Find out more about Eastern Illinois University

Eastern Illinois University offers an online English degree, the Master of Arts in English.  With small classes and a vibrant, engaged faculty, students are challenged and inspired to pursue their interests and prepare for careers or further study.  This program provides the opportunity to work closely with publishing scholars in the field of your choice while earning your English degree.  Concentrations are available in literary studies, literary studies with creative writing emphasis, and rhetoric and composition. 

The curriculum includes timely courses that include:

• Harry Potter and Pedagogy
• Writing about Health and for Health Organizations
• Writing Instruction and Grammar: Searching for Practical Solutions
• Shakespeare for All
• Science Fiction Vanguards: New Wave and Cyberpunk

The online Master of Arts in History for Teachers degree is a graduate program designed specifically for K-12 teachers. This program consists of the content of a traditional Master of Arts in History degree but with coursework and a plan of study that meets your professional needs.

Key features include quality coursework in a breadth of historical fields, a well-designed and flexible study plan, and a learning community that offers interactive learning environments. This historical degree offers courses in U.S. and World History, reflecting the needs of history teachers, along with foundational training in proseminars in premodern and modern World and U.S. history followed by an exploration of major scholarly problems introduced in more specific seminars. You will learn from published experts in fields from the ancient Near East to early modern England to Meiji Japan to Cold War America.

The online Master of Arts in Music with a concentration in Music Education program further prepares students to teach music. The curriculum allows working music educators to apply new ideas and teaching techniques directly to their classrooms as they advance through the program. Courses include:

• Music Theory Pedagogy
• History and Philosophy of Music Education
• Graduate Music Education Seminar
• Seminar in Music History
• Psychology of Music Teaching and Learning

The Eastern Illinois University offers a Master of Arts in Political Science with an Option in Public Administration & Public Policy.  This is a flexible online political science degree.  Courses are taught by the same faculty that instructs students completing political science degrees on campus.  They offer the same mentoring and opportunities to online students as well.  Internships and independent studies are encouraged while completing the political science degree. 

You will be prepared for careers in such areas as:

• State, local, and regional government agencies
• Non-profit and civic management/leadership
• City/urban planning and economic development
• Protective services administration
• Budget analysis
• Public policy research

Prepare for the next step in your career with the Master of Arts in Communication and Leadership online from Eastern Illinois University. Students in this program learn how to enhance their marketability in today’s workplace through the development of organizational communication and leadership skills. 

Courses focus on skills in written communication, the ability to think critically and create persuasive messages, and the ability to gather information. Students are encouraged to work in teams, problem-solve, and effectively present information to a variety of audiences. Graduates will understand practical applications of communication theories, research methods, and ethics.

The curriculum of this online Communication degree covers topics in:

• Leadership communication
• Interpersonal communication
• Social interaction
• Intercultural communication
• Public relations

Earn an online MBA in Applied Management with Eastern Illinois University. Students enrolled in this flexible degree program are in pursuit of leadership positions in a variety of business sectors including government, nonprofit sectors and global environments. Courses provide hands-on development of critical thinking, teamwork, writing and more. 

This curriculum includes, along with foundational courses:

• Strategic management
• Accounting
• Operations and financial management

Analyze the ethics of contemporary, international business issues. Apply the skills learned at Eastern Illinois directly into practice. Develop your unique creative capacity to lead and manage, reaching your professional goals and beyond.

A concentration in Geographic Information Sciences is available through the Eastern Illinois University online MBA program. Students will hone skills in decision-making, information technology, and building databases and data models. The online format of this program allows for flexibility in scheduling, allowing working students to balance career and academics.  

Enter a GIS field in:

• Management
• Logistics
• Insurance
• Telecommunications

This distinguishable curriculum is intensive, with courses including remote sensing, hands-on labs, case-studies, and management simulations. Faculty bring real-world experience to the classroom, guiding students through their development into professionalism. Study organizational success, ethical and social responsibilities and more with EIU.

A Master of Business Administration degree in Research is available online with Eastern Illinois University. This program is designed for students interested in pursuing a PhD, undertaking intensive research projects, or conducting research with faculty. Students will focus on business research primarily using quantitative methods.

