(Approved by USM, pending Maryland Higher Education Commission final approval)
Towson University fosters intellectual inquiry and critical thinking, preparing graduates who will serve as effective leaders for the public good. Through a foundation in the liberal arts and a commitment to academic excellence, interdisciplinary study, research and public service, Towson University prepares students for careers in high demand today and in the future. TU is recognized as a leader in community engagement, including entrepreneurial efforts that provide collaborative opportunities between the campus and the larger Maryland community. Our graduates leave with the vision, creativity and adaptability to craft solutions that enrich the culture, society, economy and environment of the state, the region and beyond.
Towson University, founded in 1866 as the Maryland State Normal School, offers nationally recognized undergraduate and graduate programs in the liberal arts, sciences, arts and professional fields. Our faculty produce innovative research and educate a diverse student population from the Maryland region and beyond. As a research-oriented comprehensive university, TU provides students with extraordinary opportunities to work alongside faculty in addressing significant issues while also generating new knowledge to solve real-world, societal problems.
The university's longstanding commitment to creating a multicultural campus that embraces Maryland’s emphasis on access, equity and student success is advanced by policies and practices that promote the recruitment and retention of diverse students, staff and faculty. Curricular and extracurricular programming supports the university's commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Towson University prides itself on its important role in community engagement in the metropolitan Baltimore area and in the state as a whole. As a Carnegie Community Engaged Campus and anchor institution, TU is committed to working alongside community partners to offer cultural programming, entrepreneurial outreach and civic engagement opportunities that benefit the university and the community. Through the StarTUp at the Armory in downtown Towson, TU is creating new opportunities to connect campus with the greater Baltimore business community to address entrepreneurship and workforce development. The StarTUp serves as TU’s front door for startups, small businesses and our region’s largest corporations.
As a large and complex learning community, the university offers rigorous academic programs with extensive learning and research opportunities. The undergraduate curriculum promotes the intellectual skills essential for:
These skills are grounded in the university's long-standing commitment to a strong liberal education core that emphasizes an understanding of how the arts and sciences gather, evaluate and apply information to reach valid conclusions. The Core Curriculum, combined with focused study in a chosen discipline and a commitment to students' co-curricular experiences and success, develops intellectual and social abilities that will guide students as contributing members of the workforce and a democratic society.
Our graduate programs provide specialized education and research opportunities designed not only to further individual students’ knowledge but to create new knowledge that benefits the greater community. With a broad portfolio of master’s programs and a selective group of doctoral programs, graduate studies at TU build on the strengths of the university and are in areas that are fundamental to the development and vigor of the institution and the state. Through critical research that informs business, health care, STEM and educational practices, TU’s graduate students and faculty advance the knowledge base that will drive the workforce, economy and health care of the future. The goal of these programs, in addition to developing sophisticated, research-minded individuals, is to prepare ethically and globally minded individuals to lead the state and country.
The six colleges that define the fields of study at Towson University include:
Towson University has achieved national prominence as a premier university by offering a wide range of excellent graduate and undergraduate degree programs with an emphasis on innovation, diversity and inclusivity, student access and success, academic rigor and research opportunities. TU has increased its regional and national reputation through its focus on student learning; innovative programs and pedagogies; faculty creativity and scholarship; applied and sponsored research; community service; and outreach to business, educational, nonprofit and health care organizations.
Our intercollegiate athletics program is an integral part of building campus community and pride. Athletics also provides leadership development and other co-curricular opportunities for student-athletes and the student body as a whole. We are especially proud of our Total Tiger program, where student-athletes give back to the community with more than 10,000 hours of community service annually.
The university capitalizes on its location by providing varied and distinctive opportunities for students, staff and faculty learning, leadership development, teaching and research. It recognizes its obligation to serve at the local, regional, state and national levels through its academic programs, research and professional services. Towson University is an integral partner to the state's community college system. The university serves a robust transfer student population, focusing on program offerings, integration and success in completing their baccalaureate degree and beyond. As part of its pursuit to meet societal needs in a comprehensive manner, Towson University will maintain a wide range of baccalaureate programs while developing graduate education and expanding its focus on research.
As TU has grown, we strive to maintain our commitment to student-centered experiences that include frequent engagement with faculty through diverse course formats and settings. This value is reflected in the master plan that calls for substantial modification to and growth of the academic precinct over the next 10 years. The plan includes new academic and academic support spaces that emphasize the values of original research, interactive learning, informal teaching and learning, communication and individual student attention.
Towson University’s recent strategic plan, Leadership for the Public Good, outlines the university’s high-level goals for the next decade.