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.
Dr. Boaz Johnson was recently interviewed by a prominent Christian scholar about his work in making Bible translations more gender accurate to improve the depiction of women in the Bible.
Dr. Boaz Johnson, professor of biblical and theological studies, was recently interviewed by a prominent Christian scholar about his work in making Bible translations more gender accurate to improve the depiction of women in the Bible.
Dr. Mimi Hadad, president of Christians for Biblical Equality (CBE), spoke with Johnson about his work for the Mutuality Matters podcast in November 2023.
Hada lauded Johnson for highlighting the work of several women throughout history who have translated the Bible into their native language. One of those was Pandita Ramabai, an Indian woman who became a Christian as a young adult and was the first person to translate the Bible into her native dialect, Marathi. She inspired another woman, Dr. Katharine Bushnell, to join her cause to improve biblical translations that repeatedly depicted women as inferior to men.
Their pioneering work significantly helped in reducing sex trafficking and domestic abuse across India, Johnson said. The podcast is available on CBE’s website.
Grand Rapids Magazine featured Michael L. Gutierrez, a distinguished alumnus of North Park University, as one of the top lawyers in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, region.
Grand Rapids Magazine featured Michael L. Gutierrez, a distinguished alumnus of North Park University, as one of the top lawyers in the Grand Rapids, Michigan, region. Gutierrez BA ’08 was recognized for his prominence in commercial business litigation, representing legal firm Butzel Long as the managing shareholder of their Grand Rapids office.
Gutierrez graduated from North Park University with a bachelor of arts in history and continued to the University of Illinois College of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor. Read more on Butzel Long’s website.
North Park University gave away clothing, blankets, and supplies to more than 225 newly arrived migrants from Mexico and Venezuela who are currently housed in a former military base nearby.
Students, faculty, and staff at North Park University last month gave away clothing, blankets, and supplies to more than 225 newly arrived migrants from Mexico and Venezuela who are currently housed in a former military base nearby.
The 60 volunteers, comprising North Parkers and representatives from the North Park Community Association, Alderman Samantha Nugent’s office, Aramark, and other community groups, collected and distributed the items. They also hosted a lunch for the new arrivals—which included men, women, and children—featuring traditional Latin American food.
North Park held the event in Hamming Hall, and items distributed included coats, shoes, gloves, hats, undergarments, and blankets. Once news of the event spread through the community, people stepped forward to contribute. One local woman, a knitter, heard about the effort on social media and sent a message to her fellow knitters across the country. They responded by providing 500 hand-knit hats for the migrants. A group from Highland Park heard of the event and brought 10 carloads of donated clothing.
The event was an apt reflection of North Park’s mission, according to Tony Zamble, director of University Ministries.
“We are preparing students for lives of significance and service,” Zamble said. “Part of our mission is giving students the opportunity to experience the idea of God’s glory for neighbor’s good. These people are our neighbors; it’s a no-brainer that we would be involved.”
So many people donated, Zamble said, that the group hosted a second, smaller-scale event at Peterson Elementary School several days later. Zamble and Vice President for Student Engagement Frank Gaytan said they hope this event is a spark for similar efforts. One idea in discussion is developing student-led English language classes for the migrants.
“We do these things intentionally because it really is who we are,” Gaytan said. “And not just this single event with the migrants, but we want our students to serve all our neighbors, Chicago, and the world. This is who we are.”
In September, the City of Chicago approved the $1.5 million purchase of the former U.S. Marine Corps facility at 3034 W. Foster Ave. to house 500 migrants for up to 60 days each.
North Park University was awarded second place in the fifth division at the National Opera Association’s annual production competition.
North Park University was awarded second place in the fifth division at the National Opera Association’s annual production competition. Students from the Master of Music in Vocal Performance program performed Buried Alive along with Director George Cederquist and Vocal Coach and Pianist Jennifer McCabe. The performance took place March 21 and 22. Read more about the competition here.
Rev. Dr. Dennis Edwards has released his much-anticipated book Humility Illuminated: The Biblical Path Back to Christian Character.
Renowned speaker and writer Rev. Dr. Dennis Edwards, dean of North Park Theological Seminary (NPTS), has released his much-anticipated book Humility Illuminated: The Biblical Path Back to Christian Character, which examines the importance of being humble while practicing the Christian faith.
At a book signing hosted by North Park’s Seminary, Edwards met with students, staff, and local pastors and engaged in a question-and-answer session with audience members. He was introduced by Jon Boyd, associate publisher and academic editorial director at InterVarsity Press, which published the book.
“I want to talk about how rare Dennis is,” Boyd said. “He’s a scholar in biblical studies who wants to bring that scholarship to fruition for the church, and that is a beautiful thing. For it to come in book form is a gift.”
