General Academic Policies

Transfer of Credit

The university will accept a maximum of 12 hours of graduate level course work as transfer credit from another regionally accredited institution if the student’s advisor and dean of the college approve the transfer of credit. The university can only accept transfer credit for students in masters degree programs in which the student earns a grade of “C” or better. Additionally, for masters degree seekers, transfer courses must have been completed within five years of admission to graduate studies at Texas A&M University- Texarkana. For students in doctoral programs, only approved courses in which the students earned a grade of "B" or better are accepted for transfer.

For students in masters programs, the courses being transferred must be less than five years old. If older than five years, special permission is required by the program coordinator, Dean of the College, and Dean of Graduate Studies and Research.

For students in doctoral programs, ALL coursework, whether completed at A&M Texarkana or transferred from another institution must be completed within 10 years from the date of admission into the doctoral program. All transfer credit counting toward the doctoral degree must be approved by the student's advisor, College Dean, and Dean of Graduate Studies and Research. Please see the "Doctoral Program Handbook" for further information. 

Matriculation Standards

The student must maintain a minimum 3.00 GPA to remain in academic good standing.

Graduate Comprehensive Examinations

Specific programs may require graduate students to pass a comprehensive examination covering work within the graduate program including, if applicable, an acceptable defense of the thesis.  After applying for graduation, the student will receive notification from the respective academic college regarding dates for the Comprehensive Exam.

Probation

The university will place a regularly enrolled graduate student on probation after completion of 12 credit hours of course work when the cumulative grade point average is below 3.00. The student will remain on probation until he or she raises the cumulative grade point average to 3.00 or above.

The statement "Placed on Probation" will be printed on the student’s academic transcript. While on probation, the student must maintain a semester GPA of 3.00 or higher. Failure to maintain a minimum 3.00 GPA each in any semester while on probation will result in the student’s suspension for a period of one calendar year, and the student will not be eligible to re-enroll until such time period has elapsed.

Probation policy for Graduate Students

  • Graduate students will be placed on probation after completion of 12 credit hours if the cumulative GPA is below 3.0
  • Students will remain on probation until he or she raises the cumulative GPA to 3.0 or above.
  • While on probation, students must maintain a semester GPA of 3.0 or higher.
  • A student on probation will be suspended if both the semester GPA and cumulative GPA fall below 3.0

Academic or Disciplinary Suspension

The suspension period will extend for 12 months from the end of the semester during which the student fell below acceptable standards for continued enrollment.  Early re-entry is possible only once with permission from the Dean of Graduate Studies. Only extenuating circumstances warrant such action. Please contact the Office of Graduate Studies to receive an Academic Suspension Appeal form.  After the period of academic suspension has passed, the student may reapply for admission to their program. The university will place the student on academic probation at re-entry, and he or she must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher in each following semester. If the student falls below 3.00 during any subsequent semester, the university will suspend the student for another one-year period. The student may appeal the status of scholastic suspension through the Office of Graduate Studies.

Note: The university imposes enrollment restrictions as a result of suspension or probation only at the end of the fall and spring terms.

Suspension Policy for Graduate Students

  • At the end of a fall or spring semester, graduate students on probation will be suspended if their semester GPA and overall GPA fall below a 3.0.

Probation or Suspension from Other Institutions

Students on academic or disciplinary suspension (or “not in good standing”) from another institution are not eligible for admission to Texas A&M University-Texarkana until the suspension period has passed. If the student registers for classes by providing false information, he/she will be withdrawn from all classes without tuition or fee refund.  When the period of suspension has passed, the student may then apply for admission.

Before this time, the student may apply to the dean of the college by presenting a written statement from an appropriate representative of the institution that issued the suspension. The statement must indicate that the institution would recommend early re-entry. The dean of the college will forward his or her recommendation for admission to the Dean of Graduate Studies and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. In cases of disciplinary suspension, the Dean of Graduate Studies or Provost and the Vice President for Academic Affairs will appoint a committee to review the student’s application for admission. The Dean of Graduate Studies and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs may then refuse admission based on review of the case or the committee’s recommendation.

The university may refuse admission if it determines

1.     the student would not abide by the rules and regulations of the university or would be unable to adjust to the university environment,

2.     the student does not indicate a serious intent to pursue an education, or

3.     the student might harm other members of the university community.

The university will review cases of expulsion (or suspension without time limit) on an individual basis. The Dean of Graduate Studies and the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs will handle appeals.

