Valdosta State University was initially opened as the South Georgia State Normal College for two-year, all-female teacher preparation in January 1913. After a subsequent name change to Georgia State Woman's College, Valdosta State was born in 1950 as a public, coeducational higher learning institution. Governed by the Board of Regents, VSU doubled in size from 1978 to 1993 to reach its current enrollment number of 12,014 Blazers. Endowed for $39.4 million, Valdosta occupies a 180-acre, Spanish Mission-style campus facing North Patterson Street in Lowndes County's "Sportstown," but courses are also delivered from Moody Air Force Base and online. Divided into five colleges, Valdosta State University has notable alums like Nancy Grace, Chris Hatcher, and Pauley Perrette.
The U.S. News applauded Valdosta State for America's 123rd top online graduate teaching and 160th best online graduate business education. On Niche, VSU is declared the 258th best Greek life college and 559th most diverse university nationwide. Forbes ranked Valdosta as the 125th best city for education. According to Washington Monthly, VSU is the 439th best U.S. master's institution and 194th best Southeastern bang for the buck. College Choice crowned Valdosta State University as Georgia's #9 best college in 2017. Accredited Schools Online positioned VSU as the country's 17th best online university for women in STEM. Valdosta State University is consistently featured in G.I. Jobs magazine's top 20 percent of military-friendly schools.
Valdosta State University Accreditation Details
Reaffirmed in 2010 under President Richard Carvajal, PhD, Valdosta State University holds Level V accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). This regional accrediting body approved all on-campus and online degrees without sanctions by Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) standards. Certain online Valdosta degrees also have programmatic accreditation from:
• Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
• National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA)
• American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL)
• Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
• Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE)
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD)
• National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
Valdosta State University Application Requirements
Studying online with Valdosta State University will involve passing the "selective" admission rate of 65 percent. Online B.A. and B.S. degrees only accept freshmen who've culminated their college-prep curriculum with a high school diploma or GED equivalent. The Office of Admission uses a Freshman Index (FI), which must be above 2040 when you multiply the sum of your GPA and SAT scores by 500. This works out to a minimum ACT composite score of 19 or New SAT combined score of 980 without writing. Current undergrads can transfer 30-90 credits from regionally accredited schools with a cumulative GPA above 2.0.
The VSU Graduate School reviews online applicants who've graduated with an accredited, four-year U.S. bachelor's degree or foreign equivalent. International students must have completed ESL Level 112 or scored at least 523 on the paper-based TOEFL. Attempted undergrad courses must combine for a minimum 2.5 GPA. Most online master's programs prefer a GMAT score above 400 or GRE score over 300. Testing reports via code 5855 are waived for individuals with a 3.5 GPA or greater and seven years of work experience. Certain online degrees, such as the MBA, have prerequisites like introductory accounting, business statistics, and financial management.
Valdosta State University has rolling admission with a final deadline of June 15th for undergrads and varying deadlines for post-grads. Hopeful online students can upload the application on GAFutures and mail any extra materials to 1500 North Patterson Street in Valdosta, GA 31698. Most online VSU degrees require the following:
• Check or credit card for $40 fee
• Official high school/college transcripts
• College entrance exam scores
• One-page, 500-word goal statement
• Two letters of recommendation
• Résumé or CV (post-grad only)
• Test of English fluency if applicable
Tuition and Financial Aid
Traditional full-time tuition at Valdosta State University sets Georgians back $3,738 and non-residents back $10,479 each semester. That's before room and board sweeps in for $2,030 and $1,920 respectively. Online VSU programs luckily have different rates. Online undergrad tuition costs $250 per credit. Graduate study online will bill $293 per credit. The only exceptions are the $385 MBA Healthcare Management and $739 WebMBA rates per credit.
According to the NCES, 70 percent of full-time VSU Blazers share $35.11 million in annual financial aid for an average amount of $5,736 apiece. Institutional awards like the Ty Cobb Scholarship, Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of Georgia Scholarship, Zell Miller Scholarship, Lee M. Bennett Art Scholarship, and Golden Isles Blazer Club Scholarship could be applied online. Peach State natives qualify for the HOPE Scholarship, Georgia Tuition Equalization Grant, and Georgia Public Safety Memorial Grant. Free federal funding opportunities include the Federal SEOG, Pell, SMART, and TEACH Grants. Online Valdosta majors could borrow Perkins, Stafford, and PLUS loans from the government. The Post-9/11 G.I. Bill benefits could also cover full tuition for military families.
Online Degrees Available
Valdosta State University uses the GoVIEW web conferencing platform to provide 12 bachelor's, 21 master's, eight specialist, and three doctoral degrees online with the SmartPath Core. Online certificates also widely range from European Union Studies to Public Management and Teaching English. Valdosta's 20:1 student-faculty ratio keeps courses manageable for close interaction with full-time professors, including the 2017 Teaching Excellence Award winner. Two sample VSU online degrees are:
B.A. in Spanish
Chaired by Dr. Ofelia Nikolova, Valdosta's Modern Languages Department teaches the B.A. in Spanish online to develop bilingual linguistic talents who can fluently communicate in this Romance Language from Spain to Mexico and South America. The 120-credit online degree has two course tracks for Spanish Language and Culture or World Languages and Cultures with opportunities like joining Spanish Club and studying Hispanic life abroad.
M.Ed. in Middle Grades Math and Science
Accredited by the CAEP, the Valdosta Education Center grants the M.Ed. in Middle Grades Math and Science over 16 months full-time or longer part-time for certified, in-service teachers who are expanding their pedagogical capacity to instruct Grades 5-8. Satisfying Georgia's T-4 or higher endorsements, the 36-credit online degree integrates case studies and team projects into courses like mathematical reasoning.
Other online degrees from Valdosta State University include the Ed.S. in Coaching Pedagogy in Physical Education, B.F.A. in Emergent Media, B.A. in Human Capital Performance, B.A. in Legal Assistant Studies, Ed.S. in School Counseling, and M.A.T. in Special Education.