Southern New Hampshire University

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From the College

At Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU), there are no limits to what students can achieve. With a culture that inspires every person, every day, to do more, learn more, try harder, and exceed expectations, the University is dedicated to helping students realize their potential. SNHU blends the best elements of its small-college heritage with the power and prestige that come with university status.

The University has approximately 1,900 traditional, full-time undergraduate day students, with a total enrollment in all divisions (day, evening, weekend, and online undergraduate and graduate students) of about 9,400. Programs are offered on campus, on location at the University’s centers in New Hampshire and Maine, and online. SNHU offers undergraduate programs in business, culinary arts, education, hospitality management, and liberal arts and graduate programs in business, community economic development, education, and hospitality.

SNHU is the first carbon-neutral school in New Hampshire. The wireless campus features new dorms and apartment buildings, a simulated stock trading room, multimedia classrooms, an auditorium, the museum-quality McIninch Art Gallery, virtual science labs, technology-ready buildings, a library with resources that can be accessed via the Internet, a fitness center that rivals members-only gyms, athletic fields, cooking labs, a bakery, and an award-winning, student-run restaurant.

Students can participate in one of the University’s more than forty student clubs or start new ones. Intercollegiate teams compete in Division II of the NCAA, the Eastern College Athletic Conference, and the Northeast-10 Conference. Sports include baseball, men’s and women’s basketball, cheerleading, men’s and women’s cross-country, golf, ice hockey, men’s and women’s lacrosse, men’s and women’s soccer, softball, men’s and women’s tennis, and volleyball. Intramural sports, including basketball, flag football, cricket, and volleyball, also are extremely popular. SNHU’s powerful athletic teams dominate on the field–and in the classroom. The University’s student-athletes earned honors from the NCAA and USA Today for high grades and 100 percent graduation rates. In 2001, SNHU was the only Division II school in the country with a perfect graduation rate.

Athletic facilities include an indoor, 25-meter, competition-size swimming pool; a racquetball court; an aerobic studio; cardiovascular equipment; four outdoor lighted tennis courts; a soccer/lacrosse turf field; baseball and softball fields; and two indoor gymnasiums with four basketball courts and areas for indoor soccer, indoor tennis, volleyball, and many other activities. The fitness center features 4,000 square feet of strength equipment and a 1,500-square-foot cardio deck.

The Wellness Center provides short-term health care, health education, and counseling services for students, and the buildings and facilities are accessible to the physically handicapped. A well-qualified student-services staff provides personal, career, and academic counseling; counselors are available on campus. Lifetime career services and counseling are available to all current students and to alumni.

The University is ideally located, with easy access to downtown Manchester, New Hampshire’s largest city and the most livable city in the East, according to Money magazine. Public transportation is available, and students may keep cars on campus. The mountains, beaches, and Boston are only an hour away. In 2005, Morgan Quinto Press named New Hampshire the nation’s most livable state for the second straight year.

The University has five schools: the School of Business, the School of Community Economic Development, the School of Education, the School of Liberal Arts, and the School of Professional and Continuing Studies. The University offers associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. Undergraduate programs provide students with a strong liberal arts foundation and the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in their careers.

The School of Business majors include accounting, accounting/finance, accounting/information systems, advertising, business administration, business studies, computer information technology, fashion merchandising, finance, finance/economics, game design and development, hospitality administration, hospitality business (with concentrations in conventions management, hotel management, and restaurant management), international business, management advisory services, marketing, retailing, sport management, technical management, and the unique 3-Year Honors Program in Business Administration–the only three-year program of its kind in the country. Students save a full year of tuition by acquiring a bachelor’s degree in just three years. Customized and outcomes-based, it is not a condensed four-year degree program and does not require night, weekend, or summer course work. The six-semester, 120-credit program features an interdisciplinary course of study.

The School of Education majors include child development, early childhood education, elementary education, English education, justice studies, and social studies education.

The School of Liberal Arts offers degrees in advertising; communication; creative writing; digital media; English language and literature; environment, ethics, and public policy; game design and development; graphic design; history; liberal arts; political science; psychology; psychology/child and adolescent development; public service; and social science. Students in any major within the School of Liberal Arts may participate in the prelaw program.

The School of Continuing and Professional Studies offers degrees in baking and culinary arts and a bachelor’s degree in culinary arts that emphasizes industry experience and provides an opportunity for study abroad.

An honors program, a prelaw program, and a pre-M.B.A. program are also available for students seeking additional challenges.

At Southern New Hampshire University, undergraduate students receive a broad education in the liberal arts and intense practice in oral and written communication, coupled with the specific knowledge and skills they need to succeed in their chosen fields.

Recognizing that successful leaders must be able to view problems from a variety of perspectives, the University mandates that all students complete courses in writing, the fine arts, the social sciences, mathematics, science, and public speaking. First-year students must take SNHU 101, a critical-thinking seminar to help them make the transition to University life. Students also have the opportunity to take elective courses in whatever areas capture their curiosity and may elect to concentrate their electives to earn a minor. The University curriculum offers both structure and flexibility.

