Central Methodist University is also featured in our ranking Top 25 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s in Accounting.
Online Accounting Program
Accounting majors attending Central Methodist University can get a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the university through the online courses available. This program features a common core that requires students to take general education courses, including math and humanities classes. They will also take either Microeconomics or Macroeconomics as part of the common core. Though all students must take this same set of classes, accounting majors will then take more in-depth courses. The university also requires that students take Computer Applications in Business and Statistics before taking any accounting classes.
Online students will take 54 credits of required accounting courses too. The university requires that students earn a C or higher in each class. Those who receive a lower grade will retake the class and risk landing on the university’s academic probation list. Accounting Principles I and II are two introductory courses that go over the basic principles that professionals use, while Fraud Examination looks at the methods that experts use to track illegal activities online. Business Law Contracts, Principles of Management and Product Operations Management are a few of the other required classes in this program.
Accounting majors must also take enough electives to meet the 124 credits needed to complete their degrees. They receive three credits for a capstone project completed in their senior years too. Central Methodist University asks that students take a class and do a capstone to demonstrate all the accounting skills and knowledge they gained. Many students use those skills in a graduate accounting program later.
About Central Methodist University
Central Methodist University is a private university in Missouri that has an affiliation with the United Methodist Church. Founded in 1854, it chose the name Central College because of its location in the central region of the state. When the college first opened its doors, it had just three full-time faculty members who were responsible for educating the 114 students who enrolled. The college saw its size grow over the coming years. Within its first century of operations, the college added more acres to its campus and saw its enrollment grow to more than 1,000 students.
Also called CMU, the university’s enrollment today includes more than 5,000 students. Less than 1,200 of those students attend classes on its main campus though. More than 4,000 of those students enroll in one of its distance education programs, which include its online accounting programs. The college changed its name in the 1960s to Central Methodist College and became CMU in 2004 after gaining university status. CMU operates regional campuses in more than 10 Missouri cities and has partnerships with community colleges and smaller schools that allow students to earn university credits while taking classes on one of those campuses.
Central Methodist University Accreditation Details
The U.S. Department of Education only allows students to receive financial aid such as loans and grants if they attend a college or university with regional accreditation. CMU has this type of accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). Students who attended a school with HLC or another form of regional accreditation in the past can transfer their credits to CMU. CMU also has accreditation for its nursing, athletic training, educational and music programs in addition to others. This type of accreditation covers both its degree programs and its certificate programs.
Central Methodist University Application Requirements
Central Methodist University accepts nearly 60% of the students who submit applications every year. Those applying to one of its online accounting programs must meet the same requirements that traditional students do. The university asks for an official high school transcript to determine that the applicant completed a college prep curriculum. This curriculum includes three years of science, math and social science classes, four years of English courses and at least one year of foreign language classes. Students must also have a grade point average of 2.5 or higher on the standard 4.0 scale and score at least 1050 on the SAT or 21 or higher on the ACT. Homeschool students must meet these same requirements.
Though the university will accept students who do not meet one or more of these requirements, those students only receive provisional acceptance. They will need to maintain a high GPA in all the classes that they take and meet regularly with an admissions counselor. All students will use the university’s online application and submit the required documents.
Prior to enrolling, students must put down a deposit. The university charges traditional students a $200 deposit and charges online and commuter students a $100 deposit. They will then submit a final or official high school transcript that shows all the classes they took. The final transcript should also include the student’s class ranking and cumulative GPA. CMU asks that all students complete and submit a short questionnaire too. Traditional students will also supply the university with their medical records to show that they received a tuberculosis test. The university asks on-campus students to fill out a housing and a parking form and to put down a housing deposit.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Tuition at CMU starts at around $23,6000 a year. Instead of paying a flat tuition rate, online students will pay a rate based on the number of classes and credits that they take. They pay $250 per credit hour. Full-time online students will pay around $3,000 a semester for tuition alone to take 12 credits of classes. Many students will pay their costs with the financial aid they get from the federal and state government. To complete the FAFSA, students just need the school code for the university and their parents’ tax information. They can then qualify for the grants and loans that the government offers and for the federal work and study program.
The university also offers a large number of scholarships for incoming students as well as returning and transfer students. CMU looks at the transcripts that students submit as well as their ACT and SAT test scores and their financial need to determine whether they will get any scholarships. Incoming freshmen can qualify for a scholarship that ranges in size from $4,000 to $12,000, while its Legacy Grant awards students who have family members who graduated from the university a $1,000 grant. Central Methodist University gives students the option of stacking multiple awards to reduce their overall costs.
