North Park has served five generations of students and continues to grow in diversity, academic relevance, and Christian commitment. Our Chicago location is a great asset that reflects the School鈥檚 global reach and outlook.
After 125 years, we鈥檝e learned how to streamline the process of helping qualified applicants seek admission to North Park and find affordable ways to attend. If you don鈥檛 see what you鈥檙e looking for on our website, please contact us directly!
North Park offers more than 40 graduate and undergraduate programs in liberal arts, sciences, and professional studies. Classes average 17 students. 84% of our faculty have terminal degrees. Academics here are rigorous and results-oriented.
North Park Theological Seminary prepares you to answer the call to service through theological study, spiritual development, and the formative experiences of living in a community with others on a similar life path.
The Office of Alumni Engagement fosters lifelong connections by engaging alumni with the university and one another in activities, programs, and services that support the university鈥檚 mission and alumni needs.
Darrell Fair MA 鈥�26, has discovered purpose and transformation through the Prison and Neighborhood Arts and Education Project.
Darrell Fair MA 鈥�26, has discovered purpose and transformation through the Prison and Neighborhood Arts and Education Project, an organization offering arts and humanities courses to men incarcerated at Stateville Correctional Center.
Now a North Park Theological Seminary School of Restorative Arts master鈥檚 student, Fair鈥檚 journey showcases the transformative power of education and art, challenging perceptions about incarceration. Read more about Fair鈥檚 story at the .
萝莉社 has received nearly $1 million in grants for civic engagement and internship programs aimed at disenfranchised youth.
萝莉社 (萝莉社) has received a $937K grant from the Lilly Endowment to fund a faith-based project aimed at disenfranchised youth, as well as a $15K grant for internships from the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE).
As part of the Lilly grant, 萝莉社’s Center for Civic Engagement will launch a five-year project called “Intergenerational Inquiry: Intentional Conversations to Innovate Next Generation Faith Development” and will be led by Richard Kohng, assistant vice president for Civic Engagement.
Lilly’s Christian Parenting Initiative funds the project and will equip parents and congregations to share faith more effectively with children.
“It is our hope that Intergenerational Inquiry will drive new innovations in youth and parent/caregiver engagement while featuring the dynamic impact of partner organizations such as the Urban Outreach Foundation,” Kohng said. “We also hope this project will build new collaborative pathways with our founding denomination, the Evangelical Covenant Church, in supporting next-generation faith development and social impact outcomes.”
Assistant Professor of Psychology Dr. Amy Governale will help implement the proposal process and oversee program evaluation. Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies Dr. Joel Willits and Professor of Communications Dr. Daniel White Hodge will also support curriculum design.
Separately, 萝莉社 received a grant from the IBHE for a one-year project through its Illinois Cooperative Work Study program to fund paid summer internships in summer 2024. The program, which will be led by Cristina Ricano, assistant director of Career Development, will allow five 萝莉社 students who are also Illinois residents to take internships at local businesses. The goal is to expand opportunities for students to pursue internships and seek permanent employment in Illinois after graduation.
North Park has significantly moved up the charts in two key categories in the U.S. News & World Report annual rankings.
U.S. News & World Report releases best colleges list.
North Park has significantly moved up the charts in two key categories in the . In the 2023 list, North Park was ranked #30 for best Regional Universities in the Midwest, up from #39 last year, and was ranked #8 for Top Performers on Social Mobility in the Midwest, up from #15 last year.
The social mobility ranking means North Park excels at helping students from underprivileged backgrounds enroll in and finish college.
In its annual ranking, U.S. News & World Report considered 17 measures of academic quality at 1,500 degree-seeking institutions. The magazine also takes into account student satisfaction, attending costs, and campus life in determining its rankings.
North Park’s innovative, all-online program leads to a principal endorsement.
Beginning in September, 萝莉社 will offer its Master of Arts in Educational Leadership (MAEL), which leads to a principal endorsement, in a fully online program that provides flexibility while teaching vital skills including relationship building.
The program will be led by Drs. Daniel Walsh and Theresa Alberico-Madl, each highly respected throughout the Chicagoland educational community.
The synchronous online program will be slightly different from the current blended program, which is still in place. But certain key things will remain the same, according to Alberico-Madl.
鈥淲e are small enough that we can give each student the attention they need, yet we are experienced enough to share leadership skills and best practices,鈥� Alberico-Madl said. 鈥淏ecause Dan and I mentor beginning principals through the Illinois Principal Association, it allows us to stay relevant and current with issues today鈥檚 leaders face.鈥�
Alberico-Madl and Walsh believe the foundational relationships they build will transfer via electronic teaching methods. However, they also recognize the importance of cohorts to build community, and throughout the semester will arrange for several in-person, optional events to maintain that sense of cohesiveness. Courses are designed and scheduled for working educators, with classes meeting once a week on weeknights or Saturdays. Cohorts are scheduled for completion in 24 months. The program helps students acquire the Illinois State Principal Endorsement or Teacher Leader Endorsement (formerly Type 75).