Southern New Hampshire University is adept at mixing academic theory with practical experience inside and outside the classroom. Half of the undergraduates participate in off-campus cooperative education experiences/internships, earning 3 to 12 academic credits. Such opportunities are based on a student’s major and career goals and typically are taken during a student’s junior or senior year. Students work with faculty members and the Career Development Office to find appropriate assignments. About 70 percent of those who complete co-ops/internships are offered positions by their employers.

Students also work with real-world off-campus partners in their courses. For example, advertising students have created media campaigns for area businesses, marketing students have conducted market research for external groups, and education students assist local teachers in their classrooms. The University’s graduates are in demand because businesses know they have been prepared to contribute to their employers and their communities.

Opportunities for studying abroad are available at partnering institutions, which include Huron University in London, SIT in Malaysia, Christelijke Hogesschool in the Netherlands, and Trinity International Hospitality Studies in Crete. Students may choose from thirty-six schools in twenty-six countries. Closer to home, students are eligible to take courses at New Hampshire College and University Council–member institutions during the regular academic year. Courses must be approved in advance by the registrar and are subject to available space. Participating schools include Colby-Sawyer College, Daniel Webster College, Franklin Pierce College, Keene State College, New England College, Plymouth State University, Rivier College, Saint Anselm College, the University of New Hampshire, and the University of New Hampshire–Manchester.

The main campus features new dormitory and apartment buildings, state-of-the-art classrooms, wireless Internet access, auditoriums, technology labs, multimedia rooms, computer labs, a graphic arts lab, a student-run gourmet restaurant, a student-run bakery, a simulated stock trading room, a museum-quality art gallery, and more. Construction of a new academic building and a new dining hall is scheduled to begin during summer 2008.

The University is home to a novel outdoor experiential learning facility called Camp Synergy, which is primarily used for teamwork and leadership training sessions. The Harry A. B. and Gertrude C. Shapiro Library features the Education Resource Center, networked computers, conference rooms, a career and placement resource center, and a growing collection of bound volumes, microfilm, microfiche, and ultrafiche; materials are available online as well. A recording studio, a listening room, and a closed-circuit television network that covers the entire campus are among the school’s audiovisual assets.

Undergraduate tuition for the 2008–09 academic year was $24,624. Typical room and board charges were an additional $8620. Students must pay $330 in student activity fees each year and should plan to budget funds for books, supplies, travel, and personal expenses.

All students are required to bring wireless laptop computers. Culinary arts students are required to purchase uniforms and knife sets.

More than 90 percent of the University’s students receive some form of financial aid, which may include need-based grants, academic and commuter scholarships, work-study funds, and loans. Aid packages range from $250 to the full cost of attending the University. The average aid package has a value of more than $17,500 and includes a combination of scholarships, grants, loans, and employment sources.

The University participates in the Federal Work-Study Program, the Federal Perkins Loan Program, and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program. The school is also eligible under the Federal Stafford Student Loan Program and the Federal Pell Grant Program. Aid applicants must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The Office of Financial Aid can provide the appropriate forms, or students can go online to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. Academic, athletic, and leadership scholarships are available for students who qualify.

The University has more than 128 full-time faculty members and more than 200 part-time instructors. The student-faculty ratio is 15:1. Nearly 75 percent of the full-time faculty members hold Ph.D.’s or the equivalent in their areas of expertise.

The instructional programs blend theory with practice to stimulate students’ professional development and personal growth. Faculty members bring extensive academic, work, travel, and life experiences to their classrooms. Although their primary goal is teaching, faculty members remain current in their disciplines. Outside the classroom, faculty members are management consultants, CPAs, analysts, small-business owners, economists, accountants, marketing professionals, entrepreneurs, innkeepers, chefs, world travelers, artists, poets, novelists, and much more.

The Student Government Association is led by 25 students, including 5 officers, who represent all the students at the University. Its primary function is to represent the student body in campus affairs and to dispense student activity funds. One student is appointed to represent the student body on the Board of Trustees. Students are also appointed to most other standing committees, including the Financial Aid Advisory Committee, the Curriculum Advisory Committee, the Library Committee, and judiciary committees.

Applicants for admission are evaluated individually on the basis of academic credentials and personal characteristics. When reviewing applicants, primary emphasis is placed on a student’s academic record, as demonstrated by the quality and level of college-preparatory course work and achievement attained. Most successful candidates admitted to SNHU present a program of study consisting of sixteen college-preparatory courses, including 4 years of English, 3 or more years of mathematics, 2 or more years of science, and 2 or more years of social science. Separate consideration is given to admission decisions for freshman, transfer, culinary arts, 3-Year Honors Program, nontraditional, and international applicants. Students may complete a paper application for admission or apply online.

Applicants for undergraduate day programs must submit an application for admission, an up-to-date official high school transcript, a personal essay, and high school recommendations. SAT or ACT scores are required of freshman applicants. Test scores are optional for students applying to the culinary arts programs. Candidates for the 3-Year Honors Program are also required to have an interview. Transfer students must also submit official transcripts from all schools previously attended. International students whose native language is other than English must prove proficiency in the English language through the TOEFL examination. Admission decisions are based on the quality of academic performance, but a campus visit and interview are strongly recommended for all candidates. The University operates on a rolling admission basis, and applicants can expect a decision within one month of the receipt of their complete credentials. Applicants may also apply as Early Action candidates by submitting their application prior to November 15. SNHU is a member of the Common Application. There is a $40 application fee.

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