University of North Carolina at Charlotte

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte is one of the largest colleges in the Charlotte area and in the state itself. Local residents encouraged the state to form a new school in the city for decades but lost their bids to other cities like Raleigh and Chapel Hill. The Charlotte Center of the University of North Carolina finally opened in the late 1940s as a branch of UNC that provided opportunities for soldiers returning from World War II. It later served as a junior college called Charlotte College. As the college did not have its own campus, most classes met in a local high school. For more than two decades, the college served as a junior or community college before becoming a full university in the 1960s.

Also known as UNCC and UNC Charlotte, the university now offers 90 bachelor's programs and more than 80 master's and doctoral programs. its main suburban campus covers more than 1,000 square acres, but it also operates two smaller campuses in the heart of the city. Many of those taking classes in Uptown Charlotte are adults and working professionals. According to lists released by Forbes, Washington Monthly and U.S. News & World Report, UNCC ranks on a national level. Washington Monthly ranks it the highest at number 122.

University of North Carolina at Charlotte Accreditation Details

UNCC sought regional accreditation before seeking out specialized accreditation for some of its select degree programs. The regional accreditation that it has comes from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), which requires that the university renew its accreditation at least once a decade. Regional accreditation makes it easier for students to continue their studies in graduate school and transfer credits between campuses. The specialized accreditation that it holds is a type of professional accreditation that applies to specific programs and departments. For example, it's programs in civil, computer, mechanical and other types of engineering have accreditation from the Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology, Inc. (ABET). Other accreditation that UNCC holds comes from:

• American Psychological Association
• Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
• Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education
• Council on Social Work Education Office of Social Work Accreditation
• National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education
• Council on Education for Public Health
• Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Management Education

University of North Carolina at Charlotte Application Requirements

When you apply to UNCC as an undergrad, you must use the application available online and sign up for a Future 49er account. You only need an email address to sign up for an account, though the site will also ask you to select a password. This account lets you schedule a campus visit, find out the admissions requirements for certain programs, sign up for an open house event and fill out the application. In addition to the application, you must submit an official standardized test score and an official high school transcript to the university. Though UNCC does charge an application fee, you can request that your guidance counselor fill out a fee waiver to apply without paying the fee.

• The Best Undergraduate Degrees in Art Therapy Ranked by Affordability

The standards for its graduate school are a little higher. The university asks that all students have a cumulative college GPA of 3.0 or higher and that they take one of the standardized tests like the GRE or GMAT and submit their scores. You must also write an essay or statement of purpose that describes your reasons for choosing UNCC, how your undergrad studies will help you at the graduate level and your overall goals. The university also asks for a completed online application, payment of the application fee, an official college transcript and at least three letters of recommendation. While you need professional or educational recommendations, you can submit one or more personal recommendations too.

Tuition and Financial Aid

Full-time undergrads must take at least 12 credit hours of courses in a semester. Those students pay around $3,400 as a North Carolina resident, which includes all miscellaneous fees. Nonresidents pay closer to $10,000 a semester for classes and fees. The university charges around $90 per credit hour for residents and around $400 per credit hour for nonresidents. Full-time graduate students must take at least nine credits hours in a single semester. UNCC charges resident graduate students around $3,600 and nonresidents around $10,200 per semester. The university includes all laboratory and other fees in this figure.

If you want to attend UNCC but feel that classes are too expensive, you can file for financial aid. Once you file the FAFSA, the university will receive a copy, process that information and send you an award letter that details all the aid you'll receive for the coming year. The university offers both need-based and merit-based scholarships for undergrads and can award students loans and grants too. Graduate students may qualify for certain loans and grants too. Some campus departments also have work-study and assistant programs available too.

Psychology and Counseling Degrees

Both the Department of Psychology and the Department of Counseling offer degrees designed for those who want to help others. Undergrads can sign up for study abroad experiences, volunteer to work on the university's own psychology journal and work as an assistant within the department. The university offers two Master's programs in psychology: general psychology and industrial/organizational psychology. Both programs have a thesis component, but the industrial/organizational program uses a cohort program that allows students to learn from each other. There are also two PhD programs available. One is a health psychology program that looks at how diseases and conditions impact mental health. The other is in organizational psychology. UNCC also has a cognitive science program available.

Earning a Master's in Counseling through UNCC requires that you take general courses on group counseling, theories of counseling and counseling techniques before choosing a concentration in either school, clinical mental health, addiction counseling or play therapy. You'll take at least four courses from within your concentration. Counseling students must also complete at least two internships and take at least one practicum. The counseling doctoral program includes courses in areas of research, clinical practice, general counseling and counselor education. The University of North Carolina also requires that doctoral students do four internships in each of those fields and write a dissertation.