Undergraduate Advising

At National Louis University, your undergraduate academic advisor is your first contact at NLU and will stick with you through degree planning, course selection and registration, and help ensure that you graduate on time. We encourage you to take full advantage of this personal and professional student resource.

Advising Requirement for Undergraduates

Graduation requirements can be confusing, which is why we require all students in a traditional degree program (not the accelerated programs) to get the signature of their academic advisor each quarter before registering for classes. Your advisor will double-check your course selections to ensure that you get your degree on time.

How Advisors Can Help

Think of your academic advisor as your personal guide to college. Here are some of the services that your academic advisor can offer:

  • Develop a plan for completing your degree in a set timeframe
  • Help you understand graduation requirements
  • Ensure that you get credit for all transfer work
  • Help you get credit for related professional or life experience
  • Connect you with other resources like Learning Support or the Career Center
  • Answer all questions and help resolve any issues that stand between you and your degree

Meet the advising staff at your location.

Resources

Resources for undergraduate students to find basic information and links to important and commonly visited sites can be found on this page. If you have questions about this information, please call academic advising at 1-800-443-5522, ext. 5900 or e-mail advising@nl.edu.

Resources for students in NLU's accelerated degree programs (ABS, BSM, BSMIS, and HCL)

Students in degree completion programs will usually have credits outside of the program that must be fulfilled to graduate from NLU. Each student should meet with an academic advisor to develop a Degree Plan to serve as a guide to completing the degree. These resources are options for completing degree requirements outside of your program.  Please note the NLU Residency Policy requires that the last 12 Quarter Hours of credit be taken at National Louis.

  • FOCUS courses at NLU: FOCUS courses are general education and elective courses designed for students in NLU's accelerated program. View the FOCUS schedule at www.nl.edu/course_schedule. You can find FOCUS courses by going to the menu for "Part of Term" and clicking on "FOCUS". You can then search by campus and subject.
  • DANTES exams: Exam fact sheets, study guides, and registration/fee information can be found at www.getcollegecredit.com.
  • CLEP exams: Exam descriptions, study guides, and registration/fee information can be found at www.collegeboard.com/clep.
  • Credit by Portfolio: NLU offers a course where students can write comprehensive essays on topics of life experience. Learn more at Prior Learning Assessment website.
  • Math courses: If you plan to take a math course at NLU, you must first take the math assessment. You can find study materials at the Library and Learning Support website.

Registering for Courses

Common Undergraduate Student Forms

  • Re-Entry: If you've been away from NLU for more than one calendar year but less than five years, you must complete a Re-entry Form to return. This form can be found online at the Registrar's site.
  • Change of Program: If you'd like to change your program, talk to your academic advisor about the process and the impact on your time to degree.
  • Registration: Forms for undergraduate student registration can be found on the advising website. Please note that any registration form must be signed by an academic advisor.

Academic Assistance

  • Library: Library resources and information can be found at the Library website.
  • Text Books: Order your textbooks online at www.ecampus.com/nlu.
  • Student Handbook: All NLU policies can be found at www.nl.edu/StudentServices/studentaffairs/StudentHandbook.
  • GPA Calculator: An online GPA calculator can be found at www.back2college.com/gpa.htm.
  • The NLU portal: The place to start to view your grades, check your NLU student email, see important university announcements, and schedule an advising appointment is at the NLU portal.
  • OIT Help: If you need help with any technology question, call the NLU helpdesk at 1-866-813-1177 or visit the OIT website.

Applying for Graduation

Resources for students pursuing an undergraduate degree in education

  • Illinois TAP Test: Information on upcoming exam dates, registration information, and preparation materials can be found at www.icts.nesinc.com.
  • NLU Workshops for Basic Skills Preparation: Library and Learning Support at NLU provides frequent review sessions and workshops to assist in your preparation for the Illinois TAP Test. Learn about upcoming sessions offered by Library and Learning Support.
Locations

  • CHICAGO DOWNTOWN CAMPUS

    NLU’s Chicago campus on South Michigan Avenue occupies five floors of the historic Peoples Gas Building. This landmark building, across the street from the Art Institute of Chicago and Grant Park, is easily accessible by train, bus and car and is surrounded by restaurants, parking lots/garages and shops.

    122 S. Michigan Avenue
    Chicago, IL 60603
    800.443.5522

    Info » | Directions »

  • ELGIN

    Conveniently located in a fast-growing business district off I-90 and Route 31, NLU Elgin features 10 classrooms with high-tech media equipment; a computer lab with high-speed Internet access; two conference rooms; and comfortable student lounges. Parking is free at this recently remodeled and upgraded teaching site, which now includes wireless Internet access.

    620 Tollgate Road
    Elgin, IL 60123
    800.443.5522

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  • NORTH SHORE

    Opened in the summer of 2006, NLU North Shore at Skokie is a state-of-the-art modern campus located just off the Edens Expressway near the Old Orchard Shopping Center. The campus includes 44 wireless classrooms equipped with high-tech media equipment; four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, including a walk-in lab in the library; six conference rooms; a public café for beverages and snacks; a student welcome center; a library for research and study; and multiple, comfortable student lounge areas.

    5202 Old Orchard Road
    Skokie, IL 60077
    800.443.5522

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  • LISLE

    Located just minutes from the East-West Tollway (I-88), NLU Lisle features 42 wireless classrooms equipped with high-tech media equipment; four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, including a separate walk-in lab in the library; a café for beverages and snacks; a student welcome center; a library for research and study; conference rooms; and six comfortable student lounge areas with wireless access.

    850 Warrenville Road
    Lisle, IL 60532
    800.443.5522

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  • WHEELING

    Located in one of Chicago's major northwest suburbs, the newly renovated NLU Wheeling includes 20 classrooms with high-tech media equipment, four conference rooms, four computer labs with high-speed Internet access, large student lounge areas with wireless capabilities and interactive video capabilities, and an extensive research library. The site also houses the university library research collection.

    1000 Capitol Drive
    Wheeling, IL 60090
    800.443.5522

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  • FLORIDA (TAMPA)

    Established in 1988 and located in one of the city's major business districts, NLU's Tampa campus serves students in 13 counties in central Florida. In addition to six classrooms, the campus features a conference room, a computer lab with high-speed Internet access, an extensive research library and comfortable student lounges.

    4950 West Kennedy Blvd. #300
    Tampa, FL 33609
    800.366.6581 | www.nl.edu/florida

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  • WISCONSIN

    NLU's Milwaukee campus has a proud history of serving graduate students in education in southeastern Wisconsin. Nearly one in five certified Wisconsin teachers looks to NLU for graduate education programs – more than any other university in the state. In addition to classrooms with high-tech media equipment, the campus offers a state-of-the-art computer lab with wireless Internet access and an extensive IDS research library.

    12000 West Park Place, Suite 100
    Milwaukee, WI 53224-3007
    414.577.2658

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