New Mexico State University
New Mexico State University, which is referred to as either NMSU or New Mexico State, is the oldest and largest higher education institution in the state. This land-grant, research university was created in the late 1890s and is located in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The main campus is 900 acres and enroll over 15,000 students every year. There are satellite campuses in the cities of Grants, Carlsbad, Alamogordo and Dona Ana. There are also research centers in various locations an extension campus office located in all of New Mexico's counties. New Mexico State University is divided into the Colleges of Honors, Business, Education, Engineering, Health and Social Services, Arts and Sciences and Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.
New Mexico State University is home to one of the few NASA Space Grant programs. The National Science Foundation consistently ranks the university as a leader of science, agriculture, engineering and medical research and development. These research activities and programs strengthen academic programs, attract funding support and provide training and employment opportunities. For example, the Agricultural Experiment Station provides students with opportunities to learn natural resources management and environmental quality testing. The Arrowhead Center provides students with technology incubation, business assistance and IPR training. New Mexico State University earns over $150 million per year for applied research and contributes an estimated one billion dollars into the state's economy.
Accreditation Details
-Since 1926, New Mexico State University has been accredited through The Higher Learning Commission. They are an active member of the North Central Association. The social work degree programs in the Health and Social Services College are accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).
Application Requirements
Incoming freshman must ensure that their official high school transcripts are directly sent to the Office of University Admissions. Students must also send the official results of their Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) or American College Testing Program (ACT) scores to the same office. High school applicants must have graduated from an accredited state high school in the U.S. The minimum GPA is 2.0 and the minimum ACT score is 20. Alternatively, applicants may have a 2.5 GPA and an ACT score of at least 21. Students must have completed the following high school units: four units of English, four years of science, two units of math, three units of fine arts or foreign languages.
Graduate students must submit a copy of their college transcripts. Each graduate school has their own admissions and graduation requirements. For example, students pursuing a master's of social work through the Health and Social Services College must agree to complete a field work component of 16 to 20 hours per week. They must attend extracurricular meetings and complete assignments during their field practicum. Full-time graduate social work students will only take three academic courses each semester, but part-time students will only take two academic courses per semester. Students of this program are discouraged from working full-time or applying to other academic programs because they will spend at least 24 hours a week studying and completing assignments.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Undergraduate residents will pay $206 per credit and non-residents will pay $227 per credit. Graduate resident students will pay $227 per credit and nonresidents will pay $274 per credit. The university's financial aid and scholarship services program help students access to higher education by providing financial assistance and information. This program helps students and their families in pursuing higher education by qualifying for a wide range of loans, grants, scholarships and work-study funds. Any student applying for financial aid must complete a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Doing so will qualify for them for the Federal Pell Grant, which is available to students with demonstrated financial need. The Pell Grant awards range from $400 to $5,730 per year. Additional assistance is available through Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (SEOG) and Leveraging Education Assistance Partnership Program Grants (LEAP). Federal Perkins Loans are low-interest loans that must be eventually repaid. Subsidized and unsubsidized Federal Direct Loans are available to undergraduate students only. The Federal Work-Study Program provides employment opportunities for resident undergraduate students.
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Online Degree(s) Available
New Mexico State University offers online undergraduate and graduate degrees to students around the world. One of the most popular degree program is the Master's in Sociology, because students learn qualitative and quantitative research tools and methods that can be applied to a variety of career fields and theoretical perspectives. These students learn about culture, which includes food and literature, as well as history, which includes demography and social movements. Students explore historical social inequalities through the lenses of race, class, and gender. This degree program is designed for students who want an applied approach to develop an advanced understanding of social issues and research. The experienced faculty know how to deliver high-quality online education through interactive discussions, assignments, learning modules and capstone projects.
This degree program offers professional development opportunities that help students prepare for future careers in the social sciences. Students who want to pursue academic careers are encouraged to focus on original research. Students who want to teach may focus on learning the teaching skills necessary to become college level instructors. Graduates of this program will gain the knowledge needed to conduct useful research, teach students and promote healthy social influences and practices. Students learn which factors can promote positive outcomes for communities. The basic classes students take include classical social theory, culture and society, empirical research basics and the sociology of learning. When it comes to classes on research, students may take classes in quantitative methods, social science statistics, behavioral interviews and data collection and analysis. Students will learn about racial, gender and political issues in education. They will study the role of media and new technologies in organizations. They may also learn about the relationships between social order, community organizations and law enforcement agencies.
Related Resource: Top 20 Most Affordable Online Master's in Political Science
New Mexico State University offers academic programs and opportunities that will satisfy almost every type of student. New Mexico State University's tuition rates for out-of-state students is extremely low and their online programs are noted for their competitive cost and high quality.