Marian University

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This school appears in our ranking Top 30 Affordable Online Master's in Nursing Education Degrees.

Marian University originated on the Epiphany of 1851 when Sister Theresa Hackelmeier arrived in Oldenburg at Father Francis Joseph Rudolf's request to teach German immigrants. Called St. Francis Normal, it adopted the Marian College name in 1936 as four-year bachelors were added. During Mother Clarissa Dillhoff's tenure, Marian relocated to its current 200-acre Indianapolis home with the James Allison Mansion in Fall 1937. First accredited in 1956, it launched the Marian Adult Programs (MAP) option 44 years later. Given university status in 2009, Marian now enrolls 3,452 Knights from 23 nations with 149 full-time professors teaching on-campus and online. Linked to 11,971 LinkedIn alumni, Marian University has trained Sinead Miller, Stacy Smith, Marie Masters, Julian Williams, and more.

The U.S. News & World Report ranked Marian the 47th best Midwest college and 30th top regional value with the 153rd best online degrees nationwide. On Niche, Marian has Marian's 61st best Catholic education, 100th best nursing department, 233rd top teacher prep, and 351st most conservative students. Times Higher Education placed Marian University 367th overall. College Factual named Marian 266th for teaching and 128th for health professions programs. Money magazine listed Marian as the country's 557th best buy with a $47,600 income average. WalletHub noticed Marian University for the 452nd top career outcomes and 397th most student selectivity. In Washington Monthly, Marian is the 193rd best baccalaureate institution. The Chronicle for Higher Ed also deemed Marian the fourth fastest-growing Catholic university.

Marian University Accreditation Details

On February 9, 2016, Marian University submitted to a comprehensive evaluation by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (HLC-NCA) to renew the Level V accreditation for 10 years under its eighth president, Dr. Daniel Elsener, who earned the 2015 Catholic Person of the Year Award. Located 176 miles north via Interstate 65 in Chicago, this jumbo 19-state Great Lakes accreditor is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) to check the quality of Marian's two associate, 46 baccalaureates, nine master's, and three doctoral programs from Indianapolis to Nashville or online. Specific accreditations given to certain online Marian courses include:

  • Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
  • International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education
  • National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education

Marian University Application Requirements

Admission to Marian University is classified "moderately difficult" by Peterson's because only 1,303 of the 2,187 Fall 2016 applications were okayed for 60 percent acceptance. Post-grad Knights seeking online master's enrollment need at least 120 credits for a baccalaureate first. Regionally accredited college courses should carry a minimum "B" average. In particular, the M.S. in Nursing Education mandates completion of a CCNE or ACEN-accredited bachelor's. Having completed a 500-level Statistics or Epidemiology Biostatistics course is a prerequisite. The 3.0 GPA must be accompanied by valid Indiana RN licensure for nursing. The MAT Online accepts grades as low as 2.5 with five years of full-time work experience. Already being a certified K-12 teacher isn't expected, but taking the Indiana CORE Academic Skills Assessment is. Passing a criminal history check with the Indiana State Police is necessary before student teaching too.

Marian University has varying admission deadlines in the College of Graduate & Online Programs. For example, the MAT Online accepts candidates until April 15th for Summer and August 1st for Fall. Entering the Online M.S. in Nursing Education happens until July 1st for Fall and December 1st for Spring. Interested post-grads use Chrome or Firefox to file the online application and complete the online readiness self-assessment. Have official documents mailed directly to 3200 Cold Spring Road in Indianapolis, IN 46222. Please contact (317) 955-6128 or [email protected] for further assistance. Online master's application checklists typically require these:

  • Online payment for the $40 non-refundable fee
  • Official transcript requests for every university
  • Three references from masters-level professionals
  • Current résumé or curriculum vitae of achievements
  • Original, 500-word essay outlining career progression
  • Copy of unencumbered registered nursing license
  • Indiana CASA scores or an alternative (GRE/SAT)

Tuition and Financial Aid

For 2017-18, Marian University charged average traditional graduate tuition of $19,860 per year full-time. In-person courses bill roughly $1,500 per credit. Living in the Indianapolis campus' graduate housing, The Overlook at Riverdale, adds $10,640 for room and board. Textbooks and supplies cost around $1,200 yearly. Traditional graduates expect to pay at least $31,700 every nine months then. However, the College of Graduate & Online Programs has cheaper distance education figures. The M.S. in Nursing Education costs $495 per credit for $18,810 total. Online MAT majors also pay $495 per credit or $17,820 overall.

According to the NCES College Navigator, the Office of Financial Aid helps 68 percent of full-time Marian Knights score a median assistance payout of $21,234 each for $31.06 million combined. Institutional funds include the Saint Clare Academic Scholarship, Saint Francis Scholarship, Saint Mary Scholarship, Lugar Fellow Global Studies Scholarship, Bishop Simon Brute Scholarship, San Damiano Church Leadership Scholarship, and Legacy Award. The Diocesan Employee Family Grant has a March 1st deadline for non-volunteer Catholic Church workers and their dependents. Submitting the FAFSA application with code 001821 helps online master's students borrow Federal Direct Unsubsidized and Grad Plus loans. Private lenders like Citizens Bank, Sallie Mae, Ascent, and PNC have interest rates of 3.5 to 13 percent. Online MAT students can claim up to $4,000 from the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant. Hoosiers also qualify for the Indiana Nursing Scholarship, Air/Army National Guard Grant, and Minority Teacher Scholarship.

Online Degrees Available

The College of Graduate & Online Programs logs into Canvas for high-quality Marian University education in two associate, three bachelor's, and three master's degrees online. Aspiring RNs can also fulfill all nursing prerequisites online in five- or eight-week sessions starting 12 times yearly. Accelerated online Marian courses with an engaging 13:1 student-professor ratio help graduate faster. Other benefits include online billing payments, University Bookstore discounts, liberal transfer policies, Mother Theresa Hackelmeier Library access, practicum location flexibility, Handshake job postings, and troubleshooting guides. Two sample online Marian master's programs are:

Master of Science in Nursing Education

Chaired by Dr. Dorothy Gomez, Marian's Leighton School houses an Online Master of Science in Nursing Education adhering to the 2011 AACN Essentials for post-grads building advanced clinical acumen to prepare future patient care advocates. After an Indianapolis orientation, the 38-credit degree integrates online classes like Health Assessment, Pathophysiology, and Project Development with 225 fieldwork hours at approved medical sites.

Master of Arts in Teaching

Partnered with Teach for America, the NCATE-accredited Klipsch Educators College presents the Master of Arts in Teaching Online for Marian students seeking the classroom instruction skills to qualify for initial Indiana certification. The 36-credit, 24-month program directed by Dr. Cheryl Hertzer offers tracks for Elementary Education, Exceptional Needs K-12 Education, or Secondary Science Education that culminate with one semester-long school internship.

Learn about more online options, such as the Associate of Science in Paralegal Studies, Bachelor of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Health & Human Services, and Master of Arts in Education Leadership, at the Marian University website.