Accredited Online Associate Degrees From PSU-Shenango
Pennsylvania State University – Shenango appears in our ranking of Best Tiny Colleges.
Ranked 120th nationally by Washington Monthly, Penn State University-Shenango is a satellite public, coed APLU member in Sharon that offers five associate and six bachelor’s degrees on-campus or online plus the High School Dual Enrollment Program with an 8:1 student-faculty ratio. For example, the A.S. in Occupational Therapy Assistant follows a 69-credit, ACOTE-accredited path led by Dr. Tammy Divens with hybrid courses like Psychosocial Health and two-eight practica for a 79 percent certification pass rate. Chaired by Dr. Ira Saltz, the 61-credit A.S. in Business Administration has stand-alone and 2+2 transfer tracks with online courses from Principles of Marketing to Finance.
Online on Canvas since Fall 2000, the 61-credit A.S. in Human Development & Family Studies has delivered an Adult Development and Aging Services or Children, Youth, and Family Services Option overseen by Dr. Alice Long with fieldwork for the first two years of Certified Family Life Educator prep. Directed by Dr. Gizelle Dean, the A.S. in Physical Therapy Assistant shapes a 70-credit, CAPTE-accredited sequence with some online courses like Introductory Psychology and full-time clinical rotations at 800+ partners for 100 percent job placement.
Other Penn State World Campus options online include the A.S. in Criminal Justice, A.A. in Arts & Sciences, A.S. in Labor & Human Resources, A.S. in Information Sciences & Technology, and A.S. in Turfgrass Science & Management.
About Penn State University-Shenango
Penn State University-Shenango originated in 1964 when the State Board of Education endorsed the creation of a PSU branch for the Shenango Valley. In September 1965, an inaugural class of 93 associate-level majors studied at Kennedy Christian High School. In 1967, Penn State Shenango Valley broke ground for its present 14.5-acre Sharon campus. In 1970, the precursor to the Dr. Robert and Vera Lartz Memorial Library was erected. One decade later, “Valley” was removed from the title of Penn State University-Shenango. By 1996, PSU-Shenango had built McDowell Hall for the Penn State Bookstore. In 2006, Penn State University-Shenango invested $9.4 million in renovating Sharon Hall and adding the Lion Shrine. In 2013, Chadderton Lab was dedicated for the Associate of Science in Occupational Therapy Assistant program. In 2016, Penn State Shenango joined the PSU Project and Supply Chain Management Consortium.
Generating a $19.4 million economic impact, Penn State University-Shenango now has 31 full-time and 17 part-time faculty teaching 419 Nittany Lions on its six-building Mercer County campus near Youngstown or entirely online via the World Campus with 10 clubs like THON. In 2016, PSU-Shenango accepted the DeWitt Boosel Community Service Award. In 2019, Penn State Shenango had the PennTAP Inc.U Competition First Place Prize recipient. Penn State University-Shenango had the 2019 PPTA Geriatric Special Interest Award in Excellence winner too. The U.S. News & World Report named Penn State 77th for innovation and 30th for veteran education. On Niche, PSU boasts America’s seventh-best information technology and sixth top criminal justice degrees. WalletHub picked Penn State University fourth for education outcomes. Diverse Issues in Higher Education placed PSU 57th for minority undergrads.
Penn State University-Shenango Accreditation Details
On June 22, 2017, the Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) Board of Trustees accepted the Monitoring Report from Penn State University-Shenango to keep the Level II accreditation status valid through the next 2023-24 evaluation under Director Jo Anne Carrick, Ph.D., who earned the Pennsylvania State Administrative Excellence Award. Located 355 miles east via Interstate 80 in Philly, this superb six-state Northeast Region accreditor is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Penn State Shenango also holds the following specialized accreditations:
- Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education
- Accreditation Council for Occupational Therapy Education
- Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education
Penn State University-Shenango Application Requirements
Admission at Penn State University-Shenango is classified as “moderately difficult” by Peterson’s for 67 percent acceptance. First-year Nittany Lions must have completed at least 15 Carnegie units of core high school subjects, including four English units. Both the GED and HiSET exams are considered as diploma equivalents. Only the High School Dual Enrollment Program admits current seniors age 16 or older. Cumulative GPAs of 2.0 or better are required. The Class of 2022 reported an average GPA of 3.13. Mid-range admitted ACT scores were 17-23. The middle 50th percentile had SAT scores of 950-1110. The Honors Program is reserved for PSU-Shenango undergrads with 3.4 or higher GPAs. Transfers with 18+ regionally accredited college-level credits can skip standardized tests. One exception is for international students needing a minimum 80 TOEFL iBT, 6.5 IELTS, or 530 SAT Reading score.
Penn State University-Shenango advises first-time freshmen to file before November 30th. The Honors Program has a firm December 4th deadline. Priority undergrad dates are April 15th for Fall, March 1st for Summer, and November 1st for Spring enrollment. Penn State’s World Campus has June 30th, October 31st, and March 15th deadlines. Accordingly, create a MyPennState account to complete the $65 application online. Forward official transcripts to 147 Shenango Avenue in Sharon, PA 16146. Directly submit testing results using SAT/TOEFL code 2660 or ACT code 3656. Attach supporting materials, such as GED score reports, ALEKS assessments, recommendations, and a personal essay. Contact (724) 983-2814 or psushenango@psu.edu with questions.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Penn State University-Shenango’s Bursar Office lists in-state undergrad tuition of $12,978 annually. Non-resident associate and bachelor’s tuition is $21,402 each year full-time. These figures are respectively $5,100 and $13,740 lower than University Park campus costs. Nittany Lions cover the $372 student fee each year. PSU-Shenango students skip the big $11,570 annual room and board expenses. Penn State Shenango budgets $1,840 for books and $4,788 for personal supplies. Annual full-time associate attendance equals $19,294 for Pennsylvanians and $27,718 for non-residents. Studying part-time incurs $525 per in-state and $892 per out-of-state credit. World Campus tuition is $576 per associate credit online.
The National Center for Education Statistics reported that the Student Aid Office in Lecture Hall Room 225 connects 98 percent of new, full-time PSU-Shenango Lions to assistance averaging $9,607 apiece for $557,216 combined. Institutional funds include the Marilyn Mathieson Trustee Scholarship, William McDowell Scholarship, Philip Marrie Jr. Family Scholarship, Dr. Frederic Lees Scholarship, Anna Mae Helm Scholarship, Dallas Hartman P.C. Trustee Scholarship, Glenna Harris Memorial Scholarship, Gerhart Family Scholarship, John Garell Renaissance Scholarship, Primary Health Network Scholarship, and Denis Snyder Memorial Scholarship. The $3,000 Freshman Merit Scholarship has a June 30th deadline for outstanding first-year entrants with GPAs above 3.0. The Discover Penn State Award gives $6,500 annually to Mid-Atlantic Region associate students who plan to transfer to University Park programs. Federal resources, such as the Pell Grant and Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, open with FAFSA forms coded 003329. The Pennsylvania State Grant also provides a maximum of $1,886 each semester or $3,772 yearly.
Keep reading about Penn State University-Shenango on the Academic Affairs Office website.
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