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Pennsylvania State University World Campus Degree Programs

The Pennsylvania State University World Campus appears in our ranking of the Top ten Online Colleges for Active Duty Military.

The Pennsylvania State University World Campus offers more than 150 certificate and degree programs for students at all levels. Its Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science programs usually take four years to finish and allow students to study unique subjects such as turfgrass science. The online campus offers several business programs too, including majors in security and risk analysis, organizational leadership and labor and employment relations. Social science programs are also quite popular with students today. Some of those programs include options in psychology, criminal justice, and behavioral health.

There are 50 programs suitable for graduate students who want to earn full degrees too. Teachers and those who want to work as teachers can apply to the special education program and learn how to work with children who have learning issues and other disabilities. Other students may have an interest in its curriculum and instruction program, which looks at the ways in which teachers work with their own students and how schools design the curriculum that those educators follow. The Pennsylvania State University World Campus offers many different unique online programs too that can prepare students for starting their own entrepreneurship ideas or working in the legal field. A Master of Health Administration in Health Policy and Administration is available for aspiring healthare administrators.

Certificate programs provide students with the chance to study one key subject, which can complement the degrees they already have and help them learn new skills they can use at work. The 17 certificate programs available for undergrads include those in organizational communication, nursing forensics, and financial services. Students can study adult development and aging services or children, youth and family services if they want to work in social services or a social work field.

Penn State also offers 57 certificate programs for graduate students and those who already have a bachelor degree. These programs can do along with a graduate degree program or provide students with a basic understanding of an advanced subject. They can study remote sensing and earth observation, organizational development and change essentials, institutional research or family literacy among other topics. The Pennsylvania State University World Campus offers a small number of doctoral and two-year associate degree programs too.

About Pennsylvania State University World Campus

The Pennsylvania State University established the Pennsylvania State University World Campus as a way to meet the needs of distance education students. Penn State actually started one of the oldest distance education programs in the nation, which it adopted in the 1890s. It allowed farmers living in the state to study a small number of subjects. This would later become part of its online program, which expanded the number of courses available to students and allowed them to earn full degrees online. Called an experimental program for many years, it eventually became so successful that the university established Pennsylvania State University World Campus just for online students. It also goes by the names of Penn State University World Campus and Penn State Online.

Penn State Online now offers dozens of both graduate and undergraduate programs. Students take classes that include lectures taped of professors talking to students on the Penn State campus. They will also take quizzes and tests and submit assignments and talk with other students online. Any student who earns a degree through the online campus will receive a diploma with Penn State listed on it. They also have the chance to walk with other graduates during the ceremonies held on the University Park campus.

With dedicated military admissions counselors, GI Bill(R) Certifying Officials, and a disability services team, Penn State World Campus is a great option for active duty military and veterans.

Pennsylvania State University World Campus Accreditation Details

The Pennsylvania State University World Campus has regional accreditation from the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE). This is very important for students who need financial aid because it is a requirement for applying and obtaining aid from any branch of the government. Regional accreditation from the MSCHE also allows transfer students to use some or all of their past credits into a new program. Its business and nursing programs have accreditation also. All the university’s online programs have approval for students living in all 50 states also.

Pennsylvania State University World Campus Application Requirements

Students applying to an online program must submit a general application, which allows them to take classes through the world campus. Once accepted, they will need to submit a separate application to one of the university’s departments. Undergrads and those who have no college experience will submit a self-report too. This report allows them to list the high school classes they took and the grades they got. The university will use this as a transcript until students provide their own official transcripts.

Prospective students should visit the university’s website and select the programs they want to study. They can then view all application requirements and the deadline for that program. Most programs have an early decision deadline of March 1 and a final deadline of May 1. Undergrads usually only need to submit the online application and a high school transcript. Graduate students may need to submit a transcript, resume and two or more references. The MBA and other graduate programs also ask for a portfolio and an essay. These students also need to go through an online interview.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Undergrads attending the Pennsylvania State University World Campus pay $555 per credit hour if they want to take less than 12 credits in the same semester. Those who take more than 12 credits will pay $6,742 per term. Students will also pay a technology fee of between $86 and $252 per term based on the total number of credits taken. Graduate students pay a rate of $882 per credit hour when enrolled on a part-time basis. Full-time graduate students pay $10,634 per term. The cost may vary between some of these programs and for those enrolled in a certificate program.

Penn State Online offers payment plans for students getting reimbursed by their employers and those who need more time to pay off their balances. It recommends that students file the FAFSA before applying to the university. The FAFSA will help decide which students qualify for the grants that go to undergrads and the loans that are available for both graduate students and undergraduates. Once accepted into the university, students can apply for scholarships too. The Pennsylvania State University World Campus scholarships provide funds for students in any of its majors at the undergrad and graduate levels.

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