Pratt Institute

The Pratt Institute is a private college that offers both undergrad programs as well as programs for graduate students. Charles Pratt had a hand in the foundation of the school and hoped to open a college that would offer opportunities for local students that would help them further their careers. Established in 1887, the school offered a handful of programs that focused on fine arts, engineering and architecture. Enrollment grew from 12 students to more than 1,000 students in just five years. Pratt served as a technical school for a number of years and didn't add bachelor degree programs to its curriculum until the late 1930s.

Located in Brooklyn, New York, Pratt welcomes students from all around the world. Many of those students like the hip setting of the Clinton Hill neighborhood and the fun things to do near campus, but its location also led to some problems in the past. Brooklyn had a poor reputation in the 1970s and a high crime rate, which led to a drop in enrollment and some serious financial problems. Pratt later recovered and became so popular that it had to increase the size of its campus.

Pratt operates a satellite campus in nearby Manhattan that offers some of the same classes as its main campus. It also operates an extension center it Utica that allows students to study Pratt programs without moving to the NYC area. Pratt is home to five schools or colleges that offer classes and programs in specific fields, including architecture, art and library science. It also has a dual degree program that allows students to study at both Pratt and the Brooklyn School of Law. U.S. News & World Report included Pratt on its lists of the top 20 schools in the northern region of the United States.

Pratt Institute Accreditation Details

The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is the professional organization that awarded the Pratt Institute regional accreditation. Regional accreditation is necessary for those who may want to transfer credits earned at Pratt or another university. As with other accrediting organizations, the MSCHE requires that Pratt renew its accreditation at least once every decade. Pratt also has program accreditation that applies to several of the degree programs it offers to its students. Those forms of accreditation come from:

• American Council for Construction Education
• Council for Interior Design Accreditation
• American Library Association
• Planning Accreditation Board
• National Association of Schools of Art and Design

Pratt Institute Application Requirements

Though Pratt does have an early admissions policy, it allows students to apply to other colleges that have an early admissions program. The deadline for early admissions is November 1, but all other students have until March 4. Students applying via early decision will receive an answer around the middle or end of December, but other students will get a response sometime in April. The Pratt Institute accepts a little over 60% of the applications that it receives.

The Institute has its own online application, which allows students to complete several steps in the process. This application has a $50 fee that is required when a student submits the application. The school asks for an official high school transcript from the last school a student attended. Even those who took the GED must submit a transcript. Students will also need to write a response to a given essay question and submit an official ACT or SAT test score. Most of the programs require a portfolio too. This portfolio should contain samples of the work that the student did in the past. Some students may opt to include a letter of recommendation also.

Tuition and Financial Aid

The cost of attending the Pratt Institute depends on the number of credits that a student takes. Though it does not charge in-state and non-resident tuition rates, it does charge $1,548 per credit hour for part-time students. A part-time student takes between one and 11 credits in a semester. Full-time students must take at least 12 credits per semester. They can take up to 18 credits and still pay the same tuition rate of $47,986 per semester. Those who take more credits pay this same rate plus the $1,548 charge for any other credits taken. Pratt requires that all students have health insurance and will charge those who do not have coverage when they enroll. The cost of living on the campus will also add to a student's overall costs.

Once Pratt receives the FAFSA that a student submits, it will look at the student's family contribution and design a financial aid package to bring down the overall cost for the coming year for that student. Those who receive student loans will complete entrance counseling before gaining access to those funds. Grants of $1,000 or more are available to those who qualify too. Pratt also has some scholarships available.

Psychology and Counseling Programs

Many of those who attend Pratt are art majors and those with a passion for architecture and fine arts. The Institute does not offer a psychology major and does not have any counseling programs, but the school does offer a minor in psychology. This is available through its School of Liberal Arts and Sciences and that school's Social Science and Cultural Studies Department. Those who minor in psychology must take at least 15 credits of psychology classes. A course on general psychology serves as an introduction to the subject and provides students with a glossary of terms that they will need later in the program. They must also take a methods of cultural analysis class that looks at different cultures around the world. Students have the chance to select from a number of other electives to fulfill the required 15 credits.

Though this is only a minor program, it includes standard and traditional classes found in major programs like child and adolescent development, social psychology and abnormal psychology. Some of the classes available are suitable for those who want to study art therapy. Perception and creativity looks at how different people look and act in different ways based on how they perceive things around them. Psychoanalysis and art deals with how therapists use art in psychoanalysis sessions. Though Pratt Institute lets students pick many of the classes that they take, the school requires that those students fill out a form and officially declare a minor in psychology.

See also: The Top 25 Low-Cost Online Master’s Degrees in Clinical Mental Health Counseling