Macon State College (MSC) Introduction and Academics

Introduction

Macon State College has experienced one of the highest growth rates in the 35-member University System of Georgia. Enrollment has increased from 3,559 to 6,232 in the last decade making it the largest undergraduate college in Central Georgia. MSC was founded in 1968 and is a public institution located in a suburban setting of over 167 acres. MSC was ranked in the 2011 edition of Best Colleges under Best Regional Colleges (South) and was ranked as a Tier 2 school. It has also been ranked as one of the safest schools in the University System of Georgia. Out-of-state students pay a higher tuition than in-state students. Classes are offered during the day, evening and online at the main campus in Macon and at a distant site in Warner Robins, as well as on the Robins Air Force Base. Since 1970 Macon State has been supporting the Air Force Mission at Robins AFB. Their involvement has helped ensure a higher level of education for the military and civilian workforce at Robins.

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Information Summary

Ranks 36th in Georgia and 1364th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	75.1
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$15,159
Admission Success rate	47%
ACT / SAT 75%ile scores	20 / 1020
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	18 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	64% / 55%
Enrollment Total (all students)	5,780

Academics

MSC offers 18 bachelor’s degrees including 31 majors. The academic schools offered include the Arts & Sciences, Business, Education, Information Technology, and Nursing & Health Sciences. They also offer 30 associate degrees, and some certificates related to different types of businesses. The five certificate programs offered include Business, Information Technology, Lean Transformation, Lean Professional, and Supply Chain Management. These certificate programs are only available to active members of the military or employees of companies that participate in Georgia’s Intellectual Capital Partnership Program (ICAPP). There are also several study abroad opportunities ranging from five-week summer programs to semester-long or year-long programs.

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Admissions

Applications must be submitted at least thirty days prior to the beginning of the semester for which the student wishes to attend. The college admissions application must be completed online and a small non-refundable application fee is required. For high school graduates interested in attending Macon State College, an official high school transcript and either the SAT or the ACT score must be mailed directly to the Office of Admissions. If the student has obtained a GED, an official transcript of GED test scores must be mailed to the Office of Admissions by the State Department of Education.

Transfer students with fewer than 30 semester hours must have a cumulative GPA of 1.80 or above and official transcripts from every college attended must be mailed to the Office of Admissions by each respective registrar’s office. If the transfer student’s GPA is below 1.80 admission may still be considered, however the student will be on academic probation. All new students are required to submit a Certificate of Immunization prior to attending classes, however a medical examination is not required.

The college may also require additional information as well as a personal interview before the student’s application is accepted or rejected.

Financial Aid

Students who are not able to attend MSC without financial assistance will be provided assistance with grants, scholarships, loans and/or student employment. There are over 60 scholarships available for current MSC students. Scholarship applications can be obtained from the Office of Development, Office of Admissions, Office of Financial Aid and the Academic Division Offices. After the scholarship application is completed it must be turned in to the Office of Development located in the Administration Building. The criteria for the scholarships can be found on each individual application. Students must re-apply annually at the beginning of the fall semester to receive Financial Aid.

FAFSA applications become available in January and applications received before the priority deadline will have first consideration. The Federal Work Study Program allows students to pay some of their educational expenses with a part time job. To be eligible for this program a student must be enrolled in at least a half-time course load, show evidence of financial need every semester, and maintain good academic standing. Students with significant financial need will be considered first for this program. Another student employment program offered is the Student Assistant Program, which is sponsored entirely by MSC. Financial need is not the major consideration for this program, although it is not completely disregarded, and students must be enrolled in at least six hours. Students participating in both of the employment programs are able to work approximately 15 to 19.5 hours per week.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 4783rd for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Georgia.

Students

MSC provides a real college experience with affordable yet beautiful on campus housing. Freshman are required to live on campus if the student is under 21 and has not yet earned 30 semester hours or lived on campus for two consecutive semesters (not including summer semesters), however there are some exceptions. Students must be between the ages of 18 and 26 to live on campus. Students who wish to live on campus must submit a non-refundable Application Fee and a Deposit Payment along with a Residence Life application.

Internet access is available for students living on campus, but students must supply their own network patch cable and network adapter. Telephone services are not provided and if a student would like to have a telephone he or she must set up their own phone service. Alcohol is not permitted in the apartments or on campus even if students are of the legal age. The school’s recreation and wellness program is determined to provide extracurricular activities allowing the students to have more than just a good education. One event they hosted was a “dive-in” movie night held at the campus pool where students swam and watched “Iron Man 2”.

Student Enrollment Demographics

Student Graduation Demographics

Athletics

Macon State has several club teams where students can compete in various sports including baseball, basketball, tennis, and competitive cheerleading. There are also intramural teams and many fitness programs. After the development of these club teams the students showed interest in having a school mascot, which later became known as the “Blue Storm”. The school’s colors are blue and gold, which is where the “Blue” comes from and “Storm” was decided based on the fact that storms are powerful and threatening. Their club baseball team was organized in 2009 and has already been in the club baseball World Series. The club teams compete against other schools club teams and students are encouraged to organize new sports clubs.

Bibliography

“Macon State College.” US News & World Report. 2011. US News. 22 May 2011 <http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/best-colleges/macon-state-7728>.

Smith, Sheron. “Rebound!”. Macon State Today Fall 2010: 8-9.

“Blue Storm Rolls into Macon State”. Macon State Today Fall 2010: 11, 17.

Macon State. Macon State College. 22 May 2011 <http://www.maconstate.edu/>.

Macon State College