Texas A&M University System leaders are planning the degree programs that will be offered at its new Fort Worth campus this fall and in the years to come.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Students will be able to take classes that lead toward associate, bachelor\u2019s and master\u2019s degrees in growing fields that offer pathways to lucrative careers, officials said.<\/p>\n
A needs assessment done by the local business community helped decide what programs to offer, said Kim McCuistion, the associate vice chancellor who oversees the Fort Worth campus.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat really helped guide the determination of, programmatically, what would be offered here because they’re going to pair well with some of the business and industry needs that are already present here in the city, the county and really the North Texas region as a whole,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Bobby Ahdieh, chief operating officer of Texas A&M Fort Worth and dean of the system\u2019s law school, emphasized that more programs are expected to be added as the campus grows.<\/p>\n
\u201cA&M is continuing to meet people, engage people, ask people \u2014 tell us, what are the degree programs, what are the certificate programs that would be valuable and impactful?\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He envisions that students will see value in spending time studying in Fort Worth due to the opportunities to connect with industry, even if they transfer to another campus to finish their degree, if they attend for just a semester or if they are students from other university systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Texas A&M set down roots in Fort Worth in 2013 when the system purchased Texas Wesleyan University\u2019s law school. The Texas A&M School of Law has been located on Commerce Street since then but will relocate to the new Law and Education building once construction is completed.<\/p>\n
It will join Texas A&M University, Tarleton State University, various state agencies administered by the system and industry partners all under one roof.<\/p>\n
Here is the academic outlook of the Fort Worth campus as of now:<\/p>\n
Engineering<\/p>\n
The university will offer broad-based engineering programs, which are those that offer a wide foundation of knowledge to students so they can pursue career opportunities in a range of fields, Ahdieh said.<\/p>\n
The campus will offer its first undergraduate degree in the fall, with plans to add two more and a master\u2019s degree in future semesters.<\/p>\n
Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts\u00a0<\/p>\n
The College of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts will offer a bachelor\u2019s for visualization this fall with plans to add a master\u2019s later, possibly as early as spring 2027, officials said.<\/p>\n
The visualization program incorporates graphic design, technology, problem solving, collaborating and communication, among other skills, according to Texas A&M\u2019s website<\/a>. This prepares students for careers in fields including graphic design, animation and web design.<\/p>\n A&M\u2019s visualization program already has a presence in Fort Worth that serves as a model for future collaboration with industry, Ahdieh said. Students work with gaming company ProbablyMonsters, which Texas A&M Fort Worth played a part<\/a> in bringing to Cowtown.<\/p>\n \u201cIt’s a three story building \u2014 the first and third stories are ProbablyMonsters, and the second story is the visualization program, and the students would go back and forth between ProbablyMonsters and the A&M space, because that’s what they’re doing there,\u201d Ahdieh said. \u201cThat’s exhibit A.\u201d<\/p>\n During the 2027-28 school year, the campus will offer bachelor\u2019s degrees in dance sciences and in theater along with a master\u2019s in dance.<\/p>\n Business<\/p>\n Beginning in the fall, the campus will offer executive education programs or short-term classes that cover a specific business topic.<\/p>\n Eventually, the campus will offer master\u2019s degrees in business administration, Ahdieh said. One possibility is an MBA program catered to working professionals, he added.<\/p>\n An MBA program typically takes two years, and even the accelerated versions \u2014 as short as a year \u2014 offered by some universities can be impractical for time-strapped executives, Ahdieh said. Programs for working professionals allow them to pursue the degree in a more feasible format.<\/p>\n Medical<\/p>\n Tarleton State University, a school in the Texas A&M System, will offer courses focused on health and STEM \u2014 science, technology, engineering and math.<\/p>\n Starting this fall, Tarleton\u2019s programs include an associate degree in histotechnology; bachelor\u2019s degrees in biotechnology, biomedical sciences and medical laboratory sciences as well as a master\u2019s in diagnostic molecular science.<\/p>\n In the future, the school plans to add a bachelor’s program in histotechnology and doctoral programs in nursing and integrative biology.\u00a0<\/p>\n These programs will not be offered at Tarleton\u2019s State\u2019s campus near Chisholm Trail, as the school wants to be intentional about what it offers at its various locations, said Rachael Capua, dean of Tarleton State Fort Worth.<\/p>\n Tarleton State University as a whole will move its Extended Education and Workforce Development office to the Fort Worth campus to be closer to businesses.<\/p>\n \u201cWe look forward to building continued partnerships with chambers and with our respective colleagues within the A&M system to ensure that we’re collectively meeting both the workforce and industry needs of North Texas,\u201d Capua said.<\/p>\n Pharmacy<\/p>\n The College of Pharmacy will offer a master\u2019s pharmaceutical sciences this fall.<\/p>\n Third-year doctor of pharmacy students can participate in clinical rotations in Fort Worth this fall, with fourth-years able to do so the following spring.<\/p>\n McKinnon Rice is the higher education reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at mckinnon.rice@fortworthreport.org<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Fort Worth Report partners with Open Campus on higher education coverage.<\/p>\n