- Am I a matriculated student?
Yes, if you have been accepted and enrolled in a degree program. The semester in which you matriculate is important because it determines which college catalog and set of degree requirements you are to follow.
- What is the minimum number of credits that I must complete at Touro College Los Angeles in order to earn a Touro College degree?
A minimum of 120 credits is required for all baccalaureate programs. Students must complete at least 45 credits at Touro to meet residency requirements for the bachelor's degree. Also, at least one-half of course requirements for the major must be completed at Touro. NOTE: Completing 120 credits does not automatically qualify you for graduation. You must have also completed all core and major requirements for your program.
- What if I am undecided about my major or concentration?
It is OK for an undergraduate student to be undecided about his/her major during the first two years of college. Most freshmen are undecided about their major and many change their major several times before making a final decision.
Touro provides assistance to students in choosing a major. Department chairs are just some of the people who are available to help you with selecting a major.
- When do I have to declare a major for the baccalaureate degree?
All baccalaureate students should declare a major by the end of their sophomore year (completion of 60 credits). Changing your major during the first semester of the junior year is possible, but, the more courses you have completed in a given major, the more difficult it becomes to switch majors without having to complete more than 120 credits.
- Some of the course work from my transfer institution is not included on my Touro transfer credit evaluation. What should I do?
First, you should check with the Registrar's Office to make sure a complete transcript has been sent from your transfer institution. Once this has been received by Touro, along with any necessary course descriptions and/or syllabi, your transfer credits are evaluated by the Registrar's Office. Note that transcripts from previously-attended institutions must be received within six months of beginning study at Touro.
- I have not been in college for many years. Can the credits I earned previously still be used toward a degree?
Not automatically. At Touro, there is a ten year limit for undergraduate transfer credit in Computer Science, Natural Sciences, Business, and Accounting. In other fields, the credits can be applied to your Touro degree, either as specific courses awarded or “blanket” credit, generalized credit in a specific field of study. Please keep in mind that the award of transfer credit may be subject to final approval by individual departments.
For a more detailed explanation of Touro’s transfer credit policies, please consult our Bulletin.
- How many hours a week do I need to study?
You should plan to spend two hours outside of class studying for every hour you spend in class. If you are enrolled for 15 credits, you should plan for 30 hours of study time every week. This adds up to 45 hours that you will need to commit to class and to studying every week, which is a full-time commitment.
- What is the maximum number of hours a full-time student should work per week?
The definition of a full-time student is one who is enrolled for 12 credits (or its equivalent) or more for either the Fall or Spring semester. As indicated above, participation in class together with study outside class is equivalent to a full-time job. Therefore, a full-time student should work only part-time and usually not more than 20 hours per week.
- What do grades other than "A" through "F" mean?
P: Passing
TC- to TF: A temporary grade assigned by an instructor to a student who has not completed required work for a course. If the work is not completed by the deadline (usually about 6 weeks into the following semester), the "T" drops and the grade becomes final.
W: Withdrew officially
WU: Unauthorized withdrawal - student stopped attending on or before the end of the eighth week of classes. Computed as a failure.
WNA: Student never attended a class.
(Please see the Bulletin for definition of grades "A" through "F" and further information on the grading system.)
- What are the consequences of "F" grades?
Courses in which grades of "F" have been received must be repeated if they are required for graduation. Further, if the failed course is a prerequisite for another course, the next course may not be taken until the prerequisite course has been passed. For example, EBA 102 may not be taken until EBA 101 has been passed; LLE 102 requires successful completion of LLE 101 or exemption through a placement exam; and students not exempted from MAT 111 must complete it before taking MAT 120.
- When is a student placed on academic probation?
A student whose cumulative GPA falls below 2.00 is automatically placed on probation. Students on probation are given one semester to raise their GPA to 2.50, or two semesters to raise their GPA to 2.0. Students who have not improved their grades sufficiently while on probation may be dismissed from the College.
- What are the requirements for the Dean's List?
Full-time students who achieve a high standard of scholarship in a semester are named to the Dean's List at the end of each Fall and Spring semester. To be placed on The Dean’s List, students must have completed at least twelve credits (excluding grades of "P") in a given semester and attained a GPA of 3.4 or better.
- How do I file for graduation?
Approximately nine months to one year before you plan to graduate (prior to April 15th of the preceding year for January graduates and prior to November 15th of the preceding year for June and September graduates), you must file a graduation application with the Registrar's Office. At that time, you must also pay a graduation fee to the Bursar. The Registrar then audits your record for graduation and specifies the courses you have remaining to complete your degree requirements. NOTE: Students are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the core and major requirements of their degree program.
- What is the minimum GPA required for graduation?
A GPA of 2.00 is required for graduation. A 2.30 average in the major is also required for graduation.
- What are the requirements for graduating with honors?
Students who have completed at least 60 credits of their bachelor's degree program at Touro with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.40 are eligible for Latin honors, awarded as follows:
Summa Cum Laude: 3.80 - 4.00
Magna Cum Laude: 3.60 - 3.79
Cum Laude: 3.40 - 3.59
- What are prerequisites and why do I need to take them?
Prerequisites are specific courses that must be satisfied before you can enroll in a more advanced course. The prerequisites for each course are listed in the catalog. Prerequisite courses teach specific materials that are essential for success in higher level courses. Students lacking the proper prerequisites are not prepared for more advanced courses and will, consequently, encounter academic difficulty. English/Speech, mathematics, economics and introductory business courses should be taken during the first 64 credits in order to satisfy prerequisites for upper-level business courses. For example, in order to take EBF 437 (International Trading of Commodities), an upper level course, EBF 210 and EBF 101 must be completed first.
Student registrations are checked prior to the beginning of each semester for compliance with prerequisite requirements. Students will not be allowed to register for courses without the proper prerequisites.
- What should I do if I am unable to take a mid-term or final exam?
If you are unable to take a mid-term or final exam at the scheduled time, you should contact your instructor before missing the exam. Authorization for a deferred or make-up exam is given at the discretion of the instructor.
- Who should I contact if I must be absent from classes for several weeks during a semester?
If you expect to be absent from classes for several weeks during a semester due to a serious illness or other unforeseen circumstance, you should contact your instructors and the Registrar. Upon your return, it will be determined if you can make up the missed work or if you should withdraw from some or all of your courses.
- If I need a semester off what should I do?
If you need to take one or more semesters off, you must file a Leave of Absence form with the Registrar. If you do not, you may have to apply for readmission to the College. Scheduling a meeting with the dean prior to taking a leave of absence is strongly recommended.
- Can I take more than the 18 credits maximum allowed for full-time students?
A student whose GPA is above a 3.0 may be allowed to take additional credits by receiving permission from the dean. You should take into consideration such factors as your work schedule and the level of difficulty of the courses you plan to take. If the request is approved, credits over the 18-credit maximum are paid for on a per-credit basis.
- How long do I have to complete my degree?
To be eligible for financial aid, students need to complete their program within a maximum time frame of 150% of the length of the program in which they matriculate, measured in terms of credit hours and credit hours attempted. (Credit hours attempted do not include remedial non-credit courses.) For example, students matriculated in a 120 credit baccalaureate program should complete their program (and all requirements for the degree) before they have exceeded 180 credits attempted.