If you are considering an online degree, you might want to consider attending a traditional school with an online department, such as Indiana State University. The viewpoint that online programs are not as good as traditional degree paths is fast disappearing. Still, choosing a trusted university can take some of the worry out of selecting a program. Indiana State University was founded in 1865 as the Indiana State Normal School, and its initial thrust was as a teacher's college. Today, it is ranked by the Princeton Review as one of the "Best in the West." The student-to faculty ratio is 20:1, but most traditional classes have less than thirty students in them. That is important for you to know if you are able to modify your online program by taking some classes on campus. The school has more than 100 majors housed in six colleges. It is termed a "doctoral research school," which means that the highest degree it awards is the doctoral, and that a considerable amount of the university resources is spent on research.
Indiana State University Accreditation Details
• North Central Association of the Commission on Colleges
• The American Psychological Society
• National Association of Schools of Music
• CAATE
• ACEN
• ABET
• AACSB
• And others by department
Indiana State University Application Requirements
If you are applying as a freshman, you will need to complete the online application form. You may also apply as a "walk-in." The non-refundable application fee is $25. You also must request your high school to send your official transcripts to the university. The testing agency for ACT or SAT, whichever you took, will send your scores to the school as well. If you are a veteran with military credit, you need to submit the DD214 form and your Joint Services Transcript. Aliens will need a copy of their registration, or "green" card. If you are registering as an online student, the procedure is the same. Graduate students should apply online to the department of their choice. They will need to submit a transcript of their undergraduate degree program along with a $45 fee. They also need to arrange to have GRE, GMAT and Praxis scores sent to the school if they are required by the program. Some graduate departments may have other required documents as well.
How Long is the GRE Score Valid?
Tuition and Financial Aid
Undergraduate tuition for Indiana residents is $8,380 a year for students who are taking between 12 and 18 credit hours. Anything above 18 credits is considered an "overload." The anticipated tuition for a full time student taking an overload is $9,740. Non-resident students will pay $10,476 per year and that amount increases to $12,176 for an overload. Room and board ranges from $8,999.80, if you select the average residence and meal program to $14,609 for premium residence. There are also various fees and costs for books and materials that you must budget along with tuition, housing and meals. Graduate tuition is $388.60 per credit hour for resident students and $762 per credit hour for out-of-state students. The cost for online graduate programs is $485 per credit hour. The cost of earning a degree is high, and many students need help paying for it. If you need assistance, your first step is to complete a FAFSA form. That is the Free Application for Federal Assistance. You give the program financial information about you and your family. The information is used to calculate how much you can be expected to contribute to your education. Then, the government subtracts that amount from the actual costs of attending your chosen school. The result is your anticipated financial need. You receive an awards letter informing you of the federal aid for which you qualify, and the amount of aid awarded. After you receive your letter, you should research the scholarships and grants available through your school. Indiana State University has several merit-based scholarships, which means the aid is based on academics. These are competitive and range from the President's Scholarship, valued at full tuition, to smaller awards that pay partial tuition. The Center for Leadership Development offers a scholarship that pays all in-state tuition and the Gongaware Scholarship awards full tuition and premium housing. These opportunities are highly competitive. There are also guaranteed scholarships offered for academic achievement such as the Academic Excellence Scholarship that pays $4,000 a year. Other opportunities exist for non-resident and online students, as many traditional scholarships are not available to them. Many private individuals fund scholarships based on affiliation with certain organizations and/or financial need. Professional organizations often offer aid to students preparing for careers in a certain industry, and corporations also sometimes fund scholarship "contests" based on essays or other criteria. You can research these online. If, after exhausting grants and scholarship, you find you still need help, you may apply for student loans. These special loans have an average interest rate of about five percent, and you can delay repayment until you are out of school and have a job.
Master of Art in History/ Master of Science in History
These online degrees have a common required core, but different electives. The online Master of Art in History is intended for students who plan to go on to earn doctoral degrees. There are 33 credit hours in the program and it can be completed in three-to-five years of full time study. You can finish the degree in even less time if you can combine the online courses with some on-campus learning; in that case, the program could be completed in two years. If you can't study full-time, you are allowed to take up to seven years to finish. There are three concentrations in this degree: U.S. History, European History and the History of the Wider World. The university encourages students to use the electives to build their own unique program that crosses the boundary lines between geographical and discipline distinctions. There are nine credit hours in core classes: Historical Method and Theory and two seminars. Then, there are six directed electives and eighteen others to choose from. If you want a more structured degree program, you can complete the concentration in the History of Labor and reform Movements in the United States. That concentration contains 24 credits of electives and satisfies all requirements. The Master of Science degree is similar in curriculum and requisites to the Master of Art except that there is a slight difference in the electives. The degree is meant for employed middle school or secondary level teachers, or for those who have careers in law, social work or other disciplines that would be enhanced by this degree.
Whether you earn your degree traditionally or online, you want a program that meets your career needs and that is affordable and respected. The degree programs at Indiana State University can help you prepare for a bright future.