Fitchburg State University

Contents

Public, Personalized Higher Education at Fitchburg State

Fitchburg State University Accreditation Details

Fitchburg State University Application Requirements

Fitchburg State University

Public, Personalized Higher Education at Fitchburg State

Fitchburg State University appears in our ranking of the 50 Most Affordable Online Degree Programs For In-State Students. Fitchburg State University is ranked in Kiplinger’s as the 120th best public college. It’ a coed, state-funded AASCU member in Central Massachusetts. It offers:

68 bachelor’s programs
34 master’s degree programs, including 18 entirely online
a Dual Enrollment Bridge Program

The BS in Nursing is a 120-credit, CCNE-accredited curriculum. It has a 95 percent state licensure rate after 275-hour clinical preceptorships like:

HealthAlliance-Clinton Hospital
Heywood Hospital
Nashoba Valley Medical Center

The 120-credit BA in English provides opportunities to:

join Sigma Tau Delta
publish in The Point
attend the Shakespeare Conference
enter the Annual Creative Writing Competition
intern with Elle Magazine

The online 39-credit MEd in Special Education offers an Autism Spectrum Disorders Concentration. It fulfills Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) requirements with seven-week courses like Positive Behavioral Supports. It includes 150 fieldwork hours. The MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling follows a 60-credit, three-year path to Massachusetts LMHC licensure. It has hybrid evening courses and 600-hour internships at Community Health Link, The Bridge, Perkins, and more. Other Fitchburg degrees include:

BS in Economics
BS in Game Design
BS in Construction Management
BA in Interdisciplinary Studies
BSBA in Marketing
MS in Computer Science
MS in Criminal Justice
MS in Communication MA in History.

About Fitchburg State University

Fitchburg State University was chartered by the Massachusetts General Court in 1894. It was the State Normal School in Fitchburg for women’s teacher preparation. In 1909, Fitchburg created the United States’ first practical arts teacher training course for male students. In 1915, continuing education began at Fitchburg for evening and summer courses. In 1932, the State Teachers College at Fitchburg name was chosen. In 1943, Fitchburg partnered with Burbank Hospital to create the Nursing Department. Twenty-two years later, it became Fitchburg State College. In 1988, the School of Liberal Arts & Sciences was instituted. By 2010, Fitchburg State University became part of the Massachusetts System of Public Higher Education. Endowed for $15.1 million, Fitchburg State University now has 386 faculty teaching 4,163 undergrad and 3,036 post-grad students. It also has completely online programs. There are over 70 student-run clubs like World Integrated Nations. In 2017, Fitchburg received the Kappa Delta Pi Achieving Chapter Excellence Award. In 2018, it accepted the Alpha Sigma Tau Illuminate Leadership Award. Fitchburg State University won the 2020-21 G.I. Jobs Magazine Military Friendly School Award. The U.S. News & World Report ranked Fitchburg 34th for public education and 51st for social mobility regionally. On Niche, Fitchburg has America’s 342nd best sorority and fraternity chapters. The Boston Business Journal named Fitchburg State #1 in Massachusetts for female MBA enrollment. College Factual chose Fitchburg 176th for financial aid and 329th for diversity. Washington Monthly ranked Fitchburg State University the 219th top master’s institution.

Fitchburg State University Accreditation Details

Fitchburg State University is accredited by the New England Commission on Higher Education (NECHE). This six-state New England Region accreditor is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The Office of Academic Affairs also lists the following Fitchburg accreditations:

Council for Standards in Human Service Education
National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
International Accreditation Council for Business Education
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology

Fitchburg State University Application Requirements

Admission at Fitchburg State University is classified as “selective” by the U.S. News & World Report. About 87 percent of the 2,564 Fall 2018 applicants were accepted. Freshman students must finish a comprehensive high school curriculum or achieve minimum 145 GED subject scores. The Office of Admissions seeks a minimum recalculated GPA of 3.0. A sliding scale with SAT/ACT scores is used for GPAs of 2.0 to 2.99. Transfers with 12-23 previous credits need 2.5 or better GPAs. Cumulative GPAs down to 2.0 are considered for 24+ accredited credits. The Online RN-BSN Program always requires 2.5 GPAs and prerequisite nursing licensure. International undergrads are welcome with 79 TOEFL iBT or equivalent English scores. The Graduate School prefers four-year bachelor’s degree GPAs of 2.8 and greater. As of June 2020, the requirement to achieve GRE/MAT scores in the top 50th percentile is waived. Fitchburg State University has a March 1st priority and June 1st deposit deadline for freshmen. The BS in Nursing and BS in Game Design close on December 1st. Transfers must file before July 1st for Fall or December 1st for Spring enrollment. Priority dates for non-U.S. residents are March 15th and October 1st. The Dual Enrollment Bridge Program seeks entrants by July 15th. The Graduate School typically uses rolling admission year-round. Accordingly, complete the Fitchburg Application online for $50. Send academic records to 160 Pearl Street in Fitchburg, MA 01420. Attach other requested materials, such as test scores, resumes, essays, and reference letters. Get more information by emailing admissions@fitchburgstate.edu.

Tuition and Financial Aid

For 2019-20, Fitchburg State University billed traditional in-state undergrads $5,261 per semester or $10,523 annually. Non-resident bachelor’s tuition equaled $8,301 by term or $16,603 each year full-time. Studying part-time was $437 to $691 per credit. The New England Regional Program (NERP) knocked the price down to $457 per credit. The Life Experience Credit Award Program charged $133 per credit. Health insurance added $3,444 yearly. Residing at the Fitchburg housing required $11,293 for room and board. Annual attendance costs were $21,816 in-state and $27,896 out-of-state. Evening and online bachelor’s courses were $308 per credit. General graduate tuition was $319 per credit. Master of Education cohorts paid $372 per credit. Online MBA entrants covered $417 per credit. The Office of Financial Aid links 90 percent of new, full-time Fitchburg students to assistance averaging $6,975 each. University awards include:

the Eric Williams Memorial Scholarship
Albert Russo Memorial Scholarship
Carol Mulloy Cuttle Scholarship
Center for Italian Culture Scholarship
Dr. Burnham Walker Scholarship
Ethel Mandrus Donahue Scholarship
Leo Bourque Scholarship
Operation Service Scholarship
Nypro Scholarship, Ruth Lee Scholarship
Walter Harrod Scholarship
Gunther Hoos Scholarship
Joseph McAlloon Scholarship
Patricia Hess Memorial Scholarship

The Dean’s Graduate Scholarship gives $1,500 to high-achieving master’s students with minimum 3.5 GPAs. The $2,000 Dr. Mark Snyder Memorial Scholarship has a February 21st deadline for full-time sophomore mathematics majors. Search through 15 accredited departments with Money Magazine’s 199th best value academics at the Fitchburg State University website.

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