Texas A&M University Central Station is one of the campuses in the Texas A&M School System and provides educational opportunities for students living in the central portion of the state. Better known as Texas A&M University Central Texas or TAMU-CT, the history of this campus dates back to the 1960s. It originally opened as the American Technological University and only offered four-year bachelor's degree programs. The school then became the University of Central Texas and saw its enrollment double over just a few short years. Tarleton State University later opened a campus in the same city that offered both undergrad and graduate programs, and this university absorbed the old campus. It eventually became part of the Texas A&M System, which is the largest public school system in the state.
TAMU-CT now offers 17 graduate degrees through its College of Education, College of Business Administration and College of Arts and Sciences. To better meet the needs of students living a further distance away from the campus, the university added a number of online programs to its course catalog. Most of those who attend this campus are nontraditional students. Around 40% of its students are active duty military personnel, retired personnel or the children/spouses of military service members, and the average age of those enrolled is 34.
Texas A&M University Central Station Accreditation Details
Since becoming a branch of the Texas A & M system, TAMU-CT obtained accreditation from the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges. This is a type of regional accreditation that allows the university to create degree programs and award degrees to those who successfully complete all the requirements of one of those programs. Regional accreditation also makes it easier for students to enter or enroll in a graduate program and to transfer credits earned at the university to another college.
TAMU-CT also has specialty accreditation from six organizations for its programs in business, social work, music, dance, counseling and industrial engineering. Specialty accreditation comes from:
- Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs
- Accreditation Board for Engineering & Technology, Inc. (ABET)
- National Association of Schools of Art and Design
- Council on Social Work Education Office of Social work Accreditation
- National Association of Schools of Dance
- Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB)
Texas A&M University Central Station Application Requirements
The university recommends that prospective students look over the course catalog to get an idea of the requirements for each of its graduate programs and whether the program they want to enroll in has any unique admissions requirements. All students applying for one of its grad programs must complete the online application, which is available on the Apply Texas website. This site lets them create accounts that they can access multiple times to complete each step in the process. When a student submits the final application, the site charges a $30 processing fee that students can pay with a check or money order.
Students must also submit an official transcript that shows all courses they took as an undergrad, a cumulative grade point average and whether the student earned a degree. While the university accepts unofficial transcripts as part of the application process, it requires an official transcript before the student can enroll that shows he or she finished a bachelor's degree. All students must also submit an official score from the General Records Examination (GRE) and an essay of no more than 300 words that details their educational and career goals. TAMU-CT offers both full admissions and conditional admissions. Those admitted on a conditional basis typically have a lower GPA and/or lower test scores.
Tuition and Financial Aid
In-state tuition rates apply to students who can show that they lived in Texas for at least one year before classes start. The university charges just over $1,700 a semester for full-time students who take at least nine credits of classes. This figure drops to less than $1,000 a semester for half-time students. The university also expects full-time students to pay around $650 for miscellaneous fees and around $900 a semester for textbooks and other supplies. The cost for non-residents is higher. Full-time students taking classes in another state pay around $5,200 a semester as a full-time student and $2,900 a semester as a half-time student. Fees and personal expenses remain the same.
TAMU-CT offers a variety of scholarships for new students and has its own online portal that students can use to access those scholarships. They can view the deadlines and requirements for each one and even fill out scholarship applications online. Graduate students must also file the FAFSA when they submit their applications or when they receive their acceptance letters. Students can use both grants and government loans to pay their tuition and other costs. The university offers exit counseling when students graduate or leave school that helps them better understand how much they owe and how they can pay off their loans.
Online Degrees Available
TAMU-CT offers a number of distance learning options for graduate students who want to take classes online. One of its top options is a program that lets students earn a Master of Education with a concentration in rural teacher leadership. Designed for those who already have a teaching license and some teaching experience, this program looks specifically at the challenges of those working in rural areas, including a lack of funding and a lack of qualified teachers. Students complete 36 credits of work over two years, and students can only enroll and start classes in the fall. It features courses like cultural foundations of education, public school law and educational program evaluation. Though the university asks students to do an internship, they have the option of completing one in Texas or in their home states.
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Another graduate program offered by the university is a Master of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Nurse Practitioner. Though the program is available online, all students must attend an orientation session in November before starting their classes. They take 48 hours of courses over the course of five semesters, but students can also enroll in a part-time program and take eight semesters of classes. Texas A&M University Central Station requires that nursing students take classes on advanced pharmacology, leadership and health policy, primary care of families, advanced health assessment and prevention and population health.