Sam Houston State University

Contents

Flexible, Fast-Growing Degree Programs at SHSU

Sam Houston State University Accreditation Details

Sam Houston State University Application Requirements

Sam Houston State University

Flexible, Fast-Growing Degree Programs at SHSU

Sam Houston State University appears in our ranking of the 50 Most Affordable Online Degree Programs For In-State Students. Ranked Forbes’ 216th best research institution. Sam Houston State University is the third-oldest public, coed TSUS member in Huntsville. It offers:

89 bachelor’s degrees
54 master’s degrees
11 doctoral degrees

These include 51 fully online programs. There is also the Lone Star Joint Admission Program. Student/Faculty ratio is 21:1. The Animal Science BS builds a 120-credit, four-year curriculum with opportunities to:

work at the 1,800-acre Gibbs Ranch
join the Rodeo Team
intern with Sanderson Farms
study abroad in Australia

The Computing Science BS follows a 120-credit, ABET-accredited plan where students can:

engage in the Cyber Forensics Intelligence Center
exchange to Firat University
add the Data Assurance Certificate

The online Reading/Language Arts MEd has delivers a 36-credit, CAEP-accredited path for K-12 Texas Reading Specialist certification. It has a built-in Dyslexia Concentration and 7.5-week courses like Second Language Literacy. The Osteopathic Medicine DO has a four-year, COCA-accredited sequence to produce licensed physicians after multiple 40-week clerkships at:

Aspire Hospital
Christus St. Elizabeth
Burke Center
Health Point, and more

Other Sam Houston degrees include:

the Animation BFA
Food Service Management BA
Music BM
Software Engineering BS
Banking MBA
Kinesiology MS
Project Management MS
Technical Communication MS
Forensic Science Ph.D.,
Counselor Education Ph.D

About Sam Houston State University

Sam Houston State University originated in 1879, when Governor Oran M. Roberts signed legislation to create the Sam Houston Normal Institute. President Bernard Mallon welcomed an inaugural class of 110 to the Southwest’s first teacher training institute. In 1890, President Joseph Baldwin commissioned the building of Old Main. In 1901, Peabody Memorial Library was designed by J.L. O’Connor as Texas’ earliest free-standing academic library. In 1919, the teaching curriculum was expanded to four years for Bachelor of Science degrees. Four years later, it became Sam Houston State Teachers College. In 1936, the campus became residential with Belvin Hall. By 1969, the Sam Houston State University name was chosen. In 1982, President Elliott Bowers dedicated the Dan Rather Communications Building. In Fall 1996, the Lone Star College-University Center opened in The Woodlands. Endowed for $125.8 million, Sam Houston State University employs 1,015 faculty. Enrollment is 18,498 undergrad and 2,715 post-grad students from 42 countries. It has more than 310 clubs like Ballet Folklorico. In 2016, Sam Houston State received the AHEPPP Family Engagement in Higher Education Award. In 2018, it accepted the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity Excellence Award. Sam Houston State University has also won three APLU Excellence in Teaching Awards. The U.S. News & World Report ranked SHSU:

178th for clinical psychology
187th for public affairs
20th for criminology degrees

Niche ranked SHSU America’s 171st best kinesiology program and 230th top accounting department. The Center for World University Rankings named Sam Houston State 347th nationally. Washington Monthly ranked SHSU the 110th top college.

Sam Houston State University Accreditation Details

Sam Houston State University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). This esteemed 11-state Southeast Region accreditor is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The Center for Assessment also lists the following Sam Houston accreditations:

Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
Educational Leadership Constituent Council
Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation
National Association of Schools of Music
American Library Association
Forensic Science Education Programs Accreditation Commission
Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business
Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation
National Association of Schools of Art and Design
Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology
Council for Interior Design Accreditation
American Psychological Association
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education

Sam Houston State University Application Requirements

Admission at Sam Houston State University is classified as “selective” by the U.S. News & World Report because. Only 79 percent of the 11,569 Fall 2018 applicants were selected. Freshman must exceed Texas’ college readiness standards with a diploma or GED. Mandated are:

four English credits
three math credits
two science credits
three social studies credits

First-year applicants need cumulative GPAs of 2.25 or higher. Testing requirements are based on a sliding scale. For instance, individuals with GPAs of 3.0 to 3.49 need a minimum 1010 new SAT score. The SAT score rises to 1110 for GPAs of 2.5 to 2.99. International students need at least 6.5 IELTS or 79 TOEFL internet scores. Transfers with 18+ credits from regionally accredited colleges need 2.0 GPAs or better. The Graduate School requires GPAs over 2.8 in the last 60 credits of bachelor’s preparation. Combined GRE scores of 300 and greater are preferred. College of Business entrants achieve an average GMAT score of 500. Osteopathic Medicine DO cohorts have a median 503 MCAT score. Sam Houston State University has general final deadlines of:

August 1st for Fall
December 1st for Spring
May 15th for Summer I
June 15th for Summer II enrollment

However, several graduate programs have program-specific deadlines. The Clinical Psychology MA closes on February 15th. Osteopathic Medicine DO cohorts must apply by October 1st. The Educational Leadership EdD seeks entrants by March 1st. The Criminal Justice Ph.D. deadline is February 1st. Apply to the Forensic Science Ph.D. program by December 31st. Prospective students submit the ApplyTexas form online for $45 ($75 if international). Official transcripts go to Box 2478 in Huntsville, TX 77341. Submit test results using SAT/GRE code 6643 or ACT code 4162. Contact (936) 294-1828 or admissions@shsu.edu about further steps.

Tuition and Financial Aid

For 2019-20, Sam Houston State University charged in-state undergrads $10,482 annually. Non-resident bachelor’s tuition and fees were $23,142 full-time. Studying half-time incurred $5,290 to $11,198. Residing at the 25 Huntsville dorms added $9,670 for room and board yearly. SHSU budgeted:

$1,372 for books
$2,004 for transport
$1,792 for miscellaneous

Loan fees were $70 every nine months. Annual attendance costs were $25,390 in-state and $38,050 out-of-state. The Graduate School billed Texans $8,822 and non-residents $17,262 full-time. The College of Osteopathic Medicine has flat-rate $55,000 in tuition and fees. Online undergrad classes were priced at $524 per credit. Graduate students studying online paid $603 per credit. The Financial Aid Office connects 89 percent of new, full-time SHSU Bearkats to average assistance of $7,776 each. Institutional awards include:

the Charles Milstead Scholarship
Howard Moon Scholarship
Randy Russell Endowed Scholarship
Leroy Melcher Hundred Club Scholarship
Bill Watrous Jazz Scholarship
Lesta Norris Burt Scholarship
Tom Skains Endowed Scholarship
Sue Towery Dailey Business Scholarship
Phyllis Pliske Education Scholarship
Preston Leo Reeder Scholarship
Prosperity Bank Scholarship
Ed Sandhop Scholarship for Veterans

The Elkins Endowed Scholarship presents $2,000 annually to outstanding first-time freshmen with minimum 1340 SAT and 30 ACT scores. The Amato Brothers Scholarship gives $3,000 each year to students with unmet financial need and GPAs above 2.5. Federal programs, such as the TEACH Grant and Perkins Loan, require FAFSA applications coded 003606. Texans also pursue:

the Public Educational Grant
Kenneth Ashworth Fellowship
Horatio Alger Scholarship
Top 10 Percent Scholarship
Irma Gesche Scholarship, and more.

Explore seven superb schools that grant 140+ accredited, affordable degrees placed 374th nationally by Money Magazine at the Sam Houston State University website.

Related Resources: