The latest addition to higher education opportunities in the northwest suburbs will become available later this week when Northern Illinois University opens its new branch in Hoffman Estates.
The $6 million building is located within the Prairie Stone development that also includes the new Sears Merchandise Group headquarters. It will open Aug. 22 with 57 courses planned for its first semester, an amount university administrators expect will increase as more people take advantage of the campus.
Students can earn various baccalaureate and graduate degrees at the Hoffman Estates site in nursing, general studies, education and MBA programs, according to Kathy Gilmer, director of the center. Course work will also be offered in computer science, engineering, visual arts and engineering technology.
”The key point here is the adult learner and the timing of the classes for the person working full time,” said Sara Barger, chairman of NIU`s nursing school. Barger expects many nursing students will be holding down full-time jobs while attending night classes at the Prairie Stone campus.
Similarly, the executive MBA program offered there takes an intense 21 months to complete and is organized on weekends to accommodate work schedules of degree candidates. Competition to get in is keen, said program director Harry Wright, who had 93 applicants for 42 spots for the first executive MBA class at the new NIU site.
Cost for the whole program is $18,800, and class members will be men and women with a minimum of five years of professional managerial experience.
”It`s a commitment from participants as well as the spouse,” said Wright. ”I tell them that if they have a hobby, they won`t get better at it during the program.”
Brad Pietens, director of external programs for NIU`s college of education, said graduate-level courses will be offered both during the day and evening.
By building its own campus, Pietens said, NIU will be able to offer services to students at Hoffman Estates that have not been possible at other sites, such as career counselors and computer access to NIU`s main library in DeKalb.
”The Hoffman Estates center allows the university to move from tenant to owner status, centering its activities in one convenient location and offering needed student services there as well,” Pietens said.
