Jacksonville State University

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Located in Jacksonville, Alabama, Jacksonville State University (JSU) is a public coeducational university. The school offers degree programs leading to doctoral, master's and bachelor's degrees as well as a number of online and distance education programs. Founded in 1883, JSU's Business School was ranked in the 90th percentile in the U.S. by the Princeton Review.

Jacksonville State University Accreditation Details

Jacksonville State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). In addition, 40 of its academic programs, including communication, family and consumer science, computer science, music, art, drama, social work, nursing, applied engineering, education and business have earned specialized accreditations.

Jacksonville State University Application Requirements

To be considered for admission into a master's degree program, applicants must first complete an application for admission and submit a nonrefundable $35 processing fee. Students are required to send official transcripts from all postsecondary institutions attended as well as any applicable MAT, GRE or GMAT test scores. Copies of all clear and renewable teaching certificates are required for several graduate teaching degrees as is a completed Verification of Educational Experience form for certain programs. Graduate applicants applying for a state-approved teacher education program must also submit to a background check, and JSU requires three completed graduate reference forms to assess the student's character and potential for success in graduate coursework.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Students seeking an online master's degree from Jacksonville State University can expect to pay $382 per credit hour. However, different courses within the various schools may have their own program and/or course fees. Approximately 83% of students receive some form of financial aid, and prospective students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Types of aid include state and federal grants, the Federal Work-Study Program, loans and scholarships. JSU also offers veterans benefits that can help to reduce the cost of tuition for eligible active duty service members, veterans and their family members.

Online Degrees Available

Aside from the delivery method, there is no distinction between an online master's degree and a traditional master's degree from Jacksonville State University. Both are taught by the same supportive, knowledgeable and dedicated faculty and accredited by the same national and regional agencies. JSU offers a number of online master's degrees across a wide range of disciplines, including computer science, business, applied engineering, education, criminal justice, public administration, nursing, kinesiology, family and consumer sciences and emergency management.

The online master's degree in business administration is accredited by AACSB-International, the premier accrediting body for business degrees. The School of Business at JSU has been included in Princeton Review's 2010 list of "The Best 301 Business Schools," and the online degree requires 30 hours for completion. However, students may need to take up to 24 hours of foundation courses to satisfy the degree requirements, depending on their bachelor's degree. Foundation courses include principles of marketing, operations management, legal and social environment, business finance, principles of macroeconomics, principles of financial accounting, statistics and quantitative methods and business organization and administration. Students may choose from an accounting concentration or a general concentration, each with its own set of required courses and electives.

The Department of Kinesiology at JSU offers a Master of Science in Sport Management degree. The main objective of the program is to prepare students with the abilities, skills and knowledge necessary to meet the demands of the sports industry. Applicants can choose an option that will result in a Class A teacher certification in sports management or choose to pursue a non-certification option. The MS in Sport Management requires 31 to 34 graduate semester hours to complete and includes coursework such as sport promotion and event planning, sport marketing, administration of athletics, sport facility administration and design, public and media relations in sport, human resources management in sport and sport finance. Students will also investigate law and ethics in wellness and sport studies as well as current trends and issues in athletics.

Jacksonville State University offers 11 online master's degrees in the field of education, allowing students to choose the program that best meets their career goals. The Master of Science in Education in Elementary Education prepares students for a fifth-year master's-level teacher certification in elementary education for kindergarten through sixth grade. Admission into this program requires students to hold a bachelor's degree and teacher certification in elementary education. Basic requirements include a survey of exceptional children and youth, research in education and an introduction to graduate education and technology. Teaching field requirements include diversity in education, teaching mathematics and an assessment in education. Other coursework includes teaching reading, language arts, science or social studies as well as social foundations of education, philosophy of education and multicultural literature.

The online Master of Science in Manufacturing Systems Technology balances academic instruction with practical applications in manufacturing systems. Graduates have the broad base of skills and knowledge needed to effectively control and manage production in manufacturing facilities. Specifically, the purpose is to help future industrial leaders that will be able to use technology in solving practical problems, make decisions to integrate technologies into manufacturing operations and apply advanced practices and principles used in manufacturing systems. The program consists of 30 semester hours of graduate-level coursework, including nine hours of elective courses and 21 hours of major coursework such as project development and management, automated manufacturing technology, manufacturing value analysis, manufacturing systems simulation, manufacturing operational systems and manufacturing computer and information systems.

Students seeking an online master's degree in criminal justice from Jacksonville State University have two pathways from which to choose: a thesis option and a non-thesis option. The thesis option requires a total of 30 semester hours, 15 of which come from required criminal justice courses, six hours of thesis and nine hours of criminal justice electives. The non-thesis option requires a total of 30 semester hours, 15 of which come from required criminal justice courses and 15 hours of elective courses, 12 of which may be taken in a related field. Criminal justice courses include corrections, legal issues, juvenile justice, criminal justice administration, comparative criminal justice, law enforcement, research methods in criminal justice, applied data analysis for criminal justice and contemporary criminal justice issues. Jacksonville State University students may also study criminal behavior and personality, victimology, criminological theory, forensic investigation and applied ethics.