Online Graduate Programs at Anna Maria College
Anna Maria College appears in our ranking of the Top 20 Most Affordable Accelerated Master’s in Public Safety Administration Online.
Though Anna Maria College offers several degree programs for graduate students on its Massachusetts campus, it offers just one online program for students. This is a Master of Public Administration (MPA) program. Also available is a Bachelor of Science (BS) in Fire Science, which accepts students who have an associate’s degree or at least two years of college already completed.
In the MPA program, students can choose the general track. A mid-career track is open to those who have at least four years of administration experience. These students only need to take a total of 10 classes, including Management Policies in Government Finance, Strategic Management of Human Capital, Strategic Planning for Public Managers, Public Policy and Organizational Theories, and the Public Sector. The traditional version of the program requires that students take at least four electives too. This can include an applied research project or a capstone.
Four different concentrations are open to MPA students who want to focus on specific areas such as criminal justice or emergency management. Though each program features the same 10 core MPA classes, students will take four electives based on their concentrations. In the criminal justice MPA, those electives include Justice Administration, Special Topics in Justice Administration, Capstone Project, and Justice and Public Policy. Students in the emergency management MPA program take Special Topics in Emergency Management, Emergency Management Operations Framework, and two electives of their choosing.
A similar program features a concentration in fire and emergency services. Designed for those who already work in emergency departments, it has a mid-career track available for those with a minimum of four years of experience. Majors will typically do a capstone and take Labor and Management Relations, Customer Service: Creating a Customer Friendly Organization, and Special Topics in Fire and Emergency Services Administration. Anna Maria College also allows students to enroll in the homeland security track of the MPA program. Those students take four electives: Foundations of Homeland Security, Partnership for Homeland Security, International Threat and Policy Analysis, and Domestic Threat and Policy Analysis.
About Anna Maria College
Anna Maria College is a private college in Paxton, Massachusetts affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church. Established in 1946, it opened as a coeducational college started by the Sisters of Saint Anne. Though based out of Canada, the Sisters sent orders to the United States to help local churches. Less than one decade after the college opened, it moved to a new location in Paxton. Some of the buildings that students use today date opened not long after that move. It uses the abbreviation AMC today.
The college slowly expanded over the years to bring in new programs for students. This led to the start of an RN to BSN program, which has full accreditation and accepts all types of nurses. It also started a fire science program for students who have some experience and already attended college. The School of Business opened in 2011 and added both new degree programs and internship opportunities for students. Paxton is close to Worcester, which allows students to commute to the campus or work in the large city. AMC has an enrollment of more than 300 graduate students and more than 1,100 undergrads, which includes both traditional and online students.
Anna Maria College Accreditation Details
AMC can accept credits from students who transfer because it has regional accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) through its Commission on Institutions of Higher Education (CIHE). This is the same accreditation needed for students planning to use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to get government aid. The Council on Social Work Education (CSWE), Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN), and National Association of Schools of Music (NASM) also accredited some of the degree programs available at the college.
Anna Maria College Application Requirements
The secure online application offered by AMC makes it easy for students to apply to an online degree program. Students applying to the MPA program must have a grade point average of 2.7 or higher in their undergraduate degree programs and a bachelor’s degree. To show their grades and degrees, the college asks for official transcripts. Those transcripts must show the date the student received a degree and all the courses that he or she took in the degree program. AMC also requires two letters of reference or contact information for people who will write those letters.
Students need to submit the college application, their transcripts, a current resume, and a personal statement too. This statement will explain the reasons the student chose AMC and what he or she wants to get out of the MPA program. The college encourages students to watch a short video online too, which goes over the technology requirements. Students must meet those requirements before they can enroll in an online program. AMC has the same technical requirements for undergrads too. It also asks that undergrads have a minimum of 60 transfer credits and a GPA of 2.0 or higher.
Tuition and Financial Aid
All versions of the MPA program charge the same tuition rate of $685 per credit hour. This does not include the $40 application fee or the $100 fee that students must pay before they can graduate. There is also a $160 per credit hour fee charged for students seeking non-traditional credits. These include credits awarded based on their professional experiences and any certificates they might have. Students can make payments via credit cards, money orders, or checks as well as electronic payments. Those who receive refunds can request electronic refunds too.
Refunds are often available for students who qualify for financial aid that covers more than their direct costs. The college can send them to refund checks or deposit those funds through electronic methods. Students can also set up a payment plan with the college. Before asking for a payment plan, students should submit the FAFSA and view all their financial aid choices. Most AMC graduate students qualify for federal loans. These are unsubsidized loans that include loan counseling at the beginning of the year. Five different scholarships are also available from the college. Online graduate students at Anna Maria College can pay their costs with federal loans, college scholarships, and any other financial aid they receive.
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