Utah Valley University (UVU) Introduction and Academics

Introduction

Founded in 1961 as Central Utah Vocational School, Utah Valley University has grown in stages to become a full-fledged university that offers technical certificates, associate’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees and master’s degrees to meet the growing demands of a diverse community

Beautiful Orem, Utah, located just 45 minutes south of Salt Lake City and situated between Utah Lake and the incredible Wasatch Mountains, offers a plethora of outdoor activities available year round including hiking, camping, rock climbing, water and snow skiing, canoeing and picnicking. For students that may just want to take it easy and do some shopping, there are also two major malls downtown.

The university offers many student organizations as well as an active intercollegiate athletics organization and many club sports so that students may participate actively in campus life. There is also on-campus housing and numerous support systems designed to meet the needs of the diverse population that the UVU serves.

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Information Summary

Ranks 16th in Utah and 2495th overall. See the entire top 2,000 colleges and universities list
Overall Score (about)	57.0
Total Cost On-Campus Attendance	$6,450
Admission Success rate	N/A
Student Ratio Students-to-Faculty	27 : 1
Retention (full-time / part-time)	64% / 44%
Enrollment Total (all students)	39,931

Academics

Utah Valley University believes in “engaged learning” which means that they teach utilizing the dichotomous blend of hands-on and traditional classroom teaching. The goal of the university is to have every single student graduate from their program of choice and UVU works very hard to make that happen. There are a wide array of educational choices that students may choose from that are available via seven different educational colleges.

Some of these colleges include the typical departments such as the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the School of the Arts and the School of Education but there are also some unusual colleges dedicated to meeting the needs of specific students.

One of these is the University College which helps students that need assistance reaching college-level studies in such areas as math and English Composition. This college also provides tutoring services and academic skills services that promote interdisciplinary partnerships as students advance to university-level academics.

The Extended Education Department works with students who may not be able to attend traditional classes and offers courses, degrees and other services that help students bridge the gap between education and jobs and time/distance restrictions. Students may take advantage of online study as well as television courses and live interaction classes.

Utah Valley University’s Interdisciplinary Program provides an opportunity for students to participate in innovative learning methods that cross the boundaries of just one college. This department is home to such programs as the Honors Program, the Leadership Certificate Program and the Interdisciplinary Studies Program.

Finally, UVU’s Graduate Studies Program is home to all of the university’s graduate programs. Students may choose from several different master’s programs including business, nursing and education.

UVU realizes that it’s difficult for some students to get to their main campus for classes every day and as an alternative, they offer both online courses and several satellite campuses that offer night classes. This meets the needs of students who can’t get to campus or who can’t take traditional day courses.

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Admissions

Undergraduate Admission

Utah Valley University has an open enrollment policy for undergraduate students and the admissions process is extremely easy. To begin, students will need to complete the online application and pay the application fee. The university takes two business days to process the application and sends out an email confirmation of admission that provides a UV ID. Admissions deadlines are August 15 for fall semester and December 20 for spring semester.

After receiving confirmation, students need to submit official high school transcripts that verify GPA and ACT/AP scores that are used for placement and financial aid purposes. All students under 21 who haven’t completed at least 15 college credits need to submit ACT/SAT scores or take placement testing at the college. There are two options for testing; students may take an ACT replacement test or the Accuplacer test. Students may not register until test scores are submitted.

At this point, students interested in obtaining financial aid should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that is available online. There will be a school code specific to UVU that may be used to request that financial eligibility information be sent to the university.

The next step to register at Utah Valley State University is completion of the Webstart pre-advisement course. This is a 20-minute online course and students need to print out the completion certificate at the end and take it with them when they meet with their academic advisor, which is the next step to enrollment. During this meeting, the student will receive personalized information and be cleared to register.

Finally, students will need to attend an orientation in order to help make transition to university life successful and introduce students the many programs and resources available to them at Utah Valley University. After attending orientation, students may register for classes and pay tuition.

Graduate Admission

Admission to one of UVU’s graduate programs is largely dependent on the requirements of the individual programs, but some of the things that students can expect to be required to submit include the application and fee, all undergraduate transcripts, two essay questions that are part of the application, and a current resume that includes educational background and professional experience. Also required will be letters of recommendation, official graduate school preparedness testing such as the GRE or GMAT. Finally, for students who have not completed a degree in the United States and to whom English is not the first language, a TOEFL score may be required.

Financial Aid

Utah Valley University offers a variety of financial aid options including need-based and merit-based scholarships, grants, federally-subsidized loans, and work-study programs. Students interested in obtaining assistance paying for tuition, books and living expenses need to begin the process by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) which is available online beginning in January. Students should make sure to work closely with the school’s financial aid office in order to meet all of the deadlines for scholarships.

Student Financial Aid Details

Ranks 4785th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best scholarships and financial aid in Utah.

Athletics

The Utah Valley Wolverines is an NCAA Division I athletics organization that competes in the Great Western Conference. The organization offers several different intercollegiate sports teams including men’s and women’s basketball, cross country, golf and track & field. Men may also choose to play baseball and wrestling while women have the additional options of soccer, softball and volleyball. The team colors are green and gold.

In addition to intercollegiate sports, the college also offers several club sports including ultimate frisbee, badminton and soccer.

Bibliography

UVU Utah Valley University. Utah Valley University. 2011. Web. 8 August 2011.

Utah Valley Wolverines: The Official Site of Utah Valley University Athletics. CBS Sports.com College Network. 2011. Web. 8 August 2011.

City of Orem. City of Orem, Utah. 2011. Web. 8 August 2011.

Utah Valley University