Degrees Offered at Southeast Missouri State University
Southeast Missouri State University appears in our ranking of the Top 50 Great College Deals: Master of Public Administration Online.
Southeast Missouri State University (SEMO) is divided into five colleges. The most recently updated one is the Holland College of Arts and Media which consists of four departments:
- Art and Design
- Mass Media
- Music
- Theater and Dance
This college provides students many opportunities to practice their chosen field with over 100 musical and theatrical productions and gallery showings annually. It also has a student newspaper. The Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications has four options including the Multimedia Journalism track. This trains students in modern journalistic techniques given the currently declining state of traditional print and television media. The program features courses covering:
- news
- media design
- sound
- storytelling
- management
All students have the opportunity to participate in an internship with a local publication. Other tracks available are:
- Advertising
- TV/Film
- Public Relations
The education field has always been an integral part of SEMO’s degree options. The university has been designated an Apple Distinguished School. This is awarded to institutions that are leaders in utilization of technology and innovation. There are seven different departments in the College of Education, Health, and Human Services including:
- nursing
- counseling
- child development
- nutrition
The Department of Communication Disorders offers both a B.S. and an M.A. degree in the field. The graduate program is well known nationally. Admission is extremely competitive with a 2018 acceptance rate of 15%. Students complete 50 hours of coursework covering the mechanical, social, and cognitive aspects of communication. It includes and disorders in all age groups from neonatal to elderly populations. At least 375 clinical hours are built into the program with the opportunity to do more. Graduates are eligible and prepared to take the Praxis certification exam.
Other colleges include:
- the College of Humanities and Social Sciences which frequently offers study abroad programs
- the College of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics
- the Harrison College of Business and Computing
A few programs from all five departments are offered entirely online leading to 13 undergraduate and 18 graduate degrees. Among these is the B.S. in Computer Information Systems which includes 40 required core courses like:
- Human Computer Interaction
- Ethics in the Cyber World
- Mobile Application Development
It also has a business administration track featuring Internet Marketing and Web Design for Electronic Commerce. Throughout the degree program, students create a portfolio of their projects in preparation for job interviews.
The Master of Public Administration is another 100% online program. Students must complete four electives and eight core classes including a 120-hour capstone internship. While most students graduate in two years, there is an accelerated option for well-prepared students.
About Southeast Missouri State University
In 1873, SEMO opened as the Southeast Missouri State Normal School in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The town is about an hour and a half south of St. Louis. The school focused on teacher training until the 1940s and 1950s when it began expanding to eventually offer a total of over 200 fields of study. Today, the total enrollment has exceeded 11,000 students on the main campus as well as four smaller regional locations. The U.S. News and World Report has ranked SEMO #20 in their list of Top Public Schools in the Regional University Midwest category. In addition, the online graduate criminal justice program is 39th in the country with other programs ranking highly, especially for veteran education.
Southeast Missouri State University Accreditation Details
Southeast Missouri State University has maintained continuous accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC) since 1915 and last completed the 10-year recertification period in 2013. This is important because students must attend a regionally accredited school to receive federal financial aid. The HLC examines the university as a whole, looking at both the educational aspects as well as the business and management side to ensure that all standards are met. There are other organizations that focus on specific degree programs and departments. This ensures that schools are keeping up with industry changes and that graduates are prepared for professional life. Some associations that have provided this specialized accreditation to SEMO include the following.
- Commission On Sport Management Accreditation
- Accrediting Council For Education In Journalism And Mass Communications
- The Association To Advance Collegiate Schools Of Business
- Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission
- Council On Social Work Education
Southeast Missouri State University Application Requirements
Freshman application materials include:
- the online application
- ACT or SAT scores
- official high school transcripts documenting class rank,GPA, and senior schedule
Cutoff scores range from a GPA as low as 2.0 with an ACT score above 20 or an SAT score above 1050 to a GPA of above 3.5 with no test required. Undergraduate transfer students either need to meet freshmen requirements or have a college GPA of 2.0 with 24 hours of transferable credit.
For graduate admission to SEMO, required materials include the Application for Graduate Admission and college transcripts showing completion of a bachelor’s degree. Applicants need to check with the specific program to which they are applying to see if there are any additional requirements like:
- a minimum GPA
- letters of reference
- personal statement
- faculty sponsor agreement
- GRE or GMAT scores
- professional certification or license
- writing sample
- work experience
- professional resume
The online programs at all levels have identical admissions processes to their on-campus counterparts.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Base tuition and fees for undergraduate Missouri residents is about $250 per credit hour with an out-of-state rate around $440. Instate graduate costs are slightly higher at $275 with doctoral courses costing $380. Out-of-state rates are $515 and $1000 respectively. In addition, there are specific program fees ranging from $20 to $100 per credit hour. Discounts are offered to online-only students with reduced rates of $284 and $350 per credit hour for residents and non-residents.
The school awards numerous grants and scholarships to students based on financial need or academic merit. Students become eligible for many of these when they apply for admission. At the graduate level, Southeast Missouri State University students can apply for graduate assistantships. These cover the costs of 24 credit hours of coursework annually and provide a yearly stipend to help cover living expenses.