Bemidji State University

Popular Degree Programs for Incoming Students at Bemidji

Bemidji StateUniversity appears in our ranking of the 25 Best Bachelor’s in Engineering Online Degrees. Bemidji State University is also known as BSU and Bemidji State. It offers nearly 50 different degree programs for undergrads and graduate students. One of its more popular undergraduates programs  is its Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice program. It’s designed for those who:

• want to go to law school
• want to work as probation officers and youth counselors

This program requires that students do an internship during the summer session. They will also pick a concentration in a subject area like:

• tribal justice
• corrections
• victimology
• law enforcement

The university has a humanities program for students who want to study humanities and the liberal arts. This is an interdisciplinary program that features courses from other disciplines, as well. Students can  focus their studies on humanities subjects or pick a specialized area in another field. The university requires that these majors take classes in:

• history
• philosophy
• literature
• performing arts

One of the on-campus graduate programs that the university offers is the Master of Arts in English. Students must take 30 credits of classes and at least 15 credits at or above the 600-level. They’ll also do a thesis that allows them to write a literary comparison paper or write about American literature. The creative thesis option allows students to write their own books or do a project. This program features unique courses such as:

• Literature for Young Adults
• Elements of Digital Rhetoric
• Exploitation in Fiction

BSU also offers some online graduate programs such as its online Master of Business Administration (MBA) program. It’s ranked as one of the best online MBA programs in the nation. It features both six-week and eight-week classes. This allows students to take more courses each semester. Students can take classes such as:

• Managerial Finance
• Global Business
• Corporate Social Responsibility

Bemidji State University offers an accelerated MBA program for students willing to take advanced business classes in their senior years.

About Bemidji State University

Bemidji State University was established in 1919. It operated as the Bemidji State Normal School for a number of years. It was named after nearby Lake Bemidji. The commitment that it had to education led to the school becoming the Bemidji State Teachers College in later years. As it added new programs that allowed students to focus on other subjects, it changed its name to Bemidji State College. It considered becoming Minnesota State University – Bemidji. Instead, it instead chose the name Bemidji State University. BSU has a summer program that allows students to study abroad in China during the summer session.  U.S. News & World Report ranks BSU as one of the top 100 American colleges. Washington Monthly ranks it as one of the top graduate schools in the nation. The university slowly grew in terms of both population and size over the years. It now has an enrollment of nearly 7,000 students.

Bemidji State University Accreditation Details

BSU has regional accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS). Students can use any of the government financial aid awarded to them after completing the FAFSA. This also allows students with credits from another college or university with regional accreditation to transfer those credits into one of the BSU programs. The university also has accreditation for its programs in:

• nursing
• music
• business
• technology
• management
• engineering programs

Bemidji State University Application Requirements

Undergrads who want to apply for one of the scholarships that BSU offers must submit their applications by February 1. Those who do not need scholarships or financial aid can submit their applications later in the year. The university accepts both online and paper applications. Students can pay the $20 application fee over the phone during standard business hours or on the university’s payment website. Undergrads must submit official transcripts from any of the high schools and/or colleges they attended. Many of the university’s online programs are only open to students who attended college before. Those students must submit transcripts to show the university what courses they already took. The university has a rolling admissions policy that applies to all its graduate programs. It recommends that students submit their applications by April 1. Many of its graduate programs shut down during the summer months and will not look at applications until the fall. Students who submit their applications later in the year may not get an answer until the following fall or spring. Each program has its own requirements. All ask that students submit the online application and pay the small application fee. Students may need to submit a resume and letters of recommendation or a personal essay and official transcripts, too.

Tuition and Financial Aid

BSU offers affordable tuition rates for both undergrads and graduate students. Undergrads pay $7,630 per year for tuition and a little more than $1,000 in miscellaneous fees. The university estimates that those who live on-campus will pay around $17,000 a year. This includes room and board. Full-time graduate students who take nine credits of classes through the university will pay around $3,900 per semester for tuition and fees. Bemidji State does not charge higher rates for nonresidents. Students can submit the FAFSA at the same time they apply to BSU. The university will create a financial aid package based on their overall needs and how much their families can contribute to their costs. Undergrads can receive loans and grants and work for the university. Graduate students can use loans and some grants, too. Students can also apply for alternative loans to cover any additional costs they have. BSU offers merit scholarships for students with a higher high school GPA. The university will award students up to $10,000 over the course of four years. Students must have a GPA of 3.2 or higher, score at least 22 on the ACT and graduate in the top 50 percent of their classes. Bemidji State University will award scholarships to students based on the transcripts it receives.

Related Resources:

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Ultimate Guide to Criminal Justice Degrees and Careers

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