Mercer University Degree Programs
Mercer University appears in our ranking of the Top 30 Most Affordable Master’s in Early Childhood Education Degrees Online.
Mercer University divides its degree programs into fields such as those designed for working adults. More than 65 programs are open to professional students who can study on four different campuses. These programs provide students with the same financial aid that traditional students get but let them take classes set at more convenient times. Some of the majors available for working students include business, education, engineering, theology, technology, and liberal arts
Traditional undergrads can enroll in degree programs that include mission work. The university encourages students to spend some time helping their fellow men and offer mission and volunteer trips around the world. They can also standard study abroad programs and internships too. Dozens of degrees are available to students and let them earn degrees in science, arts or fine arts. The university’s early childhood education program takes a holistic approach to teaching and learning and shows students how to use those same methods with their future students. Other popular majors available for Mercer University undergrads include computer engineering, English, film studies, general business, and religion.
The Department of Graduate and Professional Study at the university receives more than $35 million in funding each year, much of which goes to students for their research work. There is a nurse practitioner program with a focus on gerontology for nurses who want to work in adult care. The church music program helps students become better musicians and learn how they can use their music in worship settings. In both the clinical psychology and clinical mental health counseling programs, students do practicums to make sure they have the skills needed to work with patients. All the graduate programs offered by the university are available on various campuses. Though some programs include daytime classes, other programs include evening and weekend classes.
Online programs are also available from Mercer University, and most programs are online only and do not require any campus work. Undergrads can major in family services, criminal justice leadership, accounting, emergency management, psychology, human resources management or public relations to name a few. At the graduate level, the university offers online degree programs in areas such as business administration, software systems, early childhood education, and Christian ministry.
About Mercer University
Mercer University is a university system based out of Georgia with a head campus in Macon. Established in 1833 as the Mercer Institute, it opened as a small school for boys in the state. It followed the manual labor format that was popular at the time, which asked students to work for the school to pay their costs. This policy would remain intact for many years but would eventually change to a traditional paid format. Mercer would slowly expand its base of operations over the years as it acquired and purchased other campuses. This also helped it establish separate campuses for its pharmacy and law schools.
The Macon campus is now only one of the campuses in the Mercer University system. There are three smaller campuses in Savannah, Columbus, and Atlanta as well as a law school in Macon. Several regional academic centers are in other parts of Georgia and offer programs for working adults. Mercer was one of only three colleges in Georgia to appear on the US News and World Report annual ranking of the best colleges in America. More than 8,600 students attend one of the campuses in this system annually.
Mercer University Accreditation Details
Some of the Mercer programs with accreditation include those in law, marriage and family therapy, and nursing. That accreditation comes from the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN) and the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy (AAMFT) among others. It also holds regional accreditation from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Mercer University Application Requirements
Future freshmen applying to Mercer should submit a transcript that shows they took four years of English and math classes, three years of social studies and science courses and at least two years of foreign language classes. These are the minimum courses need to receive guaranteed acceptance. Incoming students had an average SAT score of 1290 and an average ACT score of 28 and graduated high school with a GPA of abov3 3.9. Mercer looks at a student’s application as well as transcripts and test scores. All prospective freshmen need to provide a test score along with the application and a transcript.
Mercer charges a $100 application fee for all graduate students applying to its programs. They will need to submit official transcripts that have the seal of the college or university on the front and come in sealed envelopes from those schools. The university asks for a writing sample, essay of 500 to 1,000 words that describe the student’s reasons for picking Mercer and three letters of recommendation that come on the Mercer recommendation forms, which students can download from the university’s website. Those applying to some programs may need to submit other documents too. The church music program asks for a list of performances the student did and a description of the performance experience the student has.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The main campus in the Mercer system charges an undergraduate tuition rate of $1,250 per credit hour. Students pay $18,754 per semester or $37,508 per year for full-time enrollment. The university’s graduate programs charge rates that range from $778 per credit hour in the business and music programs to $938 per credit hour in the engineering program. This campus also charges room and board costs for on-campus students. Those attending any other campus or taking online classes pay different rates based on how many credits of courses they take.
Financial aid packages are available for all students, though those who come from low-income families and take a full course load to qualify for more aid than others do. The FAFSA determines how much help a student needs based on how much his or her family can contribute to their college funds. Students will only get aid package letters from the university once it receives the FAFSA and processes it. There are loans, grants, work-study opportunities and scholarships available for students today. All students applying to one of the degree programs offered by Mercer University can submit the FAFSA along with their applications.