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Fall 2008
Our 17 colleges and universities have programs that can be a great fit for some of your students. This issue of Counselor News highlights a few that are especially interesting or unique. We also share information about costs, application deadlines and top resources that help with college decision making.
Update on programs and majors
Here is a sampling of some of the new or unique programs at our 17 colleges and universities. Use our searchable majors & degrees database to find specific programs and the institutions that offer them.
- Augsburg College added Environmental Studies as a major in 2007. Through multidisciplinary study, students focus on the most pressing local, regional, national and global environmental issues of our day.
- Concordia University, St. Paul has a new minor in Hmong Studies that offers undergraduate students the opportunity to explore culture, history and language of the Hmong people throughout the world.
- Carleton College has a new major in Cinema and Media Studies devoted to the interdisciplinary study of film, video, television and the Internet.
- A new academic program on Human Rights and Humanitarianism reflects Macalester College's long history of international engagement; it is enhanced by opportunities for students to learn from alumni at the United Nations and intern nearby at the Center for Victims of Torture and the Advocates for Human Rights.
- Gustavus Adolphus College has a nationally-known Physics program set in a liberal arts context that includes ideas, experiments and theories, as well as the philosophical and cultural implications of physics. About one-third of the program's graduates are women — many pursue advanced degrees.
- Saint Mary's University has emphasized Environmental Biology since the 1930s. The program uses the diverse ecological resources in the area and students are encouraged to get their "hands dirty and feet wet" doing research. Many courses use GPS technology.
- The College of St. Scholastica offers a major in Health Informatics and Information Management. This interdisciplinary program focuses on use of patient information in an electronic environment. With excellent placement rates and starting salaries, it fits students interested in the medical field without the patient contact of frontline medical providers.
- With its state-of-the-art production studio, Bethany Lutheran College has had great success with its Communication major. Students produce several campus programs, local Division I hockey broadcasts and weekly interviews with legislators. Graduates have been employed by TV stations, the Minnesota Twins and ESPN.
- Hamline University in St. Paul has expanded its undergraduate business administration offerings in the new School of Business with five concentrations — general business, international business, finance, management and marketing. The master of business administration began in September at the recently opened Minneapolis business campus in St. Louis Park.
- Students in the School of Engineering at the University of St. Thomas have a chance to make a difference in the world through student-centered "peace" engineering projects.
- The Minneapolis College of Art and Design offers Web + Multimedia Environments. The program combines traditional art and design studies along with new technologies like sound, virtual environments, gaming, databases, tracking technologies, web and multimedia. Students create websites, installations, interactive devices and other objects too new to classify.
- The Sales program at the College of St. Catherine prepares students to become knowledgeable, ethical business professionals. Two concentrations are offered: business-to-business and health care sales. The program integrates the critical thinking and problem solving focus of a liberal arts education with professional sales preparation.
- The College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University have recently added and expanded programs in Latino/Latin American Studies, Asian Studies and international study to further enhance their commitment to global learning. This commitment includes more than 200 academic courses with an international component and semester-long programs on six continents.
- Bethel University offers a unique faith-based Reconciliation Studies major, where students learn theory and methods for resolving gender, racial, ethnic and socio-economic conflict. It includes a semester at Cornerstone Christian College near Cape Town, South Africa, studying the dismantling of apartheid and the work of genuine reconciliation among people.
- Biomolecular science at St. Olaf College begins where the traditional disciplines of biology, chemistry, computer science, mathematics, psychology and physics intersect. Housed in the 200,000 square foot state-of-the-art, LEED platinum-certified Regents Hall of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, students explore applications in medicine, agriculture, genetics and forensics.
- Concordia College opened its School of Business in fall 2008. Building on Concordia's recognized leadership in K-16 global education, the School includes international study and internship opportunities designed to prepare students for responsible engagement in the world.
Application deadlines
For students who plan to apply to one of our colleges, see application deadlines and fees and application requirements.
Let's talk about cost
We know that families are concerned about costs. So are we. Here are some things to keep in mind:
- More than 88 percent of our students receive financial aid that does not have to be paid back.
- Thanks to financial aid, the average amount that families actually pay to attend our colleges is considerably less than the posted price. For example, as reported in Minnesota Measures 2008, the most recent 2005-06 data showed that the average amount families paid for tuition was 53 percent of the posted price.
- Our colleges have increased the institutional scholarship dollars that they give to students.
- Colleges' tuition and financial aid packages vary widely so it pays to shop around. Campus financial aid offices can also provide guidance and information about other sources of aid.
- There are many private scholarships that match students' area of interest, geographical location and special skills. Good sites are Fast Web, Mach 25 and Scholarships.com.
Top resources
Here are some of the favorite resources recommended by our campus admissions offices:
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