In the book, released November 7, Edwards examines America’s obsession with competition and how the drive to be the best creates a society of haves and have-nots that favors the elite. And yet, he writes, some of our greatest innovations have humble roots in immigrant and underserved communities.
“From a biblical perspective, the most remarkable models of godliness emerge from among the lowly. This view from the bottom reveals that humility includes a submissive posture before God as well as a peacemaking posture with other people,” he wrote.
An in-demand speaker and ordained pastor in the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), Edwards spent October addressing ECC pastor and spouse retreats in four conferences, the Pacific Northwest, Midsouth, Great Lakes, and Southeast. He spoke about the value of humility, arguing it is perhaps the single most distinctive identity marker of followers of Jesus.
In addition to serving as dean of NPTS, Edwards is vice president for church relations and an associate professor of the New Testament. He earned his PhD and Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Catholic University and holds degrees from Cornell University and Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. His recent publications include Do Black Lives Matter: How Christian Scriptures Speak to Black Empowerment, co-edited with Lisa Bowens, and Might from the Margins: The Gospel’s Power to Turn the Tables on Injustice.
North Park University has secured the 20th position in three significant categories in Intelligent.com’s 2024 rankings.
North Park University has secured the 20th position in three significant categories in Intelligent.com‘s 2024 rankings. The site is an editorially independent source of unbiased research that aids students in their higher education decisions.
North Park University earned notable recognition in the following categories:
These achievements affirm North Park University’s dedication to providing students with outstanding educational opportunities and preparing them for lives of significance and service through education in the liberal arts, professional studies, and theology.
The Associate Colleges of Illinois (ACI) has given North Park University’s Division of Student Engagement $9,300 to support peer mentoring.
ACI awarded $9,300 to the Division of Student Engagement as part of ACI’s Peer Mentoring Program, COMPASS. COMPASS is an intensive, yearlong peer mentoring program that helps first-year students prepare for the academic and social challenges of college and adjust to life on campus. Funding from ACI supports scholarships for trained peer mentors recruited from sophomores, juniors, and seniors who previously participated in COMPASS.
Leslie Castillo, director of first year experience, oversees the program. North Park has been part of ACI’s Peer Mentoring Program since 2015. ACI supports member colleges and universities by advancing independent liberal arts and sciences education and helping underserved students succeed in college, career and life.
Daniel Warren Johnson is spearheading the official Transformers comic book’s relaunch as both writer and artist.
Albany Park resident Daniel Warren Johnson BA ’09, Cert ’11, has been making significant strides in the world of comics. After earning the Best Publication for Teens Eisner Award earlier this year, he is now spearheading the official Transformers comic book’s relaunch as both writer and artist.
For Johnson, this Transformers project is both a dream and a challenge. He has to find ways to make the blocky Transformers appear dynamic, with his collection of toys serving as inspiration.
Johnson has contributed to major publishers like Marvel Comics and DC Comics, but his independent works, such as Murder Falcon and Do a Powerbomb, truly highlight his creative prowess. Read more about Johnson and his work at Block Club Chicago.
NursingProcess.org has included several of North Park’s nursing programs in its rankings of the top programs in Chicago and Illinois.
The nonprofit website NursingProcess.org has included several of North Park’s nursing programs in its rankings of the top programs in Chicago and Illinois.
North Park’s School of Nursing and Health Sciences received the #2 ranking for its Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program, #5 for its nurse practitioner program, and #9 for its Direct Entry Master of Science in Nursing program.
In citing the high ranking for the BSN program, the website noted: “This nursing school should be high on your list if you are looking at a BSN program that is rooted in liberal arts and Christian values.”
The rankings are based on several factors, including enrollment and graduation rates, student-to-faculty ratio, and affordability.
The large class of first-year students bucks national and statewide trends, which have seen decreases in the number of students enrolling in colleges and universities.
North Park University this fall enrolled its third largest class of first-year students while also seeing its rankings rise significantly in several categories of the U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings, rising 10 spots to #29 among best Regional Universities in the Midwest and to #8 for Top Performers on Social Mobility, up from #15 last year.
The large class of first-year students bucks national and statewide trends, which have seen decreases in the number of students enrolling in colleges and universities.
“For three consecutive years, North Park has successfully welcomed strong incoming classes of first-year students,” said President Mary K. Surridge. “Our elevation in multiple categories of the U.S. News & World Report’s annual rankings—especially in measures of increased social mobility for our graduates—affirms the exceptional work being done in our very diverse student community. North Park is a rising regional university fostering an environment of academic excellence, faith development and service opportunities for all our students.”
In its annual ranking, U.S. News & World Report considered 17 measures of academic quality at 1,500 degree-seeking institutions. The magazine also takes into account student satisfaction, attending costs, and campus life in determining its list.
Author Kennedy MurphyPosted on Categories Stories
The event was an apt reflection of North Park’s mission, according to Tony Zamble, director of University Ministries.
