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’s global reach and outlook.
After 125 years, we’ve learned how to streamline the process of helping qualified applicants seek admission to North Park and find affordable ways to attend. If you don’t see what you’re 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’s mission and alumni needs.
“For a while, I was dead-set on moving away. Then I visited North Park as a prospective student. That was when I realized that I could make my own experience here and do my own thing.”
Sarah Hawkinson is a history and secondary education major. She is also a desk attendant, writing advisor, participates in the women’s chorale, and tutors students from Peterson Elementary school.
“North Park went from being my last choice to the perfect choice for me. My family has a lot of history and connections at North Park, so it had been in my life so much already and for a while, I was dead-set on moving away. Then I attended a scholarship event; it was my first time visiting as a prospective student. I had fun meeting other people I would potentially go to school with, and the idea of coming to North Park began to feel more real. That was when I realized that I could make my own experience here and do my own thing.
The interactions I had with professors, even before attending North Park, were really encouraging because it seemed like they already wanted to be invested in their students—to be more than just professors but mentors who are there to help you make choices. That’s what I love about North Park now. Having the opportunity to get coffee with my professors and take extra time outside of the classroom is something that I feel my friends at other schools don’t get. And now that I am getting to the core of what I want to study, my professors are ready and eager to challenge me, especially when I’ve shown that I’m invested and interested in their class.
Another aspect of North Park that I’ve grown to appreciate is its location in the city, which has helped me to continue in my faith life by learning more about cultural and religious diversity. I’m definitely growing and having positive and new experiences in this city setting. It has been important for me to get to know others and hear about a variety of experiences; it’s enhancing my faith-life and the way I see the world.
I’ve realized being close to home has more benefits than drawbacks. I can go home every weekend or once a semester. I’ve been very happy with my decision to go somewhere which happened to be close to home, but really my decision was more multi-faceted than that. It was the opportunity to grow at a school where professors and students encourage faith, growth, and learning. Plus, I get to keep my winter clothes at home during the spring.”
Three students share how getting involved on campus has shaped their experience at North Park University.
Lydia Vander Stelt
Junior, Double Major in Business & Economics and Nonprofit Management
From Grand Rapids, MI
“I chose North Park because of its location. I wanted to set myself far enough away from home to be able to grow, but not have a hard time getting home. The best characteristic of North Park is that it is city-centered and we have the Catalyst 606__ program. I am very grateful for the opportunities I have had to grow in my faith both in and outside of the city. North Park is good at providing opportunities for students to grow in their faith, but not forcing that growth, which I think is key in the transition from high school into college and becoming an adult.
As a freshman, I decided to take the time to breathe and not get involved in many activities. When I participated in the Catalyst 606__ Semester, it opened a lot of doors for meeting new people and friends, which was crucial to my getting involved. Now I’m the communications director for the Student Government Association. I work to make the Student Government more transparent and accessible to the student body. What is so unique about the student government is that I have been able to get to know the University administration and act as the liaison so that students are heard.”
Betty Rodriguez
Junior, Biology Major and Pre-Med
From Mexico and Chicago, IL
“Being a part of Rising Dreamers United means being informative about issues in the immigration community. It isn’t just about DACA students or immigrant students on campus, but a variety of students on campus that people need to know about. These issues affect thousands of students and many more families.
I have also been involved in the Student Government Association (SGA) since last year, and I’ve stayed involved because it allows me to help others wherever they are struggling. I am able to share with other students what SGA is working on, and sometimes students come to me with issues.
My first impression of North Park was when I came for the Lighthouse Scholarship meeting (a cohort program for first-generation college students) and I was like ‘wow, this is where I want to be.’ The family and community that you can build here is something that I love. You can always count on someone on campus.”
Jared Koehler
Senior, Double Major in Business & Economics and Politics & Government
From Kukana, WI
“My curiosity brought me to North Park, and I’m really glad that I came here because it expanded my world view. I made a lot of international friends which pushed me to study abroad, something I might not have done if I hadn’t gone to North Park. I’ve learned that the world is such an amazing place. It has made me more open-minded and instilled in me a better understanding of others.
Next to the international focus, the student-faculty relationship is the best thing about North Park. I feel that education should not only be to hear something but to practice it through discourse. North Park has an intense mission to bring students and professors together and to facilitate conversation. Because of that, I have met some professors who have helped me both to improve my skills and to network.
