Six NSU Programs for Accounting and Finance Careers
Northern State University appears in our ranking of the 20 Most Affordable Online Bachelor’s in Accounting.
At Lincoln Hall, the School of Business provides a 120-credit, four-year B.S. in Finance where Northern State University Wolves can intern with Sanford Health, join Phi Beta Lambda, attend the Lamont-Rhodes Lecture Series, travel to Germany, and enter the Pitch Competition. Directed by Dr. Doug Ohmer, the B.S. in Banking & Financial Services builds a 120-credit, ACBSP-accredited curriculum of online or Aberdeen courses from Asset Management to Consumer Lending with the Dacotah Bank Scholars Program at a 21:1 student-faculty ratio. The B.S. in Accounting follows a 120-credit, hybrid online sequence on Blackboard Collaborate to satisfy Certified Management Accountant (CMA) requirements for 96 percent job placement at 3M, Eide Bailly, Deloitte, Lamont Companies, and more.
Starting in Fall 2020, the M.S. in Accounting Analytics will meet South Dakota’s 150-hour Certified Public Accountant guidelines by developing a 30-credit, AICPA-aligned path of advanced 700-level courses like Data Visualization and Fraud Examination online. Chaired by Dr. Theresa Giannavola, the M.S. in Banking & Financial Services already has a 36-credit, non-thesis plan for post-grads with minimum 2.75 GPAs to take online Blackboard courses from Tax Planning to Credit Analysis before capstone projects. Northern State University also confers a 12-credit Executive Banking Certificate that was designed by Dacotah Bank, First Premier Bank, CorTrust Bank, BankWest, and others.
About Northern State University
Northern State University originated on March 2, 1899, when Senator Lawson got his bill to create the Northern Normal & Industrial School passed by the South Dakota Legislature. In November 1899, Governor Andrew E. Lee used a 20-acre plot donated by Andrew Melgaard to start building. In 1902, President Charles F. Koehler admitted the first students age 14+ for teacher preparation. On October 23, 1911, William Howard Taft notably spoke at the Administration Building. In 1918, NNIS was successful in earning initial regional accreditation. In April 1920, it was renamed Northern State Teachers College as four-year bachelor’s degrees debuted. By 1951, President Noah E. Steele had implemented engineering programs to train GI Bill recipients. In 1964, it became Northern State College to reflect its expanding curricula. In 1977, the Legislature allocated $564,000 to renovate its Beulah Williams Library. Twelve years later, the Northern State University name was finally adopted.
Endowed for $30.8 million, Northern State University now employs 102 faculty inspiring 3,051 undergrad and 442 post-grad Wolves from 42 states plus 43 countries at its 72-acre Aberdeen campus or fully online with 35+ organizations like Accounting Club for 73 percent retention. In 2019, Northern State won an ABCA Academic Excellence Award. In 2020, NSU received a Victory Media Military Friendly School Award. Northern State University accepted four 2019 NAFSA Region IV Conference Awards too. The U.S. News & World Report ranked NSU the 84th top Midwest college with the 88th best social mobility. On Niche, NSU boasts America’s 236th best dorms and 298th top athletics department. Money magazine declared Northern State University the 563rd best value. College Factual placed NSU 291st for accounting and 144th for finance degrees. Washington Monthly picked NSU 237th overall.
Northern State University Accreditation Details
On August 7, 2017, the Higher Learning Commission on North Central Association (HLC-NCA) sent an Institutional Status & Requirements Report to Northern State University to reaffirm the Level III accreditation through 2026-27 under President Timothy M. Downs, Ph.D., who earned the TRIO Friend of ASPIRE Award. Located 699 miles east via Interstate 94 in Chicago, Illinois, this huge 19-state Heartland Region accreditor is authorized by the U.S. Education Department to review NSU’s seven associate, 45 baccalaureate, eight master’s, and 15 certificate options. Further, the School of Business announced its approval by the Accreditation Council of Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) on August 16, 2018. Northern State is also uniquely accredited by the Network of International Business Schools (NIBS) in Belgium.
