Nicholls State University, founded in 1948, is a public university located in Thibodaux, Louisiana, USA. Nicholls is part of the University of Louisiana System of universities. Originally called Francis T. Nicholls Junior College, the university is named for Francis T. Nicholls, a former governor of Louisiana, and member of the Louisiana Supreme Court.
The 287-acre (1.16 km2) campus, once part of historic Acadia Plantation, fronts on Bayou Lafourche, about 50 miles (80 km) southwest of New Orleans and 60 miles (97 km) southeast of Baton Rouge. Nicholls is located in the Acadiana region, also known as "Cajun Country." It is also within the geographical bounds of the Mississippi River Delta, and close to the Mississippi River, its distributaries, Louisiana's wetlands, and the Gulf of Mexico. The school is sometimes referred to as "Our Harvard on the Bayou;" with the university bookstore selling shirts sporting this light-hearted nickname. The Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) at Nicholls, is an initiative focusing on critical thinking.
The University of Louisiana System has identified the following areas as Unique Areas of Excellence at Nicholls State University. These are areas of study that, because of either their unique classes or their leadership in Louisiana education, have been selected for this special honor. John Folse Culinary Institute, Biological Sciences - Marine and environmental sciences emphasis, Nursing, Allied Health Sciences, Teacher Education, Accounting and Information Systems, and Child, Family and Social Services. Other notable degree programs include: Bachelor of Arts in Art, English, Mass Communication, and Music; Bachelor of Science in Geomatics; and Master degrees in Biology, Education, and Business Administration in addition to an Executive MBA program.
Nicholls is one of the first institutions in the United States to offer bachelor degrees in Culinary Arts. Students gain expertise in both Cajun and French cuisine. The Chef John Folse Culinary Institute is the only American member of the prestigious Institut Paul Bocuse. Students also have the opportunity to earn a bachelor's degree in Culinary Arts and then work towards earning the MBA.
Nicholls' faculty have been recognized nationally and internationally by the Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, the National Endowment for the Humanities, Phi Kappa Lambda, the Renaissance Society of America, and other organizations and associations. In the past three years, several faculty members have been awarded grants from the Louisiana Board of Regents. The university has the only certified geneticist in the South. It also has the highest rate of librarians with PhDs in both public and private universities and colleges in the state. Nicholls is also the home of the Louisiana Center for Women and Government as well as the Dyslexia Center of Louisiana.
Princeton Review statistics from 2010 list the student-to-faculty ratio at Nicholls as 20:1. Admission has become selective. The average GPA upon entry is 3.2 with an ACT score of 21. The average GPA of Honors students is 3.6 with an ACT score of 26. Almost 62 percent of the student body are women; and nearly 3 percent are international students. As with nearly all academic institutions in Louisiana, Hurricane Katrina has had an impact on Nicholls' completion rate and overall ranking. During the aftermath of Katrina, Nicholls suspended its admissions selectivity in order to accommodate students from hurricane affected institutions. The university also had many matriculating students who were affected by the hurricane and did not return.
In April 2014, Dr. Bruce Murphy was inaugurated as Nicholls State University's fifth president. Nicholls has been offering online classes since 2000 and have had distance education courses of other types prior to that including Course by Cassette, Satellite courses, and Video Conferencing. Nicholls State offers over 100 online courses through its Division of Distance Learning. Students registered with the University can access these courses from anywhere in the world. In January 2013, Nicholls State began to offer complete degrees online through a new initiative known as Nicholls Online. Located in the Division of Distance Education, Nicholls Online provides complete degrees online in a variety of disciplines. Nicholls Online is different from regular online courses at Nicholls in that the courses are offered through 8-week sessions and have a unique fee structure.
The College of Education is the "educational provider" for two academic departments: Teacher Education and Psychology and Counselor Education. Several undergraduate and graduate programs are offered in each department. Most of our programs are nationally recognized through the National Council on the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE), National Association of School Psychologists (NASP), and the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (AAFCS).
The Nicholls State University Specialist in School Psychology program prepares future school psychologists to serve as consultants to the entire school community. The graduate program, which is recognized by the National Association of School Psychologists, trains students to provide a variety of psychological services within educational settings. Students get hands-on experience during supervised field experiences in public schools and at the Psychology Training Clinic on campus.
The Nicholls State University Master of Arts in Psychological Counseling program prepares students to become licensed professional counselors in Louisiana and other jurisdictions. The curriculum also focuses on administering and interpreting psychological tests as well as using research techniques to solve practical counseling problems. Nicholls State University's Mass Communication Department is one of five mass communication programs in Louisiana accredited by the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (ACEJMC). The department offers 2 concentrations: journalism and public relations. Nicholls mass communication students and faculty employ two computer labs and a broadcast studio for learning and instruction in communication principles. Students within the department are also encouraged to apply for jobs with the KNSU radio station and Student Publications, helping to produce the yearbook or publishing the weekly newspaper, the Nicholls Worth.
