Northeastern Illinois University’s Daniel L. Goodwin College of Education has changed several of its programs’ names and has made some additions beginning in the Fall 2020 term:
- The B.A. in Inner City Studies changed its name to the B.A. in Urban Community Studies.
- The minor in Inner City Careers changed its name to minor in Urban Community Studies.
- The M.S. in Exercise Science changed its name to the M.S. in Exercise and Sport Science and has added concentrations in Physical Education, Sport and Recreation as well as Exercise Science.
- A new minor in Bilingual Education has been added to the Teacher Education Department.
- The M.A. in Family Counseling changed its name to M.A. in Couple and Family Counseling.
“It means a great deal to our university to continue the tradition of urban studies at NEIU, helping us to understand how place continues to shape experiences and opportunities,” said Andrea Evans, Interim Dean of the Goodwin College of Education.
Urban Community Studies Program Facilitator Zada Johnson said faculty worked collectively to build upon existing traditions of inquiry while also including the current theoretical perspectives that comprise the contemporary study of urban communities to shape the program.
“The Urban Community Studies program seeks to introduce students to the social, cultural, political and economic forces that impact urban communities,” Johnson said. “In light of the recent impact of the global pandemic on urban communities and the nation’s unrest as a result of longstanding racial injustice, the Urban Community Studies program aims to prepare students to be forces of change in both local and global contexts. The areas of contemporary study that the program focuses on include urban education, urban health/food justice, popular culture, activism and violence prevention/youth advocacy.”
The M.S. in Exercise and Sport Science is a 36-credit-hour program for graduate students interested in learning about human performance, disease prevention and cardiac rehabilitation. The Exercise Science concentration is for graduates interested in learning about human performance, disease prevention, and cardiac rehabilitation. The Physical Education, Sport and Recreation concentration is for graduate students interested in learning about contemporary curricula, teaching methods and the management of programs and facilities in physical education, sport and recreation.
The new minor in Bilingual Education is available to Education majors in the following programs: Early Childhood (birth to 2nd grade), Middle Level (5th to 8th grade), Secondary (9th-12th grade), Physical Education (K-12th grade) and Special Education (K-age 21).
“When combined with an education major leading to a teaching license, this new minor in Bilingual Education prepares individuals to work with English learners in bilingual settings within the grade range of their initial license,” said Rachel Adeodu, Chair of Teacher Education. “However, as a sought-after endorsement by many school districts, candidates are encouraged to pursue an endorsement in Bilingual Education which includes the 18 credit hours of the minor, a 100-hour clinical experience in a bilingual classroom and a passing score in a state test of language proficiency.”
The M.A. in Couple and Family Counseling more accurately reflects the curriculum of the program and the competencies of students graduating from the program. The program emphasizes clinical skills with both families and couples, per CACREP accreditation standards and the requirements for clinical licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist in the state of Illinois.
“When speaking with potential clinical training site supervisors and prospective employers, they often question if our students and graduates have training in couples therapy because it is not reflected in the name of the program,” said Shedeh Tavakoli, Chair of the Department of Counselor Education. “Clinical training in couples counseling is very much in demand in the mental health profession, and this name change will benefit our trainees and graduates.”
Program updates for the College of Business and Management and College of Arts and Sciences were previously announced.
