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University of Houston
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Online degree programs allow students the flexibility of completing a degree on a schedule that makes sense for them. For graduate students, that means being able to finish a degree while working full time. The University of Houston offers more than two dozen online master’s degrees through four colleges.

Learning at Your Pace: Online Master’s Degrees at the University of Houston

University of Houston appears in our ranking of the Top 35 Most Affordable Accelerated Master’s in Higher Education Online.

The business and management school offers a Master of Hospitality Management, a Master of Science in Management and Leadership, a Master of Arts in Mathematics, and a Master of Science in Foresight. The M.S. in Foresight is an innovative new degree that trains advisors to recognize trends and “significant changes” that will probably occur in the future and helps them prepare to leverage these changes to succeed in long-term goals. The professional holding this degree is also called a “futurist.” The program is collaborative and contains 36 credit-hours.

The Department of Health and Social Care has three degree programs: the Master of Science in Nutrition, the Master of Science in Nursing Administration, and the Master of Social Work. The last degree program is ranked 22nd of the top 50 MSW programs in the nation by the US News and World Report. It builds skills to do direct social work and also to be an administrator. The program includes a minimum of 900 hours of field work and requires completion of 63 hours of coursework.

There are several graduate degrees available online through the Department of Engineering and Trades. Students may earn a Master of Science in Civil Engineering or in Construction Management; a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering-Power and Energy Systems; a Master of Mechanical Engineering; or a Master of Science in Petroleum Engineering or a Master of Petroleum Engineering.

There is also a Master of Science in Subsea Engineering that is the only one of its kind in the nation. It addresses design and implementation of equipment, infrastructure and tools for use in the offshore petroleum industry. The program requires completion of 30 credit-hours and applicants must take the GRE exam.

In the Department of Education, students may earn one of many M.Ed. degrees. There is an M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education; in Mathematics Education; in Reading, Arts and Literature; in Special Populations, Special Education; in Special Populations, Gifted and Talented; in Health Science Education; in Higher Education and the Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction: Learning, Design and Technology. The last degree mentioned is a program intended for educators who want to work in academic, military, community or corporate education. It prepares teachers to use many types of technology to “communicate and collaborate with others and to use innovative technologies to design graphics, multimedia presentations and online teaching programs.” Some of the courses in this degree program may be used by certified K-12 students toward the master’s-level teacher certification. The 30-credit-hour program culminates in a capstone project.

About the University of Houston

This school was founded as a junior college in 1927. With a student population of more than 46,000, this is the third largest university in Texas. The University of Houston is ranked as an R-1 Doctoral Research University; a large number of its doctoral students are engaged in research, and a great proportion of its funding is dedicated to research through its 40 centers. One of its “firsts” is the creation of an educational television station in 1953.

There are more than 282 programs offered through 14 colleges. The US News and World Report ranks this university 185th of National Universities. Most classes have between 20 and 49 students and the student-to-faculty ratio is 22:1.

University of Houston Accreditation Details

  • The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools
  • The National Architectural Accrediting Board
  • The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
  • National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
  • The Accrediting Board for Engineering and Technology ( ABET)
  • The American Bar Association
  • The American Association of Law Schools
  • The Council on Academic Accreditation on Audiology and Speech-Language Pathology
  • National Association of Schools of Music
  • American Chemical Society
  • Council on Social Work Education
  • And others.

The University of Houston Application Details

First-year undergraduates apply through ApplyTexas or through the Common Application (for students who are applying to more than one university). They must complete only one application. Students must pay the non-refundable $75 application fee and arrange for their high schools to send an official transcript to the university. Applicants must also arrange or the school to receive their official ACT or SAT test scores.

Graduate students apply through ApplyWeb. There are specific application forms for professional degrees such as pharmacy or law, but all others must specify a program on their application. They, too, must arrange to have the official transcript of all completed undergraduate coursework submitted to the University of Houston. Each program has its own requisites for tests such as the GRE or GMAT, and these official scores must be sent to the university along with any other required documents such as letters of recommendation, resumes, portfolios, personal statements and other materials.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Graduate tuition varies by program. For instance, the M.S. in Foresight costs $587 per credit-hour plus various fees and charges. M.Ed. degrees are $448 per credit-hour, and the Master of Science in Subsea Engineering is $502 per credit-hour. There are other fees attached to the tuition cost as well, and students should remember to budget for charges such as Internet access.

It can be difficult to pay for even a lower-cost online degree, and most students need assistance. The first step is completing the FAFAS form as soon in the admissions process as is feasible. In addition to the funds available from the federal government, Texas has grants and loans. The university also has financial aid in the form of scholarships, grants loans, fellowships and assistantships.

Some of these opportunities are not available to distance students, though, and a search of graduate aid on the school website can identify which assistance applies to online degrees.

University departments have some assistance that is funded by donors to the school, and the requisites to apply for that aid can be found on the departmental pages of the school website. Additionally, private individuals often fund scholarships as do service organizations and even corporations. Graduate students should not overlook the possibility of employer-assisted education or tuition repayment.

Because these programs are at the graduate level, and online, students should be able to continue working full-time while they earn their degrees, That means some careful budgeting can also be a part of paying for a degree program at the University of Houston.

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