Special Opportunities
First Year Connections
First-Year Connections aims to help all first-year freshman and transfer students effectively adjust to life at NIU. Through the Student-Faculty Links program and UNIV 101/201 courses, First-Year Connections strives to enhance students' academic achievement, increase the likelihood of students persisting to their second-year, and help students integrate into the academic and social communities found on NIU's campus.
Research Rookies
Huskie Research Rookies works to link students with faculty mentors in their major or area of interest to conduct a small-scale research project. As a Research Rookie, students will learn what research looks like in their field of study.
Service Programs
NIU offers several programs for students to get involved in the community through service and civic engagement.
Study Abroad
Make the world your classroom! NIU is nationally known for extensive study abroad experiences. You can earn academic credit that applies to your degree program while studying abroad for a semester, an academic year or during summer and winter breaks. Financial aid is available to qualified students.
Themed Learning Communities
Themed Learning Communities (TLC) are a unique opportunity to engage deeply in a shared theme, connect learning across two or three linked courses in collaborative and active ways, develop relationships with peers and faculty, and ease the transition to college. Each course contributes to the discussions, readings, problems, papers, and presentations of the other linked courses.
Courses are small—no more than 25 students—and require co-enrollment in all courses linked in the TLC. The TLC is typically composed of a Freshman Seminar and a General Education Course. Each course in the learning community reinforces a common theme through the integration of related or shared assignments, readings, or activities.
University Honors Program
Students in the University Honors Program take their education a step further by designing individualized programs of study, learning from NIU's top teaching faculty, and exploring their interests in-depth. The Honors Program is available to qualified students from all undergraduate academic disciplines and offers a variety of benefits which include personalized interaction with honors faculty and staff and the opportunity to join an academic residential community, the Honors House, located in Douglas Hall.