Since being founded as the Indiana State Normal School in 1865, Indiana State University has evolved into a comprehensive four-year public teaching institution. Each year, ISU enrolls more than 11,200 undergraduates and 2,300 post-graduates in its over 100 majors. Featuring over 60 historic brick buildings, ISU is located on a 235-acre urban campus in the small city of Terre Haute within the Wabash Valley. As a member of the College Consortium of Western Indiana, ISU has a Laptop Initiative for giving new Lenovo Thinkpads to all incoming freshmen. Its Cunningham Memorial Library has over 1.3 million volumes and 400,000 search engine records. Indiana State University maintains a student-faculty ratio of 20:1.
Forbes magazine has ranked ISU as the 160th best college in the Midwest and 254th top research university nationwide. In Washington Monthly magazine, Indiana State was named the 30th best master’s-level institution for civic engagement. Princeton Review has included ISU in its “Best in the Midwest” list for 11 straight years. Thanks to Indiana State University’s environmental sustainability efforts, it’s also one of America’s “322 Green Colleges.” ISU has been named on the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. The Nonprofit Leadership Alliance recognized Indiana State as its 2013 Sprint Campus of the Year. According to the USNWR, Indiana State University has the nation’s 129th best education school.
Indiana State University Accreditation Details
Recently reviewed in 2010, Indiana State University is formally accredited on the institutional level by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) of the North Central Association (NCA). This is one of six regional accrediting bodies recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Furthermore, academic departments at ISU have gone the extra step to receive 19 discipline-specific accreditations. Education degrees meet the standards of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The Bayh College of Education has also been certified by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Initial and advanced licensure programs are approved by the Indiana Department of Education (IDOE).
Indiana State University Application Requirements
Although Indiana State University is less selective with an acceptance rate of 82.5 percent, all incoming applicants must fulfill certain admission criteria. Graduate students wishing to pursue the online M.S. in Special Education must already hold a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution. Students residing abroad aren’t accepted, excluding U.S. military personnel. Applicants must have maintained a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.7 in major coursework. Having at least a 3.0 GPA in graduate courses taken is required. Conditional admissions can be granted for those with a cumulative GPA between 2.3 and 2.7. Taking the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) won’t be necessary. PRAXIS scores will be considered.
Before the August 15th deadline, interested master’s students must submit the following documents to the Indiana State University Graduate Admissions Office in Terre Haute:
- Online graduate application form
- Payment for the $45 application fee
- Official transcripts from each college attended
- PRAXIS score reports
- Two to three letters of recommendation
- Current resume or CV
- One-page statement of purpose
Tuition and Financial Aid
Graduate students who reside in Indiana will be charged $388 per credit hour. Out-of-state students can expect to pay $762 per credit hour at the graduate level. Thanks to the Midwest Consortium, residents of Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin can pay a discounted graduate rate of $485 per credit hour. Online students at Indiana State University must pay an additional $50 online education delivery fee per course taken. Participants in the Transition to Teaching program must pay $200 per course. Textbooks and supplies aren’t included.
Around 71 percent of degree-seeking students at ISU earn some form of financial aid. After filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), students can borrow money that must be repaid via the Federal Direct, Federal Perkins, or Grad PLUS loans. Certain learners may qualify for the Pell Grant, FSEOG Grant, TEACH Grant, or Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant. In-state residents should apply for the 21st Century Scholars Grant, Indiana Higher Education Award, or Indiana National Guard Supplemental Grant. The ISU Academic Need-Based Grant can be awarded for $1,000. Veterans can receive tuition benefits through the Post-9/11 GI Bill or Reserve Educational Assistance Program (REAP). Scholarships are abundant, including the Minority Teaching Scholarship and Sycamore Teacher Leader Scholarship.
Online Degree(s) Available
Indiana State Online provides flexible online courses identical to those on the university’s traditional brick-and-mortar campus. Students can currently select from 17 bachelor’s, 18 master’s, six doctoral, and 14 certificate programs available fully online. Online students are able to advance their careers without disrupting their work or family life. All courses include audio and video functionality with interactive web-based conferencing through Blackboard. Current or aspiring teachers may earn the:
M.S. in Special Education
Featuring a rigorous 39-credit curriculum, the online M.S. in Special Education program at Indiana State University is devised for graduate students desiring advanced training for teacher leader positions in K-12 public or private school districts. The program places emphasis on the teaching skills and pedagogy required for maximizing the learning of students with mild to moderate disabilities. Online students work with a faculty mentor to design a customized course schedule based on prior licensure and classroom experience. Most full-time students complete the M.S. degree within 14 months, but part-time options are offered.
Coursework will explore topics like behavior management, school diversity, learning assessment, literacy strategies, assistive technology, high-incidence disabilities, teacher collaboration, lifespan development, and curriculum development. An additional 24 credits, including field practicum, is required for those pursuing initial licensure in Indiana. ISU also has a unique Teachers of Tomorrow Advancing Learning (TOTAL) program for students to spend three to five days a week in an elementary classroom. All M.S. in Special Education students must complete a culminating Action Research project using UDL principles. Graduates of the NCATE-accredited online program will be qualified to work with youth with a wide variety of learning, mental, emotional, and physical disabilities.
Graduate students in the M.S. in Special Education program pursue a concurrent online certificate in Gifted and Talented Education, Instructional Design, Teaching English as a Second/Foreign Language, or Visual Impairment. Similar online degrees at Indiana State University include the M.S. in Career and Technical Education, M.Ed. in Elementary Education, and M.Ed. in School Administration and Supervision.