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Posted: 11/18/20

TAMIU Graduate School Posts 16% Enrollment Increase This Fall

 

Dr. Jennifer Coronado
Dr. Jennifer Coronado, Dean, The Graduate School  

Despite delivering its Fall semester during a global Pandemic, Texas A&M International University’s (TAMIU) Graduate School enrollment has grown 16%  and semester credit hours are also up nearly 13%. 

TAMIU president  Dr. Pablo Arenaz said The Graduate School enrollment increase to 1,440 students  is part of the University’s historic overall Fall 2020 final enrollment of 8,525 students.   

“As I’ve noted before, TAMIU’s faculty, staff and students share a common mission and commitment.  No matter the challenge, they step up and are committed to success.  We’re tremendously proud of all members of the TAMIU community and the growth they have helped us to continue to attain.  They all help us to achieve and live TAMIU’s mission,” Dr. Arenaz said. 

Dr. Jennifer Coronado, Dean of The Graduate School, said she believes that there are a number of factors that helped drive the impressive Graduate School enrollment. 

“We’ve seen a 300% growth in Information Systems, 55% in our Online MBA and 12% in our Online Criminal Justice program.  Some of that has been driven by students telling us that the Pandemic had them working from home and having more time to enroll in online graduate programs.  Some said they had been laid off and enrolled to increase their market value for future job prospects.  We continue to have a strong core of students who are educators and they saw this as a chance to enroll in graduate programs that will help them ascend into administrative positions,” Dr. Coronado said. 

She noted that as the University is considered essential and has remained fully open and operational throughout the Pandemic response, they have been able to continually find ways to help students through adaptive initiatives. 

“We’ve offered Automatic Admission for certain programs for the Fall of 2020, while specific TAMIU Colleges, Schools or programs have been able to review applicants without GRE scores or extend provisional semesters, for example.  Knowing that many graduate students are under financial stress, we began waiving application fees for Fall applications back in August,” she continued. 

Other attractive programs for students have been transitioned to completely online formats.

“We transitioned our MS in Information Systems and our MS in Curriculum and Instruction (MSCI) with a specialization in special education.  We also added some popular new specializations to the MSCI in educational technology…especially relevant as teachers use of technology has dramatically increased…and in educational leadership.  Our Nursing program’s Masters in Family Nurse Practitioner continues to expand in importance to nurses looking to advance their career,” Coronado explained.

Coronado said that although the end of the Fall semester is near, there’s no time to rest as additional programs are in development.

She said The Graduate School continues to provide informational sessions for potential students in virtual and face to face formats with appropriate CDC guidelines observed.  The session dates and topics are available on The Graduate School social media channels, #TAMIUGradSchool. 

TAMIU’s Fall semester 2020 classes end Wednesday, November 25  with final exams delivered online Dec. 1 - 8. 

For more on The Graduate School, click on  https://www.tamiu.edu/gradschool, call 956.326.3020, email: GraduateSchool@tamiu.edu or visit offices in the Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center, Room 223.

Registration for Wintermester and the Spring semester 2021 is now underway. Classes begin Monday, Jan. 25, 2021. Financial Aid is available, and University offices are open to the public Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.  Masks are required on campus and social distancing is maintained at all times.