North Park is a great transition from leaving high school to becoming someone who is truly prepared, not only for the work force but for relationships with people who are different from oneself. It is a good fit for anyone who is curious to learn about others and the value of diversity in opinions and cultures.”
North Park Senior Renee Baker is nominated for the prestigious Glenn T. Seaborg Science Scholarship after completing an internship with NASA.
North Park Senior Renee Baker has been nominated for the prestigious Glenn T. Seaborg Science Scholarship, an honor bestowed upon an outstanding natural science major at one of the six colleges recognized by the Swedish Council of America as a Swedish Heritage College. North Park is recognized as such an institution because of its active connection with modern Scandinavia, via its language studies and academic exchange programs.
“I’m so incredibly honored to be nominated for this scholarship,” said Baker, an environmental science major, of the award named for the famed Swedish chemist.
She’s certainly worthy: while many college kids spend their break on the beach or working a part-time job, Baker was doing test flights with NASA. Last summer, Baker spent two months in California interning with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, tagging along on plane rides, collecting atmospheric data and learning how various instruments worked.
The Carol Stream, Illinois native actually applied for the NASA internship on something of a whim. “I honestly just got an email from [chemistry professor] Dr. Rienstra-Kiracofe, and I applied because, why not?” Baker says. Rienstra-Kiracofe provided a letter of recommendation, and the next thing Baker knew, she was on her way to Irvine, Ca.
In addition to the flying experience, Baker spent several weeks on campus at the University of California, Irvine, where she learned how to use tools to perform remote sensing and took a trip to the Jet Propulsion Lab. At the end of the internship, she and her group presented to a group of NASA employees and fellow students.
Ultimately, Baker, a physics minor, plans to pursue a career in alternative energy and biomimicry engineering, a field of science that seeks sustainable solutions to human-generated problems by copying patterns in nature. For instance, scientists who specialize in biomimicry are testing new plumbing and electric systems that mimic the branch-like structure of trees and leaves, as they may be more efficient than pipes positioned at right angles.
Baker will find out in March if she has won the coveted Seaborg prize, which includes airfare to Sweden, a living stipend, and participation in December’s Stockholm International Youth Science Seminar, a weeklong series of events arranged in connection with Nobel Peace Prize activities.
As University Dean, Dr. Liza Ann Acosta’s hope is to facilitate the work of faculty development—with a student body comprised of a diverse population and mirrored by a diverse faculty.
“I am invested in the wellbeing of my students and my colleagues. Being asked to do more with little is overwhelming, but my colleagues’ dreams for our students are on my mind every single day. My wish is to make those become real possibilities. An investment in our faculty is an investment in our students.”
Facilitating Faculty Development
As University Dean, Dr. Liza Ann Acosta’s hope is to facilitate the work of faculty development—with a student body comprised of a diverse population and mirrored by a diverse faculty, so that all our students can see themselves reflected in the people who teach them. A new mentorship program for first-year and ongoing rising faculty and a partnership with the Faculty Senate and Office of Institutional Effectiveness for the inclusion of adjunct faculty development are among the initiatives supporting Dean Acosta’s vision of having a well-rounded, diverse faculty at North Park.
Retention and Recruitment of Faculty of Color
Dean Acosta has initiated efforts to more effectively recruit and retain faculty of color who can and do impact the student learning experience through expertise, mentorship, and role-modeling. In these efforts, Dean Acosta advises and serves on search committees, advocates for faculty and staff of color, and leads monthly meetings for faculty and staff of color for community-building.
Helping Students Have an Enriching Intercultural Experience
Dean Acosta is encouraged every day by North Park students as she observes them make connections between classroom and world. “Preparing students to contribute in real possible ways—through the arts, life sciences, technology—is what we seek at North Park, with faculty who have a passion for planting a seed and watching students grow.”
At North Park, Dean Acosta continues to teach, advise, and mentor students. She is also part of the Council on Diversity Equity and Inclusion whose central role includes bias reporting. “I am always thinking of ways that North Park’s faculty, as a collective, can be even better in their respective specialty fields, and how we can help students have an enriching, intercultural experience,” said Dean Acosta. Academic programs are structured in a way to reflect both a rigorous learning experience in the classroom and experiential learning opportunities outside the classroom when engaging how the diverse city of Chicago functions and thrives.