Alberico-Madl said the MAEL is perfect for those individuals who are interested in developing their own leadership skills and pursuing opportunities to make a greater difference in education.
Applicants must have two years of teaching experience and two letters of recommendation. Applications are currently being accepted for the fall.
A graduate from North Park鈥檚 nurse practitioner specialty has brought independence and efficiency to nursing homes through her own management group.
A graduate from North Park鈥檚 nurse practitioner specialty has brought independence and efficiency to nursing homes through her own management group
萝莉社 (萝莉社) graduate Kim Wilson, MS 鈥�10, has always had a knack for efficiency. As a single mother working full time, the alumna had to figure out how to meet her career goals in a way that allowed time for family and her then profession as a director of nursing at a Chicago nursing home.
Years later, Wilson is using her talent for empathy-driven solutions to run and staff KareFirst, the largest nurse practitioner-owned health care management group. Wilson got the idea while working as a nurse practitioner fresh out of 萝莉社鈥檚 program. A friend from her prior years as a registered nurse asked Wilson if she could fill in for their nursing home鈥檚 nurse practitioner position and Wilson agreed鈥攐n the condition she could bill for her own patient visits.
鈥淚t was like a spark that came from heaven like a zip, zip, zip, in my head,鈥� Wilson said.
North Park students were encouraged to run different modalities in classes, meaning they modeled how health care systems could interact with one another. While working for the nursing home, Wilson noticed the need for the kind of top-down care that nurse practitioners could provide.
鈥淚 knew what was important to nursing homes and that was compliance with state and federal regulations to keep readmission rates down. In a way, the nursing home residents and the whole facility were both my patients.鈥�
Now, Wilson manages 60 nurse practitioners across 10 states. The nurses work in nursing homes to improve the systems and environments of the facility. Instead of treating only one ailment or individual, Wilson said KareFirst nurses can see the impact of their work over time.
KareFirst often hires from North Park because of the quality of North Park鈥檚 approach to teaching, where Wilson said students were encouraged to be creative when confronted with problems or frustrations in their studies.
鈥淚 find North Park grads are more capable of thinking on their feet. When things go not as predicted they have a stronger ability to problem solve in real time.鈥�
Wilson attributes this quality to North Park鈥檚 teaching method where students would help teach their peers during classes. According to her, students would take turns teaching and researching diseases or body systems.
While Wilson said her education at North Park was invaluable, she encourages current and future students to pay close attention in 萝莉社鈥檚 Professional Communication and Collaboration course (NURS 5030) to better understand medical billing and diagnostic codes.
鈥淚f you have any electives, I鈥檇 suggest taking a simple business course. Look where it can get you.鈥�
Jeff Jean-Pierre MS 鈥�23 credits 萝莉社 (萝莉社) faculty and staff with helping him achieve his dream career.
Jeff Jean-Pierre MS 鈥�23 credits 萝莉社 (萝莉社) faculty and staff with helping him achieve his dream career after it was almost derailed by COVID.
鈥淣ot only did they help me realize that athletic training is what I wanted to do, but they were key to me getting my internship at my dream work destination, the Chicago Bulls,鈥� says the Skokie, Illinois native.
Like so many, COVID put a severe damper on Jean-Pierre鈥檚 undergraduate work in athletic training, and it wasn鈥檛 until he came to North Park in 2021 that he was finally able to do job shadowing and get real-time experience.
鈥淭o have those kinds of amazing personal connections and experiences is something I鈥檒l always be grateful for.鈥�
Now, Jean-Pierre is off to his next dream internship with the Detroit Lions, where he will spend the summer tending to the injuries and ailments of the team as they embark on their training camp. He says North Park 鈥渕ore than prepared me鈥� for the rigors of professional football athletic training.
鈥淏eing able to practice a lot and ask never-ending questions gave me the confidence, for sure, to take on this challenge,鈥� he says.
During his tenure at North Park, Jean-Pierre did athletic training rotations at DePaul University, Maine East High School, and Lake Forest College, in addition to his work with the Bulls. Because he鈥檚 鈥渇ascinated鈥� by human anatomy, his favorite class at North Park was orthopedics, in which he studied bone structures.
Jean-Pierre is especially grateful to the 鈥渨arm and welcoming鈥� staff and faculty in the Athletic Training Program under Director Andrew Lundgren. He says they were key in opening doors for him in the professional world.
