Profile of KSU
Kennesaw State University Today

Kennesaw State University, one of the fastest-growing members of the University System of Georgia, offers high-quality education to students throughout metro-Atlanta and northwest Georgia.

To meet the needs of today's students, Kennesaw State offers day, evening and weekend classes on its spacious suburban campus. Both traditional and nontraditional students will find programs of study to fit their life-styles and interests.

Kennesaw State's mission of education and service will grow with northwest Georgia. Providing the leadership in this mission is President Betty L. Siegel, the first woman president in the history of the 34-unit University System.

Kennesaw State University is a proud public university in the University System of Georgia, located in the densely populated and rapidly developing northwest region of Greater Metropolitan Atlanta. Chartered in 1963, KSU serves as a highly valued resource for this region's educational, economic, social and cultural advancement.

This institution shares with all other units in the University System of Georgia the following characteristics:

• a supportive campus climate, necessary services and leadership development opportunities, all to educate the whole person and meet the needs of students, faculty and staff;
• cultural, ethnic, racial and gender diversity in the faculty, staff and student body, supported by practices and programs that embody the ideals of an open, democratic and global society;
• technology to advance educational purposes, including instructional technology, student support services and distance education;
• collaborative relationships with other System institutions, State agencies, local schools and technical institutes, and business and industry, sharing physical, human, information and other resources to expand and enhance programs and services available to the citizens of Georgia.

This institution shares with all other state universities in the University System of Georgia the following characteristics:

• a commitment to excellence and responsiveness within a scope of influence defined by the needs of an area of the state, and by particularly outstanding programs or distinctive characteristics that have a magnet effect throughout the region or state;
• a commitment to teaching/learning environment, both inside and outside the classroom, that sustains instructional excellence, serves a diverse and university-prepared student body, promotes high levels of student achievement, offers academic assistance and provides developmental studies programs for a limited student cohort;
• a high quality general education program supporting a variety of disciplinary, interdisciplinary and professional academic programming at the baccalaureate level with selected master's and educational specialist degrees and selected associate degree programs based on area need or/or interinstitutional collaborations;
• a commitment to public service, continuing education, technical assistance, and economic development activities that address the needs, improve the quality of life and raise the educational level within the university's scope of influence;
• a commitment to scholarly and creative work to enhance instructional effectiveness and to encourage faculty scholarly pursuits and a commitment to applied research in selected areas of institutional strength and area need.

Kennesaw State University's distinctive characteristics are described as follows:

Kennesaw State serves a diverse student body in the northern suburbs of Atlanta and extending into northwest Georgia. It includes young adults who enroll as freshmen or undergraduate transfers and an equally large number of older adults who return or transfer to the university at different stages in their lives for undergraduate or graduate study. Students reside off campus and commute to classes. A majority pursue their academic goals on a part-time basis because of job, family and civic responsibilities. Significant numbers of international and minority students enroll. Many students pursue professionally-oriented degrees, especially at the graduate level. Evening and weekend programs accommodate experienced professionals seeking academic advancement. A broad range of programs, services and activities are offered outside the classroom to enrich campus life and enhance student success and personal development.

Effective teaching and learning are central institutional priorities. Service and research that strengthen teaching and address the public's interests are important supportive priorities. Faculty, staff and administrators are committed to providing a challenging and facilitative collegiate environment that fosters high-quality academic preparation, critical thinking, global and multicultural perspectives, effective communication and interpersonal skills, leadership development, social responsibility and lifelong learning. Programs that prepare students well for the advancement of professional pursuits are especially attractive and are offered in the school and colleges of the university.

The foundation for all undergraduate majors is a comprehensive and coherent general education program that promotes internationalized and connected learning in the liberal arts tradition. A wide array of baccalaureate degree programs is offered, including majors in the arts, humanities, social sciences, mathematics, natural sciences, accounting, business fields, teacher education specialities, computing and information systems and nursing. An expanding array of professional master's degrees exists in education specialities, accounting, business fields, public administration, professional writing and nursing.

KSU's commitment to public service is reflected through an extensive array of continuing education programs, service institutes and centers, nationally recognized lecturers and conferences, collaboratives with the public schools, partnerships with business and governmental agencies and international initiatives. The university plays a vital role in promoting and supporting regional interests in the visual, performing and cultural arts.

Research, scholarship and creative activity are broadly defined and predominantly applied. The university honors action research on the improvement of teaching and learning; survey research for community and economic development; interdisciplinary studies in support of environmental, governmental, business, or health interests; creative contributions in the arts and humanities; intellectual contributions; discovery research and academic publication; and the interpretation or application of academic research.

Kennesaw State University aspires to be a progressive and exemplary educational institution, respected for its excellence and leadership in its teaching, service and research. The university is committed to continuous improvement in an increasingly diverse and constantly changing learning community.

Kennesaw State University is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097: Telephone number 404-679-4501) to award master's and baccalaureate degrees. The graduate and undergraduate teacher education programs are approved by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission for teaching licensure and accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). The master's and baccalaureate level business degree programs are accredited by the AACSB, The International Association for Management Education.

Degrees offered include the Master of Accounting, Master of Business Administration, Master of Business Administration for Experienced Professionals, Master of Business Administration for Physician Executives, Master of Education with majors in elementary education (P-5), middle grades (4-8), and special education (K-12), Master of Science in Nursing, Master of Public Administration, Master of Science in Information Systems, Master of Arts in Professional Writing, and the Master of Science in Conflict Management.