University of North Texas

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Though the University of North Texas is a public university today, it actually opened as a private teaching college in 1890 called the Texas Normal College and Teaching Training Institute. As enrollment grew and students asked for classes in new subjects, its board of trustees allowed the state to take over its operations. This led to the school becoming the North Texas Normal College around the turn of the 20th century. It later operated as a state teaching school and then a state college before becoming the University of North Texas in 1989. With a population of more than 34,000 students, UNT is now one of the five largest colleges in the entire state.

The university offers 97 bachelor's programs, 80 master's programs and 34 programs at the doctoral level. U.S. News & World Report ranked its MBA program as one of the top 50 best online MBA programs and also named its programs in public affairs, library and information sciences, health librarianship, school library media and political science as among the nation's best graduate programs. Both Washington Monthly and Forbes included UNT on lists of the best colleges in the entire country. It also has a good reputation as a research university and for its low ratio of professors to students.

University of North Texas Accreditation Details

The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) granted regional accreditation to the University of North Texas and approved its renewal each time the university applied for it. This type of accreditation means that you can more easily transfer credits and classes to and from the university to other schools and that you have the right to earn a degree when you complete your program requirements. The university also has specialty or program accreditation from top organizations too, including:

  • American Academy of Forensic Sciences
  • Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications
  • Commission on English Language Program Accreditation
  • Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
  • Council on Rehabilitation Education
  • Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
  • Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration
  • National Recreation and Park Association

University of North Texas Application Requirements

UNT lets you complete most of the application steps online. The university requires that incoming freshmen have at least an 1180 on the new SAT and that they graduated within the top 1/3 of their classes. If you graduated higher within your classes, you can get in with a lower SAT score. The university also accepts students who participated in the UNT Eagle Advantage Program. Though you can submit an ACT score in lieu of an SAT score, you must score between 18 and 23 on the main test or the subject tests. Those applying for early admissions must have a 3.0 GPA, score 1180 on the SAT or 26 on the ACT, attend an interview session and supply letters of recommendation from a parent and a school principal or guidance counselor.

If you want to apply for a UNT graduate program, you must pay the $75 nonrefundable application fee and submit the application online. The university accepts applications up through the middle of June for students starting in the fall. You must also supply UNT with an official transcript that shows you maintained a 3.0 GPA for a master's program or a 3.5 GPA to enroll in a doctoral program. The university also asks for a score from a standardized test like the MCAT, GRE or GMAT. Depending on the program you want to enroll in, you may also need to submit your resume, a short essay and/or up to three letters of recommendation.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Though UNT estimates its cost of attendance at around $23,000 for undergrads and $20,000 for graduate students, this only applies to those who live in Texas and attend classes on campus. Tuition costs for Texas undergrads is $1,500 a year, which lets those students take 15 credits. Those living in other states pay close to $14,000 for those same classes. Full-time graduate students take nine credits per semester and pay $900 as a Texas resident or more than $8,000 as a non-resident.

The financial aid that you qualify for depends on your year. Undergrads may receive grants and loans, but the university also offers scholarships. Some of these are based on a student's financial need or merit, and there are scholarships available through individual departments as well. Though graduates students generally qualify for loans, the university recommends that those students apply for fellowships and grants too. It offers fellowships that award students $500 a semester and fellowships that give students more than $30,000 a year. You can look at the scholarships and fellowships available from UNT on its financial aid website, which also includes information on how to apply for each one.

Online Degrees Available

UNT offers five bachelor's degree programs, 16 certificate programs for graduate students, two undergrad certificate programs and a number of graduate programs for online students. As an undergrad, you can earn a a bachelor's in information science, rehabilitation studies or even criminal justice. The criminal justice program can prepare you for working as a probation officer, government agent, police officer or researcher. It covers topics like correctional systems, law enforcement, public policy and criminal law procedures. The program requires that you take 33 credits of general education courses, 12 credits of supporting classes, 42 hours of criminal justice required courses and 27 hours of core courses. Some of the core courses in criminal justice that you must take include criminal law, ethical issues in criminal justice, criminology, correctional systems and police systems.

Related Resource: 20 Most Affordable Top Ranked Schools for an Online Master's in Educational Psychology Degree

The university offers an accelerated online MBA program that lets you complete your degree in under two years. You can choose a concentration in human resources management or strategic management, but the university also offers a more traditional MBA program with a concentration in marketing. It consists of 18 credits of core courses like accounting for managers, financial management and administrative strategy. You'll also take classes on effective marketing planning, customer behavior, strategic global supply chain management and decision making in global markets. The University of North Texas will look at your transcript to determine if you should take any introductory or background courses before beginning the online MBA program.