DePaul University Top Questions

I think DePaul has a really strong academic system. My classes are challenging but are still fun and the teachers are extremely engaging. I love getting up everyday and going to class because I know I will enjoy it. Students are competitive but it's in a good way. We are all striving to do our best so I feel like students are striving to do their personal best rather than beating out other students. One class that I've really enjoyed is called The Evolution of Communication. We learned how we evolved as humans and even though technology is constantly changing, we as humans stay the same. I took that class as an elective for my major which is Public Relations and Advertising. I feel like my professors are always available outside of class and I am connected with many of my professors on LinkedIn. I feel like DePaul really strives to help their students get job after college by using real world and useful examples.

Across my time at DePaul I have had the opportunity to take some of the most unique and thought provoking courses. As a Public Relations and Advertising Major I have been enrolled in courses such as the Sociology of Rock Music, Disney and Consumer Culture, and the History of Human Sexuality....all which have enhanced my knowledge and inspired me to think more critically about the ways in which these seemingly unrelated things fit together, impact our world, and will shape the future of my desired career path. One of the most valuable things I have gained from my DePaul education is the chance to be taught by industry professionals. Reading a textbook and being quizzed on how to create a Public Relations campaign is one thing, but being taught by a professional who has been in the business for 20+ years and worked with fortune 500 companies, and having the opportunity to develop and present a campaign to an actual Chicago business is priceless.

Though we have over 25,000 students, DePaul is committed to keeping class sizes small (usually under 25) which allows for very individualized discussions and attention from professors. I've gotten to know many professors outside of class on a peer-to-peer basis, and it really encourages me to ask questions and go beyond simple homework assignments. I'm in the Honors Program, a more rigorous liberal studies curriculum that boasts even smaller class sizes (capped at 20) and is for students interested in delving more deeply into class materials. I have been appropriately challenged in many of my classes, but haven't often found it difficult to earn an 'A' and wouldn't have minded being more challenged in some classes, which I hope would've forced me to work harder to earn the grades I desire. That being said, my department and school foster connections with professors, the material and the real world and my experiential learning was second to none.

All classes have approximately 40 students or less at DePaul. My honors program classes are all capped at 20 students and my 100 level spanish class currently has only 7 students. Consequently every professor knows your name and class participation is a must! The honors program has offered me very unique and stimulating classes like "Religious World Views and Ethical Perspectives" and "Cognitive Science: the unconscious mind". DePaul is a liberal arts school so you get to take many classes outside of your major which I love.

Don't go here. The administrators will lie, cheat, and steal. This a private school that only cares about making money. Watch out for Susan Reed she is part of the exception commitee. Her goal is to get you to retake classes so the school can make more money. She will use unheard of rules to give you an F. Stay away. This school is run by rats and snakes. Eitherway, you will get bitten.

The professors do know you by name and there are only TAs in the Discover/Explore Chicago Freshman class. DePaul's professors are good for the most part. My major was Secondary Education: History. Class sizes are usually around 30, although I had 1 day of class where 2 classes had one class together making the class around 50 for one day.

Our academic life at DePaul is truly underrated compared to other universities surveyed by U.S. News and World Report, the Princeton Review, and other rating agencies. Virtually every class has less than fourty students, there are no classes taught by teaching assistants, and professors will try their hardest to develop a personal relationship with students. Students who complain that they are not being challenged enough or that courses lack rigor likely are not putting forth their best effort in the first place. My favorite class here at DePaul would have to be LSP 200 "Sophomore Seminar on Multiculturalism in the U.S." because every class session was like an open forum and we had some of the most intellectually-heated, critical debates about public policy issues than any other course I have taken. Because our class sizes are so small, students are more willing to actively engage in discussion than in a typical lecture hall format.

This is DePaul's one redeeming feature. Computer Science professors are great (their evaluation scores are all 8 thru 10 out of 10), and most of your classes will be at least somewhat beneficial in your career. Classes are small, so professors will know you well enough to recognize you in the hallways. Students are generally hardworking, and slacking off is looked down upon, both by professors and other students. If you major in Computer Science, there are no papers whatsoever, but other majors write sh*tloads of them. Even then, DePaul doesn't deliver the promise of $60,000 a year at your first job.

The experience you get at DePaul (academically speaking) is largely dictated by what college you're in or even what you're major is. The Theatre School and The School of Music are known to be great programs and the class sizes are often tiny (under 20 and in some cases under 10) and prof's know your name. The college of commerce (based on the Loop campus) is much bigger (classes typically around 40) and prof's won't always know your name unless you go out of your way to get to know them. For the most part DePaulians aren't major bookworms... they study, but not to excess and certain programs breed more competitive, serious students than others (the acting program has a cut system). The freshman required "Explore Chicago" and "Discover Chicago" courses are heavily based in excursions into the city and are a great way to get used to living in Chicago and college life. Though I haven't taken it yet (I just registered yesterday) I signed up for a course called, "The City at Night." The class meets from 10 PM to 1 AM weekly and from what I'm told will have trips to the CTA, Chicago Police Dept, a nightclub, etc. DePaul does a great job at making Chicago part of the learning experience.

Professors know your name, and they really do care. If you need to turn a paper in late, if you talk to a prof. before it's due, most of them have no problem with turning everything in later. They really are more flexible than people give them credit for. Most of the professors are super intelligent and they fill you with as much knowledge as you care to take. You have to study a lot more in college than in highschool, but if you stay on top of your shit, you do fine. In the art department, the professors really look out for you and inform you about everything that is going on. The education here at depaul is really the reason I came to this school and it has not let me down. You can learn so much here, it's crazy.