Arizona State University

Arizona State University started as a territorial school in 1895, and has evolved over the years into a teacher's college and finally into its present day status as a premier research facility and the largest university in the nation, serving more than 80,000 students annually in undergraduate and graduate programs on campus and online. The online presence alone serves more than 13,000 students annually in more than 90 online degree options, including degrees in areas of engineering and education.

Arizona State University Accreditation Details

All academic programs, including online degree programs, at Arizona State University are accredited by the North Central Association of Schools and Colleges Higher Learning Commission. In addition, the Bachelor of Science degree program in electrical engineering is accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission/Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, or ABET.

Arizona State University Application Requirements

The application process is the same for both on-campus or online programs with Arizona State University. Incoming freshman are considered to be students who have either not attended college yet or have fewer than 24 transferable credit hours with a minimum of 2.0 GPA in those courses. Students wishing to enter as freshmen must meet ASU competency requirements coming out of high school, as outlined below:

• Four years each of English and Math, to include Algebra II and a course that requires Algebra II as a prerequisite
• Three years of laboratory sciences
• Two years of social sciences, including one year specifically in American history
• Two years of foreign language instruction in the same language
• One year of fine arts

Students may be granted admission with one deficiency in no more than two of the above areas, with the stipulation that the two areas cannot be both math and laboratory science. In addition to the above requirements, students must meet one of the following requirements for admission:

• Being part of the top 25 percent of their graduating high school class
• Maintaining a 3.0 GPA overall in competency courses
• Achieving an ACT minimum score of 22, or 24 for non residents
• Achieving an SAT minimum reasoning score of 1040, or 1110 for non residents

Students seeking admission with more than 24 college credit hours already earned are considered as transfer and can be admitted if they have maintained a minimum of 2.0 GPA in previous college courses, preferably in the process of obtaining an Associates degree, or a minimum of 2.5 GPA while completing the Arizona General Education Curriculum at an accredited Arizona community college.

Tuition and Financial Aid

The cost per credit hour for tuition at ASU varies for on-campus and online learning; although a variety of financial aid options are available regardless of which path you choose. Undergraduate on-campus tuition ranges from about $250 per credit hour to about $425 per credit hour for Arizona residents and can be as much as $1000 or more per credit hour for non residents, depending on chosen campus and program. Costs for online coursework range from $480 to $543 per credit hour, regardless of residency status and with no additional program fees. The online degrees listed below are charged at $480 per credit hour for the Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies and $513 per credit hour for either Bachelor of Science in Engineering degree.

Financial aid is available both through federal aid and through school programs for both traditional and online degree programs. More than 80 percent of all students at ASU receive some form of financial aid to help offset the cost of higher education, with the first recommended step being to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, online. In addition, students are encouraged to apply for specific scholarships for which they may qualify.

Online Degrees Offered

Among the more than 90 online degree programs offered are the Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies and the Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering or Engineering Management. With the ability to study within these programs from practically anywhere, coupled with the lower tuition costs and abundance of financial aid options, choosing online courses at ASU seems a logical conclusion.

Bachelor of Arts in Educational Studies

The educational studies degree offers a versatile set of skills that qualifies graduates of the program to work in education for nonprofit or government organizations, in private or recreational settings, or in a variety of other learning environments. This degree does not lead to teacher certification, but rather prepares individuals to examine the role of education on a global scale and the impact of education on a variety of diverse populations and within certain variables. Courses cover subjects such as nutrition and safety within an educational setting, exceptional student education needs, cultural diversity, community embedded learning, structured English immersion, and problem solving through digital technology applications. There are also several foundational courses involved in studying learning outside of traditional school settings.

Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering

The electrical engineering Bachelor of Science degree prepares students for a variety of careers in areas such as energy production, global sustainability, healthcare technology, information processing, security, communications, and data networking. Both fundamental and specialty courses are included, for a broad range of options post-graduation. Practical and real world experience is integrated into the online environment through use of industry-standard design, practical hardware, and lab simulation tools. Coursework is heavy on calculus and physics for engineers in the first few terms, along with fundamental courses, but later includes specific courses on programming, differential equations, electromagnetics, circuits, signals and systems, and pathways.

Engineering Management

The engineering management Bachelor of Science degree takes a more integrated approach to combining engineering coursework with business coursework to prepare students to move into management in particular engineering fields. In addition to general engineering coursework in such subjects as programming, electricity and magnetism, students take crossover foundational courses offered through the business school at ASU, courses in subjects such as accounting, probability and statistics, microeconomics, entrepreneurship, and organizational management. This program is geared toward both professionals already working in an engineering field who are interested in pursuing management opportunities and toward incoming students who are interested in integrating both business and technology from the beginning of their careers.

Whatever your interest in higher education, online learning is a valuable alternative to traditional settings, providing choices and flexibility when needed. At Arizona State University, online courses also offer value in tuition rates that are uniform for both residents and non residents alike, with the added credential of being names a "Best Buy" by the Fiske Guide to Colleges for their combination of academic offerings and affordability in online education.