Degree Programs at Avila University
Avila University appears in our ranking of the Top 50 Best Most Affordable Master’s in Project Management Online Degrees.
Located in Kansas City, Missouri, Avila University offers degree programs for many different types of students. The 15 health programs that are available allow students to major in fields that help them immediately go to work or to enroll in programs that help them prepare for graduate school. Those that include practical training allow students to major in anesthesiology assisting or speech pathology. The pre-professional programs offered by the college include majors such as occupational therapy, public health, veterinary and dental.
Some of the other undergraduate programs offered by the university have different concentrations available. Art and design majors can choose from concentrations that include K-12 art education, graphic design, and art therapy. The university’s computer science program offers concentrations in app design and development and advanced computer science. Students majoring in music can pick concentrations in conducting, collaborative piano or vocal performance. The education major has multiple concentrations also, including elementary education for those who want to teach first through sixth grade and special education. Students can also select from concentrations in middle school math, social studies, science or language arts.
Several graduate programs are also available. The university’s College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences offers a Master of Science in Counseling with concentrations in research, counseling children and adolescents, working with couples and families or general psychology. A psychology graduate program offered by the university has concentrations in research and mental health. The School of Business offers a Master of Business Administration (MBA) program with emphasis areas in accounting, marketing, finance, and other topics. Students can also earn graduate degrees in management, education, kinesiology and social work from Avila University.
Avila University offers 4 online bachelor’s degrees–business administration, computer science, healthcare management, and software engineering. The two online graduate degrees are the M.A. in Education: Teaching and Learning and the M.A. in Management: Project Management.
About Avila University
Established in 1914, Avila University is a Roman Catholic university in Missouri. The Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet founded St. Teresa’s Academy in the 1800s as a small academy for girls. They later established a college on the campus of that school. Known as St. Teresa’s College, it offered two-year programs and only accepted young women. It changed from a junior college to a full college at the end of the 1930s and began constructing new buildings on the academy campus for its students. This would lead to the college becoming the College of Teresa and adding residence halls for incoming students. After moving to a separate campus, the college named itself Avila University. It became coeducational in the 1960s and added graduate programs in the 1990s.
Though Avila University now welcomes males to apply, female students still outnumber male students. More than 60% of its student body is female, and more than 40% of its total students are Caucasian. Though the university retains its affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church, only 20% of incoming students identify as Catholic. The university’s campus in Kansas City now includes 13 buildings on more than 50 acres of land. Avila University is still a relatively small university with an enrollment of more than 400 post-graduate students and more than 1,200 undergrads.
Avila University Accreditation Details
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) previously awarded regional accreditation to Avila University under its former name and continues renewing its accreditation as the HLC. This is a recognized organization that allows students to meet some of the requirements for obtaining financial aid. The Missouri State Board of Nursing approved of and granted accreditation to the university’s nursing program. Avila University also has accreditation for its social work, radiologic technology, and business programs too.
Avila University Application Requirements
A tuition guarantee offered by the university ensures that students do not face tuition increases in the future. They will pay the same amount in their later three years as they do during their freshman years. This rate is $778 per credit hour for part-time students and full-time students who take more than 18 credits during one session. Full-time students pay $20,500 a year and the per credit rate for any additional credits they want to take. Those students also pay $6,700 a year for room and board. Their total costs come out to $27,200 per year for tuition, room and board and fees.
Graduate students applying to Avila University must meet all general application requirements and any requirements of an individual program. The general requirements include having a bachelor’s degree from a college or university recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and a grade point average of at least 3.0. Though the university does occasionally accept those with a lower GPA, it will ask those students to meet other requirements. To make sure that an applicant has both a good GPA and a degree, the university asks for a transcript too. The information required by select programs can include a resume and references or letters of recommendation.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The education programs offered by Avila University are among the most affordable of its graduate programs. Those programs charge rates of between $465 and $505 per credit hour. The cost that students pay can climb to $656 per credit hour for the MBA program, though most graduate programs charge lower rates. Those who want to apply for federal loans must complete the FAFSA, but grad students can also get financial aid from the university itself. Graduate assistant applications allow students to apply for positions that come with tuition waivers and stipends. The university can also work out payment plans with its students.
Undergrads can get more financial aid from both the government and the university. The loans available for undergrads are subsidized loans that allow them to finish school without worrying about interest building on their loans. They can also borrow money from alternative lenders and have their parents apply for loans. The university has a work-study program for undergrads and can help them get grants too. Avila University also offers several institutional grants and scholarships. One program awards graduates of Catholic high schools with a $1,000 grant, and another program gives students scholarships based on their extracurricular activities. The largest scholarship awards students $10,000 for having an ACT score of 27 or higher and a GPA of at least 3.85 in high school. Students can combine most of the scholarships and grants to reduce their total costs. Avila University financial aid packages go to students majoring in any of its undergraduate or graduate academic programs.