GRADUATE EDUCATION

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Educational Excellence in a Personal Environment

Thank you for your interest in the University of West Georgia. We are pleased that you are considering our university to further your education. West Georgia is committed to providing each student with an excellent educational experience in a personal environment.

About the University

The Graduate School of the University of West Georgia is the fourth largest in the University System of Georgia. The University of West Georgia currently has a Fall Semester 2008 enrollment of 11,316 students. Of this number, 2,038 are graduate students. We are large enough to provide the resources our students need for a quality graduate education, but not so large that students cannot receive the individual attention they need. In addition, our university is recognized as a leader in the southeast for offering graduate programs that are relevant to contemporary careers. With a combination of intellectual challenge, social growth, and career viability, your time invested in our graduate programs will be well spent.

Courses are also taught by members of the graduate faculty, all of whom hold the earned doctorate or the terminal degree in their fields. At the University of West Georgia, the aim is to have students and faculty thrive and learn in an atmosphere of mutual respect.

Location

Our aesthetically pleasant campus is located in Carrollton, Georgia, a city of more than 16,000 residents. The county (Carroll) in which our university resides has a population of over 107,000. Carrollton is conveniently located 45 miles from downtown Atlanta. As one of the fastest growing industrial areas in Georgia, Carrollton provides a regional population (more than 100,000) with retail shopping, medical, educational, and financial services. While we feel Carrollton is a delightful place to live, we recognize that a large number of our students live and work in the surrounding areas of Atlanta.

Convenient Scheduling of Courses

Since we understand that most of our students are employed full-time, courses are offered at times that our students can take them. Evening, weekend, off-campus, distance learning, and online courses ensure accessibility in addition to courses being offered during traditional daytime hours.

Degrees, Accreditation of Programs, and Certification

The University offers twelve graduate degrees in a large number of fields and emphases within fields in the Arts, Sciences, Business, and Education, including the Doctorate of Education in School Improvement and the Doctor of Psychology in Individual, Organizational and Community Transformation. The University is fully accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. The quality of UWG's graduate programs has been recognized on the national level. For example, all graduate teacher education programs are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). Graduate programs offered by the Richards College of Business are accredited by AACSB-International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business. Most business schools across the nation do not hold this prestigious accreditation. In addition, the Masters of Professional Accounting (MPACC) program has received separate accreditation from the AACSB-International. Only the University of Georgia and Georgia State University hold this type of accreditation in the State of Georgia. The MPA (Masters in Public Administration) program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), and the MA program in Psychology is accredited by the Consortium of Diversified Psychology Programs. We also offer the MS in Biology, which includes an evening program option and professional school transition plan. The MS in Rural and Small Town Planning is the only such program in the state. The Music Department is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music, and the Art Department has been accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design (NASAD). The Department of Nursing's masters program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education. The Department of Counseling & Educational Psychology is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP). The Department of Nursing's masters program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE), and the Department of Special Education & Speech-Language Pathology’s masters program in Speech-Language Pathology is accredited by the American Speech-Language Hearing Association (ASHA). All teacher education certification programs are taught by the same graduate faculty who teach in the NCATE accredited degree programs of the College of Education. Much could be said about other programs as well. Without a doubt, the Graduate School is able to offer you graduate programs of high quality.

Financial Aid

The Graduate School offers a limited number of Graduate Research Assistantships. These assistantships vary from $1,500 to $4,000 per semester. Students classified as Graduate Research Assistants and who are employed 20 hours/week also pay a reduced tuition rate of only $25 (plus health, athletic, transportation and student activity fees) resulting in a substantial savings for in- and out-of-state students. The HOPE Scholarship is available to graduate students who are pursuing degrees in certain programs in the College of Education. To receive further information on the HOPE Scholarship and other financial assistance, please write the Financial Aid Office or call them at 678-839-6421.

You can find out more about the University of West Georgia by going online at www.westga.edu or www.westga.edu/~gradsch/ for more information about the Graduate School. If you are applying to the Graduate School for the first time as a new student, please contact Ms. Cherie’ Holt, Admissions Specialist, at 678-839-6419. If you are applying as an international student or for readmission, please contact Ms. Patricia Wells, Records Section Supervisor, at 678-839-6419. If you want more information regarding courses and other program requirements, please contact the department (e.g., Middle Grades Education) housing the academic program of your interest. If you would like to visit our campus, please contact the Graduate School, at 678-839-6419 or e-mail her at gradsch@westga.edu. Tours can be arranged on Mondays or Fridays between the hours of 10:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. For questions regarding Graduate School policies, feel free to contact Dr. Charles W. Clark, Interim Dean of the Graduate School at 678-839-6419.

The University of West Georgia is committed to providing you with Educational Excellence in a Personal Environment. We sincerely hope you will give us serious consideration as you attempt to further your education. We look forward to hearing from you soon.