University of Massachusetts Lowell
Established in 1894, the University of Massachusetts Lowell is part of the state's university system and is located in the town of Lowell. The school also has a small campus in nearby Haverhill. The school has maintained regional accreditation since 1975 and currently has more than 18,000 students enrolled for classes in more than 120 bachelor's degree programs. The university also offers master's and doctoral degree programs. Some of the notable and nationally ranked programs at the university include those in music, criminal justice, engineering, education, technology, and science. The school also has several rare programs including those in nuclear engineering, meteorology, sound recording, and plastics engineering. The school's urban campus covers 150 acres, and the university's official colors are blue and black.
University of Massachusetts Lowell Accreditation Details
The New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) first accredited the University of Massachusetts Lowell in 1975, and the university has maintained that accreditation since that date. Many programs at the university are also professionally accredited by various agencies and organizations. For example, many of the bachelor's degrees in engineering at the university are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, International (AACSB) has accredited the bachelor's degrees and master's degrees in Business Administration, and the Commission on Accreditation of Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE) has accredited the doctoral program in physical therapy. Some of the other degrees programs with accreditation include those in art, design, music, education, nursing, and environmental science.
University of Massachusetts Lowell Application Requirements
Application as an undergraduate student to the University of Massachusetts Lowell begins with the Common Application online, as well as a variety of other application materials. Those materials include the application fee, scores from the SAT or ACT, high school transcripts, and a personal essay. For graduate students, the application process requires the official application, the application fee, a statement of purpose, letters of recommendation, an official transcript, and any official test scores required by the program in which a student wishes to enroll. Students must also submit a resume if they wish to study in the MBA program or the Health Management and Policy Education Ed.D. program. Additional requirements for the school's Ed.D. programs include three letters of recommendation and a two-page admission essay that describes the applicant's experience in grammar school education.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The University of Massachusetts Lowell is a public state school and charges lower tuition rates for its in-state students versus students from outside Massachusetts. Tuition for in-state undergraduate students is $14,800 and tuition for out-of-state undergraduates is $31,865. Students from New England receive a slight discount even if they're not from Massachusetts and pay $25,479 in tuition. Room and board for all students at the undergraduate level is $12,496. Graduate tuition for in-state students is $15,040 and $22,851 for out-of-state students. Applicants form the New England region pay $22,851. The school doesn't offer housing for graduate students. Room and board for undergraduates may vary depending on the meal plan and housing option a student chooses.
Financial aid at University of Massachusetts Lowell may include federal loans, private loans, grants, scholarships, and work-study awards. Students must submit their FAFSA form by the deadline to qualify for federal student aid and to receive a financial aid award from the university's financial aid office. Some of the merit-based scholarships for incoming freshmen include the Chancellor's Merit Scholarship, Commonwealth Scholarship, the Tsongas Scholarship, and the Dean's Scholarship Program. A scholarship available to graduate students entering the education program at University of Massachusetts Lowell includes the Provost's Graduate Fellowship, which is available to newly admitted students in graduate programs at the university who are international students or considered out-of-state.
Online Degrees Available
Students interested in a doctoral degree in education at University of Massachusetts Lowell may choose from a Ph.D. in Education or an E.D. in Leadership in Schooling. The Ph.D. program features a curriculum that focuses on the critical evaluation and creation of knowledge in leadership roles within the PK-Higher Education environment. The Ed.D. program is appropriate for those interested in gaining research skills and reaching positions of leadership within all levels of education. The Ed.D. program requires that students complete at least 42 credits above and beyond what they may have already earned during their master's degree program. All courses in the Ed.D. program are offered entirely online.
When students are admitted to the program, they begin during the summer semester and must take at least two courses in each semester they remain enrolled in the program. The program is designed as a cohort model. Although all courses are delivered online, students must also attend a summer residency that lasts one week each year they're in the program and occurs during the second full week in July. The Ed.D. program has been offered at the university since 1985 and received authorization to operate that year from the Massachusetts Board of Regents. The school's program is a member of the Carnegie Project on the Educational Doctorate (CPED), which is a group of more than 100 schools around the world that devote their energies to preparing practitioner-scholars for work in education.
Classes a student will take in the program include Applied Research Design, Qualitative Data Analysis for Practitioner Leaders, Quantitative Data Analysis for Practitioner Leaders, and a Program Evaluation class. Students will also take Strategic Partnering with Families and Communities, Organizational Learning, The Inclusive District, and Law, Policy, & Finance. The dissertation will take nine credits to complete. In addition to completing these and other courses, students must also complete a pair of comprehensive exams, three summer residencies, and their completed dissertation.
Students may also concentrate in one of two areas when they enter this Ed.D. program. Concentrations include the Leadership Concentration or the STEM Leadership Concentration. Students who aren't sure whether they should enroll in the Ph.D. program or the Ed.D. program may wish to meet with one of the program's administrators to discuss how each of these programs differs. Students who decide to enroll in the Ed.D. program should be interested in attaining roles of leadership within administrative departments in educational institutions where higher education is a focus. Students interested in the Ed.D. program at University of Massachusetts Lowell should contact the College of Education for more information on the program and to arrange a visit to the campus.