Learning Teaching in Different Walks of Life
Bellevue University appears in our ranking of the Top 20 Online Master’s in Instructional Design.
Dedicated as it is to “nontraditional learners,” Bellevue University’s education degrees are long on real-world applications and short on theory. The degrees are based on direct interaction with the public, such as the Bachelor of Science in Health and Human Performance and Bachelor of Science in Public Health Education, or on the lives of nontraditional learners, like the Bachelor of Science in Adult Education. Bellevue University also offers a minor in athletic coaching, which is educational even if it is not a full “education degree.”
All of these are offered both online and in the regular classroom except the Health and Human Performance degree, which is only offered in the brick-and-mortar classroom. As an example, the Bachelor of Science in Adult Education is a 127-credit program comprised of 40 credits in the major area, 51 credits of electives, and 36 credits of general curriculum. Classes include Foundations of Continuing Education, Electronic Instructional Methods and Delivery, and Critical Thinking and Evaluation.
All students, regardless of level, must take the following three courses: American Vision and Values, Tradition and Change, and Freedom and Responsibility. These are 400-level courses, so students will likely take them as juniors or seniors. These three courses form the Kirkpatrick Signature Series, which is unique to Bellevue University. The Kirkpatrick Signature Series reinforces the university’s ultra-conservative philosophy of both education and America’s place in the world.
At the graduate level, students can earn a Master of Science in Instructional Design and Technology. This program is only offered online.
About Bellevue University
In 1965 Bill Brooks and his colleagues gathered over a steak dinner in a Nebraska restaurant. They discussed the formation of a new college dedicated to educating adult learners who either never went to college or didn’t finish the first time around. From that humble beginning over napkin scribbling, Bellevue University has grown to accommodate more than 13,000 students. These students either attend the campus in Bellevue, Neb. or online from almost anywhere in the world.
Bellevue University was among the first universities to offer online study, which happened in 1996, and it was the first to offer a Master of Business Administration online. Knowing that adults have busy lives, the college has provided opportunities for accelerated learning for more than 30 years.
The university’s mission is to reinforce the benefits of a free-market, capitalist system in an America-centric version of the world. Bellevue University also believes in the transformative power of education in a student-centric model. To that end, they promote open access to the university and allow anyone who applies to study there.
Bellevue University Accreditation Details
Bellevue University holds regional accreditation from The Higher Learning Commission. Separate departments within the university as a whole have also achieved academic accreditation from the following organizations:
- International Accreditation Council for Business Education
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
- Global Accreditation Center for Project Management Education Programs
- Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
Bellevue University Application Requirements
Anyone with a high-school diploma or its equivalent will be accepted at Bellevue University as long as the $50 application fee is paid. International students pay $100 instead. They must also pass an English-language proficiency test. International students who wish to study at Bellevue University also must provide proof of the existence of a certificate of deposit or savings account in their names. To be considered, the account must have at least $34,368 in it. All previous schooling must be evaluated for efficacy prior to the admittance of an international student. Additionally, international students are prohibited by the Department of Homeland Security from taking cohort or accelerated classes.
Tuition and Financial Aid
At Bellevue University, tuition is calculated on a per-credit basis. With the exception of the prior-learning examination, all classroom costs listed in this section are per credit hour. The basic tuition is $299 while online tuition is $425. Cohort undergraduate programs are $425 on campus. Should students wish to receive credit for their prior learning or life experiences, the examination to determine eligibility costs $875.
Military students get a discounted rate of $250. International students pay $425. Assorted fees come to about $500 annually. Books or online materials cost roughly $2,000. Students who wish to stay in Bellevue University housing, which is just down the street from the campus, pay between $8,730 and $15,000. The amount depends on whether or not they are dependents of their parents. The required Kirkpatrick Signature Series costs an additional $3,000.
As an example, a full-time student who is not a dependent takes 12 credits per semester and studies on campus. The costs associated are:
- 12 x $299 x 2 semesters = $7,176
- Room and Board = $8,730
- Kirkpatrick Signature Series = $3,000
- Fees = $500
The total, therefore, is $19,406 in a year where the mandatory classes apply. In other years, the total would be roughly $16,000.
Financial aid, as it does with most other universities, begins with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Students submit the FAFSA and then wait for a determination about how much need-based aid they are to receive. This aid may be scholarships, loans, or grants. Students who wish to participate in work-study must qualify for such a position because it is a grant.
The Kirkpatrick Signature Series requires all students to volunteer as part of a community service project before they can graduate. This is a requirement of the course and would be in addition to any work-study job requirements. Students should check with the financial aid office to find out how the community service will affect the number of hours they are allowed to work as part of their work-study.
Students may also choose to apply for private financial aid. In most cases, students receive aid from a combination of sources. Any private aid received might affect need-based aid, and students with specific questions about their own situations should contact the Office of Financial Aid.
Bellevue University continues its quest to be the premier open-access university in the United States.
