University of Louisville

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The University of Louisville was first envisioned by eight Kentuckians as Jefferson Seminary in April 1798. Officially opened in 1813, the seminary struggled financially until it became the Louisville Medical Institute two decades later. Since the 1960s, Louisville has belonged to the Bluegrass State's public university system as a preeminent, co-educational RU/VH member of the ACC. Endowed for $844.3 million, U of L educates 16,033 undergrads and 5,963 post-grads across 70 fields of study. Its main 345-acre urban campus in the Highlands' Belknap district is paired with the Health Sciences, Shelby, Panama, Singapore, and online campuses. With 79 percent retention, the University of Louisville has famous alums like Mitch McConnell, Diane Sawyer, and Warren Oates.

According to the U.S. News, Louisville is America's 90th top public college with the 20th best online criminal justice, 25th top online computer IT, and 64th best online engineering degrees. On Niche, the University of Louisville landed as Kentucky's #1 college for student athletes and #2 communications school. Forbes magazine declared UofL the 175th best research hub and 426th top university overall. The ARWU positioned Louisville within the top 500 global universities. Included in Sierra's 100 "Coolest Schools," UofL is ranked the 91st best Southern value and 123rd best national university in Washington Monthly. Nonprofit Colleges Online also featured the University of Louisville among the United States' best 50 online master's programs.

University of Louisville Accreditation Details

Reaffirmed on probation in 2008 under President Gregory C. Postel, the University of Louisville holds regional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). Certain online Louisville degrees have also received the following programmatic accreditations that are recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA):

  • Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
  • Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET)
  • Council on Accreditation for Educator Preparation (CAEP)
  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
  • Council on Social Work Education (CSWE)
  • Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP)

University of Louisville Application Requirements

Taking flight online with the University of Louisville means passing the "selective" admission rate of 72 percent. Bachelor's degrees online won't accept freshmen, so you'll need to transfer 40-90 face-to-face credits from other programs or other accredited colleges first. Prospective UofL students only receive credit for college-level, non-remedial courses graded at least "C-." Finishing the first two years of a KCTCS associate degree is preferred. Most online programs stipulate a minimum 2.0 GPA, but the College of Business expects a 2.8 GPA or better. The Speed School of Engineering still asks transfers for a minimum ACT composite score of 24 or SAT combined score of 1090.

The School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies preserves its 100 percent online master's programs for applicants with a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.). Post-grads should have majored in a relevant field, especially for the Online Master of Education that requires teacher certification. Certain programs, such as the M.S. in Civil Engineering, will have prerequisites like statistics or college algebra. Master's curricula mandates a cumulative GPA above 2.75. On average, admitted post-grads present GRE scores of 153 (verbal) and 152 (quantitative). Non-native English speakers also have the second step of scoring at least 213 on the computer-based TOEFL or equivalent.

The University of Louisville has transfer deadlines of November 1st, April 1st, and July 1st each year. Graduate programs have varying dates, but most cut off applications on August 1st and November 30th. Prospective online learners must create a UofL account on CollegeNet.com and submit excess materials to 2211 South Brook Street in Louisville, Kentucky 40208. Online programs usually require the following:

  • Payment for the $50 fee or waiver
  • Official transcripts from every institution
  • College entrance exam scores
  • Two academics letters of reference
  • Determination of residency status
  • Résumé or CV (post-graduate only)

Tuition and Financial Aid

Standard tuition at the University of Louisville is $11,068 for Kentuckians and $26,090 for non-residents each year. Campus students also add in $5,231 and $3,197 for room and board respectively. This money can be saved by studying through UofL Online though. Undergrad online courses charge flat-rate tuition at $497 per credit. Regardless of residency, online post-grad students spend $714 per credit. Active-duty military and Kentucky National Guard members receive the discount for $250 per credit. Certain programs, such as the Master of Social Work, require practicum insurance for $800.

The NCES figures that 97 percent of beginning, full-time UofL Cardinals share $24.2 million in financial assistance yearly for $9,487 on average. The Start to Finish program helps families find federal financial aid, including the Pell Grant, FSEOG Grant, TEACH Grant, and Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant. Online courses qualify for low-interest loans via the Stafford, Perkins, Health Professions, and Grad PLUS programs. The KHEAA offers Bluegrass State residents the College Access Program Grant, Go Higher Grant, and Coal County Scholarship. Tuition waivers exist for foster children, senior citizens, and dependents of fallen public safety officers. Students also access institutional awards like the Trustees' Renewable Scholarship, Henry Vogt Scholarship, Kentucky Dataseam Scholarship, Brown Fellows Award, and Rogers Scholarship.

Online Degrees Available

Belonging to the Online Learning Consortium (OLC), the University of Louisville has 5,917 students taking at least one online course. Non-traditional students choose from six bachelor's, nine master's, and nine certificate programs online. Thanks to the 16:1 student-professor ratio, Louisville Cardinals are deeply engaged in online courses on the user-friendly Blackboard platform. Online scholars also gain support from the Disability Resource Center, Keys to Success Program, and Ekstrom Library. Two sample online Louisville degrees are:

B.S. in Criminal Justice

Offering 10 Blue Coats Scholarships of $3,000 yearly, Louisville's B.S. in Criminal Justice is an online degree completion program for transfers to further their working knowledge of how the legal system analyzes, addresses, and prevents illegal behaviors. Chaired by Dr. Gennaro Vito, the 54-credit major spans 300-level online courses from corrections to juvenile delinquency with one practicum assignment at agencies like Oldham County Police.

M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning

The CAEP-accredited College of Education gives certified PreK-12 teachers the opportunity to complete the 30-credit M.Ed. in Teaching and Learning with 10 online courses to continue developing their classroom practices for promoting students' content mastery. Aligned to NBPTS certification standards, the online program takes just 24 months with emphases for Assistive Technology, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Classroom Reading, Instructional Technology, or English as a Second Language.

Other online degrees available at the University of Louisville include the B.A. in Communication, B.S. in Healthcare Leadership, M.S. in Human Resources, M.A. in Higher Education Administration, and M.Eng. in Engineering Management.