In 1881, an act of Congress dedicated 46,000 acres for the creation of a university, before Montana was admitted as a state. After its admission to the United States, the Montana legislature turned its attention to where the state capital and state university would be located. The leaders of the city of Missoula agreed with the city of Helena that they would not bid for the state capital location as long as Helena supported Missoula for the location of the state university. In exchange, Missoula would support Helena as the state capital over its leading competitor, Anaconda. Missoula was chosen at the Third Montana Legislative Assembly in 1893 and the university opened in 1895.
Initially, classes were held at the nearby Willard School. Land owned by the South Missoula Land Company, owned by A.B. Hammond, Richard Eddy and Marcus Daly, along with lands owned by the Higgins family were donated for a new campus. The cornerstone for University Hall was laid in 1898. In 1994, Missoula College, which was founded in 1966, became an academic unit of the University of Montana.
Today, approximately 15,000 students attend the University of Montana and Missoula College where they are provided high-quality education on 56 acres at the base of Mount Sentinel along the Clark Fork River. In addition to Missoula College and the main university, there are two other campuses affiliated with University of Montana, - University of Montana Western in Dillon and Helena College of the University of Montana.
The University of Montana was honored with a place on the 2014 Carnegie Foundation’s Community Engagement Classification and President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll. In 2008, the University of Montana was recognized by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching in the Community Engagement Classification.
University of Montana Accreditation Details
The University of Montana is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. In addition the Department of Education is accredited by the National Council of Teacher Education while the business and technology program is the first in Montana to receive accreditation through the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education. Counseling programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.
University of Montana Application Requirements
Undergraduate students who are entering as freshmen must have graduated from high school and must submit a completed admission application with the application fee. Students under the age of 21 must provide ACT or SAT results to the Admission Office and the results must be sent directly from the testing company. Students must submit a final high school transcript and GPA to the university.
Freshman must have an ACT composite score of 22 or an SAT combined score of 1540 or a 2.50 cumulative grade point average or be ranked in the upper half of their high school graduating class. Transfer students must also complete an admission application with the application fee. In addition, they must submit a current, official transcript from all colleges or universities attended. Graduate students must complete an online application and pay the necessary application fee. In addition, they must provide letters of recommendation and official transcripts which must show that a bachelor’s degree was awarded.
University of Montana Tuition and Financial Aid
Full-time tuition for in-state residents in undergraduate programs at the University of Montana is $6,182 per year and for out-of-state residents is $23,072. Full-time graduate tuition for in-state residents is $7,026 and for out-of-state residents is $25,723.
Financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships, loans and work study are available through the University of Montana. Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid in order to be considered for any financial aid award. There is exit counseling available for student loans as well as loan entrance counseling to keep students from being overburdened with student loan debt upon graduation.
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University of Montana Online Degrees Available
School Counseling
The master’s degree in school counseling program at the University of Montana is a rigorous program that prepares students to become licensed school counselors in Montana. Students are required to obtain 700 hours of supervised school counseling experience, 600 of which must occur within an appropriate school setting. It is a 51-credit hour program of study. The program is offered in a hybrid on-line and face-to-face method.
Students are provided an academically stimulating learning environment that provides them with the skills and knowledge to help others develop intellectual and emotional development. Students are prepared to function as competent, ethical and professional counselors with the ability to work with diverse populations in need of mental health care. The program teaches diversity, cooperation and the integration of ideas.
The program is designed to meet the growing need for professional school counselors throughout the state of Montana and uses CACREP national standards as part of the curriculum.
In order to be admitted to the program, students must complete an online application. GRE score reporting is optional for the Master of Arts program, but may be self-reported. In addition, students must provide three letters or recommendation and submit a letter of intent that shows a clear goal. Students must also provide a current resume and pay the application fee. Once the application has been submitted, students should request official transcripts be sent to the Department of Counselor Education.
The University of Montana provides top-tier education to students from across the country and around the globe. Students from diverse populations attend the university in an educated, engaged and vibrant community. The university offers traditional classroom classes, online classes and hybrid versions where students attend both online and traditional classes. Online and hybrid classes provide flexibility for students who may be unable to attend higher education classes due to work, family and social obligations. The University of Montana provides high-level education for students in flexible formats so that more individuals can achieve their higher education goals in order to either advance in a current career or move to another career.