Degree Programs Available at Lewis University
Lewis University appears in our ranking of the Top 30 Best Chicago Area Colleges Ranked by Affordability.
The degree programs offered by Lewis University fall into three categories: undergraduate, graduate and online programs. Some of the undergraduate programs have an accelerated track for students, including those in accounting, information security management, business administration, management, psychology, computer science and criminal justice. The art and design programs include studio art classes and let students focus on computer graphic design, drawing, general studio art, illustration or painting. There is also a social work program available that gives students the choice of doing internships with local agencies. Other majors for undergrads include music business, aerospace studies, aviation administration, paralegal studies and digital marketing.
Lewis University offers more than 30 full degree programs for students and allows students to customize their degrees with different certificates and concentrations. Healthcare systems leadership and nursing education are a few of the concentrations available in the Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) program. Students can also combine this program with the university’s Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. The MBA program includes concentrations in finance, IT management and digital marketing among others. Business majors may choose to focus on finance, business analytics, project management or information security management instead. Other majors available for graduate students at Lewis University include curriculum and instruction, computer science, physics, clinical mental health counseling and organizational leadership.
Graduate and students above the bachelor’s level can earn certificates from Lewis too, which can go along with their degrees and studies. Computer science majors can choose between a data science and a computational biology and bioinformatics certificate, while nursing majors can earn certificates in adult gerontology, acute care, primary care and nursing education. Lewis University also offers eight licensing programs for teachers at the graduate level in fields such as elementary education, secondary education, special education and foreign language education.
With nineteen online programs available, Lewis University allows students to work on their degrees without working on its campus. Five of these are accelerated programs at the bachelor’s level that let students study computer science, business administration, information technology management, criminal justice or information security and risk management. Some of the online programs designed for graduate students include Master of Arts/Science (MA/MS) programs in public safety administration, data science and criminal justice.
About Lewis University
Lewis University is a medium-sized private university in Illinois. Established in 1932 as the Holy Name Technical Institute, it opened after the Archdiocese of Chicago worked with a local Bishop to bring a new school to the area. Its close proximity to Chicago made it easy for students to work in the city and take classes at the school and to find jobs in the big city once they graduated. Later called Lewis Holy Name Technical School, it added aeronautics to its name after adding new programs in aircraft maintenance and design. It became Lewis College in the early 1960s and Lewis University in the 1970s.
Both U.S. News and World Report and The Princeton Review consider Lewis one of the top American colleges in the Midwest. USNWR also rank it as one of the Midwest’s best graduate schools. New programs and the classes that the university offers in New Mexico helped it reach an enrollment of more than 6,500 students. Lewis has an affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church.
Lewis University Accreditation Details
The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) awarded accreditation to Lewis for all its education programs, but the university also has professional accreditation for its nursing programs. Institutional accreditation allows colleges to use government funds when building financial aid packages. Lewis has that accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). With HLC accreditation, Lewis can also accept credits from students who transfer from different schools.
Lewis University Application Requirements
To help prospective students learn more about its campus and programs, Lewis University participates in college fairs held at event centers and high schools across the country. Those events give students the chance to chat with university representatives and admissions counselors before they apply. They can meet the same people when they take campus tours too. Lewis has a priority deadline of December first and a February first deadline for undergrads who want to receive scholarships. Students can submit an application up through April 15 and still receive consideration for the fall. The requirements for undergrads include:
- Payment of the $40 application fee
- A completed online application
- Official ACT or SAT scores
- Official transcript from the student’s high school or a score from the GED exam
The basic requirements for grad students include the online application, $40 application fee and an official college or university transcript. Most programs have additional requirements though. Some programs ask for a personal statement of one to two pages, a resume that shows the students professional experiences and volunteer work and/or an official GRE score. Students may also need to provide two to three letters of recommendation and a goals statement.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Undergrads taking fewer than 12 credit hours pay the part-time student rate of $968 per credit hour. This price drops to $600 per credit hour for students in an accelerated program. Business programs that require students take seminar courses charge $968 per credit hour for those classes. Nursing majors pay as little as $400 per credit hour in their programs. Undergrads who take 12 credits per semester pay the full-time rate of $16,635 per semester. As long as they take 18 or fewer credits in that same semester, they won’t face any additional fees. Most of the university’s graduate programs charge $800 per credit hour, but this rate can range from $580 to $700 per credit hour in other programs.
Lewis University awards undergrads scholarships of up to $14,500 per year and lets them use those funds with any others that they receive. It usually takes a few weeks from the time the university receives the student’s FAFSA to the time that the student receives an award letter. That letter can include a Pell grant of more than $5,000 and work-study, which helps students cover their costs throughout the school year. Those who still have financial need can apply for scholarships, which are also available for graduate students and the parents of undergraduates. Students enrolled in any degree program will get an award letter from Lewis University before the semester starts.