This school appears in our ranking Top 30 Online Master's in Special Education Degrees 2017.
Washington State University was established in 1890 and has become a public research university offering classes to more than 30,000 students on campus and through its online programs. Some of the former names under which the university has been known include the Agricultural College, Experiment Station and School of Science of the State of Washington. The school is known by locals as "Wazzu," and some of the most popular programs at the school include those in chemical engineering, neuroscience, veterinary medicine, food science and plant science. The athletic teams participate in the Pac-12 Conference in NCAA Division I games. There are four campuses around Washington available to students, as well as a significant number of online programs available through the school's online system.
Washington State University Accreditation Details
Washington State University is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). Accreditation is a badge the school can use to showcase its ability to offer students financial aid, the ability to meet broadly-accepted education standards and ensure students can transfer between the university and other institutions of higher learning as they move to other programs or continue their study elsewhere. The university's colleges, departments and programs are also accredited by a number of different nationwide organizations. For example, the Counseling Psychology – Ph.D. program is accredited by the American Psychological Association, Commission on Accreditation. The graduate degree programs in speech-language pathology are accredited by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology.
Washington State University Application Requirements
The basic requirements for admission to Washington State University include the official high school transcripts and SAT or ACT scores. Applicants who are at least 25-years-old may include transcripts from other colleges, as well as a resume and an essay. Home school graduates must also submit an academic resume and their official transcripts from the GED exam. Students interested in applying to graduate school will need to submit an official application, letters of recommendation, GRE or GMAT scores and any extra departmental materials required by the program to which the student wishes to apply. For entry into an online program at WSU, application requirements are the same as they are for on-campus students and also vary depending on the student's age at the time of application.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Washington State University is a public school affiliated with the State of Washington, and it charges different amounts for residents versus non-residents. For undergraduate students, attending WSU as a resident is $22,854, and the total for a non-resident is $37,486. Those totals include tuition, mandatory fees, housing, a dining plan and books. All fees are the same for both residents and non-residents, but the tuition is different. For graduate students, tuition for graduate school comes to $5,861.50 per semester for Washington residents and $12,607.50 for non-residents. For every credit a student takes over 18, the fee is $561 per credit for residents and $1,233 per credit for non-residents.
Washington State University's status as a regionally-accredited institution ensures students may apply for and receive student loans and aid from the federal government. In addition to federal student loans, students may also qualify for grants and waivers, private loans and student jobs. Students are encouraged to submit their FAFSA form on time in order to qualify for federal student aid through the school's financial aid department, as well as to investigate opportunities for aid from private student loans and outside scholarship and grant options. The school even has consortium agreements where students who cannot get into a class they need for their degree may use their student loan funds to take that class at a participating school within WSU's consortium agreement.
Online Degrees Available
Washington State University offers a variety of online undergraduate and graduate degrees, as well as non-degree options and teaching endorsements. Some of the undergraduate degrees include those in Business Administration, Human Development, Psychology and Criminal Justice. Graduate degrees available include a Master of Science in Agriculture, as well as degrees in Engineering and Technology, Electric Power and Software Engineering. Non-degree options include certificate programs of American Indian Studies, Early Childhood Education, Organic Agriculture and Professional Writing. The university also offers a teaching endorsement in Special Education Reading.
For undergraduate students interested in majoring in business, the school's Global Campus, where it houses its online programs, offers the choice of three majors including an Accounting Major, Management Information Systems Major and a Management Major. Some of the classes a student will take in these programs of study include Financial Accounting and Managerial Accounting, Law and the Legal Environment and Business Statistics. Business majors at WSU's online school focus on technological and intellectual innovation within the industry and graduates are eligible for work in many environments such as private business enterprises, government agencies and not-for-profit entities.
Students who decide to undertake the Master of Science in Agriculture may choose between a non-thesis or thesis program to complete their degree. The program is designed for current agricultural professionals, educators and farmers. Students may choose one of two specializations in the program including Food Science and Management or Plant Health Management. Classes for students in the Food Science track include Food Quality Management, Principles of Environment Toxicology and Functional Foods and Health. Classes in the Management option include Economics for Agricultural Decision Making, Project Management, and Supervision and Leadership. The online program is designed to offer students an identical educational experience to the one that students enjoy when they attend classes at the campus.
Another graduate program students may consider is the MBA program, which features the option of a traditional MBA or an Executive MBA. As is usually the case with MBA programs, students who do not yet have significant experience in the workplace will want to consider the traditional MBA program. Students who are already well into their careers will want to explore the Executive MBA option. Concentrations available to students in the program include Marketing, International Business, Hospitality Business Management and Finance. Students may also choose to focus on a General track. The program is one of the many online degree programs at Washington State University that is also recognized as a "Military Friendly" option and a "best of" by U.S. News & World Report.