Governors State University

What is the history of Governors State University?

Governors State University is a public university in University Park, Illinois, founded in 1969. It opened as an upper-division institution serving students who had already completed their first two years of college, an origin that helps explain its continuing emphasis on transfer students and adult learners.

The university later expanded its offerings to include graduate and professional study. A major change came in 2014, when it began admitting first-year undergraduates and opened Prairie Place, its on-campus student housing. Today, Governors State serves both students starting college and those arriving with previous coursework.

What are the faculties and departments at Governors State University?

Governors State organizes its academic programs into four colleges: the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Business, College of Education and Human Development, and College of Health and Human Services. It offers bachelor's and graduate degrees across liberal arts, professional, and applied fields.

Examples include biology, computer science, psychology, business administration, teacher education, social work, public health, nursing, and communication disorders. Requirements can differ substantially: a general business major and a program leading toward teacher licensure or a health profession do not necessarily have the same admission, placement, or clinical requirements. Applicants should use the catalog for their intended entry year to check the exact degree and any separate program admission process.

What is the location of Governors State University?

Governors State University's main campus is in University Park, a south suburb of Chicago. Its suburban setting offers campus space while allowing access to jobs, internships, and cultural institutions across the Chicago region.

The University Park station on Metra's Electric District line provides a regional rail connection. Students relying on transit should check how they will travel between the station and their classes, particularly in the evening. Drivers should account for parking and travel time in their budgets. The campus is also home to the Nathan Manilow Sculpture Park, an outdoor collection that is part of the university setting.

What is the mission and vision of Governors State University?

Governors State describes its mission in terms of accessible public higher education, academic and professional preparation, and service to its region. Its institutional priorities include serving a diverse student body and creating routes to a degree for transfer and nontraditional students.

Those aims are reflected in its history as an upper-division university and its partnerships with community colleges. They are statements of institutional purpose, rather than evidence that every student will have the same academic or career outcome. Governors State is a public, nonsectarian institution.