Online Master’s Degree Programs at Southern Arkansas University
Southern Arkansas University appears in our ranking of the Top 15 Most Affordable Accelerated Master’s in Computer Forensics Online.
Southern Arkansas University offers nearly 30 graduate degree programs online. One is a Master of Business Administration (MBA), which is available from the Rankin College of Business. It includes 30 credits and allows students to take two electives after they take the 24 credits of required courses. MBA students also have the option of taking traditional and evening classes if they live near the Southern Arkansas University campus. This program is available with an emphasis on areas in social entrepreneurship, agribusiness, or supply chain management.
The university’s Master of Education includes different emphasis areas too. It offers a school counseling emphasis that takes up to three years to complete. Majors meet the requirements that Arkansas has for licensed counselors. Students can enroll in a track to get a teaching license at the same time or complete a separate track designed for licensed teachers. The education programs include courses such as Classroom Assessment, Current Trends in Children and Young Adult Literature, Current Issues and Trends in Education, and Classroom and Group Management. Students can choose other emphasis areas in counseling and student affairs, administration and supervision, curriculum and instruction, or library media and information.
Also available is a Master of Science (MS) in Clinical and Mental Health Counseling. It takes up to four years to finish this program because students typically spend an additional year doing practicums after they finish their classes. Students take 60 units of classes and must score B or higher in each one to meet the requirements for licensed counselors in the state. The 57 credits of core counseling classes in the program include Assessment Procedures for Counselors, Counseling Theories, Basic Counseling Skills, Introduction to the Counseling Profession, and Career Counseling: Theory and Practice.
The university’s Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program includes four licensing tracks for students. They can get their licenses to teach K-6, 4-8, K-12, or 7-12. Each area includes concentrations that let students teach drama, art, English, social studies, and other fields. All MAT students will take Teaching and Learning for Diverse Learners in their first semesters and five required courses, including Classroom Assessment and Classroom and Group Management. Southern Arkansas University also offers a Master of Public Administration (MPA) program that includes Principles of Public Administration, Legal Issues in Public Administration, Program Evaluation, and Organizational Leadership.
About Southern Arkansas University
Southern Arkansas University is a public university that the state established in 1909 as the Third District Agricultural School. It served as a public high school with an emphasis on agricultural subjects. The school added two additional years of study in the 1920s and became the Agricultural and Mechanical College, Third District, which many called Magnolia A&M because the campus was in Magnolia, Arkansas. Later called Southern State College, the campus because Southern Arkansas University in the 1970s and adopted the SAU nickname soon after. SAU now offers 2 + 2-degree programs designed for students who need to finish their degrees. They can transfer two years of community college work and spend two years at SAU to earn a bachelor’s degree. SAU also offers pre-professional programs in law, medicine, and other subjects and more than 70 full degree programs for its more than 4,700 students.
Southern Arkansas University Accreditation Details
The MBA program at SAU has accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), which also accredited the university’s management and undergraduate business programs. Other accreditation covers degree programs in nursing, education, athletic training, and social work. SAU is one of many schools with regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) too. This is why online graduate students can get loans and other types of financial aid when they use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Southern Arkansas University Application Requirements
Incoming SAU graduate students must apply to the School of Graduate Studies and make sure that this department receives all of their information. They need to apply by August first for the fall semester or December first for the spring semester. The university must receive their college transcripts and standardized test scores by this deadline or it will charge the applicant a late fee. Students can send official/paper transcripts through the mail or submit a digital transcript to the school’s email address. The university accepts the GRE, MAT, and GMAT.
Students who have a master’s degree and a grade point average of 3.0 or higher can apply to SAU without providing a standardized test score. The university will also waive this requirement for students applying to certain programs who have the same GPA and a bachelor’s degree. Those applying to the MBA program who have a business degree from an accredited college or university and a GPA of 3.5 or higher do not need to submit a test score. SAU requires that graduate students either have a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or higher or a minimum GPA of 2.75 in the last 60 credits they took. The MAT program requires that students pass a background check too.
Tuition and Financial Aid
MBA students pay one rate based on whether they are residents of Arkansas. Residents pay $5,497 each year and graduate in two years. Nonresidents pay $7,897 each term. In the counseling program, online students pay $5,497 to $7,897 each year based on whether they are Arkansas residents. All of the university’s online programs charge one rate for residents and another for non-residents. To qualify for the resident rate, students must complete a form as part of the application process. It will ask for a government ID, a utility bill, or other proof that the applicant lived in Arkansas for at least 12 months. The university’s rates break down to $280 per credit hour for residents and $440 for non-residents.
SAU grants financial aid to students in the form of award letters that they receive before starting at the university. Graduate students typically get unsubsidized loans that the federal government offers of $20,500 a year. Students who need more help have the choice of applying for alternative loans. The university can also help students find external scholarships. They can go online and view all the scholarships that relate to their majors. Southern Arkansas University allows online graduate students to apply for external scholarships and use government aid.
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
