Touro University Worldwide

Touro University Worldwide, also called TUW, is a branch of a major college in New York. Bernard Lander founded Touro College in 1970 as a way to help the Jewish community. Lander wanted a school that would welcome Jewish students and let them study and earn higher degrees while still respecting their heritage. This college slowly grew and began forming partnerships with colleges in other cities and countries to give students the option of studying outside of New York. Though it initially offered more professional and graduate programs, Touro College later added a new programs for undergrads.

Now called the Touro College and University System, TUW is a branch of that system. This branch gives students the option of enrolling, taking classes and completing their degrees without ever leaving home. While there are more than 18,000 students enrolled in this system, a good number of those students take classes online. Some of those students also complete all their degree requirements online too. Some of the more popular programs now available from this system include a Master of Social Work, Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing.

Touro University Worldwide Accreditation Details

Since its early days, Touro College wanted to set itself apart from other colleges with religious affiliations, which is why it sought regional accreditation instead of religious accreditation. The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Senior College and University Commission (SCUC) granted the university its regional accreditation. This lets you apply for financial aid via the FAFSA before you enroll. As this is an online university though, you should check to see if the accreditation that it has is valid in your own state.

Touro University Worldwide Application Requirements

TUW once charged a $60 application fee, but it recently waived this requirement and now lets students apply without paying that fee. The university is unique because it does not have traditional semesters. It offers more intensive eight-week classes six times a year with short breaks in between those classes. The university recommends that you understand how those courses work before you enroll.

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Applying to TUW as an undergrad requires filling out the university's online application. You'll also need to submit an official transcript from high school that lists all the classes you took and your grades. The university will also accept proof that you have your GED in lieu of a transcript. TUW does not ask for an official test score or anything else from prospective students.

Though the university also waives the application fee for graduate students, these students must have a bachelor's degree before classes start. Though you can submit a general or unofficial transcript as part of the application process, the university will need an official transcript before the end of your first semester. This transcript must show that you took the necessary foundation courses for your program and that you actually completed your degree.

Tuition and Financial Aid

The unique schedule created by TUW lets you take just one class at a time, but you'll still earn as many credits during the school year as you would with any other university. Tuition for students enrolled in an associate's program is just $400 per credit, but this rate rises to $500 per credit for graduate students and $700 per credit for doctoral students. Bachelor's degree students pay $400 per credit, which equates to $1,200 for each eight-week class that you take.

As TUW has regional accreditation, you have the right to seek financial aid, which you can do with the FAFSA. Financial aid is available to American citizens and those who meet certain residency requirements. You must also not be in default on any student loans that you took out in the past. Many students use federal loans, which are available as subsidized and unsubsidized loans. You may want to look at taking out an alternative loan from a bank or private lender also. Other financial aid options include grants and scholarships. TUW can also accept GI Bill benefits from former and current military personnel.

Psychology and Counseling Degree Programs

Touro Worldwide University offers five undergrad psychology programs and three graduate programs. In addition to a general undergrad psychology program, you can pick an emphasis area in industrial and organizational psychology, elementary education, secondary education or special education. All of these programs will require that you take a total of 120 credits, which will include 45 credits of general education requirements, 24 credits of electives and 39 credits of core psychology classes. Those core courses ensure that you can handle some of the research and methods required in your later classes.

The industrial and organizational psychology emphasis area lets you learn more about the way people work and how to make the workplace more efficient. TUW offers a number of education emphasis areas in psychology for those who want to work as counselors in schools. Its elementary education prepares you for working with younger students, its secondary education option helps you gain the skills necessary for working with high school students and the special education area is suitable for those who want to work with disabled and handicap students. You must take at least nine credits from within your emphasis area.

In addition to a general Master of Arts in Psychology, TUW also lets you choose a concentration in media psychology or educational psychology. The media psychology is fairly unique and focuses on issues like how the media uses emotions to evoke responses in viewers and how people feel about the media in general. This program can help you work in marketing, communications and other fields. The educational psychology concentration is best for those who want to work in curriculum development or in school counseling. TUW requires that you take nine general psychology courses and three courses from your concentration area.

TUW also offers a graduate program in marriage and family therapy that you can take online. This can help you meet the licensing requirements in your state. The non-clinical track includes up to 54 credits, but the clinical track includes up to 60 credits and a minimum of 225 hours of clinical work. Touro Worldwide University has a Licensed Professional Clinical Counseling (LPCC) program available too that requires students do 280 clinical hours and 450 hours of practicum work.