Oakton Partners With NIU to Offer Business Dual Degree Program

Oakton Dean of Social Sciences and Business Brad Wooten (right) with NIU President Douglas Baker.

(June 16, 2015) A new program at Oakton now provides students the opportunity to complete their bachelor’s degree in business administration while staying closer to home.

Through a partnership with Northern Illinois University, students who complete an associate’s degree in business (or have completed 60 hours of transferable credit) may now transfer seamlessly to NIU-Hoffman Estates and complete their bachelor’s degree. The agreement was signed Friday, June 12, at NIU’s satellite campus in Hoffman Estates.

The program is designed for students who have work and family obligations that prevent them from enrolling full time at NIU’s campuses in DeKalb or Rockford. To qualify, a student must earn an associate’s degree in business or have completed 60 hours of transferable credit; complete lower level business core courses (10 prerequisite courses) with a grade of C or better; earn a minimum 2.75 cumulative GPA in all transferable college course work; and complete NIU application and admission forms.

“Whenever we can forge a partnership that removes barriers for our students and facilitates their pathway to completion, we can and should celebrate,” said Oakton President Margaret B. Lee, Ph.D. “I am grateful to my colleagues at Oakton and our partner institutions who worked on all of the details that brought us to this agreement.”

“The partnership provides a new pathway that is extremely important for Oakton students who are looking to continue their education in the area of business beyond Oakton, but need the convenience of a location closer to home,” said Dean of Social Sciences and Business Brad Wooten. “Oakton business instructors have been advocating for such an opportunity, and this partnership with NIU provides our academic advisors and faculty with an additional option to help our students complete their academic goals.”

NIU officials say classes for the program at the NIU-Hoffman Estates campus will require a minimum of 20 students and would most likely begin in January 2016.

“An educated workforce is critical to growing our region’s competitiveness,” said NIU President Douglas Baker. “Expanding baccalaureate completion opportunities, improving transitions, and providing students with incentives for degree completion through compacts such as this helps move our state toward this goal.”

Oakton Community College District 535 serves residents in the communities of Evanston, Glencoe, Glenview, Golf, Kenilworth, Lincolnwood, Morton Grove, Niles, Northbrook, Northfield, Park Ridge, Skokie, Wilmette, Winnetka, and parts of Des Plaines, Mount Prospect, and Rosemont. With campuses in Des Plaines and Skokie, in sites throughout the district, and via a robust online presence, Oakton offers associate degrees in 80 fields of study as well as learning opportunities for career advancement and personal enrichment.