Texas A&M University Graduate Catalog

• Academic Calendar
• Board of Regents
  & System Adminstrative
  Officers
• TAMU Administrative
  Officers
• Office of
  Graduate Studies
• General Information
• Degree Information
• Admission
• Registration & Academic Status
• Tuition, Fees &
  Other Financial Information
• Housing
• Orientation
• Resources for Students
• Texas A&M University at Galveston
• Course Descriptions
• School of
  Rural Public Health
• Faculty
• Appendices

Admission

General Information

A formal application is required of all persons seeking admission or readmission to graduate studies. A statewide Texas Common Application can be used to apply to any public university in the state of Texas and can be accessed at www.applytexas.org. The application can also be accessed through the Texas A&M University website www.tamu.edu/admissions by following the link entitled "State of Texas Common Application". Paper applications can be obtained by contacting the Graduate Advisor of the desired Major Field of Study at Texas A&M University.

An application fee of $50 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents or $75 for international applicants is required to process an application for admission. Application fees are nonrefundable. Checks or money orders (U.S. currency) should be made payable to Texas A&M University. All financial dealings with Texas A&M University may be done by check or money order provided it displays an agency bank in the U.S. and has magnetic ink character recognition (MICR) routing numbers at the bottom of the check. The $50 fee required of U.S. citizens or permanent residents may be waived, but only in exceptional cases, for low-income applicants. In such cases, applicants should include with the application for admission a letter from their financial aid officer or other knowledgeable officer verifying the need for a waiver. Waiver of the $75 international application fee is not available.

With the approval from the degree granting unit providing admission, admission to graduate studies normally remains valid for one year from the date of acceptance with one $50 or $75 (as appropriate) application fee. An extension to the one-year time limit may be granted, if requested by the applicant in writing and approved by the degree granting unit.

Departments may have admission requirements in addition to those of the University. In such cases, higher departmental requirements supersede those of the University.

The normal requirement for admission to graduate studies is a scholastic record which, over at least the last two years of full-time academic study in a degree program, gives evidence of the applicant's ability to do successful graduate level work.

An applicant whose academic record is not satisfactory, or who is changing fields of study, may be required to take additional work in preparation for graduate study. Such work will normally be arranged in conference with the graduate advisor or the head of the student's major department. Before accepting a student for graduate study, a department may require that the student pass a comprehensive examination covering the basic undergraduate work in that field.

To allow time for processing, application forms should be filed at least six weeks prior to the opening of the semester (international applicants should refer to the deadlines under that heading). Admission to graduate studies cannot be completed until all the credentials requested in the application form have been received and evaluated.

In addition to the records sent to the Office of Admissions and Records, students should have in their possession a copy of their record for use in conferences with the graduate advisor or graduate faculty in their department. Applicants otherwise qualified for admission to graduate studies may not be approved in instances where the facilities and staff available in the particular field are not adequate to take care of the needs of the student.