Hamline University

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This school appears in our ranking 20 Most Affordable Master's in Liberal Studies Degrees Online: Private College 2018.

Hamline University was opened in January 1856 at Red Wing's general store by Methodist Episcopal minister Leonidas Lent Hamline. Three years later, the Lady Baccalaureate of Arts program made the Sorin sisters Minnesota's first college graduates. In 1884, Old Main was built as the centerpiece for today's 31-hectare Twin Cities campus. Known for its Students' Army Training Corps during WWI, Hamline saw post-war enrollment spike and an exchange to Xavier University form. During Dr. Linda Hanson's 2000s tenure, Hamline University brought its private, Christian liberal arts education online for low-residency tracks. Endowed for $80.6 million, Hamline attracts 1,668 post-grad Pipers, including a Truman Scholar, from 35 nations. Linked to 20,660 LinkedIn alumni, Hamline University has graduated Anna Arnold Hedgeman, Vern Mikkelsen, Coleen Gray, Robert Hanson, and more.

The U.S. News & World Report ranked Hamline the Midwest's 16th best college and 17th top value with 81 percent retention. On Niche, Hamline boasts America's 95th most liberal students, 106th best free application, 290th top teaching degrees, and 351st best location. Forbes placed Hamline University 345th overall with the 297th happiest alums. Times Higher Education crowned Hamline the 458th top U.S. institution. Money magazine picked Hamline 288th for a mean starting salary of $44,800. College Factual chose Hamline as the 29th top Methodist school with the 12th best legal studies and 125th best public affairs programs. WalletHub applauded Hamline University for the 306th best educational outcomes and 454th most student selectivity. Hamline also landed 194th nationally on the Social Mobility Index.

Hamline University Accreditation Details

In February 2018, Hamline University was approved by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC-NCA) after a comprehensive evaluation to retain Level V accreditation for another 10 years under its 20th president, Dr. Fayneese Miller. Located 403 miles southeast in Chicago, this sprawling 19-state Great Plains accreditor is authorized by the U.S. Secretary of Education to assure the quality of Hamline's 53 baccalaureate, 11 master's, two doctoral, and 56 certificate programs. Online Master of Arts in Education options are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP). The School of Education is nationally recognized by the TESOL International Association too.

Hamline University Application Requirements

Snagging spots at Hamline University is deemed "moderately difficult" by Peterson's since 70 percent of the 4,252 applications in Fall 2016 were successful. Post-grad Pipers entering online master's education need a regionally or nationally accredited baccalaureate. Prerequisites aren't usually listed, except for some online certificates. For example, the Online K-12 Reading Additional License requires an bachelor's degree with current, five-year Minnesota teacher certification. Holding a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher is expected, but provisional admission is sometimes offered for 2.5 to 2.9. Taking the Graduate Record Exam is wholly optional. English learners can prove competency by reaching the Global Language Institute's advanced level or surpassing an 80 TOEFL iBT score.

Hamline University has graduate priority deadlines of June 1st for Fall, November 1st for Spring, and March 1st for Summer, but admission is rolling. International students must pay a $100 fee and file all materials three months before semester starts. Log into the online application portal and mail remaining materials to MS-A1710 at 1536 Hewitt Avenue in Saint Paul, MN 55104. Please contact [email protected] or (651) 523-2900 for further instruction. Online master's program candidates impress admission counselors with these:

  • Final bachelor's transcripts directly from colleges
  • Two-page, typed personal statement of intent
  • Two recommendations for advanced study
  • Résumé of work history, honors, and activities
  • Academic writing sample at least three pages long
  • Proof of English fluency and financial support if applicable

Tuition and Financial Aid

For 2017-18, Hamline University billed average annual graduate tuition of $9,148 full-time. Traditional master's students living at the Saint Paul campus paid $6,354 to $9,266 for apartment housing with a $5,258 meal plan. Online master's programs usually cost much less with base tuition of $480 per credit. But the Online MPA costs $546 and the Master in the Study of Law hikes to $825 per credit. Continuing studies certificates are the cheapest at $354 per credit. Online budgets also add the $10 technology fee, $6 program administrative fee, and $175 one-time new student fee.

According to the NCES College Navigator, 95 percent of full-time Hamline Pipers share $48.6 million total annually for median financial aid offers of $23,445 each. Graduate institutional funds include the 3M Scholarship, Academic Merit Scholarship, Leadership Scholarship, Ruby Hunt Endowed Scholarship, Steve & Julie Novak Scholarship, Gladys Sinclair Brooks Scholarship, Jane Calabria McPeak Scholarship, and James F. Miller Annowl Scholarship. Hamline alumni qualify for a 10 percent master's tuition discount. The Learning Partnership Program deducts 10 percent for employees of partners like Thomson Reuters, Allina Health, Goodwill, the Amherst H. Wilder Foundation, and others. Hockey State natives could claim the Minnesota Teacher Candidate Grant or Alliss Opportunity Grant. Also add the FAFSA application code 002354 to determine Direct Unsubsidized or Grad Plus loan eligibility.

Online Degrees Available

The Online & Distance Learning Division at Hamline University utilizes web tools like Blackboard or Google Hangouts to deliver two bachelor's and seven master's degrees online. Fourteen graduate certificates, such as Bullying Prevention, Urban Teaching, Adult Basic Education, and Gifted Education, are also available. Eight-week online courses boast a 12:1 student-faculty ratio for meaningful interaction with PhD-level mentors. Other online benefits include 24/7 technical help, Hedgeman Center services, Bush Library access, Lynda.com subscriptions, Piperline multimedia, and free e-tutoring. Two sample online graduate degrees are:

Masters in the Study of Law 

Partnered with Hamline's ABA-accredited Mitchell College of Law, the College of Liberal Arts starts the Masters in the Study of Law thrice yearly for online post-grads to deepen their legal advocacy skills without a Juris Doctor. The 34-credit, 18-month program directed by Dr. Leondra Hanson boasts four tracks in Conflict Resolution, Litigation Support, Law Practice Management, and Social Justice before the applied capstone project.

Master of Arts in Literacy Education

Headed by Dr. Mike Reynolds, Hamline's Master of Arts in Literacy Education admits teachers each Spring to fulfill K-12 reading specialist endorsement by sharpening pedagogical tools for training English proficient pupils. The 34-credit, CAEP-accredited curriculum builds impressive LiveText portfolios through flexible courses from Critical Issues in Education to Research Design, the Summer Literacy Institute, and required thesis research.

Learn about more online offerings, including the Master of Arts in English as a Second Language, Master of Arts in Natural Science & Environmental Education, Master of Public Administration, or Master of Arts in Education Administration, at the Hamline University website.