Texas Woman’s University

Texas Woman's University was initially chartered in 1901 by the Texas Legislature and became the Girls Industrial College. TWU accepted only qualified women until 1994 when a co-educational policy was enacted.

Around 90 percent of students are female, so TWU remains the nation's largest public, state-funded women's college. Sprawling across 270 suburban acres, Texas Woman's University is located in Denton just 40 miles northwest of Dallas. According to Forbes, TWU is America's 232nd best research university and South's 168th top school. The U.S. News recognizes TWU among the top 10 most diverse colleges nationwide. Washington Monthly also crowned Texas Woman's University the South's ninth best bang for the buck.

Texas Woman's University Accreditation Details

Since 1923, Texas Woman's University has been regionally accredited without sanctions by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC). This Level VI accreditation is recognized by the Council on Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). Relevant program-specific approvals include:

• American Psychological Association Commission on Accreditation (APA CoA)
• National Association of School Psychologists (NASP)
• Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)
• Commission on Accreditation for Marriage and Family Therapy Education (COAMFTE)

Texas Woman's University Application Requirements

Despite the 85 percent acceptance rate, Texas Woman's University has selective admission criteria. For the B.S. in Psychology, undergraduates must be graduating from an accredited high school or hold a GED certificate. Applicants must have at least 14 credits in the Distinguished Texas curriculum or out-of-state equivalent. Attaining a minimum 2.0 secondary GPA and ranking in the top 50 percent of their graduating class is required. Assured admission is extended to first-years with a minimum 1080 SAT score or 21 ACT score. Transfers with 12+ college credits must have attained another regionally accredited college in good standing. Incoming students should achieve a cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better.

Graduate students pursuing psychology or counseling study must have finished a bachelor's degree or higher at an accredited institution. Assured admission is granted to graduates with a minimum 3.0 GPA in the last 60 credits attempted. Each program mandates at least 18 hours of undergraduate prerequisites, such as introductory psychology, statistics, research methods, behavioral neuroscience, and abnormal psychology. Applicants with master's degrees are considered for Advanced Standing in the Ph.D. programs. Graduate admissions committees prefer minimum GRE scores of 300 (153 verbal and 147 quantitative) on the new scale. Foreign students must score at least 6.5 on the International English Language Test Service.

Interested psychology and counseling majors applying to Texas Woman's University should submit the ApplyTexas application with:

• Non-refundable $50 application fee
• Official transcripts from each school attended
• Original standardized testing reports
• Two to three letters of recommendation
• Resume or curriculum vitae of experience
• Typed 500-word career aspirations essay

Tuition and Financial Aid

According to College for All Texans, TWU has the DFW Metroplex's cheapest public tuition. Full-time undergraduates from the Lonestar State pay $6,180 each year. Out-of-state residents must add $13,740 to pay $20,688 for tuition. Mandatory fees are estimated to cost $2,610. TWU suggests budgeting $6,885 for room and board, $2,124 for personal expenses, and $1,050 for textbooks annually. Total annual cost of attendance is approximately $20,433 (in-state) or $34,173 (out-of-state). Graduate students from Texas are charged $374 per credit, whereas non-residents pay $832 per graduate credit.

The NCES reports that 92 percent of new, full-time TWU students earn assistance. Financial aid packages average $8,398 apiece. Numerous institutional awards are available, including the Terry Foundation Scholarship, Chancellor's Endowed Scholarship, Presidential Scholarship, and Dream Come True Scholarship. Out-of-state students awarded $1,000 or more could qualify for Texas rates. Federal financial aid programs, including the Pell Grant and FSEOG Grant, are accepted. In-state residents may earn the TEXAS Grant, Texas Public Education Grant, or Graduate Board Authorized Tuition Grant. Students could receive up to $6,090 per year through Federal Work-Study (FWS) jobs. Federal Stafford, PLUS, Perkins, and Texas B-On-Time loans may be borrowed.

Psychology and Counseling Degrees

Within the College of Arts & Sciences, Texas Woman's University offers six accredited degree options for psychology and counseling from the bachelor's to doctoral level. With a student-faculty ratio of 14:1, nearly half of courses have fewer than 20 classmates. Emphasis is placed on scientifically informed practice with experiential learning in TWU's Counseling and Family Therapy Clinic. Aspiring human services professionals could pursue:

B.S. in Psychology

Requiring 122 credits, the B.S. in Psychology program prepares TWU undergraduates with broad-based training in the foundations of human behavior. After the liberal arts core, students can follow the General Track, Graduate School Preparation Track, Pre-Occupational Therapy Track, or Pre-Physical Therapy Track. Majors complete at least 60 volunteer hours of field experience in psychologically-oriented agencies.

M.A. in Counseling Psychology

Applying a practitioner-scientist model, the M.A. in Counseling Psychology at Texas Woman's University equips graduates for mental health practice as licensed Psychological Associates (PAs). Grounded in a feminist, multicultural philosophy, the 60-credit program includes four semesters of supervised practicum. Students can complete a master's thesis or take advanced electives like psychotherapy and trauma intervention.

M.S. in Counseling and Development

Available online or face-to-face in Denton, the M.S. in Counseling and Development program has CACREP accreditation to produce licensed professional counselors in conference-style seminars. Within the 61-credit program, students select focal areas in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, K-12 School Counseling, or Music Therapy. Three semesters of clinical experiences are required across the DFW Metroplex.

M.S. in Family Therapy

Following COAMFTE guidelines, the M.S. in Family Therapy program at TWU offers online and on-campus courses for graduates seeking active roles enhancing people's quality of life from a relational context. The 57-credit program strives to empower LMFTs who can effectively practice in multicultural settings. Coursework spans from family sexuality to mental illness and substance abuse with three internship semesters.

Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology

TWU's Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology program is APA-accredited to produce self-aware, diversity-sensitive psychologists for mental health practice. Supporting around 40 students across cohorts, the six-year program includes supervised fieldwork before a year-long, pre-doctoral internship. Doctoral candidates also complete dissertation research studying topics from psychopathology to human sexuality and personality assessment.

Ph.D. in School Psychology

Embracing a biopsychosocial perspective, the Ph.D. in School Psychology program is NASP-approved to train scientist-practitioners for designing interventions that improve well-being for children in K-12 school systems. Containing 124 total credits, the doctorate includes four years of advanced courses, college teaching practicum, school-based experiences, and dissertation research before a pre-doctoral internship. Texas Woman's University also offers a Specialist in School Psychology (SPS) program.

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