Degrees Offered at Michigan State University
Michigan State University appears in our ranking of the Top 50 Most Affordable M.Ed. Online Programs.
Students can complete more than programs through the 17 colleges that are part of Michigan State University. Undergrads may receive acceptance into one of the university’s living and learning communities, which allow them to live with other students majoring in the same subjects. The science scholars program is by invitation only and includes only those chosen by the university based on their applications. There are similar programs open to business and environmental studies majors and another for students who come from urban areas.
More than 160 degree programs are open to undergrads, including an agribusiness management program that asks students to do internships with farms and companies across Michigan. The advertising management program also includes internship opportunities and can help students learn the basics of creating advertising campaigns and implementing those campaigns. Michigan State University offers one of the state’s only zoology programs, which is available as a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Science. Some of the other programs available let students major in professional and public writing, psychology, music, neuroscience, anthropology and electrical engineering.
The university now offers 165 degree programs for graduate students and several certificate programs. Anthropology majors can work on internships and do fieldwork for credit through programs available around the world. In the digital rhetoric and professional writing program, students discover how writing for the internet is different from traditional writing as they hone their skills. Michigan State University also offers some online graduate programs such as an education major, which includes options for licensed teachers and students without their licenses. Its youth development program is also available online.
About Michigan State University
Michigan State University is a public university in Michigan that also ranks as the largest university in the state. Established in 1855, it often goes by the abbreviation MSU or by Michigan State. It started out as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan and welcomed 63 young men into its first class. Though its curriculum originally included some field training, it also included liberal arts and science classes, which were unique at the time for Michigan. It would later become the State Agricultural College and then the Michigan Agricultural College. That last name change occurred around the turn of the 20th century, which was also when the college first admitted females. Several other name changes occurred as the college’s curriculum changed before it eventually became MSU.
According to US News and World Report, some of the graduate programs offered by the university that rank at the national level includes those in business, education, law, engineering, nursing, and medicine. The MSU campus is home to the 29th largest university library in the nation based on the number of resources stored on-site. Known as a Big Ten school because of the conference its teams compete in and the alliance of schools it joined, MSU is now one of the nation’s best colleges.
Michigan State University Accreditation Details
Many high schools across the country have deals with local community colleges that allow students to take courses that count for credit at both levels. MSU can accept the credits that those students earn because it has regional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). This accreditation is also helpful for students who cannot afford college and need help paying their costs because it lets them apply for government aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Incoming students will discover that the university also has accreditation for its programs in dietetics, library education, psychology, and marriage and family therapy as well as a few others.
Michigan State University Application Requirements
MSU asks that all future Spartans choose the application that best describes them. It offers an application for recent high school graduates and one for students with transfer credits. The university asks for transcripts that show students took two years of science and foreign language classes, three years of math and social studies classes and four years of English courses, which are the credits that make up the Michigan college-prep curriculum. The early action deadline is November first, which is also the priority deadline for those seeking scholarships. MSU has a regular application deadline of February first and institutes a rolling admissions policy after this deadline. Undergrads will pay a $65 application fee when they use the Common, Coalition or MSU application. MSU also requires an electronic transcript and an official test score as part of the application process.
The university allows students to use one account and apply to two of its graduate programs. Those who want to apply to more than two programs need to create different application accounts. They also need to pay a $65 application fee and submit electronic or digital copies of their transcripts. Some of the other requirements they will need to meet for acceptance to different programs can include:
- Letters of recommendation
- Personal essays or writing samples
- A professional resume
Tuition and Financial Aid
The cost of undergraduate attendance at Michigan State is roughly $25,000 a year for Michigan residents. This includes the cost of tuition and fees for taking up to 18 credits of classes and their room and board. They receive a silver meal plan that gives them unlimited access to the on-campus dining halls. Nonresidents get the same meal plan but pay $50,300 a year for room and board, tuition and fees. Students can choose a different meal plan or room type. Michigan residents pay the university $14,144 per year for tuition alone, while nonresident graduate students pay $27,792 per year for their tuition.
When students qualify for work-study through the FAFSA, they can make up to $2,000 each semester. This program allows them to work for the university in some capacity or work for a local employer. A special tuition waiver is available for Michigan residents who belong to a Native American tribe. The program pays the total cost of the student’s tuition. There is a Spartan Advantage Program that gives scholarship funds to students who show extreme need on the FAFSA and do not receive financial aid that covers all of their costs. Some of the other financial aid that students enrolled in the degree programs offered at Michigan State University can get include loans, a Pell grant, and grants from the state government.