For Information Contact:
Office of Admission
Stephens College
Columbia, MO 65215
573-876-7207
800-876-7207 (toll-free)
Fax: 573-876-7237
E-mail: apply@stephens.edu
COSTS:
Tuition:
$22,900
Room and Board:
$9,930
Fees, books, misc.:
$1,200
Columbia, Missouri
Overview
Stephens College, founded in 1833 as the nation's second-oldest women's college, is a premier national liberal arts college for women in the Midwest. Stephens is ranked nationally in U.S. News & World Report and has repeatedly been selected to the Princeton Review's list of the best colleges in the country (listed among the top four great college theater programs in the nation and one of the Best in the Midwest, 2005).
Location and Community
Stephens College is located in Columbia, Missouri. Situated halfway between Kansas City and St. Louis, Columbia is the cultural, medical, and business center of mid-Missouri. Often called “College Town, USA,” Columbia is also the home of Columbia College and the University of Missouri. Stephens students have easy access to Columbia's shopping, dining, and entertainment offerings.
Academic Life
The B.A. degree is generally completed in four years. Students pursue depth of study in an academic area, breadth in liberal arts study, and elective course work with guidance from faculty advisers. Academic departments require relevant internships and often provide opportunities for research projects in field settings. Stephens has introduced many innovative educational concepts into its programs. Stephens emphasizes personalized teaching and development of the individual. Small classes are offered, and most departments offer tutorial projects and readings.
Students in the bachelor's degree programs, either B.A., B.F.A., or B.S., must complete the residence requirement of seven semesters. Students take a total of 30 hours in the liberal arts program throughout their three or four years at the College. These courses provide an interdisciplinary platform for the study of the behavioral/social sciences, literature, humanities, history, science, ethics, math, and digital literacy. All liberal arts courses, regardless of the topics they cover, provide opportunities for students to sharpen their critical thinking and communication skills.
Degree requirements for the Bachelor of Arts include completion of at least 24 semester hours in a department. At least 15 of these hours must be at or above the 300 level. As many as 45 semester hours may be required in the major, but no more than 45 may count toward a 120-semester-hour degree program. Students also may elect to design an interdisciplinary student-initiated Bachelor of Arts major.
The Bachelor of Science degree program requires completion of 45 to 57 hours, including a minimum of 15 hours at or above the 300 level. Bachelor of Science candidates may elect additional courses in the major, but no more than 60 hours may count toward a 120-semester-hour degree program. Students also may elect to design an interdisciplinary student-initiated Bachelor of Science major.
Degree requirements for the Bachelor of Fine Arts include completion of 60 to 75 semester hours, including at least 15 hours at or above the 300 level. B.F.A. candidates may elect additional courses in their major, up to a maximum of 78 hours within a 120-semester-hour degree program. The B.F.A. degree programs in theater and in dance are completed in three years and two summers. Students also may elect to design an interdisciplinary student-initiated Bachelor of Fine Arts major.
Through Stephens College Division of Graduate and Continuing Studies, nontraditional students throughout the country have the opportunity to complete an online program that builds on past learning. Most of Stephens' programs, including courses of study leading to the B.A. degree, are open to Stephens College Division of Graduate and Continuing Studies students. In addition, the Division of Graduate and Continuing Studies has programs in business administration, English, health care and a second area, health information administration (the first accredited external degree program in medical record administration in the country), health science and a second area, psychology, and student-initiated majors. In addition, Stephens offers graduate degrees in business (through an Internet-based program) and education. Undergraduates in accounting, entrepreneurship and business management, fashion marketing/management, equestrian business management, and marketing: public relations and advertising can complete the online M.B.A. through a tuition-paid fellowship, provided they meet certain stipulations.
Though most faculty members have come to college teaching via the recognized route of graduate study and scholarship, some have prepared for teaching through work experience, particularly those in applied and performing arts with careers as actors, dancers, musicians, and artists. The faculty is primarily a teaching faculty, and many of the instructors include students in independent scholarly research. Men and women join the Stephens faculty with a commitment to individualized education. They are actively engaged in academic advising and tutorial relationships and frequently spend many more hours working with students outside the classroom than in formal teaching situations. The student-faculty ratio is 10:1.
