Unity College Review

Unity College Visit Site

Unity College at a Glance

Overview

Unity College is an independent institution that’s been around for almost 60 years. During that time, it has specialized in sustainability science and environmental studies. In the next year (2024), the college will be changing its name to Unity Environmental University to reflect its dedication to the mission of advancing sustainable leadership. 

It offers in-person, hybrid, and fully online learning in a range of subjects linked to understanding and working with the environment. You can take courses at Bachelor of Science and master’s levels, with 21 environmental science subjects available for distance learning.

What is Unity College?

Environmental science is an increasingly important and useful subject in today’s world. If you’re keen to switch careers or boost your chances of promotion within the field, Unity College gives you loads of options for furthering your knowledge and skills. 

With Unity College’s distance learning option, you can study from anywhere. This makes it a great choice for people all around the United States who want to further their interest in the environment without needing to relocate. And, as you can study at your own pace, it’s highly suitable for people already in work or with family commitments. 

There are 21 different degree courses on offer at Bachelor of Science and master’s levels. These include:

• BS in Animal Health and Behavior

• BS in Environmental Studies

• BS in Wildlife Conservation

• Master’s in Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience

• Master’s in Marine Science

• Master’s in Environmental Studies and Sustainability

Is Unity College Safe and Reliable?

Unity College has accreditation from the New England Commission of Higher Education. Accreditation shows that the course meets the set criteria for high-quality education. The college doesn’t currently have national accreditation or industry-specific accreditation from the environmental sector, an advantage held by some of its competitors in the online study sector.

How Unity College Works

Unity College offers courses in person, totally online, or as hybrid learning. Distance learning courses run for just five to eight weeks (depending on course level), with start dates throughout the year. I particularly like that each term focuses on just one class. This means you can really dig into each subject, and it’s more manageable than juggling multiple classes on top of your job. 

Unity’s courses are built around experiential learning. This means there is a fieldwork element that helps you apply your learning to the real world. For example, in the Animal Health and Behavior degree, you need to complete an animal ethogram (real-life animal observation), an animal training handbook, and a virtual training critique. 

How to get started with Unity College

To get started, you need to submit an online form to the college, giving some basic information about yourself. This includes your name, address, date of birth, and educational background. I found the form very easy to fill in, and it just took a couple of minutes. 

Once you submit the form, the Unity College team will get in touch within a few hours to follow up and walk you through making the full application for your course. You can also apply for financial aid and credit transfer if you’ve studied elsewhere. 

For a bachelor’s degree, there are no other requirements for application apart from filling in the paperwork. For a master’s, you’ll need to submit proof of your undergraduate qualification, your resume, and a personal essay to explain why you want to take the course and why you’re well-suited to it. 

GPA requirement is 2.75 cumulative or higher, or a minimum Grade B/3.0 score across at least six master’s credits at another organization. 

Terms and fees

One particularly attractive aspect of Unity College is the transparent pricing. The cost per credit is $470 for undergraduate courses and $650 for postgraduate. The total cost for undergraduate courses (including all credits, the $100 graduation fee, and $100 on course books) is $15,000 per year, while graduate courses cost $10,850 per year. 

You can access a discount of 10% if you’re connected to the military (on active service, or as a veteran or family member). You also receive a discount if you’ve attended one of Unity’s partner colleges— Community College of Vermont or SUNY Clinton Community College. 

If you’re eligible for financial aid, you can apply for a federal loan using FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). If you need help with sorting out payment for your course, a support agent known as a Distance Learning Concierge can discuss this with you on the phone before you apply.

Unity College Student Resources

You can get plenty of support from Unity College on every step of your student journey, starting with your application—the team will connect with you to help with your submission. You can contact Unity College by email or phone, but there’s currently no live chat support on the website. When I reached out by email, the college got back in touch within a few hours to confirm what kind of support I needed.

Unity College offers a good amount of help to distance-learning students. The college has an online portal with all the resources you’ll need to pursue your studies, and there’s also support from the library team. You can get 24/7 phone support with the e-learning platform Canvas (which Unity College uses to deliver its courses) and additional IT support by phone if needed.

Another fantastic feature is free unlimited access to online therapy and counseling. Unity College also has a dedicated careers service offering personalized careers counseling, virtual workshops, and internship and job listings.

Unity College Alternatives

How Unity College compares with other online universities

Unity College vs Post University

Post University offers a wider range of subjects than Unity College, which is more specialized in the field of environmental studies. Like Unity College, Post University emphasizes transparent pricing, although its price per credit depends on your subject and could be more expensive than Unity College. 

Unity College vs Purdue Global

Purdue Global has a huge range of courses available, as it doesn’t have a particular specialism, unlike Unity College. Something that you might prefer at Purdue Global is the accelerated track for people who want to complete their degree more quickly. However, with fees of up to $700 per credit, Purdue Global can be markedly more expensive.

Unity College vs SNHU

SNHU similarly offers a much wider range of courses across many more subjects than Unity College. As a private, nonprofit university, it’s quite a bit cheaper than Unity College.

Unity College Visit Site

Bottom Line

Unity College is definitely worth considering if you have a passion for the environment. As a specialist institution, you’re going to be studying with experts in the field, and its courses are designed with sustainable leadership in mind. They are focused on building your career skills, with the virtual experiential learning being a particularly exciting part of the Unity College experience. 

Unity College also offers a decent amount of student support, with unlimited counseling available, as well as IT and library support services. The transparent pricing is especially nice to see, so you can easily assess whether Unity College is within your budget. 

Although Unity College currently only has local accreditation, it’s known as a prestigious institution for environmental studies, reflected in its forthcoming name change to Unity Environmental University. With over 20 different environmental degree subjects available for distance learning, you’re sure to find something relevant to your work or passion. 

FAQs

Is Unity College a real college? 

Yes, Unity College is a real college, founded in 1965 and offering a mix of in-person and online learning opportunities. It specializes in environmental studies and subjects related to sustainability and the natural world. Unity College accepts distance-learning students who want to improve their career prospects, skills, and knowledge within the environmental sector. 

What is Unity College known for? 

Unity College is particularly known for its specialism in environmental studies, using a unique framework of sustainability science to design its curriculum. This combines the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities to explore the complex relationship between people and the environment. It’s also known for integrating experiential learning into its courses to really boost your career prospects. 

What is the new name for Unity College? 

Unity College is changing its name to Unity Environmental University. This captures its dedication to its environmental mission and its vision to become a thought leader in this very important field.