Overview
Founded in 1933 by the Sisters of the Presentation of Mary, Rivier College is a coeducational institution offering approximately sixty undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Rivier offers a Catholic liberal education with a commitment to social justice, and is dedicated to the formation of intellect and character. The College is recognized for its broad-based curriculum, which emphasizes both the preparation of students for challenging and rewarding careers and the furthering of their personal growth.

Recognizing the value of all branches of knowledge, the College offers a traditional liberal arts curriculum with fields of specialization on the undergraduate level and advanced professional education on the graduate level.

Rivier College enrolls approximately 900 graduate students. Most are part-time students. Students may enter directly from an undergraduate program or may have several years of full-time work experience before entering an advanced degree program.

The Location and Community
Rivier College is located on a 64-acre campus 1 mile from downtown Nashua in a quiet, residential area. Easy access to Boston provides students with opportunities for intellectual, cultural, and social enrichment. Proximity to the seacoast and to the White Mountains of New Hampshire offers additional recreational advantages.

Programs of Study and Degree Requirements
The School of Graduate Studies at Rivier College offers programs leading to the following master’s degrees: Master of Arts (M.A.) in clinical mental health counseling, writing, and literature; Master of Science (M.S.) in computer information systems, computer science, human resources management, nursing (family nursing, nursing education, and psychiatric mental health nursing); Master of Education (M.Ed.) in counselor education, curriculum and instruction, early childhood education, educational administration, learning disabilities and reading, elementary education, elementary education and general special education, elementary education and learning disabilities, educational studies, emotional/behavioral disabilities, learning disabilities, reading, and secondary education; Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) with concentrations in accounting, marketing, quality management, health care, and organizational leadership; Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.) in English, mathematics, social studies, and Spanish; and Master of Arts/Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A./M.A.T.) in writing and literature. The Certificate of Advanced Graduate Study (C.A.G.S.) is offered in leadership and learning and nursing education.

Certificate programs are offered in computer information systems, computer science (client server applications and networking technologies), counseling, early childhood professional, family nursing, health-care administration, human resources management, management and organizational behavior, marketing, multicultural counseling or multicultural/bilingual counseling, nursing education (family nursing focus), parenting education, quality management, and writing.

Facilities & Resources
The Regina Library and the Cho Education Resource Center are the resource libraries for students and faculty and staff members. Currently, the libraries hold more than 150,000 volumes, 400 journal titles, 80,000 microform units, and 29,000 audiovisual items to meet a diversified curriculum and the academic requirements of the Rivier College community. Electronic resources include online indexes and abstracts through EBSCO, Wilson Web, WESTLAW, document retrieval for more than 1,000 full-text journals, and other document delivery services. The Cho Education Resource Center provides specialized resources and services to students and faculty members in the education programs, including curriculum materials, children’s literature, parenting resources, and educational software.

In addition, through Rivier College’s participation in the New Hampshire College and University Council (NHCUC), students have access to twelve academic and research libraries with a collection of more than 3 million volumes.

The Academic Computer Center provides students with state-of-the-art hardware and software to facilitate research and learning. Graduate students have access to computers, including two networked classrooms. The Regina Library has an additional classroom with sixteen PCs and eight high-speed computers especially for bibliographic research. All computers are connected to the Rivier College network which provides direct access to the Internet and the World Wide Web.

Expenses and Aid
Tuition for the graduate programs is $469 per credit, except the tuition for the graduate nursing programs, which is $690 per credit.

Financial Aid:
Many students are working professionals with full-time jobs who often receive financial aid from their employer through a tuition reimbursement program. A limited number of graduate assistantships are awarded as they become available. Students may also apply for one or more of the federal student aid programs, details of which may be obtained from the Financial Aid Office..

Housing/Living Expenses:
A limited number of graduate housing units are provided on campus. The Office of Student Development provides listings and suggestions for students interested in off-campus housing. Meal plans are available to all students.

How to Apply/ Application
A system of rolling admissions is employed for graduate study. Students may begin graduate programs in the fall semester (August) or the spring semester (January). Requirements for admissions to the graduate programs are a bachelor’s degree (a master’s degree for the C.A.G.S. programs) from a regionally accredited institution, a satisfactory grade average, official transcripts of undergraduate and graduate course work, three letters of recommendation, a written personal statement, and a nonrefundable $25 application fee. Certain programs require the submissions of scores from specified standardized entrance examinations. Scores on the TOEFL are required of all applicants whose native language is not English.

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