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.
High School Visit Day is a great way to get a jump-start on your college search. Designed specifically for current high school sophomores, juniors, and their families. This is a great opportunity to discover North Park and see if it is the right fit for you.
Highlights:
-Explore our campus oasis on a tour led by North Park students
-Get all your questions answered about the college admissions process and financial aid
-Eat in our dining hall and get a glimpse of what life looks like as a Viking
Viking Preview Days offer you a firsthand taste of the 萝莉社 experience by allowing you to connect with our community and learn about our vibrant student life. Viking Preview Days are an ideal opportunity for students to take the next step in their college journey and discover what makes North Park special.
Highlights:
-Attend “Coffee with Coaches” and learn more about Viking Athletics (optional)
-Explore our campus oasis on a tour led by North Park students
-Get all your questions answered about your admissions application and financial aid
Viking Preview Days offer you a firsthand taste of the 萝莉社 experience by allowing you to connect with our community and learn about our vibrant student life. Viking Preview Days are an ideal opportunity for students to take the next step in their college journey and discover what makes North Park special.
Highlights:
-Attend “Coffee with Coaches” and learn more about Viking Athletics (optional)
-Are you a first-generation college student? Attend a session designed just for you! (optional)
-Connect with faculty from your intended major
-Explore our campus oasis on a tour led by North Park students
-Get all your questions answered about your admissions application and financial aid
Viking Preview Days offers you a firsthand taste of the 萝莉社 experience by allowing you to connect with our community and learn about our vibrant student life. Viking Preview Days are an ideal opportunity for students to take the next step in their college journey and discover what makes North Park special.
Highlights:
-Attend “Coffee with Coaches” and learn more about Viking Athletics (optional)
-Are you a first-generation college student? Attend a session designed just for you!
-Connect with faculty from your intended major
-Explore our campus oasis on a tour led by North Park students
-Get all your questions answered about your admissions application and financial aid
All prospective students and their families who attend Viking Preview Day will be eligible听for a 10% discount on tickets for the weekend of October 11-12. The discount code is valid until September, 30th. Discount code: Viking Preview Day 10/11
Join us for Fall Visit Day and get an in-depth look at the classroom experience. Students and their families are welcome to explore our beautiful Chicago campus and learn about the value of a North Park education.
Highlights:
-Learn from our accomplished faculty and experience our innovative academic programs firsthand
-Tour our state-of-art science labs including, but not limited to Nursing Sim Lab and Carlson Athletic Training Center
-Pick and choose your activities from a list of hands-on workshops led by faculty
-Take a student-led campus tour of our urban oasis
萝莉社 has launched the Center for Civic Engagement, an outgrowth of its Catalyst 606 program in which the university’s faculty and students will work with community leaders to strengthen the important work they’re doing in Chicago’s听neighborhoods. As part of the initiative,听North Park will also offer a Public Policy major beginning in fall 2023.
“The main idea is to build more of a city-centered ethos on campus, and to augment North Park’s commitment to the just flourishing of cities by honoring the work that is going on in neighborhoods,” said Richard Kohng, assistant vice president for the Center of Civic Engagement.
The center enacts this mission through four core divisions: the Catalyst Hub; the Community Assets and Program Evaluation Consortium; the Community Development Hub; and through public policy engagement.
“The Center for Civic Engagement elevates听North Park’s unique distinctives as a Christian, city-centered, intercultural university,” North Park听President听Mary K. Surridge said. “Faculty and students learning and working alongside community leaders across Chicago听is yet another example of听North Park living into its mission of preparing students for lives of significance and service.”
As part of the center, faculty will provide their specialized expertise to community groups for a reduced fee. For instance, Assistant Professor of Psychology Amy Governale will provide at-cost guidance on program development for organizations that lack the resources to do so themselves.
“A lot of locally led groups don’t see the money they should from grants or philanthropy,” Kohng said. “This will help level the playing field.”
Students will be involved as well, via the Catalyst Hub. Since 2017, students have participated in a designated civic engagement block every Wednesday afternoon. The schedule allows immersive learning experiences to be incorporated into classes across the curriculum, Kohng said.
Building on Catalyst’s success, the new program will incorporate a consortium that allows students to work on real-time projects that benefit community groups. For example, a business class might work on a marketing campaign for a fundraising drive, or a math class could analyze data related to program participants.
The center will be led by a board of community leaders from across the city, and with the guidance of partner Transform Capital鈥攁 nonprofit lending initiative cofounded by Paul Hawkinson, a professor in听North Park’s School of Business and Nonprofit Management.
Through the cross-disciplinary lenses of history and science, Professor and Lecturer in History Peter Olfelt and Associate Professor of Biology Drew Rholl, shared their expertise to offer an innovative curriculum teaching North Park students about pandemics.
