Missouri Baptist University is a private university near St. Louis, Missouri that functions like an evangelical Christian university and has an affiliation with the Baptist Church. Founded in 1957 as an extension branch of a small college, it initially offered opportunities for students who wanted to remain committed to their faith while going away to college. The 68 students who enrolled in that first year took classes at a local church. Many of those classes met at night and on weekends to work around the schedule of the church itself. It earned a charter in 1964 and become Missouri Baptist College. It added classes designed for future pastors and reverends and did not introduce standard college programs until a few years later.
Though once considered a commuter school, Missouri Baptist University built residence halls in the 1980s to give students the option of living on campus. This also led to students from outside of St. Louis County enrolling in classes because they no longer needed to make the long drive daily to the campus. Those changes helped the college gain university status. It became Missouri Baptist University in 2002 and now has a population nearing 5,000 students.
Missouri Baptist University Accreditation Details
Though Missouri Baptist University is a religious institution, it doesn't rely on just religious accreditation. This is one of the few religious campuses that you'll find in the United States that also has regional accreditation, which comes from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCACS). NCACS accreditation is important because it shows that the university has a commitment to its students and that it will take steps in the future to ensure that students have their needs met, but NCACS also means that you can submit the FAFSA and see if you qualify for any financial aid.
This small religious institution also has specialized accreditation for some of its more popular programs. Its program in exercise science has accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs, and all its programs in music have accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Music. Missouri Baptist University also has accreditation from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education for all levels of its education programs.
Missouri Baptist University Application Requirements
MBU has an online application that is suitable for undergrads and a separate online application for graduate students. As a prospective undergrad, you can either use the online application or request a paper application. The university charges a $35 fee for those who submit a paper application, but the university waives this fee for those who apply online. You must also print out the recommendation form and ask a pastor, teacher or another adult who is familiar with your character to fill out this form and submit it to the school. MBU undergrads also need to submit a high school transcript and a standardized test score. The university looks for students with a score of 20 or higher on the ACT or those who scored a minimum of 950 on the reading and math portions of the SAT.
Graduate applications come with a $35 fee that the university also waives for those who submit online. You need to provide the university with a letter of recommendation that comes from a professional working within the field you want to study and a professional statement. This statement must be around 900 words and explain why you want to attend Missouri Baptist University, any work you did in your field of study and any future plans you have. Some programs may require that students submit their fingerprints for a background check too.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Missouri Baptist University charges a flat rate for all full-time undergrads of around $11,800, which lets them take a minimum of 12 credits up to a maximum of 18 credits every semester. You'll also pay fees of around $600, and if you take more than 18 credits, you'll pay more than $700 for each additional credit that you take. If you enroll in a graduate program, you pay just $570 per credit hour. MBU offers discounted tuition rates for those attending one of its regional learning centers, and those enrolling in an online program pay less for tuition too.
Whether you enroll as an undergrad or a graduate student, you should complete the FAFSA and file this form to see if the university will give you any financial aid in the coming year. Full-time undergrads can take part in the federal work study program and work on campus. The university will give you a schedule that works around your classes. You may qualify for subsidized, unsubsidized and PLUS loans too as well as grants. Graduate students have a few grants available to them and some loans too. You can generally borrow more money after finishing your first year.
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Psychology and Counseling Programs
Once you declare a major in psychology as an undergrad attending MBU, you'll take general education requirements and 27 credit hours of core psychology courses. These courses give you a solid foundation that will help you later in the program as well as in graduate school. Core classes include general psychology, statistical methods, advanced general psychology, research methods and abnormal psychology. You also have the chance to do an internship as a capstone or final project before you graduate. MBU also requires that you take at least one class from four key areas of psychology: developmental, social and applied, cognition and personality and assessment.
Related resource: Top 20 Christian Colleges for a Counseling Degree
Its Master of Arts in Counseling program is a graduate program that is open to students with a degree in psychology or a related field from an accredited university. Completing this program will help you meet all the requirements necessary for working as a school counselor. You can also get your certification as a school examiner while in this program too. This program is available on five of its campuses and learning centers in Missouri as well as two of its centers in Illinois.
Some of the courses you can take include theories of counseling, classroom and behavioral management, foundations of school counseling, research methods and human development. Missouri Baptist University offers several tracks to choose from like elementary school counseling, high school counseling and a general counseling license track.