Located in Huntington, Indiana, Huntington University is a small private university that has an enrollment of fewer than 1,500 students. Many of its students choose Huntington because it has a low ratio of students to professors and because its smaller size offers more opportunities for students to make friends and form lasting connections. Founded in 1897 as Central College because of its location near the North Central area of the state, it changed its name to Huntington College in the late 1910s in honor of the surrounding city. The Church of the United Brethren in Christ selected its slightly rural location in the hopes of helping students focus more on their studies. The campus is now home to one of the state's largest nature preserves.
Called Huntington University in more recent years, this university offers more than 70 majors in diverse subjects that go beyond religion. In addition to majoring in film studies, social work and other topics, students can also minor in those subjects or take just a few classes. As a religious university, Huntington believes in giving back to others whenever possible. The university encourages students to do service learning projects and to do volunteer work through its Friesen Center for Volunteer Service.
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Huntington University Accreditation Details
Depending on the subject you want to study, you may want to see if the university has any specialized accreditation relating to that field. Huntington has accreditation for all its education programs from the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and all its music programs have accreditation from the National Association of Schools of Music. Those with a passion for social work will find that the Council on Social Work Education Office of Social Work Accreditation accredited this program. It also has accreditation from the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education for its nursing program.
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Though Huntington is a member of an organization for Christian colleges, it also has regional accreditation from the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. When you choose a university with regional accreditation, you meet one of the requirements necessary for getting federal and state financial aid.
Huntington University Application Requirements
Huntington offers separate applications for future undergrads, graduate students, professional students, transfer students and even high school students who completed a home school curriculum. When you visit the admissions website, you can easily find the right application for you. As a prospective undergrad, you'll select the freshman application that corresponds to the campus you want to attend. This application is fairly basic in that it asks questions about where you went to college, your faith, any interests you have outside of school and your class ranking. The university will also ask for either a transcript from your high school or a home school report that lists the classes you took and shows that you are ready for college.
As a prospective graduate student, you should check the requirements for the program you want to attend because each program may have different requirements. The one thing all programs have in common though is the online application. You can usually complete and submit this application in right around an hour. Other requirements that some programs have is a copy of your most recent resume that shows the experience you have outside of your classes and an official score from an exam like the GRE. Some programs will ask for a personal essay and/or letters of recommendation. Those letters must come from people familiar with your school or professional work. The short essay gives you the chance to explain why you selected Huntington and any goals you have while in school and later.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Huntington University charges a tuition rate well below the national average. The cost for undergrads is around $12,800 a semester, which includes classes and miscellaneous fees. If you want to live in a residence hall, you'll spend a little over $4,000 a semester for your room and meal plan, which will bring your total cost up to around $34,000 a year. Graduate students face different costs based on the program they want to attend. Many of these programs charge between $400 and $505 per credit hour.
No matter what type of classes you want to take, make sure that you complete the FAFSA prior to the start of the next semester. Huntington actually recommends that students file it in the spring before they start. As a local student living on or off campus, you might sign up for the work study program, which may pay more than you could make off campus. Undergrads also have access to loans and grants. While graduate students may receive grants, it often depends on the program. You'll also find alternative student loans as well as loans designed specifically for your parents or guardians.
Psychology and Counseling Options
Huntington University offers an undergrad psychology program that makes it easy for students to continue their studies and start its graduate program in counseling as soon as they graduate. This program allows students to use interactive rooms on campus and to gain some hands on experience that will help them when they do internships later. The university offers more than 20 psychology courses that students can pick from after completing their general education requirements. These courses include an internship as well as an independent project. Many students spend a semester working in a homeless shelter, health clinic or another local nonprofit organization. Some of the courses open to undergrads include sport and exercise psychology, foundations of special education, human development, adult development, theories of personality, cognitive neuroscience and religion and behavioral science.
If you want to enroll in the Huntington Master of Arts in Counseling program, you have the option of taking classes online or on the main Huntington campus. Completing this program will help you seek employment as a licensed counselor in Indiana. You must take 24 credits of core counseling classes, five professional development courses and do two internships and one practicum. Those core classes teach you the fundamentals of counseling and include topics like foundations of spiritual formation, human growth and development, social and cultural foundations and personal character development. This Huntington University program is best for those who want to use religion when counseling others.