Southwest Baptist University

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This school appears in our ranking Top 30 Affordable Online Master's in Nursing Education Degrees 2017-2018.

Southwest Baptist University was established in 1878 as Southwest Baptist College and was founded by Abner Ingman and James Maupin. The university has four campuses in the cities of Mountain View, Springfield, Salem, and Bolivar. Today, around 3,500 students attend classes on those four campuses, as well as through online study. The main campus is in Bolivar, and it covers 152 acres. The school's official colors are purple and white, and the school's sports teams are nicknamed the Bearcats. Students play in NCAA Division II games in a variety of sports. Some of the clubs available for student participation on campus include the Fencing Club, the Student Association, the Accounting Club, the Fellowship of Christian Athletics, and the Association for Computing Machinery.

Degree programs are housed within several colleges that include the Robert W. Plaster College of Business and Computer Science, the College of Education and Social Sciences, and the College of Science and Mathematics. After a devastating fire burned down much of the campus in 1910, the college was rebuilt and reopened in 1913 with four buildings that still stand today. Another fire broke out at the school's auditorium in the 1960s, but townspeople were able to save several pianos and some athletic equipment that was stored in the building. Over the next several decades, the school would expand with new buildings, degree offerings, and classes and would eventually become a university in 1981.

Southwest Baptist University Accreditation Details

Southwest Baptist University is institutionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Additional accreditations and associations include:

  • Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education
  • Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs
  • Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
  • Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
  • National Association of Schools of Music
  • Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing

The university is also a member of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities, the Consortium of Global Education, the National Association of College and University Business Officers, and the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements.

Southwest Baptist University Application Requirements

Applying to Southwest Baptist University begins with submitting the official application and the application fee. Students will then submit their official transcripts and test scores from the SAT or ACT for undergraduate admission or the GRE for graduate admission. Students are encouraged to visit the campus when they apply to ensure the university is the right college environment for the student's future career goals. Students must also submit a FAFSA form if they wish to qualify for student loans, as well as submit an enrollment deposit after successful admission. To apply to graduate school, students will check with the program in which they wish to enroll. Alumni of Southwest Baptist University who have already earned an undergraduate degree from the university will receive a waiver on the application fee. Graduate applicants must have an undergraduate GPA of at least 2.75, a passing GRE score, and various program requirements.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Students who enroll in undergraduate classes at Southwest Baptist University will pay $23,100 per year for tuition, as well as $3,400 for room and $4,320 for board if they choose to live on campus. Students will also pay a total of $910 in fees for a complete total cost of attendance of $31,730 a year. The university offers average financial aid awards of more than $26,000 to students. Tuition varies for graduate programs at Southwest Baptist University and is charged by the credit hour. Students may also pay a technology fee for each course. For example, tuition for the Master of Science in Education, as well as the Master of Science in Educational Administration, costs $290 per credit hour and requires a technology fee of $35 per course. Similarly, the Education Specialist degree costs $295 per credit hour with a technology fee of $35. The Doctor of Education is $430 per credit hour and also carries a $35 per course technology fee.

Financial aid at Southwest Baptist University requires that students submit a FAFSA form, and the university reveals that 98 percent of students who enroll at the university receive some type of financial aid. Students will work with an admissions counselor to ensure each step of the financial aid process is completed successfully. After the school receives the student's FAFSA information, the university will send the student a financial aid award letter that may include loans, scholarships, and grants or any combination of the three. Many students are eligible for federal financial aid packages, as well as private student loans, scholarships, and grants.

Online Degrees Available

Southwest Baptist University offers a variety of online degree options with several of those options through graduate-level study. Those degrees include Master of Science in Nursing, which is an online/classroom hybrid degree, as well as the Master of Science in Education, which is also available as an online/classroom hybrid or as a fully online degree program. The university suggests that its online programs are designed to challenge and encourage students in integrating faith into their lives and careers just like the university's on-campus programs. Degree options also have multiple plans of study and many offer different focuses.

Master of Science in Nursing: Nursing Administration

Students who choose to enroll in the Master of Science in Nursing: Nursing Administration will complete 39 credit hours. The courses are offered in eight-week blocks with available plans of study that include part-time, full-time, or full-time accelerated schedules. A full-time student can expect to complete his or her degree in two years, and the full-time accelerated plan may take as little as 18 months. Part-time students will spend approximately three years in study. Classes students will take include Concepts of Advanced Practice Nursing, Health Care Organizations, Nursing Science, and Ethics & Policy Issues in Advanced Practice. Students will complete the degree by passing a Comprehensive Exam during their final semester of study, as well as complete a Master's Project & Practicum of 180 clinical hours.

Master's in Education Curriculum and Instruction

Students who choose the Master's in Education Curriculum and Instruction will need to complete two years of study in classes like Effective Inclusion Practices, Instructional Material Design & Application, and Learners & the Learning Process. Not only will students attend classes during the fall and spring semesters, but they'll take classes in the summer, too. The program's schedule is designed to accommodate students who are already working in education and have limited time for study. Students are invited to visit the campus whether they're attending Southwest Baptist University on-campus or through one of the university's online degree programs.