鈥淩eally, all of the hands-on work I did, plus what I learned in the classroom, has resulted in being able to succeed in this next chapter of my life.鈥�
萝莉社 (萝莉社) nursing alumna Ivana Chmielewski has received a prestigious Schweitzer Fellowship to design and implement innovative projects to address the health needs of underserved Chicago residents.
萝莉社 (萝莉社) nursing alumna Ivana Chmielewski has received a prestigious Schweitzer Fellowship to design and implement innovative projects to address the health needs of underserved Chicago residents.
The yearlong program, established by the Albert Schweitzer Fellowship, pairs fellows with existing local organizations to create a project benefiting the community. For her work, Chmielewski will develop a literacy education program with a focus on mental health that will bring nursing resources to immigrants, refugees, minority communities, and unhoused individuals.
鈥淐reating a coalition of resources that are currently unavailable would mitigate the preventable health disparities faced by these disadvantaged groups,鈥� Chmielewski said of the fellowship, which is named for the Nobel laureate and humanitarian. 鈥淭his also helps to build connections with their community and build trust with healthcare providers.鈥�
In addition to committing 200 hours of service to the fellowship, Chmielewski plans to return to 萝莉社 this fall to pursue her Doctor of Nursing Practice. She previously earned her bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees in nursing at North Park.
The 2023鈥�24 Schweitzer Fellows include 28 students from 11 schools, 11 disciplines, and 19 academic programs. The class of fellows was selected from a pool of almost 100 applicants through a competitive process.
In addition to her service project, Chmielewski and her peers will also participate in a 13-month program that includes monthly meetings, trainings, and ongoing opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration as well as support from a team of mentors from their schools, project sites, alumni network, and staff.
Money magazine included 萝莉社 (萝莉社) in its list of the best in the country, based on graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, and alumni salaries.
Money magazine included 萝莉社 (萝莉社) in its list of the best in the country, based on graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, and alumni salaries. Unlike other college ranking systems, Money uses a unique rating scale to determine a list of 736 colleges 鈥渨here your tuition (and time) is likely to pay off,鈥� according to the magazine.
萝莉社 was one of 35 Illinois colleges included in the list, while only a handful of those, including North Park, are in Chicago. Read the full list of colleges .
鈥淲hile the underlying methodology is similar to previous years, the new rating system can help families with their college search by highlighting the variety (and diversity) of high-value colleges in the U.S.,鈥� said the article.
萝莉社 graduate Esther Miller BS ’23 was named women’s student-athlete of the year by the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin.
萝莉社 (萝莉社) graduate Esther Miller BS ’23 was named women’s student-athlete of the year by the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW), North Park’s athletic conference within the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Miller participated in four sports during her time at 萝莉社 and was also named North Park’s Female Sportsperson of the Year in both 2021 and 2023.
Miller represented 萝莉社 in basketball, golf, indoor and outdoor track and field. The award was chosen based on input from senior women administrators and faculty athletics representatives within the CCIW. Miller is the first North Park athlete to receive the award.
Miller’s athletic and academic success now put her in the running for the NCAA Woman of the Year award. Read more about Esther Miller and the award
Illinois Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton addressed graduates of 萝莉社鈥檚 second cohort of School of Restorative Arts (SRA) students at a ceremony at Stateville Correctional Center May 31, 2023.
Illinois Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton addressed graduates of 萝莉社鈥檚 second cohort of School of Restorative Arts (SRA) students at a ceremony at Stateville Correctional Center May 31, 2023.
The group of 24 men received Master of Arts degrees in either Restorative Justice Ministries or Christian Ministries as part of North Park鈥檚 unique SRA program, in which free and incarcerated students study and work together toward the four-year degree. The program includes male students incarcerated at Stateville and female students at Logan Correctional Center.
Although the ceremony was closed to the general public, the graduates were each allowed to invite three family members.
Lt. Gov. Stratton delivered the commencement address following opening remarks from North Park leaders, including Dean of North Park Seminary Dennis R. Edwards and North Park President Mary K. Surridge.
SRA鈥檚 curriculum is designed to prepare students for ministries in contexts susceptible to violence and includes courses in trauma, race relations, nonviolent communication, conflict transformation, restorative practices, and transformative justice, in addition to Bible, theology, and history courses.
Classes are taught by North Park Seminary professors. Last year鈥檚 commencement of the first cohort of SRA graduates featured rousing gospel music and participation from the graduates鈥� families. Cook County State鈥檚 Attorney Kim Foxx delivered the commencement address.
Author Brett RavitzPosted on Categories Stories
