Northern Illinois University - DeKalb

Northern Illinois University International Student Insurance

Northern Illinois University, located in DeKalb, Illinois, was established in 1895. It opened its doors to students in 1899 as the Northern Illinois State Normal School, a training institution for teachers. It became a four-year school in 1921 and began offering graduate classes in 1951. It gained university status and its present name in 1957. Today, it enrolls more than 16,000 students and counting each year. The school colors are cardinal and black, and its athletic nickname is the huskies.

Academic and Research Opportunities

Northern Illinois University offers more than 60 undergraduate majors, almost 80 graduate programs, and about 25 doctoral degrees across its seven academic colleges: the College of Business, the College of Education, the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology, the College of Health and Human Sciences, the College of Law, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, and the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Its nationally accredited programs include those of business, engineering, nursing, and all of its teacher certification programs. The NIU School of Theatre and Dance partners with the Moscow Art Theatre School at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Some noteworthy research initiatives at NIU include the Center for Latino and Latin American Studies; the Regional History Center, which collects and displays historical records from the northern Illinois region; the Center for Southeast Asian Studies; and the Center for Burma Studies.

On Campus

The university also has several cultural attractions on its campus. The NIU Art Museum displays an annual exhibition and hosts events like film screenings, student and faculty exhibitions, and lectures. The Pick Museum of Anthropology serves as a teaching museum and has displayed exhibits on topics ranging from art of the Bedouin to the history of dogs to archaeology of the Arctic to the U.S. Underground Railroad. The Blackwell History of Education Museum preserves and presents artifacts about the history of American education.

Notable Alumni

Notable Northern Illinois University alumni include voice actor Dan Castellaneta; film director Robert Zemeckis; ESPN SportsCenter anchor Nicole Briscoe; AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega; and numerous professional athletes from the NFL, MLB, and NBA.

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