the program requirements.

NIU's undergraduate program in meteorology is the oldest undergraduate program of its kind in Illinois and a notable undergraduate-only meteorology programs in North America. The program meets the career educational standards set by the American Meteorological Society and the National Weather Service.

The Center for Southeast Asia Studies was established at NIU in 1963, an outgrowth of one of the first Peace Corps training programs for Southeast Asia volunteers. Since 1997, the Center has been a federally funded National Resource Center for Southeast Asian studies.

Mission

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, a diverse community of disciplines and scholars, provides opportunities for life-changing experiences in education, research, and scholarship in a supportive, inclusive environment. We bring together the humanistic and scientific perspectives that inspire students to expand knowledge and meet the challenges that face our world.

Vision

The liberal arts and sciences are the foundation of American education and democracy, as well as frameworks for understanding our world. The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences aims to excel in research, creativity, teaching, community engagement, and service. We also foster an inclusive and welcoming environment where students and faculty from all our disciplines can share ideas and knowledge that address challenges facing our society. We celebrate the diversity of our community and are committed to an equitable educational environment.