The University of New Mexico was founded in 1889 as the state's flagship university, a distinction it still claims today. The main campus is located in Albuquerque, NM, but there are several satellite campuses throughout the state and a thriving online degree presence for those who seek more remote learning. The university houses 12 colleges and schools and offers 94 baccalaureate, 71 masters, and 37 doctoral degrees, including the various options for gaining a master's degree entirely online.
University of New Mexico Accreditation Details
Since 1922, the University of New Mexico has been continually accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), covering all campuses and programs offered. In addition, the Master in Public Administration degree program, offered on campus and online, is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration, and the various Nursing programs, including the online master's degree in nursing, are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing.
University of New Mexico Application Requirements
Students seeking to study at the University of New Mexico, either on campus or online, follow the same admission requirements either way. Undergraduates can apply online and provide high school or GED transcripts, test scores for the SAT or ACT, and transcripts, if any, from other colleges or universities attended previously.
Students seeking entry at the graduate level must show proof of an undergraduate degree earned and a minimum GPA of 3.0 on all upper division courses applied to the bachelor degree. Students must also disclose all previous colleges or universities attended, regardless of whether a degree was earned at each one. In most cases, students are also required to have at least 12 undergraduate credit hours of upper division coursework within the major field to which he or she is applying for graduate work. There may be an option to meet this prerequisite after being accepted to the graduate program of choice, but this coursework would need to be taken in addition to the required graduate courses.
Tuition and Financial Aid
New Mexico state residents seeking to study on campus or with a mix of on campus and online courses are assessed $306.14 per credit hour for a full-time schedule of up to 15 credit hours. Non-state residents are assessed $914.00 per credit hour when taking a full-time schedule of up to 12 credit hours. In-state undergraduate students taking from 15 to 18 credit hours per semester pay a lower rate of $231.68 per credit hour, and out-of-state residents pay a block rate of $10.968 for blocks of 12 to 18 credit hours per semester, equal to the total for 12 credit hours at the out-of-state rate.
Graduate courses are charged at $324.18 per credit hour for in-state residents and $943.44 for out-of-state residents, again capped at the cost for 12 credit hours for those non-residents taking between 12 and 18 credits per semester. Again, these are fees for students choosing to mix both on-campus and online classes when studying at the University of New Mexico.
For long-distance learners choosing the Managed Online Programs, which allow for earning a degree through completely online study, undergraduate students are assessed $321.25 per credit hour, regardless of their residency status with relation to the state of New Mexico. Graduate students in one of these programs are assessed $342.37 per credit hour, again regardless of residency status.
In all cases, financial aid is available to help offset the cost of college in the form of grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study programs. For all students seeking financial aid, the first step is to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, of FAFSA, preferably online, and to set up a financial aid file with the Student Financial Aid Office at the university. Once your level of need is determined and aid is received, this is the office that will coordinate and disburse it, so ongoing communication is imperative.
Online Degrees Available
The University of New Mexico offers several Managed Online Degree programs at the master's level, including medical field degrees in Dental Hygiene and Nursing, education field degrees in Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Educational Leadership, and Organization, Information and Learning Sciences, and a Master's degree in Public Administration. In each of these programs, course requirements match those of the same program taken on campus, to include minimum GPA's that range from 3.0 to 3.5, depending upon the program, required core subjects, and the total number of credit hours needed for completion.
The courses are taught by the same faculty that teaches these subjects on campus, allowing for a higher level of consistency and the same level of quality as on campus courses, but with the flexibility of start times offered multiple times each year. In addition, students have the flexibility of studying when it's convenient to their particular schedule and the convenience of paying one low tuition rate for these courses, regardless of residency status. As a member of the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements, or SARA, a voluntary organization of several states and U.S. territories, UNM agrees to abide by established comparable national standards for students studying long-distance and across state lines.
In some cases, such as the Elementary Education and Secondary Education degree programs, options are offered for both students seeking to become licensed and for those who are already licensed. In the case of the former, prospective students who intend to seek licensure in a state other than New Mexico are advised to make sure the online program at UNM meets the requirements for their particular state. The same may hold true for students in the Nursing and Dental Hygiene programs, as the university maintains standards within its courses for licensure within the state of New Mexico and cannot guarantee the same standards are met for other states.
Regardless of what direction each student chooses, the options for gaining a higher education degree are more numerous than ever. With medical and nursing programs ranking within the top ten nationally for quality education, and diverse education programs preparing students to teach and lead at all levels of elementary and secondary educational institutions, the University of New Mexico is a solid choice and a good value.