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2013-2014 University Catalog



Home >> Graduate Degrees>>

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
GRADUATE DEGREES

Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology (MACP) (or Non-Thesis)
Master of Arts in English (MA) (or Non-Thesis)
Master of Arts in History & Political Thought, History Concentration (MA) (or Non-Thesis)
Master of Arts in History & Political Thought, Political Science Concentration (MA) ( or Non-Thesis)
Master of Arts in History & Political Thought, History&Political Science Concentrations (MA) (Non-Thesis)
Master of Arts in Language, Literature and Translation (MA)
Master of Arts in Sociology (MA) (or Non-Thesis)
Master of Public Administration (MPA)
Master of Science in Biology (MS) (or Non-Thesis)
Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MS) (or Non-Thesis)
Master of Science in Mathematics (MS) (or Non-Thesis)
        Mathematics Education Track (MS) (Non-Thesis)
Master of Science in Psychology (MS)

COLLABORATIVE PH.D. IN HISPANIC STUDIES OFFERED BY TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY

Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Management

BIOLOGY GRADUATE PROGRAM ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
To be admitted to MS in Biology, a candidate must have a bachelor's degree in biology or related field with an overall GPA of 2.5 or higher (on a 4 point scale) and a 3.0 GPA in biology (or related field). If the GPA in biology is between 2.5 and 3.0, the student will be admitted on probation and must earn a B or higher in in the first 12 hours of graduate courses in the program. If the overall GPA or in biology is below 2.5 the student will not be admitted. No GRE will be required for admission to the Master of Science in Biology.

A candidate applying for the MS in Biology without a degree in biology can be admitted if the candidate takes the required stemwork. The following are the minimum requirements as preparation for graduate coursework: CHEM 1411, CHEM 1412, CHEM 2423, BIOL 1406, BIOL 1411, BIOL 1413, BIOL 3406, BIOL 3410, BIOL 3412 and BIOL 3413.  A candidate without a degree in biology must have an overall GPA of 2.5 in their bachelor's program and a GPA of 3.0 in stemwork for the Master in Biology, including chemistry, to be admitted to the program. The GPA includes stemwork taken before the application and all stemwork required by the graduate committee of the Department of Biology and Chemistry to fulfill the requirement.

Final admission to the MS in Biology program is by approval of the graduate committee of the Department of Biology and Chemistry. (This should be done before course work begins.) The decision by the committee will be based on the interests the candidate has in biology and if a graduate faculty member can and will work with the candidate.   

COUNSELING PSYCHOLOGY PROGRAM ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
All application materials for the Counseling Psychology Graduate Program are due by March 1 for Fall admission and October 1 for Spring admission. Students ordinarily begin their graduate studies in the Fall semester, however, with special permission of the Chair of the Department of Behavioral, Applied Sciences and Criminal Justice, the student may begin graduate studies during the summer session. To be considered for admission to the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology Program, the student must complete the following requirements before March 1 or October 1.

  1. Have earned a 3.00 GPA in the upper-level courses of undergraduate preparation.
  2. Have three letters of recommendation from academic sources sent to the Department of Behavioral, Applied Sciences and Criminal Justice.
  3. Have a bachelor’s degree and have satisfactorily completed the following prerequisite courses: PSYC 3302, PSYC 4301, PSYC 4303, and PSYC 4308.
  4. Have submitted scores for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test.
  5. Have completed a personal interview with the Counseling Psychology Graduate Admissions Committee, which is scheduled during the month of April or November.

Students accepted for admission to the Counseling Psychology Graduate Program will be notified of a general information and orientation meeting held during the month of August for the Fall admission and December for Spring admission. The purpose of this meeting will be to outline departmental expectations of students, to provide orientation to institutional and departmental procedures, and to provide other information that may be of use to graduate students.

LICENSED PROFESSIONAL COUNSELOR EXAM
Completion of the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology allows the graduate to sit for the Licensed Professional Counselor Exam. Upon passing the exam and completion of additional required internship hours, the graduate is eligible to become a Licensed Professional Counselor.  

CRIMINAL JUSTICE GRADUATE PROGRAM ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
All application materials for the Master of Science in Criminal Justice are due by the date provided by the Office of Graduate Studies & Research to be considered for full admission. Students are able to apply and begin their graduate programs in the Fall, Spring, or Summer (to begin the summer, the application materials must be received by the due date for Spring). To be considered for admission to the Master of Science in Criminal Justice, the student must complete the following requirements prior to the application deadline:

  1. Completed an application for graduate studies.
  2. Paid application fee.
  3. Submitted transcripts from all colleges/universities attended.
  4. Submitted a Personal Narrative.
  5. Earned a 2.5 GPA overall if degree earned within last 5 years or 2.0 GPA if degree was earned more than 5 years ago.
  6. Submitted two letters of recommendation from academic or professional sources sent to the Office of Graduate Studies & Research and to the Department of Behavioral, Applied Sciences, and Criminal Justice. Academic letters must come from outside of the Criminal Justice faculty.
  7. Submitted scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) General Test.
  8. Submitted a Writing Sample of Scholarly work

In addition, the admissions committee may request a personal interview with the applicant.

