Cleveland State University

Carnegie Foundation Classification

Doctoral/Research Universities

General Characteristics

Highest offering	Doctoral degree
Calendar System	Semester
Years of college work required	N/A
Variable Tuition

Special Learning Opportunities

Distance Learning
ROTC — Army / Navy / Air Force	— / /
Study Abroad
Weekend College
Teacher Certification

Cleveland State University History

Cleveland State is among the younger state universities in the United States, having been established in 1964. The University’s former name was Fenn College, and it was a private institution with 2,500 students. Fenn College can actually trace its roots back to the Cleveland YMCA. Still standing is the University’s Fenn Tower.

Cleveland State University is located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. There are two additional “extended campus” sites, one in Solon, Ohio, and one in Westlake, Ohio. The school initially began as a YMCA educational program, which eventually became the private Fenn college in 1929. Fenn College became the public Cleveland State University in 1964. The University now awards bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral, and professional degrees. In 1969, the Cleveland-Marshall School of Law became part of Cleveland State University. Prior to that it had been two separate law schools which had previously merged.

Cleveland State University states that its mission is “to encourage the development of human and humane knowledge in the arts, sciences, humanities and professions through scholarship, creative activity and research while providing an accessible and contemporary education to all individuals.” The University also emphasizes its metropolitan setting, encouraging students to consider issues from the metropolitan to the global level in their life and world. Most students have full or part-time jobs, and many attend the University on a part-time basis.

The University is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Cleveland State University Academics

Majors are offered in 70 different fields in eight different colleges: Business, Education, Engineering, Law, Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Science, Urban Affairs, and Graduate Studies. Two “divisions” exist to assist students with academic support services and with continuing education. p. The University is composed of a number of different schools and colleges: Business Administration, Education and Human Services, Engineering, Law, Liberal Arts and Social Sciences, Science, Urban Affairs, and Graduate Studies. In addition, there is a Division of Continuing Education which offers noncredit courses. p. Bachelor’s degrees are awarded in a number of different disciplines, including business, computer science, education (which includes teacher licensure requirements), engineering, humanities and social sciences, hard sciences, and urban affairs. Students may also enroll on a post-baccalaureate basis. The University recently (fall of 2004) began an honors program. p. Master’s degrees are awarded in English, history, music, philosophy, Spanish, four different business categories, education, seven kinds of engineering fields, six health fields, mathematics, and fields in the social sciences and urban affairs. Two degrees (JD and LLM) are awarded in Law, and there are several joint degrees between the College of Law and the rest of the University. p. The school awards six doctoral degrees: a Doctor of Business Administration, a Ph.D. in urban education, a Doctor of Engineering, Ph.D.s in regulatory biology and in clinical bio-analytical chemistry, and a Ph.D. in urban studies and public affairs.

Cleveland State University Unique Programs

Cleveland State is home to numerous centers and special programs that primarily facilitate faculty research, though students benefit from the special courses and extracurricular academic opportunities (like lectures) that the centers present. Some of the more unique centers include the Bioethics Center, Great Lakes Environmental Finance Center, the Center for Modeling Integrated Metabolic Systems, and the Center for Sacred Landmarks.

The Center for International Services and Programs provides students with opportunities to participate in exchange programs and benefit from the curriculum at participating international institutions. The Center is also Cleveland State’s ambassador organization to the American Council on Education and Ford Foundation initiative to improve global learning.

Cleveland State University also awards an educational specialist degree (Ed.S.) and graduate certificates in a number of fields including adult learning and development, gerontological studies, local/urban management, software engineering, and other health, education, and business areas.

Cleveland State University Financial Aid

Financial Aid recipients at Cleveland State must demonstrate financial need and also satisfactory academic progress, including GPA requirements, completion rate requirements, and minimum class load requirements. Incoming freshmen have access to more than a dozen scholarship programs, including the Honors Program Scholarship and Phi Theta Kappa.

Cleveland State welcomes and facilitates access to Federal Perkins Loans and Federal Stafford Loans for students, as well as the Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS). There are also a number of private loan options for first-time baccalaureate degree-seeking students.

In-state tuition and fees for undergraduate students were $283 per credit hour in 2004-2005. Students applying from out of state and graduate and law students will have different costs.

Financial aid is available with a combination of grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study programs.

Cleveland State University Students

Student service administrators at Cleveland State operate on the belief that the more involved a student becomes, the more successful they will be academically and, ultimately, professionally. Student life includes leadership programs, an annual orientation program, mentoring, volunteering, and Greek organizations. The campus is home to 16 different fraternities and sororities. The student body adheres to the “Viking Community Creed,” which outlines the community’s shared vision of treating people fairly and improving the society around them.

The Cleveland State University Library offers electronic catalogs and on-line databases, in additional to physical volumes stored on site. It is also a member of OhioLink, which provides access to 31 million library items across the State of Ohio. Special collections are focused on Cleveland’s history. Additionally there is a Law Library for legal students.

Cleveland State University is presently working from a master plan for additional construction and renovation of buildings on campus. The master plan includes a new recreation center, improvements to the existing student plaza, and renovations to existing buildings.

Cleveland State University Traditions

Though Cleveland State may be a young university by some standards, its alumni and student bodies are still very committed and active in University events. The annual Alumni Weekend is held every summer, and includes the Distinguished Alumni Awards Dinner and the Alumni Association Star-Studded Extravaganza.

Cleveland State University Local Community

Cleveland is a sports lover’s paradise. Fans of the Cleveland Browns, Indians, and Cavaliers are known for their fanatical devotion to their teams. The I-X Indoor Amusement Park offers thrill seekers a more extreme brand of entertainment. For music lovers there are the Cleveland Orchestra and the Tri-C JazzFest featuring such artists as Wynton Marsalis and Al Jarreau. Cleveland’s Rock Hall hosts such rockin’ events as an exhibit on the Who’s “Tommy.”

Cleveland is located in northeastern Ohio, on the shore of Lake Erie. Cleveland State University sits in downtown Cleveland near various recreational centers, business buildings, museums, theaters, and the Western Reserve Historical Society.