Through the cross-disciplinary lenses of history and science, Professor and Lecturer in History Peter Olfelt and Associate Professor of Biology Drew Rholl, shared their expertise to offer an innovative curriculum teaching North Park students about pandemics.
Professor Olfelt teaches a hybrid class called Pandemics in History, where he juxtaposes three historical periods in the context of pandemics including the plague pandemics, the 1918 influenza outbreak, and AIDS. Students learn how pandemics have been perceived differently in these historical periods as well as the short-term and long-term effects the diseases have had on our society and culture.
Peter Olfelt, Professor and Lecturer in History
In the sciences, Dr. Rholl teaches about microbes, how they grow, and how they affect the human body in his online course, Advanced Topics in Biology: Pandemics. With a specialized focus on the spread of diseases, the course explores the nature of organisms that cause disease, what different diseases look like, how they can be treated, and how the body is working.
Although the classes are not synchronous, students engage with both the history and science perspectives through shared video presentations. 鈥淭he courses were designed to leverage the experience of each group so they could build off of each other,鈥� said Dr. Rholl.
Integrated into the curriculum is the biology of the disease and its history. 鈥淭o really dig into the nature of the disease, where it comes from, how it spreads, and the various strains of it, I find that that has made my classes even better,鈥� said Professor Olfelt.
As a smaller environment, North Park鈥檚 close-knit community fosters cross-departmental relationships and collaboration among faculty and students. 鈥淪ometimes when we鈥檙e siloed in our own fields, we suffer from blind spots, which basically means that as a microbiologist I don鈥檛 know what history instructors don鈥檛 know. By having a conversation, we can identify those questions and have a much more effective transfer of ideas,鈥� said Dr. Rholl.
Professor Olfelt says students are responding well to the collaborative curriculum, and it has boosted student engagement. “When we鈥檙e studying various diseases and looking at newspaper articles or papers, it鈥檚 easy to engage the class with how this relates to their own personal experience,” says Professor Olfelt, who’s excited to be teaching at this particular moment in time.
Thanks to the collaboration between Professor Olfelt and Dr. Rholl, these innovative courses are creating additional learning opportunities for students to make connections between the classroom and real-world experiences.
Edson draws many parallels between academic discipline and gaming discipline. 鈥淵ou have to be willing to put in the time and effort to get better, otherwise, you won鈥檛 become good. You have to practice every day, you have to compete against other good players.鈥�
Edson Lopez, a Business Management major, will graduate from North Park in May of 2020. Edson is also a Top 500 player in Fortnite. Fortnite is an online video game based on the Battle-Royale format. Players scavenge for loot and build structures until the last man standing. Fortnite has around 250 million registered users worldwide. Edson clocked over 1,000 hours of Fortnite last year on his PS4 alone. He has since moved to playing on PC and plays competitively.
To Edson, video games such as Fortnite are just like any other sport, 鈥渋t鈥檚 just a passion. Gaming is one of those things where I just lose sense of time. I have a lot of fun, and it is something I would like to make a living off of.鈥� For Edson, a career in gaming is becoming a reality. He is already signed on a contract with esports organization Bolt Esports LLC. 鈥淭he organization chose me for placing well in events and I have proven that I can compete against some of the best players in the world,鈥� Edson says. He hopes to improve and sign with larger organizations; his ultimate goal is to sign with 100 Thieves.
Edson draws many parallels between athletic or academic discipline and gaming discipline. 鈥淵ou have to be willing to put in the time and effort to get better, otherwise, you won鈥檛 become good. You have to practice every day, you have to compete against other good players,鈥� he says. Communication and networking are other important aspects to gaming Edson says. Networking with other streamers and players has helped him grow his channels and bolster his online presence.
Edson attributes some of this success to North Park鈥檚 School of Business. He cites his professors who intentionally made personal connections with him. They have taught Edson how to communicate and market himself, and have shown him the numbers behind business. Edson says this guidance and learning has 鈥渢ranslated over to the gaming side because communication and marketing myself has helped me grow my Twitch (streaming channel), and helped me make new friends and connections with people.鈥� He adds, 鈥淚 have learned the things I should and shouldn’t do as a professional. Gaming is more serious than many people think.鈥�
Edson is also excited to join the gaming industry in other ways. Esports organizations are similar to other businesses, with a product to sell and talent to acquire. 鈥淪couting would allow me to play the game more casually. The School of Business has really taught me how to communicate, and working as a scout involves a lot of interpersonal skills, so I feel like that would be a good fit for me.鈥�
Last month, Edson and his Duo placed 43rd in a Fortnite tournament in one of the toughest regions in the world: North America East. Edson is currently competing in the Fortnite World Cup qualifiers in Solo and Duo categories. Each weekend, Edson has qualified for finals and has won cash prizes. The Fortnite World Cup has a total prize pool of $30 million.
