Public Health Degree Programs Available at Touro University California
Touro University California appears in our ranking of the 10 Cheapest MPH Degrees in California
Touro University California offers both a Master of Public Health (MPH) program and several joint and dual MPA degree programs. The MPH program features 15 units of public health courses, including Biostatistics, Health Policy and Management, Epidemiology, Environmental Health and Behavioral and Social Aspects of Health. Students will also need to pick from the university’s community action for health and global health concentrations. They usually spend four semesters taking classes and doing 400 hours of fieldwork.
One of the joint degree programs available awards graduates an MPH and a Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies (MSPAS). Designed for those who want to work as PAs in community health centers and similar facilities, it includes the same classes as the MPH program does. Though students need to meet the requirements of the PA program, twelve of their credits will transfer. They can also transfer some of their fieldwork and reduce the fieldwork the MPH program requires down to as little as 200 hours. Students can complete both programs in around three years.
Through the dual programs the university offers, students can earn an MPH along with a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine (DO) or a Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD). In the DO program, students study social justice and how it applies to the needs of those in the community. Students take 30 units of MPH classes and transfer 12 credits from the DO program. They have a choice between taking an MPH capstone course or taking a comprehensive exam. The university offers six-week classes that students can take in the summer but also allows them to take a fifth year of classes in the DO program to complete an MPH degree.
In the PharmD program, students learn how to promote healthy living choices and programs that prevent diseases. Graduates of the program work for academic and nonprofit employers and in pharmacies and hospitals. In addition to the standard two concentrations, there is a third concentration available in health equity and criminal justice. Students will still need to take a comprehensive exam or do a capstone, but they also have the option of doing fieldwork in facilities near the Touro University California campus. Students also have the choice of working overseas in countries such as Bolivia and Uganda.
About Touro University California
Touro University California is a private university that belongs to the Touro College and University System. It offers only graduate and doctoral programs and accepts students who studied on other Touro campuses and other schools. Founded in 1997, the university opened in San Francisco and welcomed just 67 students. To get more space, the university moved to Mare Island in the late 1990s, which is part of Vallejo. It also took over some of the buildings once used as part of a naval base on the island. The university uses the TUC abbreviation to separate its California campus from the nearby Touro University Nevada campus. TUC now offers several Master of Science and other graduate degree programs as well as doctoral and joint degree programs, including some that help students earn both their master’s and doctoral degrees from the same school. More than 1,400 students from 44 states attend TUC every year.
Touro University California Accreditation Details
The MPH program at TUC and all dual and joint programs have accreditation from the Council for Education in Public Health (CEPH). CEPH only grants accreditation to a few colleges in the United States. TUC also has regional accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), which is why students who need help paying for school can submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and get an aid package that includes TUC and federal programs. To make sure that it keeps its accreditation that comes up for renewal every decade, TUC established a review committee of professors and faculty members. They check the standards for accreditation and keep the university on track.
Touro University California Application Requirements
TUC holds recruitment events both on campus and off that helps the university identify the best students for some of its programs. Those planning to apply can attend one of these events and meet with professors and representatives from TUC. Those invited to apply only need to visit the TUC Apply Yourself website to apply because the university will have all the information that it needs. Students applying to any other MPH program must use the SOPHAS site and submit their information through that site. TUC requires that students have a grade point average of 2.5 or higher. They need to submit transcripts from their former schools to show that they have undergraduate degrees too. TUC asks for three letters of recommendation also.
Students applying to the DO/MPH program can apply through the university’s website. They need to supply official transcripts and three letters of recommendation. TUC only accepts students with a bachelor’s degree who have a GPA of 2.75 or higher. The MSPAS/MPH program requires that students apply to each program and then request enrolling in both. TUC will contact students if it needs any other documents or information.
Tuition and Financial Aid
In the MPH program, students pay $900 per credit hour or $5,400 each semester in tuition alone. They’ll also pay a technology fee of $35 per semester and close to $800 for health insurance unless they already have coverage. Students in the MSPAS/MPH program pay $34,280 to complete both programs, which does not include their fees and health insurance. In the DO/MPH program, students pay $46,720 each year in tuition. Students in the other dual degree program pay a similar amount. All students must purchase health insurance or show the university proof that they already have insurance.
Students who submit the FAFSA to TUC can qualify for federal direct loans that are unsubsidized. They also have the option of applying for a federal PLUS loan or using an alternative loan. The university will only accept one of those loan types each semester. Some graduate and doctoral students may qualify for work-study with the FAFSA too. They’ll need to check with the university to find which jobs are available through this program. Touro University California offers resources for students applying to the public health degree programs to help them find other funding options.