The School for New Learning (SNL) is DePaul’s college for adults. SNL offers a Bachelor of Arts with an individualized Focus Area, a Master of Arts in Applied Professional Studies,  a Master of Arts in Educating Adults, and jointly with the College of Computing and Digital Media, a Bachelor of Arts in Computing and a Master of Science in Applied Technology. SNL also offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing jointly with the Department of Nursing.,  a  Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education, jointly with the School of Education, and a Bachelor of Arts in General Business, jointly with the College of Commerce. An undergraduate Focus Area in Leadership and a Graduate Focus Area in Parenting Education and Support are also offered.

SNL and the School of Education (SOE) sponsor a joint Bachelor of Arts in Early Childhood Education (BAECE) degree program for adult students, and special audiences within the SOE population. The degree combines the SNL adult-learning focus in liberal and lifelong learning with the core requirements of SOE’s undergraduate program in Early Childhood Education. The requirements of the traditional SOE degree are modified to reflect the experiences of adult students already working in the child care and education fields.

Besides serving the needs of current adult students and attracting new students to the University, the degree serves public interests by providing access to education for adult students as well as qualified early childhood teachers for the young children and their families in the metropolitan region who are most in need of such personnel.  

The Bachelor of Arts in General Business combines the SNL adult-learning focus in liberal and lifelong learning with the core requirements of COC’s undergraduate program. The degree is designed to offer students the flexibility and practicality of prior learning and relevant experience, with the benefits of SNL’s competence-based curriculum. 

SNL students take initiative to set their own educational goals and design their programs of learning.

The SNL degree programs are designed to help adults attain and demonstrate competence in specific areas that are characteristic of educated persons. At the undergraduate level, the SNL student must demonstrate 50 degree requirements, known as competencies, in the social sciences, humanities, physical sciences, humanities, studentship skills (such as communication, research, critical thinking, decision-making) and in an individualized or pre-set focus area.  Competence statements in certain degree programs must be approved by certain Business, Computer Science or Nursing courses. Additional details about these requirements are available on the SNL website.

A consistent theme through all degree programs is the development of skills in independent inquiry, research, and reflection. Each student works with a faculty mentor and a professional advisor to determine competencies already mastered and to plan a program for satisfying the remaining competencies. Students may fulfill competencies in a variety of ways, including demonstrating college-level learning from previous experience, doing coursework at SNL or other accredited colleges, and undertaking independent learning projects. 

Courses at SNL are offered in the evening, on weekends, and online. These courses, designed with the adult learner in mind, are offered by a talented and diverse group of experienced teachers, scholars, practitioners and performers. Students are expected to participate actively in courses and to discover applications for the knowledge and skill gained.

Information sessions describing the program in greater detail are held regularly at DePaul’s Loop, O’Hare, Naperville, and Oak Forest campuses. To sign up and access additional information, go to http://snl.depaul.edu