University of Connecticut
In 1880, Charles and Augusta Storrs donated land and money to start an agricultural school in Connecticut. The brothers' gift of a former orphanage, 170 acres of farmland, a few barns and $6,00 was accepted by the state, prompting Governor Hobart Bigelow to sign legislation in 1881 establishing the Storrs Agricultural School. The name of the school was changed to the Storrs Agricultural College in 1891, the same year that women were admitted. It was during that year that the school became Connecticut's land-grant college as well.
In 1899, the name of the school changed again to the Connecticut Agricultural College and began granting bachelor's degrees in 1915. The first master's degree was awarded in 1920. In 1933, the school was renamed Connecticut State College. The school received accreditation from the Association of American Universities in 1934 and gained university status in 1939, becoming the University of Connecticut.
Today, the university is one of the top public research universities in the country with more than 30,000 students enrolled. The average SAT score of students enrolled is 1010 and 85 percent of the student body were in the top 25 percent of their high school class.
University of Connecticut Accreditation Details
The University of Connecticut is accredited by the New England Association of Schools & Colleges. Accreditation indicates that students will receive good quality education and that the university is committed to improving programs to continue providing the best education possible to all students. Accreditation is necessary for students to obtain federal and state financial aid as well. In addition to regional accreditation, many programs have additional, specialized accreditation.
University of Connecticut Application Requirements
Freshmen wishing to attend the University of Connecticut must have completed the following courses while in high school:
- English - four years
- Math - three years that include Algebra I & II as well as Geometry
- Social Studies - two years including one year of U.S. History
- Foreign Language - two years, although three years is preferred
- Laboratory Science - two years
- Electives - three years
Students must complete the Common Application and submit the required fee. Students must provide official secondary school transcripts and official SAT or ACT scores.
Students who have completed at least 12 credit-hours following high school graduation are considered transfer students. To apply for the University of Connecticut, transfer students must have completed courses comparable to the university requirements and earned a cumulative grade point average of 2.7 or higher. Students must be in good standing at the college or university they are currently attending as well.
In order to apply for graduate programs at the University of Connecticut, students must hold a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university. Students must submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended showing a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 for their undergraduate career. Some programs will accept students with a 3.0 grade point average over the past two years of undergraduate study or a cumulative GPA of 3.5 in their final undergraduate year. Some programs require official GRE or GMAT test scores as well.
University of Connecticut Tuition and Financial Aid
Full-time tuition at the University of Connecticut is $9,858 for residents and $30,038 for out-of-state residents. Graduate tuition is $678 per credit hour for residents and $1,674 per credit hour for non-residents.
Financial aid is available in the form of grants, scholarships, loans and federal work study. Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to qualify for financial aid. The average amount of financial aid awarded by the university each year is more than $400 million with more than $154 million in scholarships and grants. More than $54 million is awarded in tuition waivers as well.
University of Connecticut Online Degree(s) Available
Ph.D. in Business
The doctorate degree in business at the University of Connecticut requires students to complete between 37 and 49 credits of courses. The program covers four broad categories including:
- Orientation
- Research Methods
- Major Area of Concentration
- Supporting Courses
At least 15 credits of Dissertation Research are required and represents the research the student must devote to their dissertation. Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 3.0 and complete a qualifying research paper, pass a general examination in their area of concentration and successfully complete their dissertation. Concentrations include:
- Accounting
- Finance
- Management
- Marketing
- Operations and Information Management
Each student in the doctoral program must work with their major adviser and associate advisers to develop a formal plan of study. The plan must meet all coursework requirements and be submitted before the student completes 12 hours of coursework. Students may qualify for Teaching and Research Assistantships that include tuition waver, stipend with master's degree of $22,060 and subsidized health insurance.
In order to apply for the program, students must provide a resume and statement of purpose as well as three letters of recommendation. Students do not need a master's degree to apply for the program, but must have a bachelor's degree. The department receives, on average, 250 applications per year, but only between two and four students are admitted to each concentration.
The program is a full-time program and takes approximately five years to complete. Some courses are offered in the evening but most meet during the day. Doctorate courses in business are not offered online and may only be taken at the main campus in Storrs. Students who are awarded full-time assistantships are prohibited from seeking employment outside the university as they must dedicate themselves full-time to their studies. All Ph.D. students are assigned office space but each office is shared by students in the same area of concentration. The university strives to provide a one-to-one ratio between doctoral faculty and students.
Students may elect to participate in the Business Doctoral Student Association which offers the opportunity to socialize, attend research presentations and meet with others who are in the same field of study. Presentations may be formal or informal and provide students with the opportunity to practice their job skills and present papers in a more informal setting to get feedback from others.
The University of Connecticut does not offer an online Ph.D. in Business program, but does offer several master's level programs in an online format.