This school appears in our ranking Top 30 Online Master's in Special Education Degrees 2017.
The University of Cincinnati is one of the largest public institutions of higher learning in Ohio. Established in 1819, it also ranks as one of the oldest college campuses in the southwestern region of the state. The university acquired the Conservatory of Music once operated by Cincinnati College in its later years, which led to it shifting its focus. It now provides all students with a strong liberal arts education. The University of Cincinnati goes by a few different names, but most people call the university either UC or just Cincinnati.
UC operates a main campus in Cincinnati that it calls its Uptown campus. Students can also enroll in programs available on its regional campuses in Blue Ash or Batavia. Batavia is home to the former Clermont College and a second regional campus. Clermont College became the University of Cincinnati Clermont after UC acquired it. UC ranks as one of the top schools in the nation and in the world, according to U.S. News & World Report, Washington Monthly and similar organizations. The University of Cincinnati also has degree programs that rank among the nation's best, including those in criminal justice, interior design and architecture.
University of Cincinnati Accreditation Details
The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools granted regional accreditation to the University of Cincinnati. Regional accreditation of this type allows students to file the FAFSA and determine if they qualify for any federal student aid as well as state aid and institutional aid that comes from the university itself. Students can also use this accreditation to transfer their college credits. UC has specialty accreditation that applies to its traditional and online programs, including accreditation from the American Bar Association, Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, National Association of Schools of Art and Design and National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education.
University of Cincinnati Application Requirements
Each graduate program that UC offers has a head department that sets its own application requirements for incoming students. The university itself requires that prospective grad students have a bachelor's degree from a university or college with regional accreditation and that students have a grade point average of at least 3.0 in all the undergraduate classes they took. Some programs will accept students with a lower GPA, but those programs typically ask that students write an essay to explain why they did not maintain a higher class grade average. Students will submit this essay with their applications.
Those applying to certain programs may need to complete other requirements too. They need to fill out the UC application, submit this application online and pay the application fee. Students can request a paper application from the university, but they will then need to mail that application back to UC. Some departments and programs ask for extra information such as a resume that shows any professional experience that the student has and/or a professional goals statement. Students may need to submit letters of recommendation and/or an official score from an exam like the GRE too. UC asks for official transcripts from each student who applies to a graduate program also.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Finding out exactly how much it costs to attend UC is difficult because each graduate program sets its own rates. The general cost that most students pay is around $7,200 a semester or close to $14,500 a year. This rate only applies to graduate students who are also Ohio residents. The cost for nonresidents is around $26,200 a year. Students can also enroll part-time in any program. Part-time students pay $724 per credit hour as a resident and $1,311 per credit hour as a nonresident. All professional programs available through the university charge slightly higher rates. The College of Business charges a flat rate of $890 per credit hour for both residents and nonresidents.
Graduate students generally qualify for less financial aid than undergraduate students do. Those enrolling in an online graduate program can still use the FAFSA, which lets them know if they qualify for federal student loans. These loans charge a lower interest rate than private loans do. Students can borrow more than $20,000 for each year that they enroll on a full-time basis until they reach the maximum amount of loans the government allows. UC will accept any private loans that students get or any private or federal loans that their parents get.
Online Degree Programs
UC offers nearly 30 degree programs for graduate students who want to take online classes. Some of these programs have different specializations available too. For example, the university offers a Master of Science in Nursing with specializations in family practice, adult primary care, midwifery and women's health. The university also offers a Bachelor of Science in Nursing program and a Master of Science in Nursing program that help students complete the requirements for obtaining a nursing doctoral degree.
One of the only online Master of Special Education programs in Ohio and in the entire nation today is the UC program. Designed for those who want to work with children with special needs, this program prepares students for working with kids between the ages of kindergarten and high school. This accredited program includes both online classes and practical work that students complete in their own areas.
The online Master of Science in Sport Administration is another unique program available through UC. Though students must take some required classes, they can customize their degrees and take other courses based on what they want to do with their degrees. This program features classes like Sport Finance and Budgeting, Risk Management and Policy Development in Sport and Revenue Generation in Athletics.
UC also offers its Master of Science in Taxation program online. Students take 30 courses and graduate in just two years. The university offers a tuition discount for Ohio residents enrolled in this program, but it keeps costs low for residents of other states. Students can use this program to meet some of the requirements needed before sitting for a professional licensing exam. It features classes such as Federal Tax Research: Individuals, Federal Tax Research: Corporations, Individual Tax: Special Topics and State and Local Taxation. Students in this University of Cincinnati graduate program must do research towards a final project in a capstone class taken in the senior year.