GIGANTIC Outcomes.
Your Future. Our Focus.
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We’re excited for you to start the next chapter in your life as you explore all of the options ahead of you. You’re thinking about where to go to school, what to study, what type of career experience will make you happy while supporting your dreams, how hard will it be — and whether a degree is really necessary. These are big questions, and we’re here to walk alongside you as you figure it out. But here’s the really important thing we need you to know: You don’t need to have it all figured out right now. Wondering is fun. Exploring is encouraged. Keeping an open mind is important. Being true to yourself and your passions is critical. Our graduates started where you are right now, and today they’re exceeding their own expectations, contributing in ways they never imagined and filling their families with pride. They came to NIU and thrived here, learning from our caring faculty, conducting research, performing with talented peers, and being championed by alumni committed to giving back and lifting NIU students up. Just ask any of our more than 241,000 Huskie graduates whose potential remains unleashed. Are you ready to join our pack?
Take your degree WHERE DO YOU WANT TO GO?
Your degree from NIU can take you anywhere. You could find a fellow Huskie whether you follow an opportunity to teach in Thailand, bank in Brazil or play cello in Canada. Our alumni are global. They run philanthropic organizations in Africa, make music in Malaysia and build cities in Saudi Arabia. Get ready to go international with world language classes: We offer 15 including American Sign Language, Chinese, Italian and Thai. Get intensive language experience at our Foreign Language Residence Program: It allows participants to live and interact with native speakers. Sample life in a foreign country with a study abroad program in one of 80 countries. There are over 1,700 NIU alumni living and working around the world in 150 countries.
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anywhere
Over 95% of our students are from Illinois, with 65% from Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. If you choose to stay in the area, you’ll run into Huskies all over. But, if you choose to relocate, you still may find NIU alumni in your town. TOP REGIONS FOR NIU ALUMNI (OUTSIDE THE CHICAGO AREA) ARE:
Rockford, IL
6,829
Phoenix, AZ
INCLUDING PHOENIX, MESA AND SCOTTSDALE
2,299
Milwaukee, WI
INCLUDING MILWAUKEE, WAUKESHA AND WEST ALLIS
1,511
Los Angeles, CA
INCLUDING LOS ANGELES, LONG BEACH AND ANAHEIM
1,772
Dallas, TX
INCLUDING DALLAS, FORT WORTH AND ARLINGTON
1,783
Atlanta, GA
INCLUDING ATLANTA, SANDY SPRINGS AND ROSWELL
1,585
Denver, CO
INCLUDING DENVER, AURORA AND LAKEWOOD
1,942
Madison, WI
1,764
Minneapolis, MN
INCLUDING MINNEAPOLIS, ST. PAUL AND BLOOMINGTON
1,150
Washington, D.C. INCLUDING WASHINGTON, ARLINGTON, ALEXANDRIA AND VIRGINIA
1,259
The job for
your best life.
NIU will offer you a multitude of resources – internships, practicums, jobs, multiple career fairs and one-on-one career counseling – so you can confidently leave NIU ready to succeed as you enter the workforce. FROM DAY 1
Not sure what to major in? Need to know what you can do with a major you are interested in? Our Career Services team can give you a boost. Drop in to speak to a career counselor. Take special, self-guided questionnaires to measure what you like to do, what’s important to you and how your skills match up. A FEW SEMESTERS IN
You’ll want to take advantage of our Huskies Get Hired system. More than 3,500 jobs and 1,500 internships are posted by employers who love to recruit from NIU. We’ll prepare you with sessions on how to get an internship, write your résumé, prepare for career fairs and create a LinkedIn profile (no selfies needed — our professional photographers will shoot your professional portrait for your LinkedIn profile for free). These workshops are an excellent way to help you score an interview for that internship or job. THE BIG INTERVIEW
We give our students and alumni access to Big Interview, an online program that helps you improve your interviewing skills. Whether you are interviewing for a job, an internship or graduate school admission, Big Interview has tools to help you boost your confidence. FAIR GAME
Career fairs are the best way to land interviews with employers. On average, over 800 academic juniors and seniors attend our career fairs with more than 78% landing on-campus interviews. Our proximity to Chicagoland is only one reason why over 240 employers regularly come to campus to meet, interview and hire our students. They come here because they know how good our academic programs are, and they love how hardworking and prepared our students prove to be.
