Online Master’s Programs at Fort Hays State University
Fort Hays State University appears in our ranking of the Top 20 Most Affordable Accelerated Master’s in Educational Psychology Online.
In addition to undergraduate degree programs and courses, FHSU offers a large number of graduate degrees and certificate programs. There are eleven online master’s degrees but plenty of concentrations within those degrees available through the Virtual Campus.
The MBA online can be earned in Corporate Communication, Digital Marketing, Finance, Health Care Management, Health and Human Performance/ Sports Management, Human Resources Management, Information Assurance, International Business, Leadership Studies, Management Information Systems, Marketing, and Tourism and Hospitality. It can also be earned as a general MBA with no concentrations, but the MBA in Accounting is only available on campus. The online MBA contains 34 credit hours, but students without a business background may have to take additional foundation courses.
There are two counseling degrees that can be earned online. The Master of Science in Counseling, School Counseling is a 48 credit-hour program that includes a three-credit-hour research methods course in which students will complete a research paper. The MS in Counseling, Clinical Mental Health Counseling is a 60 credit-hour program that is offered 50 percent online and 50 percent in a face-to-face format. The on-campus courses are presented on Fridays and Saturdays. The program allows graduates to sit for the Licensed Professional Counselor in Kansas exam. Students take core classes plus five advanced clinical courses, a practicum, and an internship. The emphasis of the degree is on family and marital counseling.
The MS in Education degree can be earned in Instruction Technology, Library Media Specialist, or School Psychologist concentrations. The School Psychologist concentration can be earned as an MSE or an EdS program. Both degrees are 100 percent online except for one five-day workshop held on the campus in the summer. The programs require either the GRE or the GMAT exams. Sample programs in the school psychologist concentration are Behavioral Therapy, Appraisal of Children, and Curriculum-based Measurements. The degree program requires an internship. The length of time required to earn the degree varies because students may study full or part-time.
The MSE in Education can be earned with concentrations in Chemistry, English for Speakers of Other Languages, Higher Education Student Affairs, Mathematics, Reading Specialist, or Transition to Teaching. The Higher Education Student Affairs is a 36 credit-hour program that is presented in a hybrid format. Course areas include seminars and workshops in student outcomes, higher education law, organizational leadership assessment and evaluation of higher education programs, and governance and finance in higher education. Additionally, students take a course in higher education personnel.
There is an online Master’s of Science in PreK-12 Leadership- Building Leadership and a non-degree certificate program in PreK-12 District Leadership which is a superintendent endorsement. Online education degrees also include The MS in Special Education, Gifted Education or the MS in Special Education, High Incident Special Education as well as certificates in Education Administration, Educational Leadership, or Leadership in Reading.
Students in the Virtual Campus department may earn an MS in Health and Human Performance, An MA in History, a MLS ( Master of Liberal Studies) in twelve areas including Art History, Political Science and others, or a MPS ( Master of Professional Studies) in disciplines such as Human Resource Management and Criminal Justice among others.
There are also online Masters in Nursing programs and post master’s certificates.
About Fort Hays State University
This Kansas school began in 1902 as the Western Branch of the Kansas Normal School, located in the infirmary of abandoned Fort Hays. In 1914, the school became the Fort Hays Kansas State Normal School and kept its emphasis on teacher education through two more name changes until 1931 when it became Fort Hays College. It achieved university status in 1977.
The university is comprised of five colleges. The student body includes 4,511 on-campus and 7,005 students enrolled through the Virtual Campus. The US News and World Report ranked Fort Hays State University as # 128 through #165 of Regional Universities -Midwest. Class size is nearly evenly divided between classes of one-to-nineteen students and classes of 20-to-forty-nine students. The student-to-faculty ratio is 17:1.
Fort Hays State University Accreditation Details
- Higher Learning Commission
- Association of Technology Management and Applied Engineering
- Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- Council on Academic Accreditation in Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology of the American Speech-Language- Hearing Association
- Council on Social Work Education
- Joint Review Committee on Education in Radiologic Technology
- Kansas State Board of Education
- Kansas State Board of Nursing
- National Association of Schools of Music
- National Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation
- US Department of Homeland Security and National Security Administration
Fort Hays State University Application Requirements
Freshmen applying to FHSU should use the appropriate online admission form. They must arrange for their high schools to send their official transcripts to the university. The official scores from the SAT or ACT tests should also be submitted. The university suggests applicants undergo a pre-admission interview as well. At the time of application, students should be prepared to pay the non-fundable application fee of $30.
Students applying as graduate students should apply online too, choosing the appropriate form from the offerings. There is a $40 application fee. The institution where the applicant earned his undergraduate degree should submit that transcript to FHSU. Graduate applicants should submit letters of recommendation on a school department letterhead or use the application portal for those papers. Most graduate programs require either the GRE or GMAT, and there will be other requirements by department.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The average cost of attendance for undergraduates at Fort Hays is $18,078. This includes tuition and fees, room and board, books, supplies, transportation, and incidental and personal expenses. For graduate students, the cost of attendance is $19,274 including tuition, fees, room and board, books, supplies, and other expenses. While graduate students may not stay in university housing, they will still have expenses related to room and board. Students earning online degrees are charged by the credit hour. Undergraduate courses are $218.67, graduate courses are $287.75, and the MBA and DNP ( nurse practitioner) courses are $400 per credit hour.
Most students will need assistance to meet these costs. The federal government FAFSA program awards grants, loans, and work-study opportunities to students according to financial need. Kansas offers several funds for higher education including the Career Technical Workforce Grant, The Kansas Scholars Program, The Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship, assistance for minority students, tuition waivers for former foster children, and for the dependents of public safety officers killed in the line of duty and specialized grants and scholarships for those entering high-need professions.
FHSU has many scholarships as well. Most are based on academic merit in addition to financial needs. There are endowed scholarships and grants, grants to students in specific disciplines and majors, and funds for students involved in activities such as music or sports. The school has a listing of these opportunities as well as the state funds that give deadlines and fund details. Students may also find outside scholarships through an Internet search.
Student loans can help fill in the financing gaps, but graduating with a lot of student debt puts pressure on people beginning careers. Some of the best resources for additional financing are part-time jobs and work-study opportunities. These not only give the student needed income but provide valuable work experience. Most students will find that they will use a “package” of several kinds of financing to pay for their degree programs at Fort Hays State University.
Related:
TOP 25 MOST AFFORDABLE CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY ONLINE PROGRAMS
30 PROS AND CONS FOR GETTING A FAST ONLINE MASTER’S DEGREE
ARE ONLINE MASTER’S PROGRAMS EASIER TO GET INTO?
5 TYPES OF NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS RECOGNIZED BY THE IRS
89 RACIAL EQUITY RESOURCES FOR HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION, AND COMMUNITIES
