This school appears in our ranking 20 Most Affordable Master's in Psychology Degrees Online: Private Colleges 2018.
The University of the Cumberlands is a private and religious college in Kentucky that has an annual enrollment of about 1,300 new undergraduates each year. The university maintains their goal of remaining a small undergraduate university to only serve up to 1600 new freshman each year. Their other main goal is to expand graduate and adult programs to help students take advantage of professional opportunities. At least 10,000 students from the US and around the world attend every year. The student to faculty ratio is 17 to one. Approximately 80 percent of the faculty have a terminal degree.
The University of the Cumberlands offers liberal arts programs that are enriched with Christian values. Their commitment to a strong academic program is equal to their commitment to critically and creatively thinking. Students are encouraged to prepare for and take on responsible service and community leadership. The University of the Cumberlands was founded in 1889 and are still associated with the Kentucky Baptist Convention. As a result, they have received exemptions from Title IX of the Education Amendments Act of 1972 to be selective in their admissions, recruitment and employment decisions regarding gender, marriage and pregnancy status.
The University of the Cumberlands Accreditation Details
The University of the Cumberlands is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. School of Business at the University is accredited by the International Accreditation Council for Business Education. The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security have named the University of the Cumberlands as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense. Graduate counseling programs are accredited through the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.
The University of the Cumberlands Application Requirements
Each online graduate program comes with different admissions requirements. For example, the online Masters in Strategic Management only requires a resume, transcripts and application. The Master of Science in Digital Forensics requires the application and official transcripts with a GPA of at least 2.5. The Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling program requires a bachelor's degree with a 3.0 GPA, and two academic and professional letters of reference.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The tuition at the University of the Cumberlands depends on the specific online graduate program. The Master of Science in Digital Forensics and Masters in Strategic Management both cost $315 per credit hour. If the degree requires 31 credit hours, the total is $9,765. The Master's in Clinical Mental Health degree costs $400 per credit hour and requires 60 credit hours, so the tuition will cost $24,000. Most of the financial assistance at the university is offered through on-campus employment. The work program is optional for students. The amount of allotted work depends on the student's abilities and needs.
Students attending graduate school or professional school usually qualify as independent students, so their parent's financial info is not needed to complete the FAFSA. Graduate students won't qualify for as much financial aid as undergraduates working on their first degree, but there are federal, state and college resources. All students must complete the FAFSA to receive federal and state grants, loans and scholarships. These include Perkins Loans, Grad PLUS Loans and Direct Unsubsidized Loans.
The Grad PLUS Loan is for students attending graduate and professional schools. It comes with fixed interest rates and flexible loan limits. Eligibility doesn't depend on financial need, but on passing a credit check and completing the FAFSA. This loan allows the student to borrow up to the full cost of annual attendance minus any received financial aid. The interest rate is low, loan payments can be deferred and a cosigner is not required. Any interest paid may be tax deductible.
The Federal Perkins Loan is low interest and subsidized. This means that interest does not add up during school and that there are grace periods of authorized deferment. This is a campus-based loan program, so the university's financial aid office determines decides which students are awarded the loans. Direct Unsubsidized Loans offer fixed interest rates and flexible repayment conditions. Students must pay off all the interest.
Online Degrees Available
The College of Information Technology offers three degrees: the Masters in Digital Forensics, Masters in Information Systems Security and Masters in Information Technology. The Master of Science in Digital Forensics teaches students how to analyze, prevent and fight cybercrime. Students gain the skills needed to recover data, investigate fraud, discover abuse and minimize computer crime. Students in this program learn standard theories and tactics of the cybercrime industry, so they'll know how to gather evidence, mitigate malware, triage projects and communicate with professionals. Classes include Investigation and Triage, Windows Registry Forensics, Digital Forensics Evidence, Web Browser Forensics and Malware Analysis and Mitigation.
The College of Counseling offers online degrees in Master's in Addiction Counseling, Master's in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and Educational Leadership in Counseling Education and Supervision (Ed.D.). The Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling prepares students to make a positive impact in the lives of clients. Graduates find work in hospitals, private practice, community agencies, correctional facilities and mental health centers. Classes in Marriage and Family Counseling, Child and Adolescent Counseling and Counseling Theories and Techniques teach students about psychological assessments, clinical practice, human development and grief and crisis counseling.
The College of Business offers the following online graduate degrees: Master's in Business Administration, Master's in Project Management and a Masters in Strategic Management. The online Master of Science in Strategic Management is for working professionals with a relevant business degree. The program gives students the core concepts, mental frameworks and leadership techniques needed to thrive in the 21st-century job market. After graduation, students will enjoy stronger management expertise, develop strategies to achieve objectives and apply analytical thinking skills to evaluate data, issues and proposals. Classes required by this program include Competitive Strategy, Management Consulting and Advanced HR Management.
The University of the Cumberlands offers dozens of additional online master's degrees that are flexible, affordable and convenient. The Graduate Academics page lists degrees in education, health science and criminal justice.