Upper Iowa University

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Staff
Updated October 2, 2020

Upper Iowa University began on very humble terms. The university started out in 1854 when a pioneer woman convinced her husband and son-in-law to donate 10 acres and 10,000 dollars to start a local school. Through the years, Upper Iowa University gradually expanded into one of the most popular higher learning institutions in the Midwest. During the 1990s and until the present time, the university has expanded into 25 campuses throughout the nation and globe. These 25 educational locations include single campuses in Arizona, Illinois and Oklahoma and two locations in Kansas. There are five locations in both Iowa and Louisiana and ten campuses in Wisconsin. There are global campuses in Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

The original rural campus is still located in Fayette, IA and serves approximately 900 undergraduate students, but the university system serves between five to six thousand students around the world every year. The student-faculty ratio is 18 to one and around 80 percent of classes have fewer than 20 students. There are undergraduate and graduate degree programs in over 40 majors. The most popular majors include business, marketing, management and other related degrees, such as human resources. Psychology, social sciences and public administration degrees are also popular. The Self-Paced Degree Program, which started in 1973, was one of the first distance education programs in the country. The university is the only member of the NCAA Division II Athletics Program in the state of Iowa. They are a proud member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC).

Upper Iowa University Accreditation Details

The university is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. This accreditation is through the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP).

Upper Iowa University Application Requirements

Some majors and programs are only offered on certain campuses or online, so students must verify their degree details. Generally speaking, students must submit a completed application with high school transcripts that reflect at least a 2.0 GPA score. Students must also submit an ACT score of at least 17 and an SAT score of 820 to 850. Students who fall below the 2.0 GPA and 17 ACT will still receive consideration, so they should submit additional information that highlights their potential and character. Potential graduate students must have earned a four-year degree from a regionally accredited college or university with at least a 2.75 GPA in their coursework or a 3.0 GPA on their most recent 60 semester credits. Graduate applicants may also submit two letters of recommendation, GRE or GMAT scores and transcripts from all colleges attended.

Upper Iowa University Tuition and Financial Aid

Students who attend the Fayette campus for 12 to 18 credit hours per semester will pay $28,140 in tuition. Students who take under 12 credits will pay $1,172 per credit hour. All students must pay the annual $750 campus student fee. The basic meal plan is $3,570 per year and the cheapest resident hall will cost $3,280. Graduate degree classes will cost between $441 and $535 per credit hour. All students who want to receive financial aid must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The university also offers various merit and need-based scholarships available to incoming freshman and transfer students.

Upper Iowa maintains a variety of education agreements with companies that offer their employees tuition discounts when taking classes online or at one of the campuses. This Corporate Advantage Program also applies to employee's spouses and their dependents. The need for financial aid is reduced through the university's flexible credit transfer program that accepts both traditional credits and non-traditional credits. Incoming first-year students who have taken dual credit courses or received AP test scores can apply these towards their degrees. Transfer students may apply up to 90 credit hours from a four-year college or up to 78 credits from a two-year community college towards their degree.

Upper Iowa University maintains almost 100 articulation agreements with local two-year colleges, which means that transfer plans are easier because there are course equivalency guidelines. Some students may be awarded up to 30 college credits for prior training and experiences. However, this the documentation process is quite extensive and time consuming, so students must first be accepted for admission and registered before they can apply for experiential learning credits. This is generally offered to students who have worked in the military, firefighting or law enforcement.

Upper Iowa University Online Degree(s) Available

The MBA program is one of Upper Iowa University's most popular programs. The curriculum for the MBA degree includes 36 semester credits. Graduate students must maintain a minimum GPA of at least 3.0 to graduate. Graduate programs consist of six, eight-week terms each year. The basic core curriculum consists of challenging classes that develop competency in everything from finances to innovation to sustainability to change management. Students learn about economics, legal implications, market analysis, product improvement and risk management. Most courses include team-based projects that prepare students to work in the corporate world. The MBA program offers five concentration areas: accounting, general management, organizational development, HR management and corporate financial management.

Alternatively, students can choose a Masters of business administration with an emphasis in human resource management. This program is approved by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) because the courses are aligned with the SHRM's curriculum guidelines. Either way, studying human resources management will provide students with the competencies needed to succeed in the corporate fields of HR training, development and strategic planning. This program uses a curriculum that combines theory and application together to give learners the skills and knowledge needed to critically evaluate HR practices against models, policies and theories. Graduates will understand and appreciate the creation of employee value and engagement. They will take classes in labor management, employment laws, organizational governance, power and culture and compensation and benefits.

Related Resource: Most Affordable Top Online Master's in Human Resources Degree Programs 2020

Master's in Human Resources program concludes with a capstone experience and research seminar. Program participants conduct research, prepare a detailed report and demonstrate the functional integration of their knowledge and skills learned throughout the program.

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