Mississippi Valley State University in Itta Bena, MS

History

MVSU was officially founded in 1950, even though the approving legislature was approved more than four years previous. The University was originally a teachers college, serving over 300 in-service educators. The Liberal Arts degree was not offered until fourteen years later. The University emphasized pre-professional education and technical preparation. University status was granted in 1974.

Mississippi Valley State University opened as a vocational college. It is an historically black university. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. Its mission statement says in part, “Mississippi Valley State University values and promotes excellence in its central mission of teaching and strives to provide an inviting and supportive learning and living environment.” It is classed as a Baccalaureate College—General by the Carnegie Institute. Its emphasis is on service to the Mississippi Delta region.

Mississippi Valley State University Academics

Mississippi Valley State University has academic programs at both the undergraduate and graduate level. There are 4 colleges: the College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Education, the College of Professional Studies, and the College of Graduate Studies.

Bachelor’s degrees are offered in a variety of fields within the various academic colleges; there are 14 undergraduate degree-granting departments. Degrees at the bachelor’s level can be received in such areas as English, public administration, industrial technology, education, mathematics, biology, and environmental health. Graduate programs are offered at the master’s level in 5 areas: teaching, criminal justice, elementary education, environmental health, and special education.

Mississippi Valley’s primary academic offerings are provided through the College of Art’s & Sciences, College of Professional Studies, College of Education, and the College of Graduate Studies. MVSU also offers students the opportunity to earn a double major, provided they complete at least 30 credit hours in each major field. Areas of concentration are also allowed, provided the student completes 18-21 credit hours of courses in that particular field, as approved by the department in which it is offered.

Most Popular Fields of Study

The top 5 fields of study completed at Mississippi Valley State University.

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Unique Programs

The MVSU Department of Criminal Justice is more than 20 years-old and is one of the University’s largest departments. Approximately 375 students are enrolled in the department’s various programs. Degrees offered include the Master of Science in Criminal Justice and the Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice.

MVSU also offers the Bachelor of Science in Public Administration through the Department of Social Science. It is the only undergraduate program in public administration in the State of Mississippi.

Mississippi Valley State University Admissions

Applicants to Mississippi Valley State University must complete the College Preparatory Curriculum (CPC) with a minimum of 3.20 high school grade point average; complete the CPC with a minimum of 2.50 high school grade point average or class rank in the top 50% and score 16 or higher on the ACT (equivalent to 760 on the SAT); complete the CPC with a minimum of a 2.00 high school grade point average and score 18 or higher on the ACT (equivalent to 850 on the SAT); or satisfy the NCAA standards for student athletes who are “full qualifiers” based on Division I guidelines. MVSU also offers a program called ACCUPLACER, which is a test that evaluates a particular student’s preparedness to enter the University. A Summer Developmental Program is also available for qualified students who may demonstrate some need in preparation before entering the University as full time students. And MVSU offers a Year-Long Academic Support Program that assists students with their coursework and transition to university life.

Mississippi Valley State University has an open undergraduate admissions deadline, but early applications are encouraged. There is no application fee. Applications can be submitted on-line. Students who are enrolled in high school at the time of application will need to have their official final high school transcripts sent after graduation to the Admissions Office.

As part of their application, students should submit high school transcripts and ACT or SAT test scores. Students should have completed high school courses as follows: 4 units of English, 3 units of mathematics, 3 units of history and social studies, 3 units of science, 2 units of electives, and ½ units of computer applications. Students must generally meet the following minimum requirements: high school GPA of 3.20 on the required courses, or an ACT score of 16 (SAT 760) and high school GPA of 2.5 or top 50% class rank, or an ACT score of 18 (SAT 850) and high school GPA of 2.0.

Transfer students and international students will have varying requirements depending upon their prior educational background.

Students applying to the graduate programs at Mississippi Valley State University should consult the individual department and/or school to which they are applying. Applications can be submitted on-line. General requirements include the GRE or other appropriate test scores (such as the GMAT) and a bachelor’s degree with a grade point average of 2.5. Students must also supply three letters of recommendation. Students should check with the specific program for the application deadline.

Financial Aid

Tuition at Mississippi Valley State University is $1,579 per semester for the 2005-2006 academic year for in-state, undergraduate students attending full-time. Students applying from out of state and graduate students have higher costs.

