trident university accreditation status

Degree Programs Offered at Trident University International

Trident University International appears in our ranking of the Top 50 Most Affordable M.Ed. Online Programs.

Trident University International offers dozens of degree programs, most of which are entirely online. The Associate of Science (AS) in Professional Studies program helps students get the education that their employers need as they climb the corporate ladder. An AS in Homeland Security is a different program designed for those who want to work for the federal government. It includes 16 credits of electives and 44 credits of required courses, though students can transfer up to 16 credits to the university. Students must take psychology, behavior, criminal justice, and management classes.

Eight Bachelor of Science (BS) programs are available online from Trident University International too. Students can choose majors in health science, business or technology. A Bachelor of Science in Computer Science (BSCS) is available as a standard program or with a concentration in cybersecurity. The cybersecurity concentration looks at the methods that professionals use to track illegal sales and other activities online. Information technology management is a separate program that includes some of the same classes. Trident University International can also choose from BS programs in business administration, leadership, human resource management, health administration, homeland security and health sciences.

The nine graduate programs available from Trident University International are 100 percent online. Students can enroll in Master of Science (MS) programs in health sciences, health administration, leadership, information technology management, homeland security or human resource management. Also available are degree programs in business administration and education. The university’s doctorate programs may require some residency work from students. They will spend several days or weeks doing work in the field for course credit. Those programs include majors in business administration, educational leadership and health sciences. The Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) program features concentrations such as accounting, leadership, marketing and management, and organizations.

About Trident University International

Trident University International is a private university better known as Trident. Established in 1998, it was originally a branch of the Touro College and University System in California. Summit Partners purchased the campus and made it a standalone college. Trident has a strong reputation as a university for military students. More than half of the university’s student body are military students, veterans or their dependents. The university is popular with those students because it offers online programs that let students complete their studies from home. They can enroll while on active duty status and continue working on their degrees as their orders change. More than 2,000 of its students use the GI Bill, and more than 7,000 students use other forms of assistance available from the Department of Defense. Trident now offers 22 full degree programs and six certificate programs online for more than 6,000 students.

Trident University International Accreditation Details

Though Trident focuses on distance education programs, it has full accreditation from the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The Senior College and University Commission (SCUC) of that organization awarded the university accreditation. It also has the approval to operate in California from the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (CBPPE). Though the university has the approval to operate in several states, it cannot admit students from Oregon or Minnesota. There are also some restrictions on students who live in Massachusetts, Georgia and New York. Students from those states should contact the university for more information before they apply.

Trident University International Application Requirements

The admissions requirements for incoming students are available online. Students can also view a checklist to make sure that they meet the minimum requirements for enrollment. Trident asks that undergrads who will transfer less than 24 credits have a high school diploma or equivalent and a grade point average of 2.0 or higher. Those who will bring more than 24 credits with them need a GPA of 2.0 or higher in all the credits they want to transfer and a high school diploma. They will need to submit official high school and/or college transcripts and the Trident application too.

Both graduate and doctoral students can view the admissions requirements online. They need a bachelor’s degree from a college or university that has regional or national accreditation and a GPA of 2.5 or higher. Students must submit transcripts that show a GPA but can submit transcripts from school they transfer from or those where they earned degrees. In addition to the application, prospective grad students need to show that they are proficient in English and submit their transcripts.

Tuition and Financial Aid

At Trident, students do not pay a dime for books or supplies. All the textbooks and basic supplies that they need are available online for free, including the software required in certain classes. They pay $25 to $69 for classes with a lab and $10 to get a student ID, which is an optional fee. Most undergrads pay $405 per credit hour unless they work for a partner organization or company, which will bring their costs down to $330 per credit hour. While veterans pay $320 per credit hour, active duty students pay only $250 per credit hour. The same rates are available for the spouses and children of military personnel and veterans as well as those who work for the state or federal government.

Traditional graduate students pay $540 per credit hour, which comes to $2,160 for each class they take or $9,720 per year. Students who are veterans or work for the government pay $405 per credit hour. The dependents of those same students also qualify for this discount. Those who are in the military and their dependents pay $325 per credit hour. Trident charges students who work for the Department of Defense as civilians at the same rate.

As Trident has regional accreditation, students can get government aid. They will need to use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and create accounts with the university’s website. This helps them get subsidized loans during their undergraduate years and unsubsidized loans during their graduate and doctoral years as well as PLUS loans and Pell grants. Though the university accepts scholarships, it does not offer any of its own. It recommends that students view the list on the Department of Education website. Students in the online and residential degree programs available at Trident University International can also apply for one of the university’s payment plans.