Western New Mexico University

Western New Mexico University was established in 1893 in Silver City, New Mexico. The institution has had four names: Normal School, New Mexico State Teacher's College, New Mexico Western College and the current name of Western New Mexico University. The university enrolls approximately 3,500 students annually and awards roughly 500 degrees per year. 50% of students are Hispanic and the university has been designated as a Hispanic-serving institution.

Western New Mexico University Accreditation Details

Western New Mexico University is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools, the Professional Standards Commission of the State of New Mexico, the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Council on Social Work Education. The campus-wide accreditation was reaffirmed by the Higher Learning Commission in 2014 and is not scheduled to be reviewed again until 2022.

Western New Mexico University Application Requirements

To apply to Western New Mexico University, you must first complete an online application and pay the $30 application fee. You must then submit your transcripts and test scores. For undergraduate programs, you will need to submit your high school transcripts and or GED scores. ACT and SAT scores are not required for admission, but they do determine if the Compass Placement Test is required. You should then complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to determine your eligibility for financial assistance. You can also apply for scholarships at this time. Students applying for graduate admission are also required to submit a letter of intent. The letter of intent should detail the student's goals for graduate work and the student's purpose for pursuing a graduate education.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Western New Mexico University is known for having reasonable tuition rates. Residents of 14 other western states qualify for reduced tuition rates, lowering the expense associated with out-of-state tuition. Out-of-state waivers are also issued to residents of Arizona, Colorado and El Paso, Texas. These waivers grant out-of-state students in-state tuition rates.

Other ways to lower tuition costs include admissions scholarships, foundation scholarships, competitive scholarships, New Mexico Lottery scholarships, and Early Freshman scholarships. Admissions scholarships include: National Merit Scholarships, National Hispanic Scholarships, Leadership Scholarships, Community Service Scholarships and Valedictorian and Salutatorian scholarships.

Students can apply for admissions scholarships online prior to applying for university admission. Foundation scholarships are offered through the university's foundation office, and students can search in the university's online system to see if they qualify for these scholarships around the time of completing their university application. Competitive scholarships are issued to full-time undergraduate students residing anywhere provided they have a minimum high school GPA of 3.0 and 23 ACT or 1070 SAT score. Alternatively, students may have a high school GPA of 3.5 and 20 ACT or 950 SAT score, or a 3.5 college transfer GPA. Competitive scholarships may be renewed for four years provided the minimum criteria continue to be met each year.

New Mexico Lottery scholarships are awarded to students who attended high school in the state of New Mexico and enrolled in a full-time degree program in the first semester following high school graduation. Students seeking New Mexico Lottery scholarships must be enrolled in 15 semester hours and file a FAFSA form. Early Freshman scholarships are awarded for a student's first semester at the university, whereas New Mexico Lottery scholarships are offered for the student's second semester.

The university also guarantees tuition rates as long as students maintain full-time enrollment and meet the GPA requirements. Students must maintain a 2.0 GPA in undergraduate and associate-level programs and a 3.0 GPA in graduate-level work. Undergraduate students must enroll in 30 credit hours per year and graduate students must enroll in 18 hours per year to guarantee their tuition rate.

Tuition rates begin at $246.08 per credit hour for resident undergraduate students and are as much as $300.37 per credit hour for a non-resident graduate student. There is also an additional $30 per hour charged for online undergraduate courses and an additional $40 per hour charged for online graduate courses.

Online Degrees Available

All programs of study have some, if not all courses available online.

Available graduate degrees include: Master of Business Administration, Master of Arts in Teaching, Master of Arts in Educational Leadership, Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies and Master of Social Work. There is no specific online graduate-level degree program in Political Science, however, Political Science is a part of the course of study for the Masters of Interdisciplinary Studies (MAIS). The MAIS is a master's degree that is completely online. Students are not required to complete specific courses; they are encouraged to study topics in English, History, Management Information Systems, Political Science, Psychology and Writing.

Graduate Certificates are also awarded in these areas of the MAIS, provided the student has completed 18 hours in the specific content area. Available undergraduate degrees include: Bachelor of Applied Science in Criminal Justice, Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education, Bachelor of Arts in English, Bachelor of Applied Science in Business, Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies, Bachelor of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Psychology, Bachelor of Arts in Rehabilitation Services, Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education, Bachelor of Science in Social Work and Bachelor of Science in Special Education. Available Associate Degrees include: Associate of Science in Criminal Justice, Associate of Arts in Human Services and Associate of Arts in Liberal Studies.

The Political Science program is unique at Western New Mexico University, because it is flexible. Professors at Western New Mexico University offer classes at times that are convenient for students, and they ensure that students are supported in their learning journeys. Students get to choose courses that interest them and are not required to complete a set course list.

Related Resource: Top 20 Most Affordable Online Master's in Political Science

The university has a 13:1 student-teacher ratio, ensuring personal attention is given to each student, even for online courses. Because the political science program is integrated into a broader program of study, students can customize a program of study that will best suit them for future studies and work. The Political Science program is a flexible program of study at Western New Mexico University.