Auburn University is one of the more prestigious and well-known universities in the country, and it could be the right school for you. The public research university was founded in 1856 as the East Alabama Male College. It was associated with the Methodist church at that time. In 1872, under the Morrill Act, the school became a land grant university. It was then known as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Alabama. Twenty years later it became a coeducational school, and in 1960 it became Auburn University. The school is one of the few land, sea and space grant universities in the US. That means it receives federal funding for its extensive research in these areas. It has more than 22,000 undergraduate students and the student-to-faculty ratio is 19:1. The US News and World Report ranks Auburn as # 99 of National Universities and # 43 of Top Public Schools. Online programs at Auburn rank high as well. The online business program, online MBA and online graduate education programs all rank #10 in their respective categories. The online graduate engineering program ranks #20.
Auburn University Accreditation Details
The university is accredited by the Commission of the Southern States Association of Colleges and Schools. Auburn's business programs are accredited by the AACSB. Since 1983, the teacher preparation degrees at Auburn have been accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation, and degrees are also accredited by NCATE. They are approved by the Alabama Board of Education. Nursing programs, including the BSN and the MSN, are accredited by CCNE. The Clinical Laboratory Sciences program is accredited by the National Accreditation Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences. The bachelor's degree and the master's degree in Justice and Public Safety are approved, but not accredited, by the American Bar Association. Accreditation for online programs is the same as for the traditional programs because the course material is identical.
Application Requirements
If you are applying to Auburn as a freshman, you will complete an online form. There are several, depending upon whether you are a returning freshman, an international student or transferring from another school. There is a non-refundable application fee of $50. You will need to arrange for your high school to submit your official transcript to the university. You will also need to have the agency that administered the SAT or the ACT, whichever you took, send your official scores from those tests. If you are transferring from another school as a freshman, you must have transcripts for all completed college courses sent to Auburn. Graduate students must submit the names and email addresses of three people willing to recommend them. The university will then send them links to forms where they will complete a recommendation form and write letters of recommendation. You must give a personal statement and submit your resume. The graduate school requires a writing sample. In addition, you must arrange to have your GRE score and your official college transcripts sent to Auburn. If you intend to apply for a graduate assistant teaching fellowship, that form should be completed and submitted as well.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Resident undergraduate tuition at Auburn is $5,348 per semester. Non-resident tuition is $14,420. Room and board costs are $6,449 and miscellaneous expenses are calculated to be $3,432 per semester. Graduate student tuition is the same, but is figured on a class load of nine credits per semester. Online tuition is $850 per credit hour for most degree programs.
Most students must have help to meet the financial obligation of a higher education. If you need assistance, your first step is completing the FAFSA form. This is an application to a federal financial aid program. You will submit financial information about you and, if you are a dependent, about your family. Using this data, the government will determine your eligibility for grants, loans and work-study opportunities. Once you receive your award notification, you can apply for state, university and private assistance. Alabama residents may qualify for grants from the Alabama Student Assistance Program. There is also a TEACH grant available at the federal level.
Auburn has many grants and scholarships available through the school. Grants are generally only awarded to first-time freshmen. Scholarships are awarded based upon academic excellence, financial need or both. There are also departmental scholarships and assistance awarded for excellence in music or athletics. In addition, the university has scholarships for diversity and inclusiveness. Private individuals often fund memorial scholarships or awards based on other criteria. Service organizations and corporations fund scholarships too. Auburn has a scholarship portal that lists many opportunities and their application deadlines. If you can't find the help you need there, you may do an Internet search. After applying your grants and scholarships to your student debt, you may still have a gap. Student loans may provide the funding you need. They are low-interest and offer a deferred repayment option. Work-study opportunities may also help you meet your obligations, and they are an excellent way to get experience and build a resume.
Online Degrees Available
If you are unable to attend a brick-and-mortar school to take traditional programs, the online programs offered at Auburn may provide the degree path you need. They offer the same courses in quality and content but allow you to take them on a flexible schedule and finish at your own pace. There are four departments in the online college and a variety of continuing education courses. The Department of Communication and Theatre offers an undergraduate degree in journalism. In this program, you will study theories and skills used in journalism, whether written or broadcast, composition and other skills needed for a journalism career. You will also build a foundation of liberal arts education. Some of the courses you would take in this 120 credit-hour program are Media and Culture, Video Production, Media Law and Ethics and Research Methods. You can also get an education degree online at Auburn. The undergraduate education degree can be earned in Childhood/Early Childhood Education, Secondary Education, Special Education and Kinesiology. The programs blend media and technology. They are 120 credit-hour degrees that also include internships. The graduate education programs allow you to specialize in School Counseling or in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. Both programs are offered in the traditional master's degree plan or in an educational specialist plan. There is a required internship for both programs as well. Whether you complete your program in the classroom or online, your degree will convey the educational excellence for which Auburn University is known.