University of Mary
The University of Mary is a private university in North Dakota that ranks as the largest campus in terms of enrollment and overall size in the Bismark area. Founded in 1959 as Mary College, the Benedictine Sisters of Annunciation Monaster helped found the college and taught many of its early classes. The college was only open to women at the time and became one of the top options for female students in the Midwest. It began accepting male students later in the 1960s and is coeducational today. The college became the University of Mary in the 1980s and still has an affiliation with the Catholic Church. Though less than 70 students enrolled in its first year, the university now has an enrollment of more than 3,000 students.
This university became one of the first in North Dakota to offer classes for working adults. It started with distance education programs that allowed students to work on their degrees through assignments they did at home and later grew to include online classes. The university now offers a number of online programs and classes that lead to full degrees. You can earn a bachelor's or master's degree through its UMary Worldwide campus. The university now has satellite campuses in Kansas, Arizona, Montana and Minnesota too.
University of Mary Accreditation Details
Since its early days, the University of Mary sought accreditation as a way to show its students that they had access to the best programs and opportunities. The university has regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and its North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS). This type of accreditation is what lets you use financial aid to attend college and is helpful for those who may want to transfer some of the credits that they earn. Its programs in respiratory therapy, occupational therapy, nursing, exercise science and athletic training all have professional accreditation too. That accreditation comes from organizations like the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy (ACOT), Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CARE) and Commission on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences (CAES).
University of Mary Application Requirements
When you apply to one of the University of Mary graduate programs, you must meet the requirements of the school as well as that program. The university asks that all students submit an online application and provide an official college transcript. You must create an account before you can work on your application. To create an account, you need your full name, date of birth and a home address. You'll also select your own unique user name as well as a password. Though it takes most students an hour or less to complete the application, your account information lets you log back in to do some work on your application at a later date.
The nursing program requires that you submit a transcript that shows you maintained at least a 2.75 grade point average on the 4.0 scale and that you earned or will earn a bachelor's in nursing. You must have a valid RN license that is in good standing with your state and submit proof of your license. The program asks for two letters of reference that should come from professionals who can attest to your skills in class or in the field. There is a form that you need to sign that allows the university to do a criminal background check on you too. Other requirements include a goal statement that lists all your career and education goals as well as a copy of your most recent resume.
Tuition and Financial Aid
As a graduate student at the University of Mary, you must take at least nine credit hours of classes each semester to qualify as a full-time student and get federal financial aid. The nursing program, as well as many other programs, charge a flat rate of $590 per credit hour. This brings your semester costs up to $5,310 as a full-time student. The university charges fees for those taking distance education courses, which includes classes taken online. There are also fees for using the health center on the university's campus, security and parking.
To get any financial aid while in college, you need to use the FAFSA. You can fill out this form online in the late fall and more than a year before you begin graduate school. Graduate students can apply as dependents or as independents. The most common type of aid given to these students is a Stafford loan. This government program lets students borrow a little over $20,000 a year and pay off those loans after they graduate. Those loans will cover the total costs you face as a nursing graduate students, but you can apply for alternative loans to cover any other costs you have too.
Master's in Nursing Administrator/Nursing Leadership and Management
The nursing leadership and management program that the University of Mary offers is a program designed for those who already have a Bachelor's in Nursing as well as a valid license. This is a BSN to MSN program that awards graduates with a Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in nursing leadership and management. It is an online program that features classes taught by professional nurses with years of experience. The program features 14 classes, including healthcare law and policy, leadership and the future of nursing, management and organizational behavior, human resource management and current issues in healthcare administration. You must also take two seminar courses that have a service learning component. The university expects that you complete 200 hours of clinical work during your seminar and that you work on a leadership project.
Related Resource: 20 Most Affordable Private Colleges for Master's in Nursing Administration Online Degree Programs
A similar program available from the university is an ADN to MSN nursing leadership and management program. This program allows those with a lower level nursing degree to earn a master's without going through a separate bachelor's program first. It features more introductory courses that provide students with the information that they need at the master's level. Those courses include professional roles in advanced nursing, the professional nurse, community as partner and influential nursing leadership. The University of Mary requires that students in this program complete the same seminar and service project work as students in the BSN to MSN program do.