Fast facts
fDid you know?
Erikson has the second-highest proportion of students of color among master's degree programs in the Chicago area.


Download fast facts 
Location 
Our new campus address (as of Aug. 1, 2008) 
Erikson Institute
451 North LaSalle Street 
Chicago, Illinois 60654 
(312 755-2250
(312) 755-0928 (fax)

Student enrollment (as of Sept. 2007)

Enrollment by program 
Master’s programs: 235
Doctoral program: 1
Certificate programs: 60
Professional development: 2,500 

Student body profile
Women: 96.6 percent
Minority: 33 percent
Average age: 30
Age range: 20–63
Out-of-state enrollment: 30 percent
Countries represented: 7   (other than U.S.)   

Academic programs  
Master of science degrees 
  • in child development with optional specializations in infancy, administration, infancy and administration, or child life
  • in child development/master of social work (dual degree program in collaboration with Loyola University Chicago)
  • in early childhood education with options to pursue Type 04 teacher certification, national board certification, or bilingual/ESL approval or endorsement
Certificate programs 
  • Irving B. Harris Infant Specialist Certificate Program, with specializations in prevention/early intervention and infant/toddler child care
  • Irving B. Harris Infant Mental Health Certificate Program
  • Bilingual/English as a Second-Language Certificate Program 
Doctorate in child development   (in collaboration with Loyola University Chicago) 

 See program accreditation information.

Faculty research  and community engagement
Forty full- and part-time faculty and 10 research associates teach Erikson courses and actively conduct applied research on a wide range of topics. Putting knowledge about child development to work in the community is a vital part of Erikson’s mission. We do so through an ever-growing variety of projects and partnerships.
See research and community projects » 
See experts guide »  

Alumni

Erikson’s more than 1,400 alumni serve children and families in every capacity. Among our graduates are:
Louise Beem, cofounder, DuPage Children’s Museum, and founder, early childhood care and education program at College of DuPage;
Carol Brunson Day, president, National Black Child Development Institute and former executive director, Council for Early Childhood Professional Recognition;
Leon Denton, manager of Head Start, Salvation Army Child Care Program;
Chipo Dyanda, dean of the faculty of education, University of Zimbabwe;
Toby Herr, founder and director of Project Match, a community-based employment program that recently won a MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions;
Pat Manning, director of Child Life and Family Education, University of Chicago Children’s Hospital; and
Molly McGarth
, director of Baltimore City Department of Social Services.
Roughly 70 percent of alumni work in the Midwest; 5 percent work outside of the U.S.

Professional distribution (of those reporting)
Education: 51 percent of alumni
  • Elementary teachers, 29%
  • College or university-level faculty, 27%
  • Directors/administrators, 12%
  • Special education teachers, 6%
  • Consultants, 4%
  • Other, 18%
Child care/preschool (ages 0-5): 28 percent of alumni
  • Directors/administrators, 39%
  • Preschool teachers, 24%
  • Child care providers, 14%
  • Infant and child development specialists, 8%
  • Consultants, 6% 
  • Other, 14%
Family/social services: 16 percent of alumni
  • Administrators, 33%
  • Child development specialists, 29%
  • Direct service providers, 24%
  • Other, 14%
Health services: 5 percent of alumni
  • Direct service providers, 65%
  • Directors/administrators, 6%
  • Other, 29%
© 2008 Erikson Institute. All rights reserved. 451 North LaSalle Street, Chicago, Illinois 60654 | Tel: (312) 755-2250 | Fax: (312) 755-0928