DePaul University - Overview
DePaul University -- A Place for Teaching, A Place for Learning
DePaul University is the nation's largest Catholic university, with more than 25,000 students and about 275 degree programs. Its partnerships throughout Chicago enable DePaul to provide students with an engaging, multicultural, and experience-based education, preparing them to succeed in the global community. Classes are small and taught by knowledgeable faculty members who take full advantage of the city's corporate, cultural, and community resources. DePaul is nationally recognized for the strength of its service-learning curriculum and for the academic rigor and prominence of its programs.
Teaching comes first at DePaul -- more than 98% of all classes are taught by faculty members, not teaching assistants. Because the vast majority of classes have fewer than 40 students, the faculty members provide personal instruction and often serve as mentors. Students synthesize knowledge across multiple courses to solve problems, preparing them to take on real-world challenges. DePaul encourages undergraduate research, scholarship and community action, enabling students to develop a portfolio as well as publish or present their work professionally.
Chicago Education
With nine colleges and schools, DePaul has campuses in Chicago's Loop and Lincoln Park neighborhoods and four suburban locations, as well as degree programs in several nations. Rated as one of the nation's most beautiful urban campuses, the Lincoln Park Campus blends seamlessly with one of Chicago's most historic neighborhoods, from which it draws its name. Restaurants, boutiques, and theatres line the main streets that link the north side with downtown Chicago. Wrigley Field, parks, beaches, the Lincoln Park Zoo, and even a nine-hole golf course and driving range are in walking distance from campus. Approximately 2,500 students live on campus in DePaul's 15 residence halls and buildings.
The Loop Campus is located at Jackson and State streets, steps from the stock exchange, the Art Institute, and the bustle of downtown Chicago. A quick walk from Millennium Park and the Monroe Harbor, the campus offers easy access to corporate headquarters and world-class civic institutions. About 250 students live in the 18-story University Center of Chicago downtown. The two campuses are 20 minutes apart on Chicago's elevated train.
Special Programs
DePaul's service-learning program is among the best in the nation, with over 3,000 students mastering classroom concepts while aiding more than 250 community organizations annually. The program is complemented by the University Internship Program, which places about 1,000 students in area internships each year, as well as the hundreds of internships available through individual departments and programs.
DePaul prepares its students to be global citizens through a growing network of study-abroad and overseas degree programs that enable faculty and students to bring new perspectives back to their classrooms. In addition to term-long programs, faculty members design and lead short programs between quarters, and a freshman study-abroad program is available. Programs are offered in more than 40 locations, including Beijing, China; Istanbul, Turkey; Paris, France; Merida, Mexico; and Buenos Aires, Argentina.
DePaul's Honors Program offers a challenging alternative to the Liberal Studies Program for well-prepared, serious students in any major. Critical thinking, self reflection and examination of values are central to the small, seminar-style classes, which promote interdisciplinary and cross-cultural studies. Benefits of the scholarly community include academic advising, peer mentoring, student-faculty dinners, a student government, an Honors lounge, newsletters, cultural outings, service activities, and many other experiences that enrich the Honors community while extending the Honors experience beyond the classroom.
Drawing on the wealth of opportunities in the Chicago metropolitan area, the Career Center is highly effective in helping students find on- or off-campus jobs, identify career mentors, and find relevant post-graduate jobs. In addition to helping students prepare résumés and gain interview skills, the Career Center hosts a wide range of support activities, including professional networking events, career workshops and job fairs. Nearly 600 companies recruited on campus last year. DePaul has more than 140,000 alumni, many of whom recruit DePaul graduates for employment. More than 950 alumni mentor current students through the Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK) program.
A Proud Past and Present
Founded in 1898 by the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians), DePaul's tradition of providing a quality education to students from a broad range of backgrounds, with particular attention to first-generation students, has resulted in one of the nation's most diverse student bodies. About 29 percent of all undergraduates are students of color, and DePaul ranks among the top 100 universities in the nation for granting degrees to students of color.
DePaul sponsors more than 200 student organizations, including profession-oriented groups, Greek fraternities and sororities, sports clubs, service organizations, religious groups and more. Students in many these organizations -- such as the DePaulia (student newspaper), the campus chapter of the Midwest Association of Hispanic Accountants, and the DePaul Monks (a computing club) -- have won regional and national awards for their work. The intercollegiate Broadcasting System recognized student-run Radio DePaul won nine awards in 2010, including the nation's Best College Station. On the lighter side, students organize a wide array of events, including an outdoor music concert in the spring, and cheer on the Blue Demons in Big East Conference athletic events.