Education Programs Offered at Northwestern State University of Louisiana
Northwestern State University of Louisiana appears in our ranking of the Top 20 Best MATs in Elementary Education Online.
The Northwestern State University of Louisiana offers education degree programs through the Gallaspy College of Education and Human Development. Each undergraduate program includes courses and clinical experiences as well as practice sessions to help students pass the Praxis exam to get their licenses. Undergrads can choose from basic programs that include early childhood, elementary and secondary education. They also have the option of choosing concentrations based on what they want to teach, including English, social studies, math, and health and physical education.
With the Pathways program, graduate students can get their teaching licenses in Louisiana too. This program is available as a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) for those who meet all requirements for graduate school admissions. It includes a minimum of 33 credits and internships that students do in their final semesters. The Pathways program also offers a Practitioner Teacher Program (PREP) that includes only 21 credits and an alternative track for students who want to teach music.
Master of Arts (MA) programs offer majors and concentrations in student affairs in higher education, counseling, and adult learning and development. Students can use those programs to become licensed school counselors or to work in administrative positions or with adults. The adult learning and development program offers tracks in e-learning for those who want to work online and adult and workforce development that prepares them for helping students in a vocational or training program. Students can also earn a Master of Education, Doctor of Education or Education Specialist degree from the university. All of these programs are online.
The university offers add-on certificate programs for licensed teachers who want to teach more than one subject. Each of the 16 programs includes several required courses and some education electives. The special education certificate accepts students who have an early childhood or elementary teaching license and allows them to learn about working with those who have mild to moderate disabilities. There are similar programs open to those with middle grade or secondary school licenses. Some of the other certificates that students can earn allow them to work as school librarians and work in parish schools or with foreign students.
About Northwestern State University of Louisiana
The Northwestern State University of Louisiana is a public university often called Northwestern State University or NSU. Established in 1884 in Natchitoches, Louisiana, the campus sits on land once used as a Religious Society of the Sacred Heart Convent. The building that the Society used was the former mansion of the Bullard Family, a prominent family who once lived in the city. It became the Louisiana State Normal College in 1921 and the Northwestern State College of Louisiana in the 1940s. The school’s last name change occurred when the state granted the campus university status.
In addition to the main campus, NSU operates regional campuses in Alexandria and Leesville, which caters to students stationed at nearby Fort Polk. There is another campus in Shreveport that offers classes for students in the university’s nursing programs. Washington Monthly ranks NSU as one of the nation’s top graduate schools.
Northwestern State University of Louisiana Accreditation Details
NSU has both regional accreditation and accreditation that applies to its degree programs. The university’s regional accreditation comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). It’s important because SACS accreditation is one of the requirements for students who need financial aid and plan on applying through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). NSU also obtained full accreditation for its undergraduate and graduate programs in education from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).
Northwestern State University of Louisiana Application Requirements
Students applying to NSU must make sure that they meet the minimum admissions requirements. Those requirements include completion of a college-prep curriculum that includes 19 units in math, English, science, social studies, and other subjects. The university requires a minimum grade point average of 2.0 too. Those with a GPA of 2.35 or higher do not need to submit an ACT score. NSU asks for a minimum score of 18 on the ACT if the student has a lower GPA. The university charges a $20 application fee and asks that students submit both a test score and an official or final high school transcript.
Both the graduate and certification programs offered by the university have the same requirements. Students need a bachelor’s degree and a minimum GPA of 2.5. They also need a passing score on the Praxis exam or a score of 22/1030 on the ACT/SAT. Students applying to these programs who already have a license must present a score on one of the subject areas of the Praxis exam. NSU asks students to complete and submit the Louisiana Department of Education Professional Conduct Form along with their test scores, transcripts and the online application.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Full-time NSU students pay $2,590 per semester as a Louisiana resident. Students who come from different states will pay $2,590 per semester for full-time enrollment. With their fees added to their tuition, students pay between $4,290 and $9,684 each semester. On-campus undergrads must buy a meal plan for at least $1,920 every semester and pay a dorm room rate of $2,702 or more. The global campus of NSU charges $375 per credit hour for undergrads and $475 per credit hour for graduate students. Undergrads who take more than 12 credit hours will only pay $100 per credit for each additional credit they take. The university drops the rate to $100 per credit hour for any credits that graduate students take above nine.
Financial aid can help students afford the cost of attendance at NSU. To get a package, they must apply to the university and make sure that it receives their FAFSA, which asks students to use the university’s code on the form. NSU has dozens of scholarships that go to worthy undergrads based on both the merit they show when applying and the need shown on the FAFSA. They can also qualify for government loans and grants as well as work-study. Graduate students can get special awards from the university and use those awards with their student loans. Most education majors at the Northwestern State University of Louisiana qualify for one or more types of financial aid.
