| Metropolitan State University | |
|---|---|
| Motto | Where life and learning meet |
| Established | 1971 |
| Type | Public |
| President | Sue K. Hammersmith |
| Academic staff | 652 community faculty 168 resident faculty |
| Students | 11,000[1] |
| Location | St. Paul, Minneapolis, and Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, USA |
| Campus | Urban |
| Colors | Navy blue and white |
| Nickname | Metro State, MSU |
| Mascot | Muskrat |
| Affiliations | MnSCU |
| Website | www.metrostate.edu |
Metropolitan State University is a four-year public university located in the Twin Cities of Minnesota, United States. It is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities (MnSCU) system.[2]
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Metro State was founded in 1971. The school admitted 50 students in 1972. David E. Sweet was the university's first president.[3] The university initially followed a non-traditional course: Students could design their own degree plans, instructors wrote 'narrative evaluations' instead of using traditional letter grades, and much of the teaching was done by 'community faculty' who had advanced degrees as well as extensive practical work experience in their respective fields. Although Metro State adopted a more traditional format in the 1990s, it has still retained a college named 'First College' which allows students to design individualized and/or interdisciplinary degree plans. First College students are allowed to select their own majors (they are typically referred to as 'focuses'). The individualized degrees are a popular alternative for students who are not interested in seeking traditional 'structured' degrees.
When Metro State began, it was a college for working adults. It was strictly an upper-division college, so students could only complete their junior and senior years there. The university didn't begin admitting freshmen and sophomores or calculating grade point averages until fall quarter 1994. Prior to the fall of 1998, Metro State operated on the quarter system. MSU currently operates on the semester system. During the 2009-2010 school year, Metropolitan State enrolled 10,000 students. This accomplishment elevates Metro State to the top 12% of colleges ranked by size in the U.S.A. MSU's enrollments are growing by up to 8% per year. Consequently, President Hammersmith and James Mc Cormick, MnSCU's former chancellor, are confident that Metro State will serve 20,000 students by 2020. [4]
Metro State offers 58 'structured' undergraduate degrees, a self-designed B.A. degree in liberal arts and individualized B.A. degrees through its five colleges and one school: The College of Arts and Sciences, The College of Management, The College of Professional Studies, The College of Nursing and Health Sciences, The School of Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice and First College.[5]
MSU offers ten structured master's degree programs and an interdisciplinary master of arts degree in liberal studies. The university also offers seven graduate certificate programs. In 2007, Metro State began offering an applied doctor of nursing practice (DNP) degree. Metro State's B.A. and M.S. programs in technical communication are among the largest programs of their kind in the country.
Metro State launched the first applied doctorate of business administration program in the history of the MnSCU system during fall semester 2010. Although a number of schools in the region -- such as the University of MN -- offer Ph.D.s in business administration, only 4 colleges in the entire Upper Midwest offer Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degrees. Metropolitan State University is the only public school in the Upper Midwest that offers DBA degrees. The three private schools that offer DBA degrees are Argosy University (Eagan, MN), St. Ambrose University (Davenport, IA) and Capella University (a completely online school based in Minneapolis, MN). Metro State's B.S. in accounting program is the largest in MN and it's widely recognized as one of the best accounting programs in MN.
Metropolitan State University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and the Council on Social Work Education.[6]
Metropolitan State University accommodates the needs of working adults by scheduling many of its classes in the evening and on weekends. The number of daytime course offerings have been increasing in recent years because of the growing demands of students. It is possible for recent graduates of Minneapolis and St. Paul public high schools to attend Metro State tuition free.[2]
Each student attending Metropolitan State University pays a .43 cent per credit fee to fund the Minnesota State University Student Association, a student-lead non-profit that advocates on behalf of all Minnesota state university students. In 1995, Metro State won a highly-coveted national (Theodore) Hesburgh Award for innovative and outstanding faculty development. Former President Bill Clinton was the keynote speaker at the awards ceremony. In 2002, the Minnesota legislature approved funding for the construction of a library at the St. Paul campus; the building opened during spring semester 2004. The new library and learning center also houses a branch of the Saint Paul Public Library. This is the only university/public library partnership in the state of Minnesota and one of only a few nationwide.
MSU's first graduating class consisted of 12 people on 2/1/73. As of December 13, 2011, Metro State has 32,290 alumni. Notable alumni includes:
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