Western New England University Degrees & Offerings
Western New England University appears in our ranking of the Top 50 Most Affordable Master’s in Accounting Online.
Programs offered at Western New England University are delivered online and through its Springfield, Massachusetts campus from the College of Arts and Sciences, the School of Law, the College of Pharmacy, the College of Engineering, and the College of Business. Some of the most popular pursuits at the university are business, engineering, homeland security, and psychology.
Other popular degrees include those in management, marketing, health professions, and law enforcement. The university welcomes back 77 percent of its freshmen, which is an above-average freshman retention rate. The student-faculty ratio is 13:1, and more than 56 percent of its classes are offered with fewer than 20 students enrolled.
One of the online degree offerings available to students is the Online Bachelor of Business Administration, which gives students an opportunity to earn a degree in as few as one or two years. The program is designed for students who already have an associate’s degree or around 60 credits earned from a college institution.
The program is offered part-time, so busy students with work and life commitments can finish their degrees. In the program, students must complete at least 42 credits in business classes by completing courses like Business Law for Human Resource Management and Human Resource Management. The program also requires some general electives and college-level math courses.
Overall, students may earn undergraduate degrees, enroll in minor programs, seek graduate degrees, or earn graduate certificates. The university also has some professional program courses. Students may even enroll at Western New England University without a specific major in mind, and the university will help the student to decide on a degree path using the Exploratory Program.
There are also several combined degrees available at the university, which may reduce the overall time commitment for a student interested in earning a graduate degree. For example, students can enroll in the 3+3 law program, which allows students to earn an undergraduate degree and a law degree in six years rather than the seven years it would normally take.
Another combined degree is the five-year bachelor’s degree and MBA program, which would normally take six years to complete but is reduced to five years through the special combined program. Students can also enter five-year programs in engineering management, electrical engineering, or industrial engineering.
About Western New England University
Western New England University is located in the city of Springfield in Massachusetts. The university was founded in 1919 as Northeastern College, Springfield Division, and would undergo several name changes over the decades. The university is a private institution and has around 4,000 students attending. The university’s official colors are gold and blue, and its athletics are played in NCAA Division III.
The university has maintained a partnership with the Hartford-Springfield Region Corridor Initiative, and it’s also a member of the Cooperating Colleges of Greater Springfield. One of the unique features of the university is that its classes are only taught by faculty members rather than some being offered by graduate students or teaching assistants. The university’s official mascot is the Golden Bear.
Western New England University Accreditation Details
Institutional accreditation for Western New England University comes from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. Regional accreditation allows the university to award college degrees, as well as for its students to participate in federal programs related to educational funding. Some of the programs at the university are also accredited by various agencies and organizations.
For example, the university’s programs in business are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, and the engineering degrees are accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. The School of Law is accredited by the American Bar Association, and social work programs have been accredited by the Council on Social Work Education. The university is also a member of the Association of American Colleges.
Western New England University Application Requirements
Applying to Western New England University means submitting an official copy of the student’s high school transcript, as well as having standardized test scores sent directly from the SAT or ACT testing agencies. Students may also submit a letter of recommendation from a counselor or teacher, and the university prefers that the recommendation comes from a counselor. Students interested in applying as transfer students must submit transcripts from all schools attended.
The graduate admissions process is slightly different for each degree the university offers. However, all students will submit similar materials like the official application, standardized test scores, and transcripts. Program-specific requirements include submitting two recommendations for the Master of Arts in English for Teachers and submitting a resume or curriculum vitae for the Master of Arts in Mathematics for Teachers.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition for students enrolled in 12 or more hours at Western New England University in undergraduate classes is $35,454 for classes in the School of Arts & Sciences, as well as the School of Business. Students in the engineering program will pay a slightly higher rate of $37,054. Students will also pay a student activities fee of $300 and a comprehensive services fee of $2,238. Students who live in residence halls will pay an additional $14,034 per year.
Costs for graduate programs are based on the program in which a student wishes to enroll. For example, the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program is billed at $892 per credit, and the entire course is $32,112. The Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis is $1,168 per credit and $42,048 for the entire program. The Ph.D. in Engineering Management is $1,392 per credit, but the total cost of the program varies and is based on how many years a student remains enrolled.
Any student interested in qualifying for federal student aid at Western New England University must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Doing so will allow the student to participate in Title IV funding from the federal government like the Direct Loan program.
In addition to the loans a student may receive from the government, enrollees may also qualify for merit scholarships that aren’t based on financial need. There are some scholarships for international students, as well as a discount of $1,000 per year for families who have more than one student enrolled full-time at Western New England University.