Core principles guide Dean Acosta: encouraging creativity, providing resources for continuous improvement and innovation, documenting and learning from best practices in research and teaching, advocating for a diverse faculty, and nurturing professional development for all faculty members. Meeting the needs of both students and faculty is an ongoing process—a role that for Dean Acosta is always evolving.
Jonathan Almer C’91, utilizes both his liberal arts and physics education in research involving a 1,800-year-old mummy.
Jonathan Almer, C’91, recently welcomed a 1,800-year-old mummy to his office for the day.
Of course, Almer, a physicist at Argonne National Laboratory, doesn’t have your average desk job. As part of his work there running the Advanced Photon Source (APS)—a highly sophisticated X-Ray machine—he conducted an in-depth examination of the mummy, believed to contain the body of a 5-year-old Egyptian girl.
“We’re hoping our data will help us better understand details of her bone tissue, and her teeth,” said Almer, who majored in physics at North Park and received his PhD in material sciences from Northwestern University in 1998. “This kind of information will help us enrich the historic context of the mummy as well as the Roman period in Egypt.”
Almer’s expertise with Argonne’s APS allowed him and his partner, Northwestern Prof. Stuart Stock, to peer into the mummy at a high resolution, and “in a non-destructive way,” Almer said.
The mummy is one of only 100 so-called “portrait mummies” in existence. Such mummies feature life-like paintings of the deceased person’s face. This particular mummy is owned by Northwestern University and will be on display for several months in 2018 at the school’s Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. Almer and Stock’s fascinating research was featured in a recent Chicago Tribune article.
Almer credits his North Park education with sparking his sense of curiosity.
“My physics courses were challenging but sometimes even fun, thanks to Linda McDonald,” said Almer, of the longtime NPU physics professor.
“North Park provided an excellent basis for my career,” Almer said. “The strong overall liberal arts focus at North Park meant I took a much broader set of courses than most of my colleagues I’ve worked with since.”
Almer also joked, “Such broad-based knowledge helps personal development in a myriad of ways, but also provides practical benefits such as communication skills which, let’s face it, scientists could use more of.”
Kathleen Dillion C’11, English literature alumna, shares about growing into her professional life and giving back to her community.
Kathleen Dillion, C'11, graduated with a degree in English Literature and minored in Politics and Government. She participated in multiple clubs and organizations including NPU Press,
was Secretary of the Queers and Allies group, and was a member of both Sigma Tau Delta and Pi Sigma Alpha.
North Park will forever be the place where I met lifelong friends and mentors. It will also always represent challenge and growth for me. The most valuable lesson I learned at North Park is that your education, and your life in general, is what you make of it! Though I was a transfer student and rather shy, I put myself out there and made friends with whom I am even closer today.
I spent my first summer after graduation working for Shoreline Sightseeing downtown and having a wonderful time just enjoying living in the city. I then moved back to Michigan to begin a position as a substitute teacher. I had been unsure as to what was next for me and wanted to gauge my interest in returning to school for a teaching certificate. After taking on multiple paraprofessional roles, I decided that I would like to go back to school for a Master’s in English. I knew that I wanted to teach at the college-level. Loyola University Chicago, in Rogers Park, had a ‘teaching track’ for their Master’s in English program.
I found a graduate assistantship as a Tutoring Coordinator with the TRIO Student Support Services program on campus–Achieving College Excellence (ACE), which serves students who are the first in their family to go to college, have higher financial need, and/or have a documented disability. After graduating from Loyola, I went on to teach College Composition at College of Lake County, and Developmental Writing at North Park! It was so very interesting teaching in the same classroom in which I took so many of my undergraduate courses.
I later applied for a new Academic Counselor position ACE wrote into their grant. I got the job and have been with ACE as a full-time staff member for over a year now. I am the academic counselor and primary first and second year advisor for a group of about 70 students. I see myself as an advocate, ally, and, along with the rest of ACE, a support system for our students, who need guidance in navigating college life. I also teach two sections of UNIV 101, supervise a staff of ACE students who have trained to be peer mentors, and supervise the graduate assistant Tutoring Coordinator, my former position.
