What is the University of Southern Indiana (USI)?

Updated

The University of Southern Indiana (usi.edu) is a public university in southern Indiana that awards bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees. It presents itself as offering the resources of a large university within a small-college, teaching-centered atmosphere. The site is built for several audiences at once: prospective students, current students, employees, alumni and community members, and parents or family members.

Degree levels and who USI serves

USI's academic offerings span three credential levels, and the homepage organizes program search around them:

Level What it means for you
Bachelor's Undergraduate study, including transfer and first-time students
Master's Graduate study through the School of Graduate Studies
Doctoral Terminal degrees at the highest level USI awards

The site also separates prospective students into distinct paths rather than one generic application flow: Undergraduate, Graduate, Transfer, Adult Learning & Online, and International. If you are returning to school after time away, the Adult Learning & Online path and an "Adult Student Grant" are surfaced directly. If you are an international applicant, there is a dedicated International path plus an Intensive English Program.

What the site says about the student experience

Three themes appear in the homepage content:

  • Student life — framed around building friendships and exploring interests, with a "Screagle Experience" highlighted as the campus-life identity.
  • Living here — on-campus housing is pitched as a short walk to classes, the library, and friends, trading a commute for connection.
  • Academic support — subject-specific tutoring, academic coaching, and study strategies, with a tutoring schedule and Rice Library resources linked.

For a prospective student weighing cost and fit, the site routes to Tuition & Fees, Scholarships & Aid, and Career Readiness pages rather than quoting figures on the homepage. Treat those linked pages as the place to confirm current numbers.

Practical entry points by audience

The homepage's audience selector is the fastest way to reach the right content:

  • Thinking about USI → Explore Programs, Admission Process, Request Info, Visit, Apply
  • Current student → Academic Support, Tutoring Schedule, Book the Library, IT Support, USI Forms
  • Employee → Human Resources, Employment Opportunities, IT Support
  • Alumni / community → Alumni Resources, Request Transcripts, Make a Gift, News & Media

A search box ("Find your program — start typing to search for academic programs") lets you jump straight to a major without browsing the menu.

What to verify before applying

The homepage is an orientation layer, not a policy document. Before committing, confirm on the linked pages:

  1. Admission requirements for your specific path (first-year, transfer, graduate, adult/online, international) — each has its own process.
  2. Cost and aid — tuition and fees plus scholarship and grant eligibility, including the Adult Student Grant if it applies to you.
  3. Program availability — whether your intended major is offered at the level and format (on-campus vs. online) you need.
  4. Support services — tutoring and academic coaching schedules, and library access, if these matter to your success plan.

If you are early in the search, start with the program search box, then use Request Info or Visit to get direct answers from the university rather than relying on the homepage summary.