Founded in 1962, the University of the Southwest is a private university in New Mexico. Hobbs Baptist College opened in 1956 and served as a junior college before becoming a small college just two years later. New Mexico Baptist College operated for several years before moving to a new location and becoming the University of the Southwest. The university lists 1962 as its foundation date because that was when the university officially opened in its current location. Though the university has an enrollment of right around 1,000 students, those students are split between undergrads and graduate students. The university also has a strong reputation because of its small class sizes and low ratio of students to teachers.
Despite its small size, the University of the Southwest offers more than 50 undergrad programs and around15 programs for grad students. Those majors are available through its various schools, including the School of Arts and Science, School of Business and Professional Studies and School of Education. It also offers a wide range of activities for students, including intramural sports, varsity sports, honor societies and civic organizations. Another popular activity is its Jack Maddox Distinguished Lecturer Series, which brings in professional and reputable speakers from around the globe. The university posts an upcoming schedule of talks and allows students, faculty and others to attend for free.
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University of the Southwest Accreditation Details
Though the University of the Southwest has regional accreditation, it does not have specialty accreditation. The North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS) granted general accreditation to the university, which means that it can award students who meet all requirements for an individual program graduate with a degree. The NCACS requires that all colleges that gain accreditation renew that accreditation within the next 10 years. Like many schools, the University of the Southwest creates its own panel to determine what it can do to retain its accreditation prior to that renewal.
University of the Southwest Application Requirements
As the University of the Southwest is a private university, it is more selective with its admissions policies than other colleges are. Less than 50% of students receive acceptance letters from the university every year. Freshmen applicants must meet at least two out of three requirements: be within the top 50% of their classes, have a GPA of 2.0 or higher on a standard 4.0 scale, or have a test score of 18 or higher on the ACT or 860 on the SAT. The university may also look highly on students who complete a college prep curriculum in high school that includes courses on English, life science, social science, math and a foreign language.
The application for admission is available online, but those who do not have access to a computer can use one of the kiosks available at the university’s Office of Enrollment Management to complete that application. The application will ask for a student’s name, birth date, current address, high school attended, social security number and classes took. They must also supply the university with an official high school transcript. The university recommends that students complete and file the FAFSA at the same time that they submit other paperwork. Students will receive a user name and password that allows them to set up an online account with the university and view any additional information the school might need.
Tuition and Financial Aid
The University of the Southwest ranks as one of the more affordable private religious institutions. Tuition starts at $552 per credit hour. Students taking a full course load during a traditional semester block, which lasts for 16 weeks, will pay $6,624 per term. Those who sign up for online classes and take all their courses online pay just $425 per credit hour. Any classes they take on campus are subject to the standard $552 fee. Housing on campus starts out at $650 per month, but those living in single rooms or campus housing for married students will pay a higher fee. The university also offers meal plans that start at right at around $1,500 a semester.
In addition for discounts for military students, the University of the Southwest offers other types of financial assistance for students. The university will accept tuition reimbursement plans from employers and can work out payment plans with students. Those who file the FAFSA may qualify for other forms of aid too, including federal loans, state grants and scholarships from the university itself. The University of the Southwest requires that all students go through loan counseling when they first sign up for student loans and that they complete an exit counseling program that gives them information on paying back their loans.
Student Experience
Enrolling in the sport management program at the University of the Southwest has a number of benefits for students. The university is home to the Mustangs, the name given to all its campus teams. Those teams are part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics and compete in the Red River Athletic Conference, which consists of 13 colleges in New Mexico, Louisiana, Texas and Oklahoma. Baseball, cross country, basketball, soccer and tennis are some of the teams open to male players, and female students can join teams and play sports like volleyball, track and field, tennis, softball, basketball and soccer.
The program itself is available through the university’s School of Business & Professional Studies. Students earn a Bachelor of Business Administration degree with a concentration in sport management. Its graduates work in a wide range of fields, including as coaches, athletic trainers, team managers, agents and nonprofit leaders. Once they graduate, students will meet the requirements necessary for certification from organizations like the National Association for Sport and Physical Education and the National American Society of Sport Management.
Students enrolled in this program take 45 credit hour of core curriculum or general education classes like English composition, introduction to computers and biology. They also take 33 credits of core business courses that include business law, principals of finance, principals of accounting and creating a business plan. The remaining 30 credits they take must come from within the sport management department. These classes typically include one on sports marketing, one on leadership and one on consumer behavior in the sports industry. The University of the Southwest also allows its sport management majors to select two upper level electives and gives them the option of doing an internship or an independent study project.
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