Adams State University

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Degree Programs Available at Adams State University

Adams State University appears in our ranking of the 30 Best Online Bachelor’s in English Degrees. At Adams State University, students can choose from degree programs based on the amount of education they have and what they want to study. There is a dual enrollment option designed for current high school students in Colorado. This option is for those who want to take college classes and continuing education programs designed for adults. Students can choose from individual classes and take career development courses before they change careers. The university also offers professional development courses and workshops for teachers who work in Colorado. The more than 20 majors available for undergrads include pre-health programs for those who want to attend medical school and become doctors. Music majors can study music while they take liberal arts classes. Or they can focus on music education or visual and performing arts. The university puts on musicals and plays each year. Students can take part in these. There is also a general agricultural program, which the university shares with the online division of Colorado State University. The second version of this program has an emphasis on agribusiness. Both the agribusiness and the university’s sociology program are available online for undergrads. The sociology program asks students to pick a concentration in either social work or criminology. Those in the social work concentration will take:
  • Readings in Sociology, Poverty and Wealth
  • Gender and Society
They will also do a social work internship in their last semesters. Those in the criminology track will also do an internship and take classes such as:
  • Correctional Systems
  • Social Psychology
  • Criminal Justice and Juvenile Delinquency
The online version of the university’s agribusiness program includes classes on business law and human resource management. Graduate students attending Adams State University can choose from eight different programs. The counselor education program is available as a graduate, doctoral or combined program. It requires practicums and internships to make sure that students meet the state’s requirements for licensed counselors. Kinesiology majors will also do internships, which help them gain practical skills on how they will work with patients. All of the university’s graduate programs are available online , including those in:
  • business administration
  • public administration
  • music education
Adams State University also offers a higher education and administration leadership  program and a graduate program in humanities.

About Adams State University

Adams State University is a public university known as both ASU and Adams State. It began as a normal school in 1921. It opened as the Adams State Normal School due to the hard work of Billy Adams who would later become the governor of the state. The school later became a college and then a university. It kept the Adams name to pay homage to its founder. It’s located in Alamosa, Colorado. The Adams State campus is one of the most beautiful in the nation because it overlooks the San Luis Valley. Students can spend their weekends:
  • hiking through the mountains
  • whitewater rafting
  • other outdoor activities
More than 3,600 undergrads attend ASU.

Adams State University Accreditation Details

The Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP) awarded ASU accreditation for its doctoral and graduate programs in counseling. Its teaching, music and nursing programs all have specialized accreditation, too. Adams State has regional accreditation for transfer students and those who need financial aid. This comes from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC).

Adams State University Application Requirements

Undergrads applying to ASU do not need a minimum grade point average or standardized test score. However, most students have a GPA of 2.7 or higher and an ACT/SAT score of between 17-22/950-1120. Students must submit transcripts that include:
  • a GPA
  • the name of the high school attended
  • the date that the student completed high school
Transcripts should also show that students took three years of:
  • social and life science courses
  • four years of mathematics and English classes
  • at least two electives
  • one year of a foreign language
ASU asks for:
  • an ACT/SAT score
  • official transcripts
  • both a completed application and an application fee of $30.
The deadlines and admissions requirements of each graduate program at Adams State are available online for students to look over before they apply. Most programs do not have a specific deadline but will only accept 20 or fewer students each year. Many students apply early in the year, so those programs can fill up quickly. The requirements for graduate students include:
  • payment of the $30 application fee
  • a completed application
  • two letters of recommendation
  • a personal statement
Students should write statements of three to five pages explaining their career goals and professional experiences. Their letters of recommendation must come from professionals who can speak on the student’s strengths and how well he or she will do in that career field. Students should also submit their official transcripts. Those applying to the counseling programs will also need to download and read the university’s counseling guidebook.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Adams State undergrads who are full-time Colorado residents pay $390 per credit hour for all residential programs. They pay $397 per credit hour for all off-campus classes they take. Students who are nonresidents pay $866 per credit hour for on-campus classes and $873 per credit hour for all their online classes. Students who live close to Colorado can participate in the Western Undergraduate Exchange Program. This lowers their rate from the nonresident price to $636 per credit hour in a traditional program. If they take any online classes, they will pay only $613 per credit hour. Graduate students at ASU pay between $337 and $586 per credit hour. Students can also live at ASU after submitting a housing application. The residence halls charge rates that start at $1,725 per semester. Housing for students with families is also available for $500 a month. Most residence halls ask that students purchase a meal plan too. This costs at least $2,225 a semester. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) makes it easy for students to apply for institutional and government aid at the same time. Students can get packages that include:
  • grants
  • work-study
  • loans and scholarships
These cover most of the costs of the degree programs available at Adams State University.

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