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Organizations that hire us: Abbott Laboratories Abbvie Advocate Health Care Allstate Corporation Amazon Argonne National Laboratory AT&T Inc. Caterpillar Inc. Coca-Cola Company Discover Financial Services International Business Machines Corporation JPMorgan Chase & Co. McDonald’s Motorola Solutions Inc. NASA Northern Trust Corporation Oracle Corporation Salesforce Target Corporation The Smithsonian Institution United Airlines Inc. Walgreens Walmart Inc.
Business and Entrepreneurship NIU students are encouraged and empowered to explore their desires to innovate, solve complex problems and work collaboratively from anywhere with diverse professionals — whether around the office or throughout the world.
Perhaps a business class in high school sparked your curiosity, or you have a mind for numbers, a talent for dreaming up new products, or an excitement about being a part of industries devoted to tourism, fashion, aviation or real estate. Whatever prompts your interest, we’ll help you explore and pursue a career in business and/or entrepreneurship by preparing you with real-world business knowledge, hands-on experiences and fundamental skills in problem-solving, communication, critical thinking and technology. Our enterprising alumni are in the business of succeeding, and they succeed in all kinds of roles including accountants, retail buyers, fundraisers, advertising creators, investment managers and IT specialists. IF A CAREER IN BUSINESS AND/OR ENTREPRENEURSHIP IS YOUR JAM, YOU’LL WANT TO CHECK OUT THESE MAJORS: • Accountancy. • Business Administration. • Fashion Merchandising. • Finance. • Hospitality and Tourism Management. • Management. • Entrepreneurship and Social Responsibility. • Human Resource Management. • Leadership and Management. • Marketing. • Operations and Information Management.
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Erek Benz
Co-founder, Commercial Real Estate Exchange CREXi.com. B.S. Marketing ’08. Along with NIU graduate Michael DeGiorgio, B.S. marketing ’11, Benz founded a successful online marketing platform for commercial real estate that has evolved into a multimillion-dollar business serving real estate brokers, buyers and sellers. “We are grateful for the insight we received from the many professors at NIU who challenged us, mentored us and funded us. NIU gave us the tools to build and successfully run our company.”
Ginny Egizio
Events Recruiter at Becker’s Healthcare. B.S. Hospitality and Tourism Management ’18.
Egizio is an events recruiter for Becker’s Healthcare — ASC Communications, a business information source for hospital leaders and owners as well as operators of ambulatory surgery centers based in Chicago. Her role includes setting up conferences for hospital and health care systems leaders. “I genuinely love my job and look forward to coming to work every day.”
Cordnei Gibson Sales Development Representative at Qualtrics. B.S. Leadership and Management, Marketing minor, ’19
Scott Kluth Founder and CEO of CouponCabin
“I’m thrilled to see the work that NIU and the business school are doing to innovate new entrepreneurial ideas. The education I received at the NIU College of Business gave me the skills to build businesses in a field that, while exceptionally challenging, creates significant good.” — Jeff Aronin Chairman and CEO of Paragon Biosciences LLC. B.S. Marketing ’89.
B.S. Operations Management and Information Systems, ’99
Somya Mumjal Managing Partner at CPA for the People, Founder of Youthful Savings B.S. Accountancy, ’06, M.A.S. Accountancy, ’07
Government, Public and Social Services Think about this: We share this planet with 7.7 billion people, but you still can make a difference in the world. How? Become someone who understands what it means to be human, what our society needs to function and advance, and how to interpret and manage the forces that seek to interfere. NIU alumni are digging for modern answers from ancient times by bringing historical perspectives to contemporary situations, applying sound economic principles to current financial riddles and participating in or running government operations at all levels. Our graduates are also helping children and families thrive, and empowering populations worldwide through the management of nonprofit and non-government organizations. NIU OFFERS THE FOLLOWING MAJORS TO SET YOU ON THE PATH TO A REWARDING SERVICE CAREER: • Anthropology. • Applied Management: Public Service. • Economics. • Financial Economics. • General Studies. • History. • Human Development and Family Sciences. • Child Development. • Family and Individual Development. • Family Social Services.
