Degree Programs Available at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota
St. Mary’s University of Minnesota appears in our ranking of the Top 50 Best Most Affordable Master’s in Project Management Online Degrees.
Undergrads applying to St. Mary’s University of Minnesota can pick a major in any field ranging from accounting to theology. Most of these programs are only available on the main university campus or one of its regional satellite centers, including its majors in sport management and business. The sport management program allows students to participate in campus events and join some of the university’s teams. Some of these students will also do internships with leading sports organizations. The university has a theater arts program that requires students to gain stage and performance experience. Some of the concentrations in this major include musical theater, acting/directing and dance.
One of the only undergrad degree programs available online is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Students can transition from an RN program to this one and complete their degrees in a single year. St. Mary’s University of Minnesota has a handful of programs for adult students too. Those students can transfer older credits they earned in college and finish a degree in business or another field.
Graduate students can apply to many different degree programs too. Traditional programs include a Master of Science in Arts and Cultural Management and learn how to manage and run a business within the cultural world such as a museum or art gallery. Its doctoral education program features a blended format that allows students to earn credits from the work they do online and get practical experience as they take classes on one of the university’s campuses. There are other traditional graduate programs in fields such as human resource management, marriage and family therapy, special education and teaching.
Online graduate programs from the university include a Master of Public Health and a Master of Social Work. MSW students can pick from a variety of concentrations based on who they want to work with later. MPH students also have their choice of concentrations. A Master of Arts in Human Resource Management is also available online from the university. St. Mary’s University of Minnesota also offers some certificate programs at the graduate level in fields such as responsive teaching and K-12 reading.
About St. Mary’s University of Minnesota
St. Mary’s University of Minnesota is a private university in Winona, Minnesota that has a religious affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church. Its connection to the church existed from its early days as the diocese helped establish the university. Then known as Saint Mary’s College, it opened in 1912 as a college strictly for males. The college established its liberal arts curriculum in 1925 and took over the College of Saint Teresa in the late 1960s. This led to the college admitting women for the first time in its history. The college later adopted the St. Mary’s University of Minnesota and now uses that name as well as SMU and SMOO.
SMU now offers graduate programs on both its main campus and some of the satellite campuses that it owns and operates in cities such as Apple Valley and the Twin Cities. The university added its first doctoral program in the early 2010s and now offers certificate programs at both the undergrad and graduate levels. Some of its alumni achieved success in politics and as professional athletes. More than 1,100 undergrads and more than 4,700 graduate and doctoral students now work on their degrees at SMU every year.
St. Mary’s University of Minnesota Accreditation Details
SMU has both of the accreditation types that students look for when choosing a school. The first of those is regional accreditation, which is what the United States Department of Education requires of schools using federal funds. That accreditation comes from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) and allows SMU to give students who need help financial aid packages. Its nuclear medicine technology, psychology, nursing, and music programs all have accreditation also.
St. Mary’s University of Minnesota Application Requirements
The SMU application that students use and the process they follow will depend on whether they are undergrads or graduate students. Undergrads can apply by the early decision deadline of October 15 and get a response by November 1. Those who apply by November 15 will get a response by December 1. The university also has regular decision deadlines and a rolling admissions policy for those who apply later in the year. SMU has an online application portal that allows students to share information about their backgrounds as they apply. They can then submit transcripts from their high schools and scores from the SAT/ACT to the university.
Graduate students will use a different SMU application when they apply. It asks them what program they want to study and how they want to take their classes, either online or on a university campus. The other requirements they must meet will depend on the individual program. Though some ask for just transcripts to view grade point averages and test scores to see how students performed on those exams, others ask for letters of recommendation from those who worked with the application. A student may need to submit a personal statement or a resume too.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Most undergrads attending SMU will pay $430 per credit hour. Those in the online nursing program pay a higher rate of $475 per credit hour. The cost for graduate students can vary from $430 to more than $800 per credit hour. Students in an education program pay the cheapest rates, but those in a business program may pay $800 or more per credit hour. Its online graduate programs are usually a little more expensive, and the programs offered on some of its satellite campuses charge the lowest rates.
Students applying to SMU can also apply for financial aid. They can then apply for new aid each year that they remain enrolled in college classes. SMU offers help for military students and their dependents who use military benefits to pay for college. The Everet Scholarship Fund awards prizes of $2,000 a year to graduate students with a GPA of 3.5 or higher who demonstrate financial need. Other scholarships available from the university go to students who demonstrate both merit and need. Students in any of the undergrad degree programs or graduate degree programs at St. Mary’s University of Minnesota can apply for scholarships and federal financial aid.