Benedictine University
Founded in 1887, Benedictine University is dedicated to the education of undergraduate and graduate students from diverse ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds. As an academic community committed to liberal arts and professional education distinguished and guided by our Roman Catholic tradition, we prepare our students for a lifetime as active, informed and responsible citizens and leaders.
School Name
Benedictine University
City
Lisle
State
Illinois
General Information
Institutional Control:
Private
Year Founded:
1887
Religious Affiliation:
Roman Catholic
Accreditation:
Benedictine University is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (HLC)*, the Illinois State Board of Education**, and the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education of The American Dietetic Association***.
Benedictine’s Master’s Degree in Nursing program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) through 2015.
* Higher Learning Commission, 30 N. LaSalle Street, Suite 2400, Chicago, IL 60602-2504, (800) 621-7440; (312) 263-0456; Fax: (312) 263-7462
** Illinois State Board of Education, 100 N. 1st Street, Springfield, IL 62777, (866) 262-6663; (217) 782-4321
*** ADA, 120 South Riverside Plaza, Suite 2000, Chicago, Illinois 60606-6995, (800) 877-1600
Rankings:
Forbes magazine has named Benedictine University among the top 20 percent of America’s colleges for 2011.
The Chronicle of Higher Education ranked Benedictine University as the seventh-fastest growing campus in the country among private master’s universities between 2004-2009.
U.S. News & World Report recognized Benedictine University as eighth in Illinois for highest average freshman retention rate for Master’s Universities in the Midwest for 2011. Also ranked 12th in the Midwest and sixth in Illinois for Racial Diversity among Master’s Universities in the Midwest for 2011 by U.S. News & World Report.
Benedictine University’s Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) program is listed by Crain’s Chicago Business as the fourth largest in the Chicago area in 2011.
StateUniversity.com ranks Benedictine University as the 34th safest campus in the United States – and the safest four-year school in Illinois – based on a scale that accounts for the severity and frequency of on-campus crime.
Benedictine University is listed as a 2012 "Military Friendly School" by G.I. Jobs, a veteran-owned publication focusing on post-military education and employment.
Areas of Study:
Masters in Business Administration (MBA)
Today’s job market demands that you stand out. A Master of Business Administration (MBA) online degree from Benedictine University tells employment decision-makers three things: You're prepared for high-level leadership. You're prepared at a school that's known for academic rigor. And you are prepared in the most productive and time efficient way possible. Choose from seven concentrations to tailor your studies to your professional goals and interests or do a dual concentration and increase your expertise, marketability, and flexibility.
There is also an Accelerated MBA option that may be completed in as little as one year.
Specializations include:
- Accounting
- Entrepreneurship
- Finance
- Health Administration
- International Business
- Internet Marketing
- Marketing
Dual Degree Program: MBA/MS in Management and Organizational Behavior combines the in-depth business acumen of an MBA with the management skills and understanding of group dynamics offered in Benedictine’s innovative MS program.
Master of Public Health
The functions of the field of public health are vital: from communicating information about diseases to educating communities about proper diet and nutrition, public health practitioners help ensure society runs smoothly, keep medical costs down and encourage the spread of accurate and factual information. Benedictine’s online Master of Public Health (MPH) degree program provides you with the essential tools to lead organizations, agencies and companies that deal with these tasks.
Certificate Options:
While you can apply the MPH degree to a wide range of population-based health concerns, you may want to add a graduate certificate in a specific area of public health to increase your expertise and job marketability. Or you may choose to earn a certificate only. With requirements of just four classes, a certificate is a fast way to get up to speed on these crucial areas of public health:
- Health Management and Policy
- Disaster Management
- Health Education and Promotion
Dual Degree Programs: Benedictine University’s Master of Public Health/Master of Business Administration (MPH/MBA) or Master of Public Health/Master of Science in Management and Organizational Behavior (MPH/MSMOB) dual degree options add to the MPH program the comprehensive business core of the MBA program or the management and leadership skills of the MSMOB program. The breadth of these programs enable students to take leadership roles and pursue a myriad of career opportunities across the healthcare spectrum. These dual degree programs require 96 quarter credit hours for completion.
