Western Michigan University

Location and Contact Information

The campus is in a small city.

Overview

Western Michigan University is a public university. It was established in 1903 by Dwight B. Waldo as the Western State Normal School. It gained the status of a university on February 26, 1957. WMU's main campus is located in Kalamazoo, Michigan and has an enrollment of over 24,000. The campus covers an area of more than 1,200 acres.

WMU offers more than 250 degree programs through the following academic divisions:

• College of Arts and Sciences
• College of Aviation
• College of Education
• College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
• College of Fine Arts
• College of Health and Human Services
• Graduate College
• Haworth College of Business
• Lee Honors College

WMU has over 300 registered student organizations. There are also several fraternities and sororities on campus.

Highlights (vs. Other Schools)

• Many students concentrating in nutrition and exercise therapy, education and teaching, music, and religion and philosophy.
• Large number of programs of study offered.
• Large number of students.
• High faculty salary.

School characteristics:

• The school is public.
• Academic calender: Semester.
• Carnegie classification: Doctoral/Research Universities, Extensive.

Features of note:

• The school offers a faculty tenure system.
• There are one or more libraries on-campus.
• Campus housing is available.
• Students may study abroad.
• Distance learning is available.
• Weekend study is an option.
• Part-time classes are available.
• ROTC.
• Athlete financial aid is awarded.

Tuition and Financial Aid (2009-2010)

Financial Aid

Western Michigan University participates in US Title IV financial assistance programs.

In 2009-2010, 79% of students received financial aid of some sort.

(Please refer to BrainTrack's financial aid articles section for background information.)

Similar Schools

Based on proprietary BrainTrack computer comparisons against all other US colleges, these schools appear to be most similar to Western Michigan University:

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Degrees Awarded (in 2009-2010)

Faculty

Tenure (2009-2010):

Students

Student enrollment was 24,818 in 2009-2010 (22,060 full-time equivalent).

About 50% of the freshmen class in 2009-2010 was male and women were 50% of the class.

Undergrads are 76% of enrolled students and graduate students are 24%.

Students under 25 years old represent 75% of the student body. About 5% of the school is at least 40 years of age.

Among freshmen students, 99% are full-time and 1% are part-time.

Admissions Summary (2009-2010)

Room and Board

Western Michigan University provides on-campus housing for 5,477 of its 22,060 (full-time) students (as of 2009-2010).

Athletics

School sports include football, basketball, baseball, and track. The school is in the Mid-American Conference for major sports.

The school offers financial aid for athletes. Of students receiving athletic financial aid, 175 male students received the aid (men were 59% of those receiving aid) and 123 women were awarded financial aid based on athletics (representing 41% of students receiving such aid) .

Graduate School Focus

Western Michigan University offers graduate (post-Bachelor) studies. The highest degree offered is the Doctorate (Research/Scholarship & Professional Practice).

Graduate offerings include continuing professional education.The school's Graduate School Carnegie Classification is Comprehensive Doctoral (No Medical/Veterinary).

Programs of Study

(Number of degrees in 2009-2010 in parentheses)

ART STUDIES (19 awarded)

• Art/Art Studies
• Arts Management

BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT (1,142 awarded)

• Accounting
• Business Administration and Management
• Business Administration, Management and Operations
• Business/Commerce
• E-Commerce/Electronic Commerce
• Finance
• Financial Planning and Services
• Human Resources Development
• Human Resources Management and Services
• Information Resources Management/CIO Training
• Logistics and Materials Management
• Management Science
• Marketing
• Marketing/Marketing Management
• Non-Profit/Public/Organizational Management

COMPUTER SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING (102 awarded)

• Computer Engineering
• Computer Science
• Computer and Information Sciences

CONSERVATION AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (7 awarded)

• Environmental Studies

CONSTRUCTION TRADES (41 awarded)

• Apparel and Textiles

DESIGN (51 awarded)

• Graphic Design
• Industrial Design
• Interior Design

DRAMA AND PERFORMING ARTS (40 awarded)

• Acting
• Dance
• Dramatic/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft
• Technical Theatre/Theatre Design and Technology
• Theatre Literature, History and Criticism

EDUCATION AND TEACHING (1,097 awarded)