To follow Edson鈥檚 gaming escapades, find him on Twitter or Twitch @PotentFN.
Program Director Andrew Lundgren talks about the career opportunities and advantages of North Park’s athletic training program.
Andrew Lundgren: Athletic Training Program Director and Associate Professor
What kinds of career opportunities can the athletic training program offer?
Athletic trainers are health care professionals who are experts in the prevention, examination, diagnosis, treatment, and听rehabilitation听of injuries and other medical conditions. Our graduates find听employment听in a variety of settings including听secondary schools, colleges, professional sports, industrial settings, and physician/sports medicine clinics.
A degree in athletic training can also help prepare students for other health care programs like physical therapy, occupational therapy, or physician assistant studies. Other graduates pursue health-care related professions such as orthopedic technology or medical sales.
What type of student is a good candidate for the program?
Students with strong interpersonal skills who are interested in science, medicine, and working with active populations typically thrive in athletic training. Since each day in the field is different, it is important that athletic trainers are flexible and can adapt.
How does North Park鈥檚 athletic training program stand out?
As the only CAATE-accredited athletic training program in Chicago鈥檚 city limits, our students have access to a host of learning opportunities and are afforded a diverse array of locations for clinical education. Through these clinical placements, students gain hands-on experiences while learning from professionals in the field. Students gain additional experience as members of the medical team at the Bank of America Chicago Marathon/Shamrock Shuffle. Finally, our growing network of alumni remains actively involved in the program. Many alumni help to educate the next generation of students by serving as guest speakers, preceptors, and mentors. Supported by these unique opportunities and our network of alumni and friends, North Park鈥檚 athletic training programs are well-established within and outside Chicagoland.
Organized by the Undergraduate Research Committee, 25 students present original research at North Park’s 12th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium.
North Park students, faculty, advisors, and family gathered May 2 at the Johnson Center for the 12th annual Undergraduate Research Symposium. Organized by the Undergraduate Research Committee, the 25 student presenters first submitted an abstract to the committee for entrance into the symposium.
鈥淢ost of these student scholars conduct their research in their Directed Research course throughout the academic year,鈥� said Dr. Yoojin Choi, chair of the committee. 鈥淪tudents really learn best when doing authentic inquiry,鈥� added Dr. Choi.
As part of the Directed Research course and/or independent studies coursework, the research topics represented students majoring in biology, psychology, exercise science, physics and engineering, nursing, philosophy, environmental science, English, chemistry, and biochemistry.
Eleanor Manning
鈥淭his is the best learning experience I鈥檝e had at North Park听because we can apply what we鈥檝e learned,鈥� said Eleanor Manning, a physics and engineering major. She credits her understanding of the mechanics of prosthetics to participating in undergraduate Directed Research coursework.
鈥淐onducting research projects is the best way to learn research and it allows our top students to shine,鈥� said Provost Michael O. Emerson.
Exercise science major Victoria Pudussery expressed her gratitude for her learning experience.
鈥淚 now have perspective on how large research is and am fortunate to learn the research process as an undergrad,鈥� said Pudussery. Post-graduation, Pudussery will pursue a degree in physical therapy at Northwestern University.
Victoria Pudusserey
Students displayed the practical, career-building skills they acquired at North Park via media such as charts and graphs. Physics and engineering senior Kristina Lundeen illustrated an analysis of wind in her presentation of Improving a Pedestrian Comfort Model for Arbitrary Geometries.听Nursing student Aisha Badla presented statistical reporting and data analysis that answered Does Breastfeeding a Neonate Improve Oxygen Saturation Levels Without Any Other Intervention?
Spending hours in North Park鈥檚 Brandel Library conducting in-depth research, the participants further developed their critical thinking, case study reading, oral presentation, and confidence in fielding questions from the audience.
鈥淭he Undergraduate Research Symposium is a magnificent听spotlight on what is great about a North Park education,鈥� said Provost Emerson.
鈥淢ost grad schools require research experience in the undergrad years and having the Research Symposium on your CV is very good,鈥� said Dr. Choi. The CV credential is a bonus鈥攂ut even more, these students displayed true to North Park form their appreciation for research, gratitude to their mentors, and exceptional work ethic.
Acknowledgments
The Undergraduate Research Symposium wishes to thank the students and faculty mentors for their efforts at creating original works of knowledge. This year鈥檚 Undergraduate Research Committee consisted of Professors Yoojin Choi, Gianfranco Farruggia, You-Seong Kim, Suzen Moeller, Rachel Schmale, Sarah Thorngate, and Joel Willitts. Special thanks to Brandel Library, Provost Emerson, and Interim President Balsam for their support and for underwriting the cost of the symposium.