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• Nonprofit and NGO Studies. • Philosophy. • Political Science. • International Politics. • Justice and Democracy: The American Experiment. • Politics and Governance. • Public Administration and Service. • Public Law. • Psychology. • Sociology.
Randiss Hopkins
Program Specialist of After School Matters Creative Director of WNDRFAMILY Co-owner of Surve B.A. Music Performance (Jazz), Community Leadership and Civic Engagement minor, ’17 Hopkins said that his time at NIU opened his eyes to social entrepreneurship. “I was inspired to look at entrepreneurship in a different way. In the sense that you can ‘do good’ and do good. You can make money and do good for the world. “NIU has profoundly inspired me to dream big and to be creative, courageous, curious and to be of service to others. This university offered me an experience of a lifetime. One that I would never forget.”
Lucy Sosa
Family Support Specialist at Family Service Agency/ Community Action Program B.A. Sociology and Spanish: Translation and Business ’08, M.A. Sociology ’16 “I did a lot of growing up emotionally and intellectually during my time at NIU. Now I try to teach people that they have the power to change their lives.”
Jake Lawrence Implementation Consultant for Tyler Technologies B.A. Community Leadership and Civic Engagement (Nonprofit and NGO Studies), History minor, ’14, M.P.A. Political Science (Strategic Public Management and Leadership) ’16
Jim Barakat Staff Attorney for the Massachusetts Committee for Public Counsel Services
“My professors at NIU were instrumental in setting me on this path by helping me realize the many ways you can use a political science degree.” — Gina Gregolunas Writer, United States Department of Defense B.A. Political Science (Public Law), Spanish minor, ’13
B.A. Philosophy, Political Science minor, ’10
Rachel Jacob Law Clerk for the United States Marine Corps B.A. History and Political Science, ’18
Education
Ask our education majors why they want to teach and most will respond that it was one of their own amazing teachers from long ago who inspired them. “I’ve always known,” they say, and it makes sense: When someone changes your life for the better, you want to pay that forward. You want to be that person for someone else — or, if you’re lucky, generations of “someone elses.” We’re good at preparing teachers here — our programs span the preschool through college spectrum including physical education, special education and counseling — and you’ll find NIU graduates teaching or working as principals or superintendents just about everywhere. That includes the massive Houston Independent School District in Texas, which loves to hire our graduates. NIU OFFERS THE FOLLOWING MAJORS TO SET YOU ON THE PATH TO A LASTING CAREER IN TEACHING AND LEARNING: • Applied Management. • Instructional Technology, Training and Evaluation. • Early Childhood Education. • Elementary Education. • Bilingual/ESL. • Elementary Mathematics Education. • Reading Teacher. • Special Education.
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• Kinesiology. • Middle Level Teaching and Learning. • Physical Education. • Special Education. • Learning Behavior Specialist I. • Visual Impairments.
Tim Vincent
Superintendent, Galena School District 120 B.S. Elementary Education ’03, M.S. Educational Administration ’07 and Ed.S. Educational Administration ’17
“I consistently recommend the NIU College of Education because of the personal feel and high expectations. As someone who hires teacher-candidates, I know that NIU graduates will likely be able to handle the rigors of teaching. NIU graduates are prepared to be exceptional candidates in the field and often are leaders in the profession.”
Yara Santillan
Physical Education Specialist, Chicago Public Schools B.S. Education (Kinesiology) ’12, M.S. Education (Physical Education - Exercise Physiology - Fitness Leadership) ’14 Santillan supports CPS Physical Education teachers with strategies to improve their effectiveness and enhance overall student learning. She does this because she loves what a lifestyle of health and wellness does to our minds, bodies and soul. “Going to the NIU College of Education made this career possible. The courses prepared me for those unexpected on-the-job things that aren’t typically included in textbooks.”