LANGUAGE, LITERATURE, and TRANSLATION ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
For admission to the Master of Arts Language, Literature, and Translation, applicants must:
•              Have an undergraduate GPA of 3.20 or higher. Exceptions will be considered upon request.
•              Submit one personal statement in English and  one in Spanish (approximately 500 words each) describing the reasons the student wants to enroll in the program and explaining his/her academic profile and trajectory.
•              Successfully complete an examination administered by the department, which will consist of a translaton from English into Spanish and from Spanish into English of short texts. Students will be allowed to use dictionaries.

MATHEMATICS PROGRAM ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Admission to the MS degree program requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with a major in mathematics, mathematics with secondary certification, or related field in science. The student’s entire record will be considered including the completed application for admission, overall undergraduate GPA, upper level GPA, GPA in the discipline, a Statement of Purpose, and two sealed letters of reference attesting to qualifications of applicant.

• Satisfaction of all other requirements of Texas A&M International University for graduate admission, including the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). GRE scores must be received by the Office of Graduate Studies and Research before admission to the MS degree program.
• Students must submit transcripts from all institutions attended and two sealed letters of reference (at least one of which from faculty outside the departmental graduate admission committee) together with GRE scores to the Office of Graduate Studies and Research (OGSR) for acceptance into the MS degree program.
• Students will not be fully admitted to the graduate program of the University until all of the above entrance requirements are met. If an applicant does not meet these minimum requirements, OGSR may approve admission of the applicant on a conditional basis using the graduate admission formula.

Stemwork
It is strongly recommended that a student seeking a MS degree in Mathematics should have a bachelor’s degree with a major in Mathematics or related field. However, if a student is seeking a MS degree in Mathematics without a Bachelors in Mathematics, then the following are the minimum requirements as preparation for the graduate coursework: MATH 1316 (or MATH 2412), MATH 2413, MATH 2414, MATH 2415, MATH 3310, MATH 3320 (or MATH 3325), MATH 3360, MATH 3365, MATH 4310, MATH 4335. The student’s advisor and/or committee may require additional courses if thought necessary to prepare the student for a specific field in mathematics.

Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Management
The Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Management is open to current master’s students at TAMIU and at any other accredited university and to graduates of any baccalaureate or master’s program from an accredited university. Undergraduate students who are eligible to take graduate courses are also eligible for admission to the Certificate program. Current students must be in good standing with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0. While individual courses may be taken by TAMIU Master of Public Administration students for elective credit, MPA students who wish to receive the Certificate must apply for admission to the certificate program.

For Currently Enrolled TAMIU Graduate Students: To be accepted for admission to the Certificate program, students must be currently enrolled in a master’s program and be in good academic standing with a grade point average of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 point scale. Current TAMIU students are encouraged to apply for admission within the first 30 days of enrollment in the first class in the Certificate program.

For students holding a master’s degree from a accredited university and those currently enrolled at an accredited university other than TAMIU: Application for admission must be received by the Office of Graduate Studies and Research prior to enrolling in the first class in the Certificate program. Other university requirements for non-degree seeking students must be completed as well. There is no GRE requirement for admission to the Certificate program.

Decisions regarding admission to the Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Management program will be made by the MPA faculty and conveyed to applicants within two weeks of submission of all required materials.

GRADUATE DEGREES REQUIREMENTS

See Academic Regulations - Graduate Degrees for specific TAMIU regulations.

  1. Major/Minor Requirements: Twenty-four to thirty-three hours in a major subject and six to twelve hours in a minor. Minors not currently included as options for the degree will require department and dean approval.
  2. Concentrations: Eighteen hours in each of two areas of concentration.
  3. Admission: No student seeking a graduate degree will be permitted to register for a graduate class until such time that he or she has been admitted to the University. Individuals wishing to take courses for personal growth, etc. may register for up to six hours as non-degree seeking. These courses may not be applicable to a degree program.

    Students seeking admission to the Graduate School in the College of Arts and Sciences must apply by November 1 for the Spring Semester and April 1 for the Fall Semester.

    To be considered for admission to the Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology, students must complete additional admission requirements before March 1 for Fall Semester or October 1 for Spring Semester.

    Students wishing to change degree plans must re-apply to the University. College of Arts and Sciences students who do not enroll for course work in a subsequent semester, are required to complete a "Leave of Absence" form.
  4. Prerequisites (Stemwork): Twelve advanced semester hours in the major subject to six advanced semester hours in each minor. The department, however, retains the right to examine the applicant’s prerequisites and to accept certain equivalent hours or to require additional work.