At North Park, because it’s small, students, staff, and faculty wear multiple hats–I can juggle multiple positions and projects because of my time at North Park and the opportunities I was given there. My time as a Writing Advisor, under the guidance of the great Carol Martin, gave me the experience I needed to work as an English Language Arts paraprofessional for at-risk students, which lead to Loyola’s English Master’s program and positions at TRIO.
My position with the North Park Press, political philosophy courses, and summer internship in D.C. prepared me for community organizing. I am now a Community Organizer in Rogers Park, am on the Steering Committee for our independent, progressive ward body, and am the Political Coordinator at the Heartland Cafe. This experience has been invaluable and I am putting my education and values into action.
One of the best things you can do, in my view, to give back to North Park University is to go on and be a credit to the University’s mission. Are you a person of character, compassion, and common sense? Think through what it means to live a life of significance and service. It can feel like a corny line sometimes when you are in college, but I find myself reflecting on these values every day now. Folks who live lives of significance and service are so desperately needed in this world.
Jorge Oritz C’17, economics alumnus, shares about his experiences at North Park.
"The student-faculty relationship is exceptional, and the staff are always helpful when you start any academic project."
One of Jorge Ortiz’s most memorable moments at North Park was the day he graduated. He walked in front of the procession carrying his home-country’s flag, the Ecuadorian colors flying ahead and above him on his way to the stage. “North Park is an institution that has a lot of potential if a student wants to research, develop, or explore; its diversity challenged my perspectives on many of my views.” Jorge counts it a great accomplishment that he “studied and graduated in a foreign country in a foreign language.”
Jorge enjoyed his time at North Park, involving himself in much of what the University has to offer students as far as extracurricular activities. He was president of the Economics Club, as well as a member of the executive team for the inaugural TEDx event held at North Park. Jorge also had this to say about the summer research program he participated in, “the opportunity to do NPRESS with professor Gavoor, studying the relationship between the cost of goods sold and inventory, was one of my favorite opportunities at North Park.”
Life after graduation has served Jorge well, landing a full-time position as a business developer executive at North Side Community Federal Credit Union just two weeks after commencement. Jorge credits North Park’s Career Development and Internships Office with helping him develop a strong resume and offering guidance through his job search. He plans to continue working for the next couple of years and starting graduate school in 2019. “I explored a lot of economic theories at the University. This is a wonderful institution where I made friends for life, including professors who have become mentors.”
Named to the 2017 Consulting-Specifying Engineer 40 Under 40 list.
CHICAGO (May 16, 2017) North Park’s Assistant Professor of Physics and Engineering and Director of Sustainability Dr. Stephen Ray has been named to the 2017 Consulting-Specifying Engineer 40 Under 40 list. According to their web site http://www.csemag.com/, a Consulting-Specifying Engineering is, “dedicated to encouraging and recognizing the most talented young individuals in the engineering community supporting the building industry.”
Nominations were judged by the editors of Consulting-Specifying Engineer and anonymous industry experts seeking to identify accomplished individuals with outstanding academic credentials and in-the-field professional experience. Award recipients met such important criteria as being actively involved with the engineering community and supporting the building industry.
Other qualities the awards committee looked for included community service—Dr. Ray began a mentoring program that has paired 45 students with professional mentors; innovation and inventiveness —Dr. Ray contributed to the design of 28 domestic and international buildings totaling over 38 million ft2 and individually conducted 20 urban climate studies for building campuses and urban districts; and leadership—Dr. Ray spearheaded North Park’s BS in Mechanical Engineering degree which began Spring 2017.
With a specialty solving complex problems related to sustainability and airflow, Dr. Ray approaches his field as both an engineering professor and a practitioner. Dr. Ray plans to attend a congratulatory networking dinner this Fall where he’ll have the opportunity to meet fellow 40 Under 40 winners.
Dwight Perry has been called to be the new dean of faculty at North Park Theological Seminary.
Dr. Perry to begin July 1, 2017.
CHICAGO, IL (April 20, 2017) – Rev. Dr. Dwight Perry has been called to be the new dean of faculty at North Park Theological Seminary, as well as professor of homiletics and leadership.
Starting July 1st 2017, Rev. Dr. Perry will serve as Dean of Faculty and Professor of Homiletics and Leadership. “Dr. Perry is an exceptional choice, he comes with extensive pastoral experience, denominational leadership, and academic administration experience,” says Rev. Dr. David Kersten, vice president for church relations and dean of the Seminary. “Rev. Dr. Perry wants to make a significant legacy contribution to the community of pastors and feels particularly called to NPTS and the ECC,” adds Kersten.
