Flexible On-Site and Online Baptist Education From UCumberlands
The University of the Cumberlands appears in our ranking of the Top 10 Great Deals: Bachelor’s in Theology and Christian Studies Degrees Online.
The University of the Cumberlands is Kentucky’s largest private Christian institution. It’s split into four colleges with a 17:1 student/faculty ratio. It offers:
- 45 undergrad degrees
- 35 post-grad degrees
- 28 wholly online degrees
For example, the Information Technology Sciences BS received the National Security Agency’s CAE-CD designation in March 2018. It’s a 120-credit cyber operations curriculum online. The Hutton School logs 120-credit Business Administration BS majors into Moodle. It has IACBE-accredited courses like Real Estate and a two-day Executive Forum.
In Williamsburg or Florence, the Physician Assistant Studies MS welcomes 27-month cohorts for 113 credits. There are 10 clinical rotations from Norton Children’s Hospital to Baptist Health Corbin. The 60-credit Addiction Counseling MA is the United States’ only CACREP-accredited online program focusing on drug rehabilitation. It prepares students for CADC credentialing.
Admitting six times yearly, the Education Specialist EdS offers three 30-credit Rank I tracks for:
- School Counseling
- Principal
- Superintendent
It has eight-week courses like Pupil Personnel Services.
- Other UC opportunities include:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Missions
- Applied Physics BS
- Church Planting BA
- Art Education BA
- Criminal Justice BS
- Project Management MBA
- Family Nurse Practitioner MSN
- Leadership Ph.D.
- Clinical Psychology PsyD.
About the University of the Cumberlands
The University of the Cumberlands originated on January 7, 1889. Gen. Green Clay Smith opened the Williamsburg Institute in Roeburn Hall for the Mount Zion Association. Chartered by the Kentucky Legislature in 1888, it grew to purchase nearby Highland College in 1907. Six years later, the Baptist Church renamed it Cumberland College in honor of the “Little Niagara” Falls.
Cumberland was accredited in 1931. It advanced to the four-year senior level for Bachelor of Arts/Science degrees in 1956. On April 6, 1988, the Board of Regents approved Cumberland’s first graduate program for teachers. In May 1994, its 150-acre, 37-building Williamsburg campus erected the Cumberland Inn and Robert O. Williams Museum.
The University of the Cumberlands adopted its current name in July 2001 with doctoral education. It’s endowed for $73.3 million. It enrolls 11,696 students from 38 nations. It has 40+ clubs like Mountain Outreach. On Niche, UC is ranked America’s:
- 166th most conservative students
- 272nd safest campus
- 327th best teaching program
The U.S. News & World Report also ranked the University of the Cumberlands 88th for online bachelor’s and 146th for online MBA degrees.
University of the Cumberlands Accreditation Details
University of the Cumberlands is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) It has Level VI accreditation compliance through 2026. Program-specific accreditations are extended from the following:
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
- Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
- International Accreditation Council for Business Education (IACBE)
- Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)
- Accreditation Review Commission on Education for Physician Assistants (ARC-PA)
University of the Cumberlands Application Requirements
Starting at the University of the Cumberlands is classified “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s because 1,656 of the 2,326 Fall 2017 applicants were accepted. This is a 71 percent acceptance rate. First-year students must conclude a high school education or score above 450 on each GED Subject section. Preferred are:
- four years of English
- three years of Math
- three years of Science
Advanced Placement exams graded at least “3” count for three credits. On average, freshmen present a 3.44 GPA, 1070 SAT, and 23 ACT mark. Undergrads under age 22 who transfer fewer than 12 college credits with 2.0 GPAs must exceed the 18 ACT minimum.
The Online RN-BSN only admits Associate Degree in Nursing grads with passing NCLEX-RN grades.
Non-native English speakers add a 550 TOEFL pBT, 6.0 IELTS, or equivalent score.
The Graduate Admissions Office requires 120 credits of accredited bachelor’s study. Most master’s request 2.75 GPAs or higher, but some require 3.0. Physician Assistant Studies MS cohorts need nine prerequisites, including:
- Medical Terminology
- Biochemistry
- Statistics
Post-grads must also meet the 50th GRE percentile with minimum 300 scores after August 2011.
The University of the Cumberlands has a preferred freshman filing deadline of March 1st. Transfer admission conveniently rolls through August 15th for Fall and January 6th for Spring starts. International students should apply before:
- June 1st
- November 1st
- April 1st
Check each Graduate School’s unique program deadlines since they vary. For instance, the Clinical Mental Health Counseling MA requires February 15th and the Educational Leadership EdD requires December 21st cutoffs.
Access the Self-Service Center to complete the free UC Application online. Have high school and college transcripts shipped to 6178 College Station Drive in Williamsburg, KY 40769. Use institutional codes like 1510 (ACT) and 1145 (SAT) for test submissions. Other checklist items include:
- the F-2 Request form
- affidavit of support
- state licensure
- background check
- interview
- three recommendations
- vaccine record
- experience résumé
Learn more by contacting admiss@ucumberlands.edu or (606) 539-4240.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2019-20, the University of the Cumberlands will reduce on-campus undergrad tuition by 57 percent from $23,000 to $9,875 annually. Living at the Williamsburg campus dorms’ adds $9,300 for room and board. UC budgets $1,400 for textbooks and $5,000 for extra necessities per year. Annual bachelor’s attendance equals $25,575 on-site and $16,275 with parents. Online adults pay $199 per credit or $597 by course.
Each accelerated, eight-week term incurs one $50 technology fee. Therefore, the 128-credit Public Health BAS would cost $25,872 overall. The Graduate School prices each program separately though. For example, the Master of Arts in Teaching bills $315 per credit or $13,230 total. Information Technology Ph.D. candidates spend $500 per credit for $30,000.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Financial Aid Office gets 57 percent of UCumberlands Patriots median assistance of $16,275 to share $28.02 million combined. Institutional funds include:
- the Presidential Scholarship
- Transfer Scholarship
- Jim Taylor II Scholarship
- Lewis Appalachian Scholarship
- Music Scholarship
- Christian Leadership Scholarship
- Athletic Scholarship
- Phyllis Richardson Wood Scholarship
- Bert T. Combs Scholarship
- Adams Scholarship
- Sibling Scholarship
- Gwynn Cornell Scholarship
The Patriot Scholars Program gifts full-tuition $9,875 awards for outstanding freshmen exceeding 3.5 GPAs and 27 ACT scores. Since 1983, the Kentucky Governor’s Scholars Program has selected 1,020 individuals statewide after the January 10th deadline. Other state-based aid includes:
- the College Access Program
- Kentucky Tuition Grant
- Early Childhood Scholarship
- Coal County Completion Scholarship
Finishing FAFSA forms coded 001962 could unlock the Federal Pell, SEOG, TEACH, or Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant. The Office of Student Employment offers paid FWS positions like theatre or circulation assistant. College Factual also lists an average UC debt of $23,024 from Federal Direct and Graduate Plus loans.
Search the full list of accredited University of the Cumberlands degrees at the Academic Dashboard website.