Graduate health sciences university named for DNA crystallographer Rosalind Franklin, pioneering interprofessional education.
RFU offers more than 30 graduate programs across six specialized schools, emphasizing interprofessional collaboration and team-based patient care. The Chicago Medical School confers MD degrees to approximately 190 students per entering class. The College of Health Professions offers master's and doctoral programs in nutrition, physical therapy, physician assistant, psychology, biomedical sciences, and health administration. The College of Pharmacy (founded 2011) awards PharmD degrees; the Dr. William M. Scholl College of Podiatric Medicine (founded 1912) offers DPM programs. The College of Nursing (launched 2022) provides Master of Science in Nursing and Doctor of Nursing Practice degrees. The School of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies offers PhD programs in biomedical sciences and combined MD/PhD and DPM/PhD degrees.
The 97-acre North Chicago campus features the Innovation and Research Park (100,000 sq ft, opened 2020), six simulation labs where students complete 40,000+ hours annually, and the Rothstein Warden Centennial Learning Center. Student housing became available in 2003. The Interprofessional Community Clinic (ICC) is a student-run pro bono clinic serving underserved communities, with 264 students volunteering across eight programs in 2023. Over 100 student clubs and organizations are registered. The campus includes the Feet First Museum, Otto L. and Hazel T. Rhoades Auditorium, and a statue of Rosalind Franklin unveiled in 2014.
RFU admits students to graduate-level programs across its six schools. The university emphasizes interprofessional learning, hands-on clinical experience, and community engagement. Prospective students can request information, attend virtual tours, and explore program-specific application requirements. The admissions team highlights RFU's close-knit graduate community, proximity to Chicago for diverse clinical placements, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.
RFU conducts groundbreaking research in 12 major areas through its Innovation and Research Park and affiliated centers. The Center for Lower Extremity Ambulatory Research (CLEAR) specializes in diabetic foot and limb preservation research. The university holds 45 U.S. patents with 34 issued in the past decade and 15 pending. The Center for Advanced Simulation in Healthcare at Northwestern Medicine Huntley Hospital (opened 2017) provides 30,000 sq ft of simulation-based training. RFU's Department of Healthcare Simulation is accredited by the Society for Simulation in Healthcare.