IDAHO STATE UNIVERSITY
Pocatello, Idaho
The University
Idaho State University (ISU) has existed as an institution since 1901, when it was first established as the Academy of Idaho. It gained university status in 1963. Offering instruction in nearly every area of the arts and sciences, the University also conducts well-rounded programs of training in vocational and technical fields. Bachelor's and master's degrees in a variety of areas are awarded by the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business, Education, Engineering, Health Professions, and Pharmacy, and the School of Graduate Studies. Doctoral degrees offered at ISU include the Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Arts, and Doctor of Education. A six-year Doctor of Pharmacy program is available to undergraduates. Certificate programs of varying lengths and B.S. and M.S. degrees are included in the curricula of the College of Technology.
Because of its location and character, ISU serves a diverse population that includes high school students, traditional-age students, nontraditional students, working professionals, and senior citizens. ISU has a total enrollment of nearly 14,000 undergraduate and graduate students; they represent nearly every state in the Union and sixty-four other countries. U.S. and international students attend the University because of its reputation as an academic and vocational institution of high quality; its relaxed, safe, and rural atmosphere; and its location at the foot of the Rocky Mountains.
Through its programs in pharmacy and other health-related professions, ISU is a center for education in the health field. Its programs in education, business, and engineering respond to a variety of current and emerging demands. It serves as a national center for Doctor of Arts degree programs. ISU also has responsibility for Idaho's dental education program. Several of the programs in the College of Technology, the largest such school in the state, are nationally recognized.
Idaho State University is accredited by the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges. In addition, the University is accredited or approved for specific programs by the following organizations: Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc.; Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education; American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business; American Association for Accreditation of Laboratory Animal Care; American Association of Colleges of Nursing; American Association for Health Education; American Association of Medical Assistants; American Association of Museums; American Chemical Society; American Council on Pharmaceutical Education; American Dental Association Commission on Dental Accreditation; American Dietetics Association; American Health Information Management Association; American Psychological Association; American Speech-Language-Hearing Association; Association for Computing Machinery; Association of University Programs in Health Administration; Automotive Standard Excellence; Commission for the Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs; Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education; Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education; Computer Science Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc.; Council for Education in Public Health; Council for Education of the Deaf; Council for the Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs; Council on Social Work Education; Farm Service Agency Curriculum Vendor; Federal Aviation Administration; Idaho Board of Nursing; Idaho Bureau of Occupational Licenses; National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences; National Association of Radio Telecommunication Engineers; National Association of School Psychologists; National Association of Schools of Music; National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification; National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education; Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges; and State of Idaho Peace Officers Standards and Training. The University holds membership in numerous organizations that have specific academic requirements. Among these are the American Association of University Women, the Council of Graduate Schools in the United States, the Western Association of Graduate Schools, the National Commission on Accrediting, and the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.
Location
ISU is located in a residential section of Pocatello, the state's second-largest community, near the Utah and Wyoming borders and in the middle of some of the most beautiful country in the United States. With an area population of 60,000 people, Pocatello provides all the amenities of a good-sized town without the usual urban difficulties. Within driving distance are Yellowstone National Park, Sun Valley, Salt Lake City, and Jackson Hole. Pocatello and the surrounding area offer year-round recreational, cultural, and social opportunities. ISU also has outreach campuses located in Idaho Falls, Boise, and Twin Falls, and offers a variety of distance learning options.
Majors and Degrees
Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees are offered in the following areas: American studies, anthropology, art, biochemistry, biology, botany, chemistry, civil engineering, clinical laboratory science, computer science, dental hygiene, dietetics, early childhood education, ecology, economics, educational interpreting, electrical engineering, elementary education, engineering, engineering management, English, family and consumer sciences education, French, general family and consumer sciences, general studies, geology, German, health care administration, health education, history, human resource training and development, international studies, mass communication, mathematics, mechanical engineering, microbiology, music, nursing, philosophy, physical education and dance, physics, political science, psychology, radiographic science, secondary education, social work, sociology, Spanish, special education, speech communication, speech pathology and audiology, surveying technology, theatre, university studies, and zoology. Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees are offered in art and theatre. Bachelor of Music Education and Bachelor of Music in performance degrees are offered. Bachelor of Business Administration degrees are offered in accounting, computer information systems, finance, management and marketing. Bachelor of Applied Technology is offered for all State Board of Education-approved Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) programs. Academic associate degrees are available in art, biology, business, chemistry, criminal justice, English, French, general studies, geology, German, history, Latin, marketing and management, mathematics, physics, political science, radiographic sciences, Russian, Shoshoni, sign language studies, Spanish, and speech communication. Applied technology associate degrees are available in aircraft maintenance technology, automotive collision repair and refinishing, automotive technology, building construction technology, child development, civil engineering technology, computer software engineering technology, cosmetology, culinary arts technology, dental laboratory technology, design drafting technology, diesel electric technology, electromechanical technology, electronic wireless/telecom technology, electronic wireless telecommunications, farm business management, graphic arts/printing technology, health information technology, instrumentation technology, laser/electro-optics technology, law enforcement, machining technology, marketing and management occupations, medical assisting, office technology, physical therapist assistant, and welding.
