Abilene Christian University (ACU) is a private learning institution located in Abilene, Texas. Affiliated with the Churches of Christ, it was founded in 1906 with a mission to “educate students for Christian service and leadership throughout the world.”
Accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, ACU has an annual admission rate of 4,700 students from all parts of the world. It now includes the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Biblical Studies, Business Administration, Education and Human Services, the Graduate School, the Graduate School of Theology, the School of Information Technology and Computing, the School of Social Work and the Patty Hanks Shelton School of Nursing. It is one of the largest private universities in the Southwest.
Its online site offers graduate programs designed and developed by experienced faculty members who combined the best of traditional learning with the modern advantages of technology and the Internet. Online graduate programs offered include Master of Education, Master of Education in Higher Education Affairs, Master of Arts and Certificate in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation, and Master of Science in Organizational and Human Resource Development. These courses were developed for busy professionals interested to pursue their graduate degrees but are unable to do so because of work or distance.
Estimated cost of tuition for 2010-2011 is US$31,544 for freshman students living on campus and US$28,284 for upper classmen living off-campus. Online students taking up graduate courses pay a cost of US$15,000 for Master of Education in Leadership of Learning and US$20,000 for Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution and Reconciliation. The certificate program costs US$7,500.
Financial aid through scholarships and grants are available to qualified students.
ACU was ranked 20th in the Master’s Universities categories by U.S. News and World Report in its 2010 edition.
References: Wikipedia, The Best Degrees