Stephens also offers numerous partnerships with other institutions wherein students may earn a bachelor's degree from Stephens in three years and a master's degree from another college or university after two additional years. Partnerships currently exist in occupational therapy, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, accounting, and law.
Stephens sponsors summer seminars in several countries, including France, Italy, and Japan, as extensions of courses that are regularly offered at the College. Summer-study programs include drama and musical theater at Lake Okoboji, Spirit Lake, Iowa. Stephens also offers study opportunities in Sweden, Ecuador, Korea, and Cambridge, England.
Majors Offered:
Stephens College awards the Associate in Arts, Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Bachelor of Science. Majors include accounting; biology; creative writing; dance; digital filmmaking; early childhood education; elementary education; English; entrepreneurship and business management; equestrian business management; equestrian science; fashion communication; fashion design and product development; fashion marketing and management; graphic design; human development; interior design; liberal studies; marketing: public relations and advertising; mass media (broadcast media production, print media production, or public relations); psychology; student-initiated majors; theater arts; and theater management. The B.F.A. program includes professional-level work in the fine or performing arts plus a strong component in liberal studies.
Facilities and Resources
The Hugh Stephens Resources Library contains more than 120,000 volumes. The library is the central building of a quadrangle that includes the Helis Communication Center and the Patricia Barry Television Studio. The E. S. Pillsbury Science Center houses science and mathematics classrooms and laboratories, and the Ellis Learning Laboratories provide modern equipment for individual and group study of foreign languages. Other working laboratories include the student-run Warehouse Theatre, the Johnson Plant Laboratory, and the Audrey Webb Child Study Center, which has an enrollment of approximately 100 children in preschool through fifth grade.
Campus Life
Students from around the globe enrich Stephens with their varied talents, interests, and backgrounds. Stephens students may choose to join one of ten honorary societies on campus, including Psi Chi, Alpha Epsilon Rho, and Mortar Board, or become involved in student government. Leadership experience is emphasized in all aspects of life at Stephens. Stephens' residence halls provide much of the focus for campus activity. The Searcy House Plan offers a living/learning environment in the humanities to a select group of freshmen each year. Since it began in the 1960s as an experiment funded by the Ford Foundation, the Searcy program has served as a model for similar living/learning communities in colleges and universities across the nation.
Each student is a member of the Student Government Association (SGA). Working in the SGA provides women with experience in planning and administering cultural, social, and recreational activities and in dealing with academic, residential, and community concerns. The association has executive and legislative powers to govern student activities and to develop and maintain group-living standards. Students also serve as voting members of established faculty committees and in advisory capacities to committees of the Board of Trustees. Stephens has been nationally recognized for the many leadership opportunities it provides for students.
Sports / Varsity Athletics
As a women's college, Stephens inherently recognizes and celebrates the skills and talents of its female scholar-athletes. Stephens became a member of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) in April 2004. The College previously was a member of NCAA Division III since 1994. Through our sports programs, we provide opportunities for women to challenge themselves physically, to experience teamwork in action and to simply enjoy the sport. We are committed to the philosophy of developing scholar-athletes whose first priority is education.
Financial Aid / Scholarships
More than 80 percent of the student body receive some form of assistance through scholarships, grants, loans, or employment. Stephens participates in the Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Stafford Student Loan, and Federal Work-Study programs. Missouri residents are encouraged to apply for aid under the Missouri Student Grant Program. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is required for financial aid consideration. Applications for financial aid should be received by March 15. Stephens also offers an early financial aid estimate service.
Admission Requirements / Application
Applicants are considered by the Director of Admission and the Admission Committee on an individual basis without regard to race, religion, geographic origin, or handicap. Major factors for admission consideration are the recommendations and academic record, including rank in class, subjects studied, grade point average, proficiency in English, and test scores (SAT and ACT). Candidates for admission should submit the application with the $25 application fee and arrange to have transcripts and recommendations mailed to the Office of Admission. Upon receipt of the application, any additional material is mailed to the student. Qualified students are accepted on a rolling admission basis upon receipt of all necessary credentials.
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