Academic Program
ISU requires a broad liberal arts education of all candidates for the bachelor's degree. Students are required to complete credits in math, English, speech, the physical and natural sciences, the humanities, and the social sciences before concentrating on their major field. All bachelor's degree candidates must complete a minimum of 128 credit hours. The University operates on the semester system; opportunities are available for receiving credit by examination or tailoring a degree through the Bachelor of University Studies program. Internships are also arranged for students through the Career Development Center and individual departments.
Off-Campus Arrangements
For premedical students, ISU is a participant in the Washington-Wyoming-Alaska-Montana-Idaho (WWAMI) medical education program at the University of Washington School of Medicine. ISU also has a contractual agreement with the University of Utah School of Medicine. A specified number of seats in these respective medical school classes are reserved for ISU students. Students in the University's Idaho Dental Education Program (IDEP) may complete their first year of professional training in Pocatello and finish their studies at Creighton University in Omaha, Nebraska. ISU participates in the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education's (WICHE's) Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE), Professional Student Exchange Program (PSEP), Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP), and Doctoral Scholars Program under the Compact for Faculty Diversity. ISU is also a member of the National Student Exchange Program.
Academic Facilities
Facilities at ISU combine a mixture of modern and traditional architecture, from the Eli M. Oboler Library, one of the largest education buildings in the state of Idaho, to the Holt Arena, the first covered athletics stadium on a U.S. college campus. The library houses more than a million volumes, bound periodicals, micro texts, and government documents, and has one of the finest medical collections in the state. It is also home to a comprehensive media center and satellite classroom facility. Modern classroom and laboratory facilities in the University's more than twenty other buildings provide an excellent learning environment for the academic student, while up-to-date vocational classrooms effectively replicate the work environment for career-oriented students. ISU is also home to the Idaho Accelerator Center, a facility used for collaborative research and development with university, private sector, and government organizations engaged in activities that require the application of small, commercially available charged-particle accelerators. The IAC and ISU Physics Department collectively possess 10 operating accelerators, the LINAC, and several other accelerators, allowing ISU students the chance for hands-on experience in the field of nuclear technology and related fields of study.
Costs
Resident undergraduate fees were $3136, and nonresident tuition was $6240, for a total out-of-state cost of $9376 per year for 2002–03 school year. Room and board costs with nineteen meals per week were $4410 per year. An increase is anticipated in fees, tuition, and room and board costs for the 2003–04 school year. Miscellaneous costs average $600 for books and supplies, $1890 for personal expenses, and $810 for transportation.
Financial Aid
The goal of the University's financial assistance program is twofold: to reward those students who demonstrate outstanding academic, leadership, or other talents, and to aid those students unable to bear the costs of attending the University. ISU provides financial assistance for some 80 percent of its students through grant, loan, work, and scholarship programs. ISU accepts the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The priority deadline for mailing the FAFSA is March 1. The scholarship application deadline for new and transfer students is February 20. A number of competitive out-of-state-student tuition and reduced-fee waivers are also available to domestic and international students, as are campus and off-campus job placement programs.
Faculty
Idaho State University has a 17:1 student-faculty ratio across its 259 disciplines. Professors, not graduate students, generally teach classes at Idaho State University. There are 538 full-time and 59 part-time faculty members at Idaho State University. More than 63 percent of ISU's full-time faculty members hold a terminal degree in their field. Teaching, advising, research, and service are faculty priorities at ISU. Many faculty members are nationally recognized for their expertise in accounting, biology, electronics, geology, mathematics, and pharmacy.
Student Government
There are more than 120 student organizations at ISU. The Associated Students of Idaho State University (ASISU) is the official governing body for students. A president, a vice president, and a 20-member senate are elected by the students each February. ASISU is an effective and vocal organization that sets policy in many aspects of life at ISU. It administers a budget of more than $1 million and recently funded the reestablishment of the ISU marching band and the debate team and the building of the Bennion Student Union Building at the Idaho Falls outreach campus. Student leaders also work on a statewide level with the State Board of Education and the Idaho Legislature.
Admission Requirements
Prospective freshmen must demonstrate a minimum earned 2.0 GPA in the following core curriculum high school courses: 8 credits in English; 6 credits in math (algebra I and higher); 6 credits in natural sciences; 5 credits in social sciences; 2 credits in humanities/foreign language; and 3 credits in other college-preparatory courses. Those not meeting these requirements may be accepted provisionally; they should write to the Director of Admissions, Campus Box 8270, Idaho+ State University. An application, a final high school transcript, ACT or SAT I scores, and a $30 application fee are required. Students who have not completed high school are required to take the GED and have a minimum average score of 45, with no individual scores below 40. Students completing a home-school curriculum must complete the GED with successful scores, or they may pursue an alternative admissions option which requires exemplary scores on the ACT or SAT I and one additional standardized test score that indicates significant potential for success in college. Transfer students to ISU must have a minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA and should provide transcripts of their previous college courses as well as a high school transcript if they have fewer than 25 earned college credits. An ACT or SAT I score is also required of transfer students under 21 years of age who have fewer than 14 earned college credits. International students must demonstrate satisfactory to above-average performance in their previous secondary or postsecondary educational experiences; a minimum TOEFL score of 500 is required, along with proof of financial support.
Application and Information
Deadlines for submission of all application materials are August 1 for the fall semester and December 1 for the spring semester. Notification is made within two weeks of application. For additional information and application materials, students should contact:
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