Arizona State University’s Tempe campus was founded in 1885 as the Territorial Normal School at Tempe. The school was created by an act of the Thirteenth Legislative Assembly of the Territory of Arizona, but the location of the school may not have been in Tempe had it not been for John S. Armstrong, a young legislator from the area.

When Armstrong was elected, at only 28 years old, his platform was that he would bring a mental health institution and university to Maricopa County. At the time, Tucson and Phoenix were both vying for the university, normal school and mental institution. Tucson was also attempting to have their town named the capital, an honor that had gone to Prescott in 1878. When it became apparent that the Tucson representatives did not have the votes to move the capital back, Armstrong worked out a deal that would allow the university to be built in Tucson, the mental institution in Phoenix and the normal school in Tempe. Legislation was signed on March 12, 1885, authorizing the university to be built in Tucson and the normal school in Tempe.

The legislation required that the citizens of Tempe donate 20 acres of land for the new school. At a town hall meeting, it was determined that George and Martha Wilson’s cow pasture was the ideal location, but the Wilson’s needed the pasture for their business, Pioneer Meat Market. Initially, the couple agreed to donate five acres in exchange for $500 raised by the citizens. However, on May 5, 1865, the couple donated the entire 20 acres for $500, creating the core of the original campus.

In 1901, when a normal school opened in Flagstaff, the name of the school was changed to the Tempe Normal School. In the 1920s, the Alumni Association lead political efforts to change the name of the school. In 1923, admission requirements were raised to require students to have a high school diploma. By 1929, the school was offering four-year degrees as well as a two-year curriculum that provided students with a teaching certificate. That same year, the school became the Arizona State Teacher’s College. In 1945, the school became Arizona State College and gained university status in 1958.

Arizona State University Accreditation Details

Arizona State University is accredited by the North Central Association Higher Learning Commission. Accreditation indicates that the university meets or exceeds criteria established by the accrediting agency that demonstrate excellence in education. In addition, specific programs are accredited by the following organizations:

  • Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications
  • American Bar Association
  • American Council for Construction Education
  • American Dietetic Association
  • American Psychology Association
  • American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
  • Arizona State Board of Nursing/Commission of Collegiate Nursing Education
  • Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International
  • Aviation Accreditation Board International
  • Commission on Education for Health Services Administration
  • Computing Accreditation Commission of ABET
  • Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
  • Council for Interior Design Accreditation
  • Council of Social Work Education
  • Council on Accreditation for Parks, Recreation, Tourism and Related Professions
  • Engineering Accreditation Committee
  • Landscape Architectural Accreditation Board
  • National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences
  • National Architectural Accrediting Board
  • National Association of Schools of Music
  • National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration
  • Planning Accreditation Board

Arizona State University Application Requirements

Freshman who wish to attend Arizona State University must have completed four years of English, four years of math, three years of laboratory science, two years of social science, two years of foreign language and one year of fine arts or career education. Students must be in the top 25 percent of their graduating class and have earned a 3.0 GPA in competency courses. Students must have an SAT reasoning score of at least 1040 and an ACT score of 22 if they are Arizona residents. Non-residents must have an SAT reasoning score of 1110 and an ACT score of 24. Some programs have higher admission policies, so students are encouraged to discuss those requirements with an admissions counselor. Students must provide an official high school transcript.

Students may transfer from another college or university if they have graduated from high school and have completed or are in the progress of completing an associate’s degree.

Graduate students must hold a bachelor’s degree or higher and must have a 3.0 GPA in the last 60 hours of undergraduate studies. Some programs require official GMAT or GRE test scores as well as other admissions documents. Students are encouraged to discuss those requirements with an admissions counselor.

Arizona State University Tuition and Financial Aid

Undergraduate tuition at Arizona State University is $677 per credit hour for residents and $1,033 for non-residents. Online tuition is $490 per credit hour for both residents and non-residents. Resident graduate tuition is $758 per credit hour and non-resident tuition is $1,129 per credit hour.

Financial aid is available for all students. Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to be eligible for any assistance with tuition. Financial aid is available in the form of grants, scholarships, loans and work-study programs.

Arizona State University Degree(s) Available

Computer Science, B.S.

The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at Arizona State University provides students with the skills they need to design, analyze and improve computer software and systems for many different applications. The program focuses on the design of computers, processes used for problem solving and the transfer of information. Students learn to improve software systems and system quality as well as an understanding of the importance of security. The program supports an ever-changing computing and informatics world as well as the integration of computer and information sciences with engineering and other disciplines. The program is offered as an accelerated degree that allow students to earn a Master of Science in the following disciplines:

  • Computer Science – Art, Media and Engineering
  • Computer Science – Big Data Systems
  • Computer Science – Biomedical Informatics
  • Computer Science – Information Assurance
  • Computer Science

Graduates of the program have secured positions creating computer games and graphics systems, designing artificial intelligence systems and developing mobile computing applications.

The Bachelor of Science in Computer Science is not offered in a totally online format although some courses may be taught online. By offering some courses in an online format, Arizona State University provides students who may have work, family or social obligations that prevent them from attending traditional classrooms to achieve their higher education goals.

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