    The maximum load for a graduate student for a long semester is nine (9) hours. The maximum load for summer school is six (6) hours per session. Any SCH load in excess of the maximum must be approved by the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.
  5. Thesis/Interdisciplinary Study: This is defined as a professional paper in the major field. All required course work must be completed before thesis is started.
  6. Written Comprehensive Examination: A comprehensive examination shall be passed by the candidate covering the major and minor fields, and each will be VALID FOR ONE YEAR. Exams will be given each long semester. A student who fails to pass one or more questions of the exam will be allowed one opportunity to repeat and pass the exam.
  7. Oral Comprehensive Examination: Oral exams must be completed by mid-November or mid-April.
  8. Thesis Defense: Thesis must be successfully defended before the faculty advisory committee for completion of graduate degree program.
  9. Undergraduate Courses for Graduate Credit: With the permission of the faculty advisor, up to six (6) credit hours of 4000-level courses, as indicated in the course descriptions, may be taken for graduate credit in the entire degree plan. These courses must include extra work over and above regular undergraduate syllabus requirements. Such work shall be prearranged with the course instructor.
  10. Additional Master's Degree Policy: Students shall not be permitted to apply the same course credit to more than one master’s degree except in the Master of Public Administration program. Students pursuing the Master of Public Administration as an additional master's degree, may obtain the degree upon successful completion of the major curriculum and substituting hours attained in the first masters program for nine hours of electives.
  11. In Absentia: Students in master’s degree programs in the COAS requiring a thesis who have completed all course work on their degree are required to register each subsequent fall and spring semester until the thesis receives final approval. Students who do not comply with this requirement will have their registration blocked.
  12. Leave of Absence: Under unusual circumstances, a student may petition for a leave of absence. The student’s Advisory Committee Chairperson and the Chair of the Department must approve the petition. If the petition is granted, the registration requirement will be set aside during the period of the leave and will not count towards the requirement that the student complete a master’s degree within a period of five years or within the time specified for the particular program. Leaves will be granted only under conditions that require the suspension of all activities associated with the thesis.
  13. Combined BA/MA Degree: Undergraduate students with majors in English, History, Political Science, Sociology or Spanish may pursue a combined BA/MA program. Students with an overall GPA of 3.2 or higher and a field GPA of 3.5 or higher (after completing at least six 3000-4000 level SCH; 9 SCH in Political Science with 3 SCH at the 3000-4000 level) may apply for admission to the Master of Arts program during their junior year. Students accepted into the program will begin taking graduate courses during the senior year. Students must attain a "B" in their coursework to remain in and continue the combined program.

    Students will need to complete all admission requirements to the program during their junior year. This includes: Application to the University for admission to graduate study, submission of an official copy of the student's undergraduate transcript and two letters of recommendation to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. One letter of recommendation must be from the student's faculty advisor and the other from another faculty member. The GRE requirement for the Combined BA/MA will be waived so long as the student maintains continuous registration (fall and spring semesters) through completion of the MA program. The GRE waiver applies to the Combined BA/MA only. Interruption of progress toward the degree may result in the requirement to reapply to the program and include meeting the GRE requirement.

    Students seeking the BA/MA degree in English, Political Science, Sociology or Spanish may count nine SCH of graduate coursework taken during the senior year toward both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements. Students electing to complete the BA/MA in English or Sociology are eligible for either the thesis or nonthesis option; in the non-thesis option, unlike the traditional non-thesis MA in English or Sociology, there is no minor curriculum requirement.

    Undergraduate students with a major in Criminal Justice may pursue a combined BS/MS program. Students with an overall GPA of 3.2 or higher and a field GPA of 3.5 or higher (after completing at least six 3000-4000 level SCH) may apply for admission to the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program during their junior year. Students accepted into the program will begin taking graduate courses during the senior year. Students must attain a “B” in their coursework to remain in and continue the combined program.

    Students will need to complete all admission requirements to the program during their junior year. This includes:  Application to the University for admission to graduate study, submission of an official copy of the student’s undergraduate transcript and two letters of recommendation to the Director of Graduate Studies. One letter of recommendation must be from the student’s faculty advisor and the other from another faculty member. The GRE requirement for the Combined BA/MS will be waived so long as the student maintains continuous registration (fall and spring semesters) through completion of the MS program. The GRE waiver applies to the Combined BS/MS only. Interruption of progress toward the degree may result in the requirement to reapply to the program and include meeting the GRE requirement.

    Students seeking the BA/MS degree in Criminal Justice may count six SCH of graduate coursework taken during the senior year toward both undergraduate and graduate degree requirements.  Students electing to complete the BS/MS in Criminal Justice are eligible for either the thesis or non-thesis option.

  14. Minor in Information Systems. This minor is available in COAS degree programs which include 9 semester credit hours in a minor. Students pursuing the graduate minor in IS must satisfactorily complete the prerequisite MIS 5300-Information Systems Concepts, or the equivalent undergraduate course, MIS 3310-Management Information Systems. The minor will consist of three courses courses, completed with a grade of "B" or better, from the following: MIS 5330, MIS 5340, MIS 5350, MIS 5360, MIS 5370, MIS 5380, MIS 5390, and MIS 5399.

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