College of Arts and Sciences Education Plus (CASEP) Program
Prepare for a career as an educator through Northeastern's College of Arts and Sciences Education Plus (CASEP) Program. CASEP will help you determine if teaching, counseling, or another education-oriented career is the best one for you.
CASEP at Northeastern
All students who attend Northeastern Illinois University become part of a community of learners—learners who engage in an array of experiences. These experiences transform students, as people and as future leaders. In keeping with this transformative nature of community, Northeastern offers the College of Arts and Sciences Education Plus (CASEP) Program in its curriculum. As a learning community for students interested in becoming teachers, counselors, or other education-oriented professionals, CASEP will help you decide—through targeted coursework, field experiences, and thoughtful reflection—if becoming an educator is right for you!
Our Program
CASEP begins in the first year of study at Northeastern. It combines general education courses and early field experiences with discussion and feedback about various educational fields. Students take general education courses that count toward any degree at Northeastern. So even if you decide not to become an educator or counselor, CASEP’s coursework will allow you to pursue other academic paths.
Students selected to join CASEP:
- Become part of a cohort, or group, of like-minded students interested in the possibility of becoming future educators
- Enroll in specially-designated general education courses in their first and second years at NEIU that fulfil discipline-specific requirements
- Conduct K-12 classroom observations in their second year of coursework
- Work with the CASEP program advisor, coordinator, faculty, and a network of peers
- Receive targeted scholarship information and the opportunity to join the Future Teachers Living Learning Community (with a residence scholarship)
- Participate in events outside of the classroom, service learning, and volunteer opportunities in a variety of educational settings
- Become comfortable holding leadership roles in education-centered environments
CASEP also fosters these abilities desirable in multiple disciplines:
- Critical and reflective thinking, writing, and speaking
- Effective problem-solving and decision-making
- Enhanced presentational skills and technology use
- An understanding and appreciation of cultural differences
Students interested in CASEP must be full-time students and should be accepted by the University at the time of application.