This school appears in our ranking: 15 Best Universities for Master's Degree in Equine Studies 2018.
St. Andrews University is a private university in North Carolina that shares its name with a university in Scotland. Though founded in 1958, the university has a longer history than that. A full university established in 1896 and a smaller junior college founded in 1928 merged to form a new school. Called St. Andrews Presbyterian College, the new school offered the same programs that the other two schools did but allowed students to study more subjects when working on their bachelor's degrees. More than 700 students enrolled in the college in its first year.
The college slowly added more degree programs and eliminated others to reflect the changes in the interests and desires of incoming students. Accreditation issues almost led to the college shutting down, but Webber International University stepped up and took over the operations of the campus. Webber added more MBA and business programs to the college's curriculum and implemented some online programs. Now called St. Andrews University or SAU for short, it offers Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts programs for undergrads as well as several graduate programs. SAU still has an affiliation with the Presbyterian Church. It also has an enrollment of around 600 students.
St. Andrews University Accreditation Details
SAU has the same accreditation that Webber International University does because of the link between the two schools. Its regional accreditation comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. This is an important type of accreditation for students who want to transfer credits they already completed to a new school. It's also important for students who want to use financial aid from either the state or the federal government. The Master of Business Administration program and other business programs offered by the university have accreditation from the Association of Collegiate Business Schools and Programs.
St. Andrews University Application Requirements
Unlike other Master of Business Administration programs that only accept students with a business background, St. Andrews University offers an MBA program designed for all types of students. Students must show that they took some prerequisites in college, including courses in financial accounting, business statistics and microeconomics. Those who need to take these classes can take them from the university. SAU even allows students to take their prerequisites at the same time that they take some MBA courses.
The process of applying to the university includes both the submission of the online application and the payment of a $50 application fee. While the application provides the university with some basic information about the student's background, students will provide other documents too. They must submit official transcripts from any schools they attended and earned credits from and a resume. The transcripts must include the name of the college or the university and a detailed list of all classes taken and the grades earned in each course as well as the student's cumulative grade point average. They will also submit three letters of recommendation and an essay. SAU asks students to lists their professional goals and both their strengths and weaknesses in this essay.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The application fee isn't the only thing that online students pay for when attending SAU. They also pay $636 per credit hour for each class they take. Full-time students will take six credit hours of classes and pay $3,816 per term, while part-time students will take just three credits of classes and pay $1,908 per term. Once a student receives an acceptance letter, the university expects them to pay $200 as a tuition deposit. This ensures that there is a spot waiting for the student at the start of the next term. The university will apply that deposit to the student's account. International students must put down a $1,000 deposit to have the university hold their spots.
Student loans rank as the most common type of financial aid used by grad students today. Those attending SAU can use different types of loans though. The federal government offers plus and unsubsidized loans. Unsubsidized loans begin accumulating interest as soon as a student receives his or her money. Students can pay down that interest before they graduate. Graduate PLUS loans usually have a lower interest rate. The parents of grad students can apply for government loans as well.
Other options for online grad students include alternative loans and scholarships. Alternative loans come from traditional lenders like banks and credit unions as well as from companies that specialize in educational loans. Scholarships provide students with funds that essentially function as free money. Students can apply for scholarships from private and public organizations.
Online Degree Available
SAU gives students the chance to earn an MBA in only 18 months of full-time work. This program features both standard online classes and some live classes. With standard classes, students can do their weekly readings on their own time and log in regularly to work on assignments. Real-time classes require that students log into the system at set points each week and watch real professors teaching classes and lecturing. They also have the chance to ask questions and listen to comments made by their classmates during these sessions.
One thing that sets this program apart from other online MBA programs is that it emphasizes participation and practical learning. Students must work on a consulting project before they graduate, which gives them experience working with actual clients. This program allows students to start at the beginning of the fall, winter, spring or summer session.
Students in this program will take 10 classes and complete two practicums to earn a total of 36 credits. They'll take classes such as Human Behavior in Organizations, Global Economic Environment and Information Systems Management. Innovation, New Products & Services & E-Commerce is a newer course exclusive to the university. It focuses on the ways in which businesses now operate online and teaches students how to identify the needs of online shoppers. The two practicums in this program help students gain consulting experience.
The university offers two other types of MBA programs too. One of those programs is an accelerated option designed for undergrads. They'll earn a bachelor's program in four years and an MBA in one additional year. St. Andrews University now offers an MBA for the Equine Professional program too that features courses on equine business interests and topics.