Thesis

To pursue a thesis option, a student must conduct original research, write a thesis (six hours maximum credit), and report this research under the supervision of the advisor.
The student prepares their thesis according to instructions provided by the advisor and the college dean. If the student does not complete the thesis during the semester of registration, the student must register for the course again to receive advice and assistance from a member of the faculty in further preparation of the thesis or while using university facilities for thesis work.

Dissertation

 All doctoral students will successfully complete all course requirements and program requirements (including the successful defense of a dissertation). Please see the "Doctoral Program Handbook" for further information on dissertation development and defense.

Change-of-Degree Declaration

  1. In order to change programs, the student must submit a “Change of Degree Declaration” to the Office of the Registrar. The student must complete the form and obtain signatures of approval from their advisor and college dean.
  2. Students may need to re-apply for admission to the new program according to current program admission criteria. The appropriate college determines this requirement, and the student should discuss this requirement with program faculty and the college dean prior to submitting the “Change of Degree Declaration.”
  3. Students should contact the Office of Graduate Studies and Research if they need assistance.

Degree-Plan Revisions and Extensions

  1. Revising or extending a degree plan is possible with proper approval from the advisor or college dean. The student may have to re-apply for admission according to current program admission criteria when revising a degree plan. The appropriate college determines this criteria, and the student should discuss this criteria with the advisor or college dean. The student’s advisor must contact the Office of Graduate Studies and Research or give the student written documentation on how to proceed.
  2. The advisor may recommend a revision or extension if the student has been inactive and returns to complete his or her program but the degree plan has recently expired or will expire before he or she can properly complete the program. The university generally allows an extension if the student is within 3-9 hours of completion and the advisor or college dean feels the student can complete the degree within1-2 semesters. Otherwise, university officials must revise the degree plan.
  3. The advisor may recommend revisions when university officials need to make changes within the specialization area, subject area, or area of concentration of the degree plan.
  4. Students should contact the Office of Graduate Studies and Research if they need assistance.

Enrollment in Undergraduate Courses for Graduate Credit

The need for flexibility in program offerings to meet the highly varied requirements of students justifies the application of 400-level undergraduate courses to master’s degree programs. These needs may require courses not in the graduate offerings of the major but which are available at the undergraduate level.

To enroll in a 400-level course for graduate credit, the student must complete the proper instructional-justification form. The student and instructor must agree on the qualitative and quantitative differences in the course requirements to justify graduate credit. Qualitative differences show greater depth and breadth of study, and quantitative differences describe the increased amount of work necessary. Students must list specific differences and objectives clearly on the form in order to secure approval from the supervising faculty member and college dean. The student must return the form to the Office of Admissions prior to the first class day to complete enrollment.

The university does not permit this option for the purpose of meeting “leveling” or prerequisite requirements for a graduate degree. Students may apply no more than two courses that they complete in this manner toward fulfillment of graduate-degree requirements.

Second Master's Degree

A student with a master’s degree from this institution or another regionally accredited graduate school may earn a second master’s degree by meeting the following requirements:

  1. Apply to the program under the current admission criteria.
  2. Complete a minimum of 18 additional SCH of graduate-level courses (this requirement assumes that the advisor and college dean apply 12 SCH from the first master’s degree and depends on the total number of SCH required for the individual degree).
  3. Satisfactorily complete all requirements for the second degree.
  4. Complete SCH the college requires for the degree. The program will administer comprehensive examinations for the second master’s degree in the same manner as for the first degree. The second degree will be subject to the general regulations governing master’s degrees except as stated above.

Readmission/Returning Student

 A returning student is one that has previously enrolled and attended A&M-Texarkana. If a student has not enrolled for one long semester (fall or spring) they will have to reapply for university admissions at www.applytexas.org.

If a student has not attended within one calendar year and was previously accepted to a program, the student must resubmit all admission requirements and reapply to the program.

Graduate Studies Contact Information

College of Arts, Sciences and Education

Graduate Coordinator: Susan Gleason
Office: University Center 414C
Phone: 903-223-3129
Fax: 903-223-3134
Email: susan.gleason@tamut.edu or casegradstudies@tamut.edu

College of Business, Engineering, and Technology

Graduate Coordinator: Kristin Ebner
Office: University Center 414F
Phone: 903-334-6761
Email: kristin.ebner@tamut.edu or cbet@tamut.edu