Both scholar and practitioner, this rare combination fills a need in theological education. Rev. Dr. Perry is ready to, “serve in academic leadership within an evangelical seminary that is urban in its context, biblical at its foundation, and seeks to equip men and women for the work of the gospel,” notes Rev. Dr. Perry as his career objective. As the first African American to graduate with a PhD from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, IL, Rev. Dr. Perry has persevered across many barriers on race and diversity.
Prior to joining NPTS, Rev. Dr. Perry served as regional president/executive minister of Converge Great Lakes where he was known for his straight-talk approach to ministry. He also served as a professor of pastoral studies at the Moody Bible Institute, as a denominational executive with the Baptist General Conference, and as a senior pastor and associate pastor in several churches in Illinois. He is a sought-after national speaker and is passionate about proclaiming God’s Word. As a pastor and teacher in homiletics, he is one of the premier expository preachers in the U.S.A. He has spoken across the country in the area of diversity and inclusion, homiletics, organizational and systems development especially within a not for profit setting along with strategic planning and leadership development.
Rev. Dr. Perry and his wife Dr. Cynthia Perry, a tenured professor in the College of Education at Edgewood College in Madison, Wisconsin have four adult children and five grandchildren.
Katie Brehmer C’17, art education student, shares about her North Park experience.
Katie Brehmer C’17, art education student, shares about her North Park experience.
Why did you choose North Park?
I grew up in the northwest suburbs, and I chose North Park because it was small, close to home, and had easy access to the city—a very nice combination.
What’s the Art Education program like?
The program in Art Education is a lot more challenging than most people think. The classes are rigorous and you need to be able to push yourself to be successful in both the education and art classes. You must have a passion for teaching and for art, not just one or the other. I am very proud that within my time at North Park I will have gained a double major with certifications in teaching both Special Education Students and English Language Learners. I’ve also been able to gain a great deal of knowledge from the individuals I’ve worked with while student teaching; my cooperating teacher at Foreman High School in Chicago has been such a wonderful mentor with a vast wealth of knowledge.
What do you do when you’re not in class?
I am quite busy with creating artwork for my senior solo show and working on the EdTPA for my license. I am also an RA on campus. This is my second year, and I have loved it. While working with Residence Life and Housing I have gained so many friends and have been able to develop my leadership skills. Juggling being a full-time student working toward getting my license to teach, creating a solo art show, working a full-time job student teaching, and being a Resident Assistant on campus has been challenging, but very fulfilling. I wouldn’t change this past years’ outcome.
What inspires you about Art Education?
Communication is so essential in life. Art is just another form of communication. It is a beautiful form that allows us to view the world in a different way, to make up the world we wish to see or to expose it for its realities. As one develops as an artist, it is easier to see the details in life—the specifics—that one might miss had they not analyzed life as a whole and in its parts. It allows the beauty of life to be uncovered and explored. As an art teacher, I hope that I can show young adults the importance of art in our society and that it isn’t just the paintings or sculptures in a museum, but the world around us, like the ad on a billboard or the arrangement of flowers and foliage on a front lawn.
Why’d you decide to study Art Education?
I had the most amazing art teachers in high school. Throughout North Parks education program, you will find that most of us have had an inspiring teacher that helped us realize we also wanted to teach. At Maine East High School, the Fine Arts Department Chair set such a strong example of leadership and dedication. I also had three wonderful teachers who helped me realize that I wanted to be just like them; they are very strong, intellectual, and caring women who have left a lasting mark on my character and how I teach.
Author Ana SeklerPosted on Categories Blog, Profile, Stories
North Park Senior Renee Baker has been nominated for the prestigious Glenn T. Seaborg Science Scholarship, an honor bestowed upon an outstanding natural science major at one of the six colleges recognized by the Swedish Council of America as a Swedish Heritage College. North Park is recognized as such an institution because of its active connection with modern Scandinavia, via its language studies and academic exchange programs.
CHICAGO (May 16, 2017) North Park’s Assistant Professor of Physics and Engineering and Director of Sustainability Dr. Stephen Ray has been named to the 2017 Consulting-Specifying Engineer 40 Under 40 list. According to their web site 