Courses for this concentration include:

• Strategic management
• Accounting
• Research methods and proposal
• Research project

Faculty have the highest degrees of their station, and bring real-world industry experience to the classroom. Be trained in a broad and comprehensive format and develop your business skill set to meet professional and educational goals. Earn your MBA with Eastern Illinois University.

Certified art teachers can strengthen their skills with this Master of Arts in Art Education program. Participants will complete primarily online coursework, with the addition of an eight-day summer residency to practice studio skills in person.

Coursework combines technology with creativity to promote the most effective and relevant methods for teaching art in school settings. Designed for working teachers, this program is offered with a part-time schedule and can be completed in two years. The curriculum includes components of art teaching, art history, and studio courses.

Some of the topics you can expect to cover in this online art program include:

• Assessment and curriculum design in art education
• Art, culture, and community
• Contemporary perspective on artistic learning from preschool through adulthood
• Navigating the virtual museum

Working professionals can learn more about working in a college or university setting with a master's in Higher Education and Community College. This online program allows you to continue your education while maintaining employment.

A cohort model offers community support from classmates. Coursework addresses standards set by the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA) and the American College Personnel Association (ACPA). Students will additionally undertake supervised practicum experiences in various settings, resulting in graduates who are highly qualified and competent higher education leaders.

The online Master of Science in Education with a curriculum in Special Education program is designed to provide coursework to practicing special educators with faculty that have significant background experiences in Special Education, small class sizes, and a flexible program. The curriculum includes course activities, projects, and assessments of candidate performances that are designed to nurture and assess candidates’ skills to relate research to their own professional practices. The program prepares candidates to be educational resources for their special education peers, general educators, the district in which they are employed, and to families and individuals with exceptionalities; to be professional change agents; and professional educator role models.

The Master of Science in Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction offers a variety of paths for teachers interested in enhancing their skills in specific areas. The Curriculum Leadership concentration focuses on curriculum development, technology integration, research, and professional learning communities.

The programming in this masters in curriculum and instruction encourages students to think critically and problem-solve to become effective teacher researchers and leaders. Participants will develop skills necessary for ethical collaboration and skilled communication with diverse audiences. Full-time teachers can complete the program on a part-time basis and graduate in two to three years.

The Master of Science in Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction offers a variety of paths for teachers interested in enhancing their skills in specific areas. With an emphasis on ESL Instruction, licensed teachers with experience in reading and language arts will gain key skills for teaching English as a Second Language.

The programming in this masters in curriculum and instruction encourages students to think critically and problem-solve to become effective teacher researchers and leaders. Participants will develop skills necessary for ethical collaboration and skilled communication with diverse audiences. Full-time teachers can complete the program on a part-time basis and graduate in two to three years.

The Master of Science in Education degree in Curriculum and Instruction offers a variety of paths for teachers interested in enhancing their skills in specific areas. The Reading concentration addresses the foundations of reading, assessments, diagnosing reading problems, and remedial reading instruction.

The graduate-level programming encourages students to think critically and problem-solve to become effective teacher researchers and leaders. Participants will develop skills necessary for ethical collaboration and skilled communication with diverse audiences. Full-time teachers can complete the program on a part-time basis and graduate in two to three years.

Eastern Illinois University offers the online MA in Aging Studies. This multi-disciplinary program provides students a supportive environment for professional growth in the field of gerontology. Students are presented with several research opportunities across varying topics of interest. Students have the ability to elect a thesis option as part of their program of study, as well as conducting research projects as part of independent study courses.

Sample of Program Requirements:

• Educational Response to Third Age Learning
• Societal Theories of Aging
• Communication and Aging
• Aging Policy in Action
• Health and Aging

The online RN to BSN degree program from Eastern Illinois University enhances students' nursing practice, prepares them for leadership positions, and provides a foundation for entering graduate school. Graduates possess the knowledge and skills required to:

• ​Provide care to individuals, families, groups, communities, and populations
• ​Integrate general and liberal education into nursing knowledge to support clinical decision-making, evidence-based practice, and evaluative nursing practice
• ​Become a collaborative member of the health care team and a manager, leader, and coordinator of care
• ​Be accountable and responsible for professional development and life-long learning
• Build an ethical value system for informed nursing practice
• ​Be prepared to serve clients in a variety of settings with diverse needs
• ​Communicate effectively with clients, colleagues, and other members of the health care team
• ​Use knowledge and research to form an inquiry-based practice