University of West Georgia Degree Programs
The University of West Georgia appears in our ranking of the Top 20 Online Nursing Education Master’s Degrees.
The University of West Georgia (UWG), located in Carrolton, GA, is a mere 45 miles west of Atlanta. Asides from the courses offered on its 645-acre campus; the university also provides brick-and-mortar classes in Newnan, GA, Atlanta, GA, and Douglasville, GA. In addition to traditional brick-and-mortar classes, the UWG offers courses and degrees online. With all these improvements—real and virtual—in course offerings, the university is seeing new enrollment jump year by year. The 2020 enrollment is sitting at 13,733 with 11,135 students enrolled in undergraduate studies which is a new record for UWG. The influx of students is primarily attributed to an increase in degree options. UWG offers 86 programs including 43 undergraduate degrees, 29 master’s degrees, ten programs with a road toward certification, and four doctoral degrees.
UWG is streamlined via an inner school structure that includes six colleges within the UWG framework. Those schools are:
- College of Science and Mathematics
- College of Education
- Richards College of Business
- Tanner Health System School of Nursing
- College of Arts and Humanities
- College of Social Sciences
Undergraduates at UWG can focus on a single major field of study if they wish. The UWG environment encourages its undergraduates to explore a double major or add on a minor area of education. Dual majors add intensity to a student’s schooling that demands a nose-to-the-grindstone approach. Adding a minor degree to a major may enhance the student’s experience. There is every opportunity for a student to advance their knowledge through a well-chosen major/minor combination. A student seeking a Bachelor of Arts in Art (Art History) may find it immensely beneficial to minor in Asian Studies with its program of travel to Asia to immerse the student in the Asian culture for a semester or two.
The difference in requirements between a major and minor degree is significant. An undergraduate degree in a specific major like a Bachelor of Arts in English requires a minimum of 120 semester credit hours. To add a Minor in Film and Video Production to the diploma requires that the student complete 15 semester credit hours specified as electives within those 120 hours of study for their degree.
UWG offers an incredible array of graduate degrees, specialists degrees, and doctoral programs. Master-level degree programs require an intense study regimen. The programs at UWG demand a minimum of 30 semester credit hours and a maximum of 36 credit hours over a two to three-year time frame. Most of the master-level programs are classroom oriented with a few offered entirely online. Some of the programs are hybrid with a small number of the courses presented online.
A Master of Science with a Major in Applied Computer Science requires 36 semester credit hours of study over 24 months. Master-level courses are intense and move quickly. The recommendation at UWG is for the student to commit to taking classes throughout those two years, including the summer months. A student can elect to take courses only during the Fall and Spring semesters, but they would need to bear a nine-credit hour burden during those semesters to finish in 24 months. Taking classes throughout the year lets the student minimize the hours to six per semester.
Specialist Certifications are an additional degree for those who are already working in their chosen field with a master’s degree in hand. These degrees are designated by Georgia law as “Tier II” programs. The Specialist in Education with a Major in Educational Leadership requires the completion of 27 semester credit hours. Some of those hours are class-based, but a majority are practicums that the student experiences on the job.
A Doctor of Education in Educational with a Major in Nursing Education, taken under the auspices of the UWG School of Nursing—a school that is ranked 31st in the nation for the Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs by US News and World Report—is a program offered entirely online. The program extends over 11 semesters and includes 60 hours of semester credit hours. Twelve of those semester credit hours are spent on the development of a dissertation that is presented in a publishable form at the end of the program to the dissertation board.
About the University of West Georgia
UWG opened its doors in 1906 to students looking for higher education opportunities. The university proudly reflects the diverse culture that surrounds it with a fully integrated student body. UWG is the sixth largest educational institution in Georgia and is proliferating. The university is classified as an R3-Doctoral University by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.
UWG continuously ranks among the top universities in the country by US News & World Report and has been honored by The Princeton Review as a Best Regional College. Colleges of Distinction recognizes UWG as one of America’s Best-Fit Universities for Students. UGW is one of only two universities throughout the country continuously named over four years as one of the Most promising Places to Work in Student Affairs by the Center for Higher Education Enterprise (CHEE).
University of West Georgia Accreditation Details
UWG is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award bachelor, master’s, educational specialist, and doctoral degrees. Many departments are accredited in specialized areas by pertinent accrediting organizations. Some of those organizations include:
- American Chemical Society (ACS)
- Association of Advance Collegiate Schools of Business Schools (International) (AACSB)
- Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET (ASHA)
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- National Association of Schools of Arts and Design (NASAD)
- National Association of Schools of Music (NASM)
- National Association of Schools of Theater (NAST)
- Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
- Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA)
University of West Georgia Application Requirements
Applicants to enter UGW must pay a $40 application fee. SAT or ACT scores must be sent to the university through the College Board or ACT website. All SAT or ACT scores must have the same test date. SAT scores in English must meet the minimum of 480 and math scores need to reach a minimum of 450 to qualify for entry into UWG. Comparable ACT scores must reach 17 in both categories. Applicants must mail or drop their unopened official high school transcripts. Those transcripts must reflect:
- Four units of English
- Four units of mathematics
- Four units of science with at least one unit being lab-based
- Two units of social science
- Two units of a foreign language, including American Sign Language
To apply to enter a graduate program, applicants must hold a baccalaureate and to have completed a pre-graduate-level application test. Each school within UWG has a specific graduate-level entry test. To find the needed test, seek the website of the department in which the graduate degree is offered.
Tuition and Financial Aid
There is a vast difference in costs for instate and out-of-state students at UWG. Students that are residents of the state will pay $3,198 per semester in tuition and mandatory fees when taking a full 12-semester credit hour load. Every credit hour beyond that will cost another $182 in tuition. In comparison, non-residents of the state pay $8,725 in tuition and fees and another $643 in tuition for each added credit hour.
UWG takes immense pride in lessening the student’s educational debt. The university turns every stone when looking for financial aid for students. Scholarships, “need” grants, federal and state grants, and community grants are considered first as they do not require repayment. Only at the last are Federal Student Loan funds administered to a student’s account. He practice reduces student debt and allows the graduate to start their work-life with the least financial burden possible.
Students should not hesitate to apply for admittance to UWG. The university is an ideal spot to propel a mind toward the future. The University of West Georgia provides that solid educational foundation all people need to begin their careers.
