Eastern Kentucky University

Wide-Ranging Academics at EKU

Eastern Kentucky University appears in our ranking of the 25 Best Bachelor’s in Engineering Online Degrees. Eastern Kentucky University is divided into six colleges. It has a 74.4 percent retention rate. The University sparks “intellectual vitality” by covering a breadth of majors for 11 associate and 73 bachelor’s degrees. For example, the 120-credit, ACS-certified Chemistry B.S. studies the scientific properties of matter for jobs at Eli Lilly, Bayer, Dow Corning, and more. The Agriculture B.S. operates on the university’s 720-acre farm. It’s a 120-credit program.  It has programs in:

• Agribusiness
• Energy Systems
• Soils & Natural Resources
• Animal Science
• Greenhouse Production
• Turfgrass & Landscape

The Learning and Behavior Disorders B.S. trains P-12 special educators with 200 practicum hours. The 120-credit Occupational Safety B.S. leads to OSHA certification. Other EKU options include:

• Appalachian Studies A.S.
• Arson Investigation B.S.
• Professional Golf Management B.B.A.
• Applied Engineering B.S.
• Music B.M.

The EKU Graduate School is a McNair Scholars Program participant. It has

• 38 master’s programs
• two specialist programs
• five doctoral programs

The 30-credit English M.A. offers thesis and non-thesis tracks. It also featuresthe Bluegrass Writers Studio. The 30-credit Applied Engineering M.S. utilizes Whalen Complex resources for specializations in:

• Agriculture Operations
• Technology Management
• Network Security
• Construction Management

The Athletic Training MS is accredited by the CAATE. It’s a 59-credit, two-year curriculum with 2,910 clinical hours for sports science. The 120-credit Clinical Psychology Psy.D. emphasizes rural mental health. It has 100 percent internship placement from Lexington VA to St. Joseph East. Additional Eastern Kentucky University programs are:

• the School Librarian M.A.Ed.
• Criminology M.S.
• Bioinformatics M.S.
• Human Services M.A.
• Educational Administration Ed.D.

About Eastern Kentucky University

Eastern Kentucky University was established in March 1906 for teachers training. It Granted its first degree in 1925. The Normal School branched out for comprehensive public, coed academics 23 years later. Rapid expansion during the 1960s helped shape the 42-building main campus in Richmond. Budgeting $355 million, EKU enrolls 16,268 students.  It received the 2016 Insight into Diversity HEED Award. Eastern Kentucky has expanded to six branches from Somerset to Hazard, too. It is linked to 51,964 LinkedIn alumni. EKU alumni include:

• Lee Majors
• Sam Champion
• Eula Bingham
• Alecia Webb-Edgington
• Crystal Wilkinson, and others.

The U.S. News & World Report ranked Eastern Kentucky:

• the 73rd best South college
• 27th top public university
• 37th best occupational therapy school

Niche ranked EKU:

•  99th best criminal justice program
• 278th best athletics
• 408th top campus food

Forbes placed Eastern Kentucky University 249th among public institutions. College Factual ranked EKU:

• 108th for agriculture
• 88th for public relations
• 14th for insurance degrees

The Princeton Review named EKU the country’s 47th best game design school. PayScale ranked Eastern Kentucky 779th for its mid-career salary of $55,700. The Social Mobility Index also named EKU the 165th best choice for opportunity.

Eastern Kentucky Accreditation Details

In 2017, Eastern Kentucky University had its Level VI accreditation renewed by by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Its Quality Enhancement Plan was deemed “exemplary”  Many EKU departments hold programmatic approvals, including:

• Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
• Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
• National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
• Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH)
• Association of Technology, Management, and Applied Engineering (ATMAE)
• American Council for Construction Education (ACCE)
• Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC)
• National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
• American Association of Family & Consumer Sciences (AAFCS)
• Commission on Collegiate Interpreter Education (CCIE)
• Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education (CAATE)
• International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC)
• Master’s in Psychology and Counseling Accreditation Council (MPCAC)

Eastern Kentucky University Application Requirements

Classified as “minimally difficult” on Peterson’s, Eastern Kentucky University had 70 percent admission in Fall 2016. First-year students must complete the Kentucky Pre-College Curriculum or its equivalent. Six-semester transcripts should show high school GPAs above 2.5. The average is 3.29. The Success First Initiative will consider associate majors with 2.0 GPAs. Freshmen must score at least 18 on the ACT or 450 on each SAT section. Transfers holding 23+ credits with “C” averages or better are admitted. Master’s and doctoral EKU degrees require a four-year baccalaureate and 2.5 GPA, but specifics vary. The Applied Mathematics M.A. needs minimum GRE scores of 144 verbal and 147 quantitative. All M.A.Ed. options require certification aligned to Kentucky Teacher Standards. The Doctor of Nursing Practice requires APRN licensing and master’s GPAs over 3.3. Eastern Kentucky University has rolling admission until:

• August 1st for Fall starts
• December 1st for Spring starts
• May 1st for Summer starts

For scholarship consideration, the priority deadlines are February 1st and June 15th. The Graduate School has diverse individual program deadlines, so check closely. Interested learners can submit either the EKU Now! or Common Application online. Some materials might need mailing to the Charles Douglas Whitlock Building in Richmond, KY 40475 or admissions@eku.edu. Many programs request the following:

• $35 application processing fee
• Official academic records
• Exam scores from testing agencies
• Brief statement of career objectives
• One to three recommendations
• Employment/volunteer work history

Tuition and Financial Aid

For 2017-18, full-time Kentucky undergrads paid $4,498 per semester. Non-resident EKU students are charged $9,347 each term full-time. Studying part-time costs $375 to $782 per credit. Online courses  are $409. Living at the Richmond campus’ dorms adds $2,387 for room and $2,122 for board each semester. Cost of bachelor’s attendance roughly equals $23,094 in-state and $31,978 out-of-state. Master’s programs bill $550 for Kentuckians and $825 for non-residents per credit. Doctoral degrees always charge $675 per credit regardless. According to the NCES College Navigator, 79 percent of full-time EKU Colonels share $74.3 million for annual financial aid offers worth $6,569 on average. University funds include:

• the Founders Award
• Regents Scholarship
• Patterson Business Scholarship
• Trailblazer Scholarship
• O’Donnell Scholarship
• Maroon Plus Scholarship
• Dr. Rodney Gross Scholarship
• New Horizons Minority Scholarship

The SMART Program can cut tuition by nearly $9,000 for out-of-state undergrads. Filing the FAFSA application with code 001963 might open Federal Pell or Supplemental Opportunity Grants. Bluegrass State natives can apply for:

• the Kentucky Tuition Grant
• Teacher Scholarship
• Go Higher Grant
• Coal County Scholarship, and more

The Federal Work-Study jobs, including at Meadowbrook Farms, pay $7.25/hour. The Montgomery GI Bill provides veterans with up to 1,395 per month. Eastern Kentucky University also suggests careful borrowing of Stafford, Graduate Plus, and alternative loans. Learn more about the available degrees at the Eastern Kentucky University website.

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