University of North Carolina at Greensboro

The University of North Carolina is the largest public school system in the state and one of the largest in the state. One of the campuses within that system is the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Sometimes called UNCG, most refer to its as UNC Greensboro. Long before becoming a state university, it was the State Normal and Industrial University. It operated under this name from its founding in 1891 up through 1896, which was when it became the State Normal and Industrial College. From its early years up until the 1960s, UNC Greensboro was a college for women and one of the only in the south let women study mechanical and industrial subjects. It became UNC Greensboro in 1963 after admitting its first group of male students.

UNC Greensboro appeared on several lists of the nation's best colleges and ranked at number 181 on a list put out by U.S. News & World Report and at number 127 on the Washington Monthly list. Princeton Review included the campus on its list of top colleges in America and also highlighted its affordable tuition rates. Its education, public affairs, retail studies, computer science and nursing programs rank highly too. In addition to its Greensboro campus, the university also offers a number of online classes and complete degree programs.

Accreditation Details

Students looking for information about the accreditation that University of North Carolina at Greensboro has will find that it has both regional accreditation and something called program accreditation. Regional accreditation means that the university has the approval to offer degree programs and that it can give students their degrees upon reaching the end of their studies. Its regional accreditation comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics accredited its dietetics program and the internship available through that program, and its computer science program has accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology, Incorporated (ABET). The university also has accreditation from 14 other organizations, including:

• Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs
• National Recreation and Park Association
• Council on Social Work Education Office of Social work Accreditation
• National Association of Schools of Dance
• Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
• National Association of Schools of Music
• Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing, Inc.
• Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education

Application Requirements

Freshmen applying to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro must complete an online application and pay a small application fee. This fee covers the cost of the university processing your application. You must also send several documents to the campus, including a high school transcript, an official SAT or ACT score and transcripts from any other schools you attended. The university will accept a score from the GED test or an adult diploma in lieu of an official transcript. Some of its programs have additional requirements too. Dance and music students must audition for a spot in those departments, and those applying to art programs must submit a portfolio of their past work. Those applying to one of its online degree programs must meet the same requirements.

UNC Greensboro has other requirements in place for those applying to its graduate school. While you still need to complete the online application and pay an application fee, you need to use the application for graduate students. You'll also need to submit an official transcript from the college where you earned your bachelor's degree and an official score from a graduate exam like the GRE. The university requires that you either have your degree finished or that you will complete that degree before you start graduate classes.

Tuition and Financial Aid

The estimated cost of attending UNC Greensboro is a little over $7,000 a year for tuition alone as a North Carolina resident. The cost for students from outside of North Carolina rises to nearly $22,000 a year. UNC Greensboro estimates the cost of attendance, including room, board and other expenses, at around $15,300 a year for in-state students and at more than $30,000 a year for those from other states. Grad students typically take nine credits each semester. Full-time grad students pay around $2,600 a semester as an in-state student and nearly $7,000 a semester when coming from another state. The university also charges a fee for the time you spend working on your thesis or final project.

While UNC Greensboro might seem affordable to some, all students should apply for financial aid, which they can do via the FAFSA. The amount and type of aid depends on the number of credits you take, your year in school and your overall level of need. Undergrads can qualify for scholarships, loans and grants, but they can also take part in a work-study program. Graduate students may receive loans, grants and scholarships too, but those students can also apply for teaching and research assistant jobs on the Greensboro campus.

Online Degrees

Information technology is the study of information systems, and UNC Greensboro offers a number of options for students interested in this field of study. You can start out in its general computer science program, which is an accredited program open to incoming freshmen. Many of those students join the university's Association for Computing Machinery, which is a club devoted to the study of information technology and systems. Students can also work part-time in the university's own IT department. Computer science courses open to undergrads include the beauty and joy of computing, elementary data and structures and algorithms, computer organization and assembly language, ethics in computer science and principles of database systems. All undergrads must also complete a final project.

UNC Greensboro also offers a Master of Science in Information Technology and Management, which is open to those with a bachelor's degree in business, computer science or a similar field. The program consists of 36 credits of work, including two courses on financial accounting and operations management. You'll also take 12 credits of core courses like data management and project management and fine courses on specialized IT topics. The remaining nine credits will come from your thesis work. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro also allows students to take a capstone class instead of doing a thesis.

Related Resource: 30 Most Affordable Online Master's in Information Technology