Sam Houston State University

Sam Houston State University is one of Texas's oldest colleges. Though it sits on a campus that dates back to the early 1800s, that former campus was a religious institution that later moved to a new city. Founded in 1879 as the Sam Houston Normal Institute, it functioned as a teaching school and only had the right to grant diplomas or certificates to students instead of degrees. After becoming the Sam Houston State Teachers College in the 1920s, it added its first degree programs to its curriculum. It also served as a state college before becoming SHSU in 1970. Though it still has a strong teaching program, it also offers programs in psychology, counseling, engineering, computer science and dozens of other subjects. It's also home to one of the country's oldest criminal justice programs.

Forbes and Washington Monthly are two of the organizations that ranked SHSU among the nation's best colleges. Those organizations use factors like the experience of professors, the success of alumni and overall costs to rank schools. SHSU also has a good reputation for offering one of the lowest tuition rates for in-state students. Its Huntsville campus has residence halls, libraries, research centers and other facilities open to its more than 20,000 students.

Sam Houston State University Accreditation Details

Students enrolling in one of the psychology or counseling programs offered by Sam Houston State University will want to ensure that the university has both regional accreditation and program accreditation for that specific program. Its regional accreditation, which means that the university can give out degrees, comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). It also has specialty accreditation from the American Psychological Association for its clinical psychology doctoral program. Other programs offered by SHSU have accreditation from organizations like:

• Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
• Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology, Inc. (ABET)
• Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
• National Association of Schools of Music
• Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business

Sam Houston State University Application Requirements

Colleges across Texas use a system called ApplyTexas, which makes it easier for students to apply to college. With one account, you can apply to multiple schools at the same time, though you may need to complete different requirements for each one. You'll need to know when you started high school and when you graduated, information about any jobs you held, the classes you took during your senior year and info regarding any college classes you took. Once you complete the application itself, the university asks that you send in your official score from either the SAT or ACT and that you submit a high school transcript that verifies the classes you listed, shows your GPA and shows that you are on track to graduate.

Graduate students applying to SHSU will use the same ApplyTexas system. You must list any jobs you held in the last two years and all the colleges you attended. The application uses employment details to verify whether you qualify for in-state tuition rates. You must also show proof that you will finish your degree before you enroll in a graduate program. Certain departments at SHSU ask for additional information such as a resume, test scores from the GMAT or a similar test, proof of vaccinations or letters of recommendation.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Sam Houston State University launched its Guaranteed Tuition Price Plan in 2014. This plan allows students to lock in their tuition rates for four straight years, which helps them avoid rate increases while in school. A full-time undergrad taking 15 credits will pay nearly $5,000 a semester, but for nonresidents, this price increases to just over $10,500 a semester. You must also pay for your own supplies and expenses as well as room and board. Full-time graduate students pay around $3,600 as a Texas resident, and nonresidents pay over $7,100 a semester.

SHSU offers financial aid packages and plans designed around each individual student. After filing the FAFSA with your tax records or the tax details of your parents, the university will decide how much help you need and create a package. Grad students may receive grants and loans or the opportunity to work on-campus. Undergrads can receive scholarships, loans and grants. SHSU also has a work-study program that is open to undergrads.

Counseling and Psychology Degrees Available

Sam Houston State University offers a number of counseling and psychology degree programs and options. Its counseling programs include both a Master of Arts in Counseling and a Master of Education in School Counseling. Its MA Counseling program consists of 60 credits of classes. The program features longer evening classes that let working students complete their degrees. The university's school counseling program consists of 48 credits of classes and help students meet the requirements to work as school counselors. In addition to two internships, the program features classes like career counseling, methods of research, human growth and development, effective human behavior and cross cultural issues in counseling.

The undergrad psychology program at SHSU helps students earn a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. Though students must take at least 120 credits to graduate, at least 42 of those credits must come from within the core psychology curriculum, which includes introductory classes on personality, human development, behavior and research methods. You will also take six credits of psychology electives and up to 24 credits to complete a minor. The university recommends that psych majors choose a minor in biology, criminal justice, special education or business administration. You'll also take classes from three psychology blocks or concentrations: experimental psychology, personality and social development and clinical psychology.

There is also an MA in General Psychology and an MA in Clinical Psychology program available. The clinical psychology program lets students take 45 credits of classes and write a thesis or enroll in the non-thesis track and take 48 credits of classes. You'll take general courses like development and social psychology before completing the clinical core. The clinical core consists of five classes and three practicum classes. You can also take courses on neuroscience, group therapy and school counseling. Sam Houston State University is also home to an accredited clinical psychology doctoral program that awards doctoral degrees to students and requires that they spend 500 hours or more doing fieldwork.