The overall goal of the Developmental Studies program is to train professionals to facilitate learning assistance for adults in a university, corporate or community-based setting. Students will be prepared to design curriculum, develop and administer assessments, provide direct instruction, manage learning centers, train faculty, staff and tutors, and provide consultation in a variety of educational settings. The curriculum has been carefully designed to allow students to complete the program in four quarters.
Students enroll with a cohort group that moves through the program as a unit.
Enrollment is continuous. To facilitate graduate study for the working adult, courses are offered on weekday evenings and Saturday mornings on the Chicago campus or weekday evenings at other NLU sites. Course work includes classroom instruction and independent inquiry. Through the independent inquiry process, learners design an individualized plan of study that will help them to explore an area of special interest to them. The required core course work comprises 21 semester hours.