Florida Atlantic University is a large school system in Florida that consists of a main campus in Boca Raton as well as satellite campuses located across the state. Established in 1961, the state chose to open the campus on a former military base that operated during World War II. Classes started just three years later with 120 professors working on the campus and fewer than 900 students enrolled in its classes. Though the university opened as a senior institution that only offered classes for graduate students and those in their junior and senior years of study, it now offers courses at both the lower and upper levels. It now has a population of more than 24,000 undergrads and more than 4,000 graduate students.
U.S. News and World Report called FAU a second tier university based on its retention rate, graduation rate, financial aid packages and other factors, but this publication also ranked it as one of the best colleges in America. Other publications that ranked it within the nation's best include Forbes and Washington Monthly, while Princeton Review named it one of the top schools in the southern United States. It also has a strong reputation for offering opportunities for and granting degrees to minority students. Florida Atlantic University now offers 180 degrees that include those designed for bachelor, master and doctoral students, but the university also offers some certificate and professional programs.
Florida Atlantic University Accreditation Details
Depending on the program that Florida Atlantic offers that you enroll in, you may find that the program has accreditation of its own. Ten different organizations accredit its programs, which run the gamut from engineering and technology programs to those that it offers in education and business. Some of the organizations that granted FAU accreditation include the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology, Inc. (ABET), Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, Liaison Committee on Medical Education, National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and Council on Social Work Education Office of Social Work Accreditation. The university also has accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), which is a type of regional accreditation. Regional accreditation is so important because it allows you to get financial aid after filing the FAFSA.
Florida Atlantic University Application Requirements
If you want to apply for a spot in one of the Florida Atlantic University graduate programs, you need to use the university's official website and fill out an application online. Though it only takes around 20 minutes or less to complete the application, you must use one of the web browsers that can support this application. You'll also need to make sure that you submit that application prior to the deadline. Any applications received after that deadline will roll over, which means that FAU will not look at it until the university begins reviewing applications for the next term. You must also pay a $30 application fee when you submit it. The university will let you log into the system to check on the status of your application later.
Certain programs offered by the university, including its MBA program and those in psychology and nursing, also have a supplemental application that you will need to download and print off before filling out and sending back to the university. Some programs may ask for your resume, some type of essay that acts like a writing sample or a graduate test score. You may also need to submit a transcript from the college where you earned your bachelor's degree and one to three letters of recommendation.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Even if you take all your graduate classes online, Florida Atlantic University will charge a fee based on whether or not you are a Florida resident. Florida residents pay $303.71 per credit hour, but when you add in all the fees, the cost comes up to $369.82 per credit hour. The cost for nonresidents is higher and comes in at $1,024.81, which includes all of the same fees. FAU may waive some of the fees associated with using resources and activities on campus for those who take online classes.
Florida Atlantic University has graduate assistant programs designed to help grad students pay for college, but online students will not qualify for these programs. As an online student, you will still need to file the FAFSA before you enroll in classes to find out how much money you will get for the coming school year. Your package should contain both grants and federal unsubsidized loans. If you need more help paying for your classes beyond what the university can offer, you can apply for private student loans. Also called alternative loans, these loans come from traditional lenders, and you can begin paying off your loans while still enrolled in school.
Online Degree Programs
Florida Atlantic University offers online programs through seven of its colleges, including its College of Arts and Letters, College of Business and College of Education. One of its top online graduate programs is its online MBA, which U.S. News & World Report ranked among the best in the country. The online MBA is an accredited online program that the university designed for students to enroll in on a part-time basis and complete in 23 months. Though there is a general program, students can also take six classes to complete a specialization in international business. All MBA students must take 12 core business courses like corporate financial management, financial accounting concepts, global environment of management, global management strategy and policy and communication skills for business professionals.
There is also a Master of Science in Nursing Administrative and Financial Leadership online program available from FAU. Designed for nurses who want to work in management positions, this program requires that students do at least four credit hours of fieldwork in their own areas. Students must take at last 37 credit hours of classes like financial administration of nursing systems, human resource management and health care financing. You may have an interest in the university's online program in adult and community education too. Florida Atlantic University designed this program for those who want to educate adult learners and requires that students take at least 37 credits of classes like program and curriculum development, workplace learning and development and adult learning and assessment.