Saul Amaya Seventh Grade Math teacher, Marlowe Middle School, Huntley CUSD 158 B.S.Ed. Middle Level Teaching and Learning, Spanish minor, ’18
Veronica DiMaggio Kindergarten teacher, Kingston Elementary School, Genoa-Kingston CUSD 424
“ NIU is the reason that I have become an educator who my colleagues turn to as a resource, which has empowered me to become more involved as a mentor and as a member of several committees at my school.” — Nicole Pomerleau Special Education Teacher at Mundelein High School B.S.Ed. Special Education ’13
B.S. Early Childhood Education, ’17
Natalie Young, Ed.D. Assistant Professor, Early Childhood Education at NIU B.S. Early Childhood ’04, M.S.Ed. Early Childhood ’08, Ed.D. Curriculum and Instruction ’18
Art, Media and Communication
There are many ways to tell a great story, and at NIU our artists learn to find the best ways to use their natural creativity and talents to express themselves and tell those stories. We provide an immersive environment for them to study, create, collaborate, refine their skills and develop new ones. We boldly and fully unleash their potential and then mold and polish them to perform at the peak of their professions. Film, television and theater. Symphony orchestras and dance companies. Museums, galleries and cutting-edge digital spaces. NIU graduates who work with words — poets, writers, journalists, translators, corporate communicators and storytellers of all sorts — are informing, enlightening, connecting and spellbinding readers and consumers around the world. NIU OFFERS THE FOLLOWING MAJORS TO SET YOU ON THE PATH TO AN ENRICHING AND CREATIVE CAREER: • Art. • Art and Design Education. • Art History. • Art Studio and Design. • Art Studio. • Ceramics. • Drawing. • Fiber. • Illustration. • Metalwork, Jewelry Design and Digital Fabrication. • Painting. • Printmaking. • Sculpture. • Design and Media Arts. • Photography. • Time Arts. • Visual Communication. • Design and Technology.
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• Communication Studies. • Advocacy and Public Communication. • Media Studies. • Organizational/Corporate Communication. • Dance Performance. • English. • Literature. • Secondary Licensure in English Language Arts. • Writing. • General Studies. • Journalism. • Music. • Composition. • Music Education. • Performance. • Theatre Arts. • Acting. • Design and Technology. • Theatre Studies. • World Languages and Cultures. • French and Francophone Studies. • German Studies. • Spanish and Hispanic Studies.
Joe Minoso
Actor, M.F.A. Theater, ’04
Minoso is an actor who plays firefighter Joe Cruz on the NBC drama “Chicago Fire.” He has great memories of campus and how he was immersed in his acting. “There was something really kind of beautiful, pure, safe and accepting about that community,” Minoso said. “I never felt lost. I never felt out of place. I never felt like I couldn’t explore my artistry however I wanted to. In a lot of ways, I think that gave me a confidence that I didn’t have before NIU.”
Jermaine Stegall
Composer at Paramount Pictures B.A. Music Performance, ’00
Stegall let his creativity hit all of the high notes while a student. “At the end of my fourth year I’d fulfilled most of my requirements for my degree,” he said. “I think I only needed two classes, and I spread those out and planned that in the spring of that final year, I’d give an orchestral concert that would serve as kind of an all-encompassing event, culminating my experience at NIU, specifically as a composer.”