Financial aid is available in the form of grants, scholarships, and loans. There is also some student employment. Students who seek financial aid will need to fill out the Federal Student Financial Aid Form, available on-line. Graduate students who have a 3.0 GPA are eligible for assistantships requiring 20 hours of work a week. A Graduate Diversity Scholarship is also available; it covers tuition and fees.

There are Diversity Scholarship awards of up to $700.00 for undergraduate students who are non-black, who come from out of state, or have taken at least two years away from high school or other college.

MVSU sees financial aid as a supplement to a student’s family resources. Therefore, the financial aid office calculates the cost of a student’s attendance and subtracts the family’s expected contribution to tuition. The remaining amount is considered financial need. MVSU considers income, assets, expenses, family size, and the number of children in calculating a family’s expected contribution. Entering freshmen must have a grade point average of 3.00 to qualify for aid and, based on test scores, can receive a variety of aid packages.

Student Financial Aid Details

How many students use Financial Aid, and how much do they use?
Mississippi Valley State University 2557th for the average student loan amount.
Secrets to getting the best Mississippi scholarships and financial aid

Effective as of 2010-09-21
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Mississippi Valley State University Students

Student life at Mississippi Valley State University includes opportunities in a diverse range of activities and organizations. There are 8 fraternities and sororities, academic, professional, and honor societies, a university band, two campus ministries, and the Cliché Fashion & Modeling Squad, among others.

MVSU is home to eight different Greek-letter organizations that are part of the National Pan-Hellenic Council. There are also several dozen other student organizations on campus, including Army ROTC, various residence hall councils and clubs, and academic societies. The campus is home to over 1,000 residential students who occupy ten different “living/learning centers.” There are five male halls and five female halls.

Student Enrollment Demographics

How many students are enrolled at Mississippi Valley State University?

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Student Graduation Demographics

How many students graduated at Mississippi Valley State University?

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Athletics

The Mississippi Valley State University Delta Devils and Devilettes compete in football, baseball, softball, volleyball, tennis, track & field, bowling, golf, women’s soccer, and men’s and women’s basketball. The Delta Devils are members of the Southwestern Athletic Conference and compete with other universities such as Alabama A&M, Alabama State, Grambling State, and Texas Southern University. In 2004 the Devils football team ranked sixth in scoring, fourth and total offense, and fourth in total defense among conference opponents. The men’s basketball team ranked second in scoring offense, third in scoring defense, and second in scoring margin among conference opponents.

Mississippi Valley State University is an NCAA Division I School (football is Division I-AA.) Teams compete in the Southwest Athletic Conference. Men’s sports include basketball, baseball, cross country, track & field, tennis, and football, while women’s sports include volleyball, basketball, bowling, tennis, track & field, cross county, golf, softball, and soccer. The team nick-name is the Delta Devils and Devilettes.

Among the championships and awards that Mississippi Valley State University has received are repeated conference championships in softball in 2004 and 2005.

Student athletes receive academic support from the university through the recently remodeled Student-Athlete Academic Resource Center, which provides Internet access and tutoring.

Mississippi Valley State University Traditions

Among the University’s many various traditions are freshman orientation, Annual Fall Convocation, the Annual Christmas Tree Lighting, Student Christmas Dinner, and Founder’s Day during an entire week of celebrations for the University’s founders.

Local Community

Mississippi Valley State University is located in Itta Bena, Mississippi. The surrounding environment is largely rural farmland.

Itta Bena reported a population of 2,208 in the 2000 census. The majority of residents are of African American descent. Itta Bena is located in Leflore County and is roughly 1.4 square miles in land area. Nearby Greenwood offers a numerous array of entertainment venues, outdoor experiences, cultural attractions, and the historic Fort Pemberton museum.

Overall Score On StateUniversity.com (about)	76.8
Total CostOn-Campus Attendance	$15,758
AdmissionSuccess rate	30%
ACT75 %ile scores	19
Student RatioRatio of students to faculty	17 : 1
Retention(Full-Time / Part-Time)	61% / 100%
EnrollmentTotal (all students)	2,850
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Surrounding community	Fringe rural area (less than 5 mi. from an urban area)

Total Population	5,652 (4,835 urban / 817 rural)
Households	1,564 (2.95 people per house)
Median Household Income	$19,450
Families	1,140 (3.51 people per family)

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Mississippi Valley State University

Itta Bena, MS

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