Return to Initiative front

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

Henry S. Bienen, President
Representative: Ellen Katz, Trustee

Northwestern University was established as a private institution in 1851 in what was then the hub of America's Northwest Territory and is today part of the greater Chicago metropolitan area, with campuses in Evanston, downtown Chicago and Washington, DC. The university is one of America's finest research institutions and has been recognized for the quality and depth of its doctoral programs. Northwestern's schools and programs stand as models of excellence, including the Weinberg College of Arts and Sciences, the Kellogg School of Management, the Medill School of Journalism, the School of Law and the School of Communication. Many of Northwestern's graduates have become leading voices in American society: Justice John Paul Stevens, Richard Gephardt, Saul Bellow, George McGovern, Sherry Lansing and Garry Marshall.

The Medill School of Journalism was founded in 1921 and named for Chicago Tribune editor, publisher and owner Joseph Medill. The school of 1,000 students offers an undergraduate journalism program and a one-year graduate program leading to a Master of Science in Journalism. Specialized master's programs focus on religion reporting, business reporting (with the Kellogg School of Management) and legal reporting (a dual-degree program with Northwestern's law school). Medill also offers a 15-month master's degree in integrated marking communications. Medill's curriculum emphasizes academic work and substantial practical training. Opportunities for students to gain professional experience include a global journalism program of international internships, and year-round programs in Chicago and Washington, where the Medill News Service runs a bureau for newspapers, news services and television and radio stations across the country.