Dominican University marked the start of the 2024-25 academic year with the opening of its new campus in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood. Located at 1805 S. Paulina St., the Chicago Campus welcomed its inaugural class of students for the first day of classes on Aug. 26. Students moved into the residence hall, La Casa, the previous week. Dominican University’s Chicago Campus shifts the traditional model of higher education by creating a hub of community and industry-centered academic programs that are delivered where students live and work. The innovative city immersion campus currently offers a two-year associate’s degree with a career-ready focus and concentrations in high-demand areas of cybersecurity, nurse assistant, translation and interpretation, or legal studies. On Wednesdays, utilizing all the community has to offer, lessons come to life as students visit partner organizations around the city, gaining hands-on learning experiences in their concentration area and professional networking opportunities. In addition to the associate’s degree program, the Chicago Campus will offer non-credit workforce development certificates intended to upskill the community’s emerging workforce. These certificate programs are scheduled to launch next year. Located in River Forest since 1922, Dominican University last year announced plans for a second campus in Pilsen, continuing its mission of extending educational opportunities to traditionally underserved communities and making it possible for students to “go first” in achieving higher education.

Photo Credit: Dominican University