Christian Ortiz Gallery Manager at Weinberg/Newton Gallery, Chicago B.F.A. 3D Studio Fiber Studies and B.S. in Art Education, ’10
Rebecca Fassola Graphics Editor at The Onion B.F.A. 2D Studio and Illustration, Psychology minor, ’13
“NIU is an amazing, big, diverse school with so much to offer. If it wasn’t for NIU and the programs they offered, I never would have made it to D.C. in the first place.” — Lark Lewis Campaign and Digital Strategies Associate, National Women’s Law Center B.A. Journalism and Political Science, Communication Studies minor, ’17
Mary Holland Actor/Writer/Producer Curb Your Enthusiasm, Veep, Parks and Recreation, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Star Wars: Jedi Temple Challenge B.A. Theatre, ’07
Health and Wellness Truth: People are living longer, the world’s population is growing and human bodies are not actual machines maintained or repaired with tools or rebooting. Yet our society continues to make incredible advances in medicine and health, and the need for caring and well-trained practitioners will never go away. NIU graduates are keeping people fit or making them well again, whether it’s in building a strong foundation through careers in exercise science, nutrition and physical therapy or through working as nurses, medical laboratory scientists, rehabilitation specialists or public health officials. Our alumni also empower people with communicative disorders or visual disabilities to successfully manage their lives. NIU OFFERS THE FOLLOWING MAJORS TO SET YOU ON THE PATH TO A LIFE-CHANGING CAREER: • Communicative Disorders. • Health Sciences. • Degree Completion. • General Health Sciences. • Pre-physical Therapy. • Medical Laboratory Sciences. • Nursing. • Nutrition, Dietetics and Wellness. • Public Health. • Environment and Health. • General Public Health. • Health Administration. • Health Promotion. • Rehabilitation and Disability Services.
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Randall Moore II
CEO, American Association of Nurse Anesthetists B.S. Nursing, ’99 Moore is the CEO of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, a professional organization representing over 50,000 certified registered nurse anesthetists. Moore is a retired U.S. Army Reserve officer and served with Forward Surgical Teams in Afghanistan.
Chara Reid
PharmD, Director of Pharmacy at Illinois Cancer Specialists B.S. Biology, ’98 Reid started at NIU as an elementary education major and she credits the counseling staff at NIU with mapping out her change of major and creating a path to satisfy her requirements to get into pharmacy school after NIU. They even helped her earn credit for her work at Walgreens while she was a student. In addition to her role as director of pharmacy at Illinois Cancer Specialists, she is the president of the Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy Alumni Council and is the founder of the Pharmacist Women Networking Association which creates a system for community, connection and education for women in pharmacy. “Even though my role at Illinois Cancer Specialists is administrative now, I do a lot of educational work with six different drug companies when new drugs come out, or there are new therapies in oncology. My love for education has circled around and instead of teaching kids, I’m teaching health care professionals.”
Michael Quaintance Director of Dining Services at TouchPoint Support Services B.S. Nutrition and Dietetics* ’13, M.S. Nutrition and Dietetics ’16
Angela Spahr Field Support Specialist and RN, Smiths Medical B.S. Nursing, Public Health minor, ’13
David Banaszynski Environmental Health Officer, Village of Hoffman Estates B.S. Public Health, ’97
“I have made lasting connections and friendships with faculty and fellow students. I truly believe that NIU was where I wanted to be, and all of the experiences and opportunities that I had there have shaped me into who I am today.” — Nicole Dispensa Pathologist’s Assistant, SwedishAmerican Hospital B.S. Medical Laboratory Sciences ’17
*Current degree name is Nutrition, Dietetics and Wellness.
Science, Technology,
Engineering and Math You have never lived in a world without cell phones or the internet, things your family couldn’t even imagine when they were your age. Cars can drive themselves. Drones can deliver packages. Robots can teach your future children. Yep, STEM — Science, Technology, Engineering and Math — makes the world go ’round, and the rapid progress of those fields during just your lifetime shows that the innovative future once dreamt by science fiction writers is almost here. NIU graduates are all over this, manufacturing robotic limbs from 3D printers, exploring the causes and solutions to climate change, predicting tornadoes and even collaborating with the world’s top physicists working to find the elusive Higgs boson and unlock its answers.
• Biological Sciences. • Biomedical Engineering. • Biomechanics and Biomaterials. • Biomedical Instrumentation, Sensors and Signal Processing. • Chemistry. • Biochemistry. • Chemistry. • Chemistry for Pre-Professional Students. • Secondary Teaching. • Computer Science. • Computational Software. • Enterprise Software. • Software Development. • Electrical Engineering. • Environmental Studies. • Biodiversity and Environmental Restoration. • Educator Licensure – Environmental Science. • Energy Studies. • Environmental Policy. • Nature in Society. • Water Sciences. • General Studies. • Geography. • Geography. • Geomatics. • Geology and Environmental Geosciences. • Earth and Space Science Education. • Environmental Geosciences. • Geology. • Industrial and Systems Engineering. • Engineering Management. • Health Systems Engineering. • Manufacturing Systems.
