Old Dominion University was opened in September 1930 by Joseph Healy and J.A.C. Chandler as a two-year division of the College of William and Mary. Located in the Larchmont School building, the Norfolk extension served an inaugural class of 206 for $50 apiece. In 1962, the fast-growing division was given independence by Governor Albertis S. Harrison's legislation. Old Dominion evolved into a public, forward-thinking doctoral RU/H university devoted to "Idea Fusion." Endowed for $213 million, ODU serves 19,612 undergrad and 5,058 post-grad Monarchs in Conference USA. Along with its 251-acre main campus in Virginia's South Hampton Roads region, Old Dominion University has 50+ partner locations and online courses on TeleTechNet.
According to the U.S. News, Old Dominion is the 210th best national university, 118th best public college, and 141st top high school counselor pick. In particular, ODU hosts America's 63rd best online bachelor's, 45th best online engineering, and 55th top online MBA programs. Forbes ranked ODU as the 204th best research university and 135th best Southern college. On Niche, Old Dominion University was named the nation's 114th best big school and 284th top college for computer science. Old Dominion was positioned as the 157th best master's institution for social mobility and service in Washington Monthly. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings also placed ODU within the top 600 globally.
Old Dominion University Accreditation Details
Reaffirmed in 2012 under President John R. Broderick, Old Dominion University holds Level VI approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). For over 50 years, ODU has maintained this regional accreditation without public sanctions for Title IV eligibility from the U.S. Department of Education. Online degrees have also achieved programmatic accreditation from:
- Council on Accreditation for Educator Preparation (CAEP)
- Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
- National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA)
- Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)
Old Dominion University Application Requirements
Classified as "selective," Old Dominion University had a Fall 2015 acceptance rate of 83 percent. Since online bachelor's degree completion programs solely provide upper-division courses at the 300 and 400 levels, only transfers are accepted. Incoming undergrads must have completed the equivalent of 60 semester or 90 quarter hours at a regionally accredited college recognized by the CHEA. Credits must be graded "C" or better for transfer acceptance, and an overall GPA above 2.0 is required. Online programs often have prerequisites like human anatomy, microbiology, and statistics for BSN applicants. Guaranteed admission is extended to associate graduates from the Virginia Community College System (VCCS).
Online graduate admission is always dependent on students' successful completion of a four-year baccalaureate or higher at an accredited U.S. institution. Foreign students with an equivalent degree need to score at least 6.5 on the IELTS, 79 on the TOEFL iBT, or 480 on the GRE verbal section. Regular acceptance without probation will stipulate a minimum 2.8 GPA in bachelor's or 3.0 GPA in master's coursework, but criteria from there varies. For example, the Online M.S. in Education mandates a Praxis Core score of 156 on Reading and 150 on Mathematics or better. The MSN Family Nurse Practitioner program requires RN licensure and at least one year of clinical, patient-facing experience.
Old Dominion University has set the final deadlines for undergrad admission to June 1st for Fall, October 1st for Spring, and March 15th for Summer. Online graduate programs have varying deadlines from December 1st to August 1st, so check accordingly. Prospective Monarchs can submit the Common Application or ODU Application online with the following:
- Non-refundable application fee of $50
- Official, sealed transcripts from each college
- Standardized tests, i.e. SAT, ACT, GRE, or GMAT
- One to three letters of recommendation
- Typed, 400-word essay of one's choice (optional)
- Resume or CV of professional activities
- Proof of English language fluency if applicable
Tuition and Financial Aid
Old Dominion traditionally charges $9,750 for Virginians and $26,730 for non-residents each year with an extra $10,864 for room and board. Studying via ODU Online is considerably cheaper and nixes campus costs like housing. Online bachelor's courses are currently priced at $335 in-state and $369 out-of-state per credit. Military special rates through programs like the Navy Partnership are $250 per credit. Graduate online courses will cost $496 in-state or $538 out-of-state per credit. Online students simply budget $20 per course for a technology fee.
The U.S. News shows that 64 percent of full-time ODU Monarchs earn need-based assistance for an average amount of $6,754. Online students taking 6+ credits can be eligible for the Federal Pell Grant, FSEOG Grant, TEACH Grant, or Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant. The Stafford, Grad PLUS, and Perkins loan programs offer federal borrowing with interest. Living in the "Mother of Presidents" opens the Virginia Commonwealth Award, Virginia War Orphans Grant, and Virginia Guaranteed Assistance Program (VGAP). Graduate fellowships are available through the Virginia Space Grant Consortium and others. The Military Connection Center helps servicemembers and veterans access G.I. Bill benefits. Online programs also qualify for institutional awards like the James L. Bugg Scholarship, A.D. Morgan Scholarship, Martha Brown Endowed Scholarship, and Drewry Family Endowed Scholarship.
Online Degrees Available
For three decades, Old Dominion University has delivered flexible, adaptable, and "Military Friendly" distance learning with a 19:1 student-faculty ratio for personalized attention. Online students select from 42 bachelor's, 39 master's, and nine doctoral or specialist programs. Non-degree learners also access 21 certificates from Cyber Systems Security to Literacy Coaching. Boasting 96 percent satisfaction, online programs use cutting-edge tools like Box at ODU, WebEx, and iAchieveODU with 24/7 technical support. Two sample online Old Dominion degrees are:
B.S. in Medical Technology
Accredited by the NAACLS, the B.S. in Medical Technology is an online degree completion program for MLT-certified transfers to finish their formal training at ODU for careful, precise lab work that tests for healthcare diagnoses like HIV and breast cancer. The 63-credit online curriculum integrates courses for medical parasitology, biochemistry, urinalysis, bacteriology, immunohematology, and clinical electronics before one advanced practicum.
M.Eng. in Modeling and Simulation
Given the ASEM Founders Award for Excellence five times, the M.Eng. in Modeling and Simulation is conducted online for post-grads to master computer visualization techniques for developing innovation solutions to everyday problems. After the 30-credit degree's courses like stochastic analysis and virtual C.A.V.E. labs, engineers from Old Dominion University have excelled at General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, Oak Ridge Laboratory, and more.