Northern State University Application Requirements
Enrollment at Northern State University is classified as “minimally difficult” by Peterson’s because 942 of the 1,066 Fall 2018 applicants were triumphant for high 88 percent acceptance odds. First-year Wolves entering the School of Business must culminate a secondary diploma or the GED. Four English, three mathematics, and three science units are prerequisites. Freshmen must rank in the upper 60th percentile of their class with minimum 2.60 GPAs. Bachelor of Science majors need at least 18 ACT or 960 SAT scores. Achieving Level 3 or better on the Smarter Balanced assessments would qualify. Advanced Placement exams graded 3-5 are transferrable. The Honors Program mandates a 28 ACT score and 3.75 GPA mark. Transfers are test-optional with 24+ college credits and GPAs above 2.0. Non-native English speakers might need a minimum 61 TOEFL iBT or 5.5 IELTS score. The M.S. in Banking & Financial Services only admits online cohorts of bachelor’s grads with 2.75 or greater GPAs. Taking the Graduate Management Admission Test is wholly optional.
Northern State University’s Admissions Office considers entrants on a rolling basis. The priority deadline for financial aid eligibility is March 1st. International students should file before July 31st for Fall or December 31st for Spring. The current start dates are August 26th, January 13th, and May 11th. Final test scores are due September 1st and January 15th. Accordingly, submit the NSU Application online or by paper for $20 ($35 if graduate). Forward official transcripts to 1200 South Jay Street in Aberdeen, SD 57401. Directly send test scores using SAT/TOEFL code 6487 or ACT code 3169. Attach supplemental materials, such as the two recommendation letters, experience resume, personal essay, MMR immunization record, and declaration of finances. Contact (800) 678-5330 or info@northern.edu with questions.
Tuition and Financial Aid
For 2019-20, Northern State University is charging in-state B.S. in Accounting and Finance majors $7,541 annually. Non-resident bachelor’s tuition is $10,611 each year. Minnesota costs are reduced to $8,483. Mandatory undergrad fees are $1,211 yearly. School of Business courses incur an extra $30.20 fee per credit. International students cover another $100 semester fee. Living at the Aberdeen housing like Great Plains East adds $3,787 for double rooms. Standard meal plans for Wolves Den are $3,924 per year. NSU budgets $1,200 for books and $4,100 for miscellaneous. Annual undergrad attendance equals $21,826 in-state and $24,799 out-of-state. Online B.S. students pay $351 per credit. The Graduate School bills M.S. cohorts $465 per credit online.
According to the NCES College Navigator, the Financial Aid Office in Dacotah Hall Room 103 links 97 percent of new full-time NSU Wolves to tuition assistance averaging $4,779 apiece for $1.34 million combined. School of Business funds include the Kelly Lux Memorial Scholarship, Marvin & Ione Ehley Scholarship, Excellence in Accounting Scholarship, Bob Lehr Memorial Scholarship, Equity Trust Company Scholarship, Jim & Judy Krueger International Student Scholarship, Kolker Family Endowment Scholarship, Lyman Humann Moose Lodge Scholarship, Harvey Harrington Memorial Scholarship, Jerry Wheeler Scholarship, and South Dakota Bankers Foundation Scholarship. The WolfPACT Scholarship provides $12,000 yearly for exemplary freshmen with a minimum 1300 SAT or 28 ACT score. The $2,000 Hatterscheidt Scholarship has a March 2nd deadline for South Dakota high school grads with GPAs above 3.0. Federal resources, such as the Pell Grant and Direct Subsidized Loan, require FAFSA applications coded 003466. South Dakotans can also claim the Dakota Corps Scholarship, Opportunity Scholarship, Horatio Alger Scholarship, Hagen-Harvey Scholarship, Ardell Bjugstad Scholarship, and more.
Keep reading about Northern State University at the School of Business website.
