Degrees Offered at Columbia College
Columbia College appears in our ranking of the Top 20 Affordable Online Master’s in Law Enforcement Administration Programs.
An article in the US News and World Report says that the most popular majors at Columbia College include criminal justice, crisis and disaster management, social work, biological sciences, and psychology. However, this list represents only a small fraction of the offerings at Columbia College.
At the undergraduate level, the school offers degrees like professional communication, public relations, studio art, dance studies, global business, elementary education, community and public health, forensic psychology, and behavioral science. The coursework for several of these degrees is offered in online and hybrid/weekend formats.
Graduate students have a number of options as well, not only in terms of courses of study but also in terms of degree delivery. The school offers hybrid/weekend master degree programs in business administration, higher education administration, and divergent learning. It also offers online master degree programs in subjects like criminal justice, biology for the science educator, healthcare administration, athletic coaching, and trauma-informed education, to mention but a few.
About Columbia College
The United Methodist Church founded Columbia College in Columbia, South Carolina in 1854. It was founded as a liberal arts college for women and originally bore the name Columbia Female College. However, nowadays, both men and women attend the school.
In its history, it hasn’t been without its challenges. The school has been damaged by fire three times and was barely saved from fire one additional time during the Civil War. Only a professor of music standing in front of the school prevented it from being burned down during the Civil War as General Sherman’s troops advanced. The image of the school’s column rising above the ashes in its Old Main has become a symbol for the Columbia College, attesting to its endurance and character.
It ranks well with US News and World Report. Columbia College landed on the news site’s “best of…” lists at tenth in the Top Performers on Social Mobility category, 25th in the Best Value Schools category, 32nd Best Colleges for Veterans category, and 54th in the Regional Universities South category.
Notable alumni include actress Bettye Ackerman, alternative education innovator Wil Lou Gray, and artist Alicia Leeke. Notable faculty include Georgia O’Keeffe, who taught art at the school in the early part of the 20th century.
Columbia College Accreditation
The Southern Association of Colleges and Schools provides Columbia College with its accreditation. It has also been recognized by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the National Association of Schools of Art and Design, the National Association of Schools of Music and the National Association of Schools of Dance, to name but a few.
Columbia College Application Requirements
Columbia College allows students to apply online, either via the school’s online application or via the Common Application. The school offers rolling admissions, so potential students can apply and be accepted throughout the year. CC accepts undergraduate and graduate as well as online applicants.
Once undergraduate students are ready to apply, they’ll need to fill out the application and ask their current school to submit their transcripts to Columbia College. While the school doesn’t require recommendations, it does recommend them.
Students who wish to provide CC with recommendations can ask their high school counselor to fill out the school’s form. The school also recommends that incoming students get at least one recommendation from a teacher who taught them a subject, like math, science, English, foreign language, or history.
ACTs and SATs are required from the students who are applying for a scholarship, though they do not need to provide the school with their scores otherwise. Students who are interested in transferring from another college or university to Columbia College can transfer up to 90 credits from that institution.
At the graduate level, Columbia College practices a cohort model, meaning that each group of graduate students begin and end their program together. In addition to the application, CC also asked these students to submit an application essay of at least two full pages. The essay topic is provided by the school.
The college also requires students to submit their transcripts from their undergraduate school, as well as two recommendations. Some programs require the GRE or the MAT.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Columbia College charges nearly $20,000 a year in tuition for full-time students and $650 per semester hour for part-time students. First-year students pay just over $4,000 per year in housing and another $4,000+ for a meal plan. Post-first-year students pay up to $5,250 for housing and up to $4,200 for a meal plan: The cost of these programs vary, allowing students to select the housing and meal plans that best fit their budgets.
The school charges graduate students $480 per semester hour, regardless of whether they attend school on campus or online. Columbia College also gives online students free digital textbooks. Online pay $395 per semester hour, a price that also includes free digital textbooks. Undergraduates in the evening program pay almost $6,000 per semester or $395 per semester hour if they are part-time students.
The school strives to make college life affordable. According to the school’s website, most students – 99% – do not pay full tuition price. Financial aid in the form of work-study programs, scholarships, grants and loans ensures that CC students can afford to attend the school.
Students who carry a 3.5 to 4.0 GPA are eligible for a $3,000 scholarship. Those who keep a 3.0 to 3.49 GPA can earn a $2,000 scholarship. A $1,000 is available for students who carry a 2.7 to a 2.99 GPA. Additionally, Columbia College also offers athletic scholarships, as well as program-specific scholarships in music, art, dance, and other majors.
Additionally, students can qualify for a number of scholarships that have been earmarked specifically for in-state residents of South Carolina. These awards include the South Caroline Palmetto Fellowships, the South Carolina Life Scholarship, the South Carolina Hope Scholarship and the South Carolina Tuition Grant to name but a few.
The school asks students who want to receive financial aid to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Federal student aid that’s available to CC students includes the Pell Grant, the Supplementary Educational Opportunity Grant, Stafford Loans, Parent PLUS Loans, and federal work-study.
Learn more about Columbia College’s degree programs.