University of Arkansas Grantham
University of Arkansas Grantham is a for-profit university that operates several campuses and schools that go by different names. When established in the early 1940s, it served as the Grantham Radio Licensing School and offered just a small number of diploma and certificate programs. Many of its early students were veterans who served in World War II. The success of its first campus led to the school opening small campus across the country. After the United States Department of Education formally recognized the campus and it received its first accreditation, it changed its name to Grantham University. The university has its headquarters in Kansas and primarily offers online degree programs.
Ranked as one of the top schools for distance learners, Grantham also ranks as one of the top online colleges for military students. Not only does it offer discounts and financial aid packages for military students, but the university also offers shorter classes and courses that students can take from anywhere the military stations them around the world. Military Advanced Education, which is a magazine devoted to military education, included the university on its list of the top five schools for military students.
The university now divides itself into four different colleges. It has a School of Business, College of Engineering and Computer Science, College of Arts and Sciences and College of Nursing & Allied Health, which is responsible for its MSN programs. University of Arkansas Grantham has an enrollment of more than 17,000 students across all its online programs.
University of Arkansas Grantham Accreditation Details
As University of Arkansas Grantham is private and for-profit university, it doesn't have the same types of accreditation that public and nonprofit schools do. It has national accreditation, which comes from the Distance Education Accrediting Commission (DEAC). The DEAC is a commission recognized by the United States Department of Education. It also has accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). Grantham offers financial aid for students that allows them to use government money and private money to pay for their classes and other expenses.
University of Arkansas Grantham Application Requirements
Students applying to one of the University of Arkansas Grantham graduate programs must have a 2.5 grade point average. Though the university will accept students with a lower GPA, those students will need to file a waiver and maintain a 3.0 GPA in the graduate classes that they take. Students must take at least half the credits needed to graduate through Grantham. The university allows students to transfer in credits from another online or traditional university, but they must provide a transcript from each one of those schools. Grantham will determine whether those courses transfer and the total number of credits the student receives.
Though the university does not ask for a standardized test score, it does ask the students fill out an online application. Many students will find it helpful to speak to an admissions counselor over the phone or in person too. Those applying to one of its MSN programs must show proof that they have a valid nursing license that is in good standing in their home states. They will also need to submit a transcript that shows they have a bachelor's degree in nursing. Grantham may award credits to students based on the professional experience they have or for work that they currently do in the health care field.
Tuition and Financial Aid
One reason so many students earn their MSN degrees through University of Arkansas Grantham is because it offers affordable tuition rates. All its MSN programs charge just $327 per credit hour, which is half of what other online colleges charge. Students can apply for a discount because they are veterans or on active duty with a branch of the military. All military students and veterans pay just $250 per credit hour for their graduate classes. The university also charges a $45 technology fee that is due at the beginning of each term. Terms at this university last for eight weeks.
Though University of Arkansas Grantham offers discounts for military students, it also offers financial aid for all students. Students can apply for one of the scholarships available through the university, but each of these scholarships has a different deadline. Some of these programs award students more than $30,000 a year, which will cover their tuition and any other costs they might have. The university encourages students to fill out its Federal Student Aid application to see if they qualify for any grants. Grantham will also help students apply for private student loans and for other financial aid programs.
Online MSN Nursing Management & Organizational Leadership
University of Arkansas Grantham offers online Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) degrees because it knows that nurses today have busy lives and that they don't always have time to attend classes on a traditional campus. One of the programs that it offers is an MSN in Nursing Management & Organizational Leadership that students can complete online. Designed for those who want to work in nursing administration, it prepares students for working in hospitals and other health care facilities. The university believes that students who finish this program will see an increase in their annual earnings right away.
Unlike other online programs that only start at the beginning of the semester, this Grantham program allows students to start whenever they want. Classes start at the beginning of nearly every month, and some classes start in the middle of the month too. Students must take 37 credits of courses, but the university designed this program for students to finish in just two years. The university allows students to take more or less classes each semester based on how much work they can do, which means that students may take more or less time to finish the program.
The courses in this program look at some of the recent trends in the health care industry and the role of government in health care today. In addition to classes, the program requires that students take a capstone class and do some type of a final project. They have the freedom to pick a topic that interests them based on their interests and goals. Students will present their projects in front of their advisers and a panel of professors at the end of the semester. University of Arkansas Grantham also offers a Master of Science in Nursing in Nursing Education, Nursing Informatics and Nursing Case Management.