Florida Atlantic University

Degrees Offered at Florida Atlantic University

Florida Atlantic University appears in our ranking of the 50 Most Affordable Online Degree Programs For In-State Students. Florida Atlantic University (FAU) is one of the fastest-growing educational institutions in the United States. The university was founded in 1964 as a baccalaureate completions college to work alongside the community college system. Today, FAU is growing at an incredible rate and is already noted as one of the premier research universities in the country. FAU started from a single campus in Boca Raton, FL, and has expanded to include campuses in Dania Beach, Davie, Jupiter, Fort Lauderdale, and Fort Pierce all of which line the southeast Florida Atlantic coastline which the Florida legislature designated as the region which the school is to serve. FAU hosts over 30,000 students and offers over 170 undergraduate majors, master’s degrees, and doctoral programs. The school started with 836 students and was divided into five schools. It was not long before the expansion of services forced the university to develop more schools and colleges for a total of ten, including:

• Charles E. Schmidt College of Science
• Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine
• Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing
• College for Design and Social Inquiry
• College of Business
• College of Education
• College of Engineering and Computer Science
• Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
• Graduate School
• Harriet L. Wilkes Honors College

The honors program at the FAU is divided into two sections. Florida Atlantic offers one honors program at its Jupiter, FL campus, and another on its main campus in Boca Raton. The program on the Jupiter campus engages in an intense liberal arts program, while the honors students at Boca Raton special honors seminars focus groups, forums, and courses. To enter an honors program, a student must demonstrate their commitment to their education. Only those who excel are admitted through a rigid application process. To stay in the program, students must maintain at least a “B” average in all their classes. These programs require physical attendance in classes. Online students are not qualified for the honors programs. The online program at FAU sets the trend for virtual education programs throughout the country. The courses successfully replicate what students experience in traditional classrooms. As an outreach to the community the university serves, FAU offers non-credit online certifications, including a Legal Nurse Consultant Certificate and a Certification as an Appreciative Advisor. Florida Atlantic prides itself on preparing students for life after college by offering more than 170 pathways toward an undergraduate or graduate degree. The programs are a mixture of the most important areas of study that contribute toward a successful society—business, anthropology, communication, history, languages, music, philosophy, sociology, theater, art, architecture, public safety, criminal justice, public management, urban design, biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, information systems, education, English, nutrition, nursing, healthcare, and many more. Of the 170 major degrees offered on campus, 12 are offered online for students unable to attend traditional classes, including:

• Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies
• Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting
• Bachelor of Business Administration in Hospitality and Tourism Management
• Bachelor of Business Administration in Management with a Concentration in Leadership and Applied Managerial Skills
• Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing
• Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice
• Bachelor of Public Safety Administration
• Bachelor of Public Management
• Bachelor of Science in Computer Science
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing, RN to BSN
• Bachelor of Arts with Major in Geosciences: Geography Focus
• Bachelor of Science with Major in Geosciences: Geography Focus

Florida Atlantic students often seek a minor degree to add to their major area of study. Minor degrees supplement the student’s education by providing expertise in an additional area. Students complete 12 to 18 hours of upper-division studies in the added area to satisfy the requirements of a minor. Nearly every subject that FAU offers may be used as a minor, with few exceptions. An advantage some students find is to study their minor degree during the summer months when they are away from school by using the online interface. There is a limited selection of minors that are entirely offered online, including:

• Minor in Anthropology
• Minor in Political Science
• Minor in Geography
• Minor in Geographic Information Science
• Minor in Criminal Justice
• Minor in Disaster Management
• Minor in Hospitality Management

One of the interesting aspects of FAU graduate-level degrees is the Executive Level Programs. These programs are designed with the busy executive in mind. As a result, the courses are entirely available online so that the executive can upgrade their knowledge from anywhere, no matter what part of the world they may currently find themselves. These programs include:

• Master of Accounting
• Master of Business Administration
• Master of Business Administration in Sport Management
• Master of Health Administration
• Master of Taxation

The climb of Florida Atlantic in the education community is nowhere more evident than in its doctoral programs. The school offers 32 doctoral opportunities. The programs require that the students attend traditional classes. Some doctoral students work as teaching assistants to help pay for their education. The programs are available in diverse areas of study, including communication, business administration, public administration, social work, computer science, education, engineering, nursing, biology, chemistry, geosciences, mathematics, physics, and psychology. The courses are intense and require a minimum of 60 credit hours of study, which usually takes four years to accomplish. A thesis is required at the end of the program, which the student must successfully defend against a panel of his/her peers. None of these programs are currently available online at FAU.

About Florida Atlantic University

FAU is spread out among six campuses located along more than 100 miles of Florida’s Atlantic coast. It is assigned the area as an educational facility by the Florida legislature. Students who attend this school enjoy the vast Atlantic vistas while studying in their field of choice. The school has grown an impressive reputation in a short time. Its 30,000 students enjoy a well-qualified faculty and impressive facilities. Washington Monthly ranks FAU as 241st among national schools while US News & World Report ranks it at 291st. US News & World Report also ranks Florida Atlantic as 45th in Top Performers on Social Mobility and 140th in Top Public Schools.

Florida Atlantic University Accreditation Details

FAU is regionally accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, Commission on Colleges. Program accreditations within Florida Atlantic include:

• American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASLHA)
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
• Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)
• National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
• National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE)
• American Psychological Association (APA)
• Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NSPPAA)
• Council on Rehabilitation Education (CRE)
• Council on Social Work Education Office of Social work Accreditation (CSWEOSA)
• Accreditation Board of Engineering and Technology (ABET)
• The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
• Planning Accreditation Board (PAB)

Florida Atlantic University Application Requirements

Admittance to Florida Atlantic University is extremely competitive. Currently, the school’s acceptance rate sits at 35% and is slowly diminishing. Admission requirements are a GPA of 3.5 or higher or an SAT score of at least 1600 even to be considered for admission. Further requirements include the presentation of an official high school transcript that reveals a minimum completion of:

• Four units of English
• Four units of mathematics including algebra I and higher courses
• Three units of science, two with lab experience
• Three units of social sciences
• Two units foreign language—taking the same language both units
• Two units of advanced electives

Applicants for graduate programs must present all official transcripts from post-secondary schools attended as well as their high school transcripts. Graduate-level programs have different test requirements. Contact the appropriate school for more details.

Tuition and Financial Aid

There is a great difference in tuition rates for Florida residents and out-of-state residents at the FAU. In-state students pay $6,039 in tuition and fees per year, while non-residents pay $21,595. Students living on campus pay another $11,950 in room and board. Graduate students pay credit-hour rates, which differ with each program. Contact the appropriate school to find the rates for graduate-level programs. The FAU Financial Aid Department works with each student to uncover scholarships, grants, or loans. The department is familiar with the requirements for Pell Grants, Need Grants, and community, organizational, or state scholarships. Since Florida Atlantic is fully accredited, they can dispense loans through the Federal Student Loan Program. Florida Atlantic provides students with an array of educational choices in an ideal setting. Because of the excellent reputation of the school, graduates from Florida Atlantic University find themselves with a leg up on the competition when they seek employment.

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