Master of Science in Nursing
Benedictine University’s Online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) is designed to teach nurses to rise to the challenges of today’s complex health care environment and to help them advance their careers.
Benedictine’s MSN curriculum aligns with standards set by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing for graduate nursing education. Students study topics including leadership, informatics and healthcare technologies, health care advocacy and policy, collaboration among health care professionals, cultural sensitivity, and other subjects that will help them take their practice to a higher level. The Online MSN offers two concentrations that reflect needs and trends in the nursing profession and also allow students to tailor their studies toward their own career goals:
- Nurse Educator: Learn to serve in teaching roles for patients and nurses in both clinical and academic settings.
- Nurse Executive Leadership: Plan and manage high-quality care initiatives and processes at administrative and executive levels.
Master of Science in Nutrition and Wellness
Benedictine University offers an online Master of Science in Nutrition and Wellness designed especially for registered dietitians (RD) and others with a bachelor’s in a life or physical science. This advanced degree combines nutrition science and wellness programming in a single online program.
This program offers a multi-dimensional study of health that allows you to build on your foundation in nutrition and health risk assessment, motivation, intervention and evaluation and learn advanced clinical skills and community-based applications. Among other things, you will study in detail macronutrient and micronutrient metabolism, the role of functional foods and phytochemicals in various disease conditions and the application of interventions in clinical, wellness and public health settings.
You will choose a concentration in either Health Education or Nutrition Entrepreneurship:
- Health Education: This concentration will teach you to evaluate the health of communities from a holistic and environmental perspective. You will learn to implement strategies for behavior change in various settings and to assess, evaluate and develop health communication programs using current media-based technologies. Additionally, you will learn the principles of crisis communication to address the health needs of specific audiences. For your research component, you will either conduct empirical research or evaluate a health education assessment or intervention, perhaps in your own workplace.
The Health Education concentration prepares you to take the Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES) exam by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing (NCHEC).
- Nutrition Entrepreneurship: Over the course of study, you will weave business theories with a nutrition component to create your individualized business plan. You will learn leadership skills, marketing strategy, self-promotion strategies through websites, blogs, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media, strategic decision making, consumer behavior, public health policy, and more.
The Nutrition Entrepreneurship concentration prepares you to establish, expand and manage a nutrition and product or service-related business and to advocate for the dietetics profession.
* Applicants must have a Bachelor's or Master’s degree in a life science (such as biology, nutrition or dietetics, nursing, health, exercise physiology) or physical science (chemistry, biochemistry). This master's degree program is a life science-based nutrition and wellness degree.
Leadership
Master’s degree:
Benedictine University’s online Master of Science (MS) in Leadership for women is a comprehensive, flexible, distance-learning program. The MS in Leadership curriculum is unique in its female perspective on leadership. Coursework covers topics such as social responsibility, gender awareness, financial management and business intelligence, servant leadership, critical thinking and strategic planning, entrepreneurship, and globalization—all designed for and by women.
Management
Master’s degree:
In the Master of Science (MS) in Management and Organizational Behavior, you will gain insight on how and why people behave within organizations and learn to apply the appropriate methodologies to achieve positive results. The program provides a comprehensive curriculum that investigates the human side of management. You will learn key aspects of human behavior within an organizational structure as well as timely topics such as ethics and social responsibility, service management, leadership and power strategies, and labor relations.
Education
Designed for K-12, the Master of Education in Reading and Literacy program helps certified teachers address today’s literacy demands and instill the habit of lifelong reading. You'll be provided with the knowledge and tools needed to address the specific literacy needs of your students. You will also explore performance-based assessment as a primary avenue for understanding complex behavior and learn how to design an instructional curriculum that develops and assesses literacy of all students, including ESL.