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• Mathematical Sciences. • Actuarial Science. • Applied Mathematics. • Computational Mathematics. • General Mathematics. • Mathematics Education. • Probability and Statistics. • Mechanical Engineering. • Advanced Computing and Simulation. • Mechatronics and Robotics. • Sustainable Energy. • Mechatronics Engineering • Meteorology. • Physics. • Applied Physics. • Professional Physics for Graduate Study. • Secondary School Teaching. • Technology. • Applied Manufacturing Technology. • Electrical Engineering Technology. • Energy and Environmental Technology. • Industrial Management and Technology. • Manufacturing Engineering Technology.
Northern Illinois University is an equal opportunity/affirmative action institution. Printed by authority of the State of Illinois. niu.edu 52049 10/19
NIU OFFERS THE FOLLOWING MAJORS TO SET YOU ON THE PATH TO A CAREER WITH UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES:
Morgan Kolkmeyer Meteorologist, WGN-TV Chicago
B.S. Meteorology, Mathematics Sciences Applied Minor, ’13 “My experience in the Meteorology department at NIU was second to none, which is largely thanks to the outstanding staff who always go the extra mile. Whether you were currently enrolled in one of the Meteorology professor’s classes, each one would take the time during their office hours to help you fully understand a concept. My experience in the classroom was an environment that everyone felt comfortable raising their hand for clarification, or to engage in a discussion on any topic. I highly recommend NIU’s Meteorology Department to future students interested in studying the atmosphere, and I truly believe I owe a large part of my personal success to the leadership of the professors in that department. It helped make my career in Chicago a reality.”
Matt Bowers
Senior Electrical Engineer and Test Lab Manager, Wahl Clipper B.S. (Cum Laude) Electrical Engineering, ’07 Wahl Clipper manufactures hair clippers, trimmers and shavers for consumers and professional barbers and stylists. Wahl Clipper participated in the 2019 Senior Design Program where they sponsored a team of students tasked with devising a way to collect data while the products are in use in the field.
Daniel J. Bailey
“Wahl has been very pleased with the work accomplished by NIU students and alumni over the years as summer interns or new hires. Having students quickly become active team members and contribute to a project is a testament to the education and experience they have received at NIU.”
Cybersecurity Client Technical Professional at IBM Security B.S. Industrial and Systems Engineering ’18
“NIU provided me with both the knowledge and the experience that I needed to be successful in my field. Professor Holly Jones was particularly influential. Her dedication to her students, the environment and research inspired me to do everything I can to eventually become an influential member of the scientific community.” — Cora Dyslin Research Assistant for the Naval Health Research Center; Research Associate, San Diego Zoo Global B.S. Environmental Studies, Biological Sciences minor, ’17
Supply Chain Business Analyst, Nestlé B.S. Industrial Engineering ’05, M.S. Industrial and Systems Engineering ’06
Alexandra Hurtado
Jake Lloyd Electrical Engineer at Northrup Grumman B.S. Electrical and Computer Engineering, ’20
Bob Sobel Vice President Research and Innovation at FONA International B.S. Chemistry — Secondary Teaching ’98, Ph.D. Chemistry ’04
Take the next step go.niu.edu/becomeahuskie
Huskies making tracks Within one year of earning their bachelor’s degrees, 91% of our alumni report being employed. In fact, 82.4% found work within six months.* You can choose from over 100 majors, minors and certificate programs, including STEM fields, visual and performing arts, and so much more. No matter what you study, an NIU degree and experience will make the difference in your future. * Data used in this report are based on 2016 baccalaureate degree earners 2015-2016. Source: 2016 NIU Alumni Survey.