• Art Teacher Education
• Biology Teacher Education
• Business Teacher Education
• Chemistry Teacher Education
• College Student Counseling and Personnel Services
• Counselor Education/School Counseling and Guidance Services
• Early Childhood Education and Teaching
• Education
• Education/Teaching Individuals - Vision Impairments/ Blindness
• Education/Teaching of Individuals with Emotional Disturbances
• Education/Teaching of Individuals with Mental Retardation
• Educational Administration and Supervision
• Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research
• Educational Evaluation and Research
• Educational Leadership and Administration
• Educational/Instructional Media Design
• Elementary Education and Teaching
• English/Language Arts Teacher Education
• Family and Consumer Sciences/Home Economics Teacher Education
• French Language Teacher Education
• Geography Teacher Education
• German Language Teacher Education
• Health Teacher Education
• Higher Education/Higher Education Administration
• History Teacher Education
• Junior High/Intermediate/Middle School Education and Teaching
• Kindergarten/Preschool Education and Teaching
• Mathematics Teacher Education
• Music Teacher Education
• Physical Education Teaching and Coaching
• Physics Teacher Education
• Reading Teacher Education
• Science Teacher Education/General Science Teacher Education
• Social Science Teacher Education
• Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education
• Spanish Language Teacher Education
• Special Education and Teaching
• Teacher Education, Multiple Levels
• Technical Teacher Education

ENGINEERING (316 awarded)

• Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering
• Chemical Engineering
• Civil Engineering
• Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering
• Engineering
• Engineering/Industrial Management
• Industrial Engineering
• Manufacturing Engineering
• Mechanical Engineering
• Operations Research
• Structural Engineering

ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN (12 awarded)

• Automotive Engineering Technology/Technician
• Engineering Technologies/Technicians

FAMILY AND SOCIAL WORK (251 awarded)

• Child Development
• Family Systems
• Foodservice Systems Administration/Management
• Public Administration
• Social Work

FINE ARTS (30 awarded)

• Art History, Criticism and Conservation
• Fine/Studio Arts

HOSPITALITY (13 awarded)

• Tourism and Travel Services Marketing Operations

LIBERAL ARTS (538 awarded)

• African-American/Black Studies
• American Government and Politics (United States)
• Anthropology
• Applied Economics
• Area Studies
• Creative Writing
• Economics
• English Composition
• English Language and Literature
• French Language and Literature
• Geography
• German Language and Literature
• History
• International/Global Studies
• Latin Language and Literature
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities
• Medieval and Renaissance Studies
• Multi-/Interdisciplinary Studies
• Political Science and Government
• Public/Applied History and Archival Administration
• Sociology
• Spanish Language and Literature
• Women's Studies

MATHEMATICS (41 awarded)

• Applied Mathematics
• Mathematics
• Statistics

MECHANICS AND REPAIR (16 awarded)

• Avionics Maintenance Technology/Technician

MEDIA (267 awarded)

• Advertising
• Communication Studies/Speech Communication and Rhetoric
• Communication and Media Studies
• Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
• Journalism
• Organizational Communication
• Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication

MEDICAL ADMINISTRATION (95 awarded)

• Health and Medical Administrative Services

MEDICAL SUPPORT AND TECHNOLOGY (102 awarded)

• Audiology/Audiologist and Hearing Sciences
• Audiology/Audiologist and Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist
• Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences
• Physician Assistant
• Speech-Language Pathology/Pathologist

MUSIC (81 awarded)

• Jazz/Jazz Studies
• Music Pedagogy
• Music Performance
• Music Theory and Composition
• Music
• Piano and Organ
• Voice and Opera

NURSING AND EMERGENCY MEDICINE (93 awarded)

• Nursing Administration (MSN, MS, PhD)
• Nursing/Registered Nurse (RN, ASN, BSN, MSN)

NUTRITION AND EXERCISE THERAPY (259 awarded)

• Athletic Training/Trainer
• Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Services
• Health and Physical Education
• Kinesiology and Exercise Science
• Occupational Therapy/Therapist
• Parks, Recreation and Leisure Studies
• Sport and Fitness Administration/Management

PHOTOGRAPHY AND COMMERCIAL ART (51 awarded)

• Film/Video and Photographic Arts

RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY (47 awarded)

• Philosophy
• Religion/Religious Studies

SCIENCE (179 awarded)

• Biochemistry
• Biology/Biological Sciences
• Biomedical Sciences
• Chemistry
• Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences
• Geology/Earth Science
• Hydrology and Water Resources Science
• Physics

SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT (114 awarded)

• Criminal Justice/Safety Studies
• Criminology

THERAPY AND COUNSELING (308 awarded)

• Clinical Psychology
• Counseling Psychology
• Industrial and Organizational Psychology
• Marriage and Family Therapy/Counseling
• Mental and Social Health Services and Allied Professions
• Music Therapy/Therapist
• Psychology
• School Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Substance Abuse/Addiction Counseling

TRANSPORTATION (132 awarded)

• Airline/Commercial/Professional Pilot and Flight Crew
• Aviation/Airway Management and Operations