Caldwell University is the name given to a university that previously served as the Caldwell College for Women and later Caldwell College. Founded in 1939 as a college for women, it was one of the few schools on the East Coast that catered to women. Faculty members at the time wanted to help those women train for some of the more popular career fields at the time, including those in education and home economics. Its location, which is roughly 20 miles away from Manhattan, made it popular with young women living in New York, though many of its first students hailed from neighboring cities in New Jersey. The university opened some of its programs to male students before becoming fully coeducational. Its large campus today is home to university buildings as well as a high school for young women and a convent.
Though Caldwell is small and only has an enrollment of around 940 students, its students do have plenty of educational and recreational programs and activities available to them. The university sponsors seven athletic programs for men and nine athletic programs for women. There are also more than 30 clubs and organizations on the campus, including a group that raises funds for St. Jude's, a film club and several honors societies for those majoring in specific subjects. Though Caldwell University is still a liberal arts college, it has an affiliation with the Roman Catholic Church and encourages students to attend church services regularly.
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Caldwell University Accreditation Details
Caldwell University is regionally accreditation and has accreditation from professional organizations too. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) granted regional accreditation to the university after doing a background search and research on the institution. Caldwell must agree to renew its accreditation and pass a thorough examination every 10 years as well. The university has accreditation for its education, nursing, business and counseling programs too. Its school counseling and clinical mental health counseling programs both have accreditation from the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs, and the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accredited its program in nursing. Caldwell also has accreditation from the Teacher Education Accreditation Council and the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs.
Caldwell University Application Requirements
Though Caldwell University offers some graduate programs, those applying for a spot in one of its psychology or counseling programs must use the standard undergrad application. Some of these are combined programs that allow students to earn a bachelor's degree and a graduate degree in five years instead of six years or more, but those programs have the same admissions process as other programs do. Prospective students can use the application available on the university website, but many students prefer using the Common Application. After entering their information just once, they can use that same information to almost automatically apply to other colleges. Both applications carry a $50 application fee too.
Though Caldwell requires a writing sample, it gives students two ways to complete this step. They can write a 250 to 500 word essay on one of the topics listed in the application, or they can submit a paper of the same length that they wrote in one of their high school classes. The university asks for an official ACT or SAT score and an official high school transcript too. Prospective students will also need to submit two letters of recommendation that come from teachers, counselors, employers or other reputable sources.
Tuition and Financial Aid
Most students who attend Caldwell University enroll as full-time students and pay the same tuition. The university charges a flat tuition rate of $31,150 each year that allows students to take 12 to 18 credits during the two main semesters. Those who take more than 18 credits will pay a fee of $865 for any other credits. There are also technology and other fees that increase the total cost to $32,800 a year. The university estimates that students living in its residence halls will pay more than $44,000 a year for a meal plan, dorm room and other fees.
Nearly every student who attends Caldwell University qualifies for some type of financial aid. Caldwell recommends that students file the FAFSA after receiving an acceptance letter. Some students may receive a package that covers tuition and all of their other expenses, though some students will receive smaller packages. These packages can include federal or state grants, student loans, acceptance to the university's work-study program and scholarships.
Psychology and Counseling Programs
Caldwell University offers a standard bachelor's degree in psychology, a dual degree that awards students degrees in art and psychology and several combined programs that grant graduates a master's and a bachelor's degree. Its basic BA in Psychology program requires that students take 30 credits of psychology courses, 41 credits of electives and 49 credits of liberal arts classes for a total of 120 credits. The program offers classes in personality, psychopathology, psychology statistics and experimental psychology.
The university designed a double major program for those who want to work in art therapy. This program requires that students take 44 art credits and 30 psychology credits. Students must take some required courses too, including child psychology, introduction to art therapy, adolescent psychology and art therapy in practice.
Its combined programs allow students to earn a BA in psychology and an MA in occupational therapy or counseling. Those enrolling in the counseling program can select a track in school counseling, mental health counseling or mental health counseling with a specialization in art therapy. Students must take a minimum of 60 credits of undergrad courses before applying to one of these programs and maintain a grade point average of 3.3 or higher in all their classes. They will also need to take and pass art or psychology courses with a high letter grade. The university requires that prospective students fill out an application for one of the combined programs, submit a letter of recommendation from a faculty member and provide a paper in APA style.
Its occupational therapy program is a little different because this is a combined program with Columbia University. Students will need to apply to Columbia and meet all its admissions requirements. Those who apply and do not meet those requirements can still earn a BA in psychology degree from Caldwell University.
See also: 35 Best Master’s Degrees in Art Therapy, Ranked by Affordability