2015 catalog no. 137

148 Pages·2014·1.38 MB·English

by  Merritt Merritt

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY AT GALVESTON
2014 - 2015 CATALOG NO. 137
Purpose of Catalog
The purp ose of this cata l og is to prov ide inf orm at ion about the ac ad emic prog rams of Texas A&M Uni vers ity at Galveston
to fac ulty, staff, stu dents and pro spec tive stu dents. In cluded is in for ma tion con cern ing ad mis sions, ac a demic reg u la tions and re-
quire ments, ser vices avail able to stu dents, ac ad emic of fer ings, a list of the ad min ist ra tive of fi cers and the fac ulty of the Uni ver -
sity. While ev ery ef fort has been made to make this cata l og as com plete and ac cu rate as pos sib le, changes may occ ur at any time in
req uire ments, deadl ines, fees, curr ic ula and courses listed in this cata l og. Stud ents should re fer to the website Howdy.tamu.edu
for course of feri ngs in any given sem est er. For adm ini st ra tive rea sons, any given course might not be of fered in the ann ounced se-
mest er. The prov is ions of this cata l og do not cons ti tute a cont ract, exp ress or im plied, bet ween any app li cant, stud ent, facu lty or
staff mem ber of Texas A&M or The Texas A&M Uni vers ity Syst em. This cata l og is for inf orm at ional pur poses only. The Uni ver-
sity re serves the right to change or al ter any statem ent herein witho ut prior not ice. This cata l og should not be int er preted to all ow a
stud ent that be gins his or her edu c at ion und er the cata l og to cont inue the prog ram und er the prov is ions in the cata l og.
Accreditation
Texas A&M Uni vers ity is fully ac credi ted by the Com miss ion on Coll eges of the Southe rn Ass oc ia t ion of Col leges and
Schools (SACS). As a branch cam pus, Texas A&M Uni vers ity at Galveston is inc luded in that proc ess. Offs hore and Coastal
Sys tems En gi neer ing (OCSE) is ac cred ited by the En gi neer ing Ac cred i ta tion Com mis sion and Ma rine En gi neer ing Tech nol ogy
(MARR) is ac cred ited by the En gi neer ing Tech nol ogy Ac cred i ta tion Com mis sion, both of the Ac cred i ta tion Board for En gi neer-
ing and Techn olo gy. Docu m ents cert i fyi ng ac credi t at ion may be viewed in the Of fice of the CEO.
Contents
Ac a demic Cal en dar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
The Texas A&M Uni ver sity Sys tem and Uni ver sity Ad min is tra tion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Gen eral Information. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Uni ver sity Core Cur ric u lum. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
De gree In for ma tion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Ad mis sions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Course Credit and Testi ng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Reg is tra tion and Ac a demic Sta tus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Grad ing Sys tem . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Tu i tion, Fees and Other Fi nan cial In for ma tion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Fin anc ial Aid and Scholarships . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Stu dent Ser vices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Stu dent Life (Hous ing and Ac tiv i ties). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Texas A&M Mari time Acade my. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Ac a demic Cur ric ula (Un der grad u ate) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Mar ine Bio lo gy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Mar ine Fishe ri es . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Ma rine En gi neer ing Tech nol ogy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Mar ine Sci ences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68
Mar ine Transp ort at ion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Mar i time Ad min is tra tion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Mar i time Ad min is tra tion/Mas ter of Mar i time Ad min is tra tion and Lo gis tics (5-year pro gram) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Mari t ime Studi es. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79
Offs hore and Coastal Syst ems Eng in eeri ng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
Ocean and Coastal Res ources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
Ocean and Coastal Re sources/Mas ter of Mar ine Re sources Man age ment (5-year pro gram). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Univ ers ity Studi es (Ma rine Env ir onm ent al Law and Poli cy). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Univ ers ity Studi es (Oceans and One Health) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Un der grad u ate Mi nors Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91
Uni ver sity Hon ors Pro gram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
Grad u ate Stud ies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Gradu a te Adm iss ions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95
Texas A&M Mari time Acade my/Gradu ate Deg ree Plans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 100
Mas ter of Mar ine Re sources Man age ment. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Mast er of Scie nce in Mar ine Bio lo gy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Doct or of Phil oso p hy in Mar ine Bio lo gy. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Mas ter of Mar i time Ad min is tra tion and Lo gis tics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Course De scrip tions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Fac ulty . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 139
Texas Com mon Course Numb eri ng Syst em . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 148
1
ACADEMIC CALENDAR
2014 Sum mer Term I*
May 14 Grad u a tion ap pli ca tion opens for all stu dents plan ning to grad u ate in Au gust 2014.
May 26 Memorial Day. Facu lty and staff holi d ay.
May 30 Last day to regi st er for first term se mes ter classes, 5 p.m.
Re fer to Finance.tamu.edu/sbs for tu i tion and fee due dates.
June 2 First day of first term classes.
June 5 Last day for add ing/drop ping courses for the first term, 5 p.m.
June 20 Last day for all stu dents to drop courses with no pen alty for the first term (Q-drop), 5 p.m.
Last day to change Kinesiology 198/199 grade type for the first term, 5 p.m.
Last day to of fic ially withd raw from the Univ ers ity for the first term, 5 p.m.
July 3 Last day of first term classes.
July 4 In de pend ence Day. Fac ulty and staff hol i day.
July 7 First term fi nal ex am i na tions.
July 10 First term fi nal grades due, 10 a.m.
July 11 Last day to ap ply for de grees to be awarded in Au gust with out a late fee.
2014 Sum mer Term II*
May 14 Grad u a tion ap pli ca tion opens for all stu dents plan ning to grad u ate in Au gust 2014.
July 7 Last day to regi st er for the seco nd term sem es ter classes, 5 p.m.
Re fer to Finance.tamu.edu/sbs for tu i tion and fee due dates.
July 8 First day of seco nd term classes.
July 11 Last day for add ing/drop ping courses for the sec ond term, 5 p.m.
Last day to ap ply for de grees to be awarded in Au gust with out a late fee.
July 28 Last day for all stu dents to drop courses with no pen alty for the sec ond term (Q-drop), 5 p.m.
Last day to change Kinesiology 198/199 grade type for the sec ond term, 5 p.m.
Last day to of fi cially with draw from the Uni ver sity for the sec ond term, 5 p.m.
Au gust 11 Last day of seco nd term classes.
Last day to ap ply for all de grees awarded in Aug ust.
Au gust 12–13 Sec ond term fi nal ex am i na tions for all stu dents.
Au gust 14 Grades for de gree can di dates due, 10 a.m.
Au gust 15 Last day for Aug ust und er grad u ate de gree can di dates to ap ply for Tu i tion Re bate, 5 p.m.
Au gust 16 Com mence ment and Com mis sion ing.
Au gust 18 Fin al grades for sec ond term due, 10 a.m.
2014 10-Week Sum mer Se mes ter*
May 14 Grad u a tion ap pli ca tion opens for all stu dents plan ning to grad u ate in Au gust 2014.
May 26 Mem or ial Day. Facu lty and staff holi d ay.
May 30 Last day to regi st er for 10-week sem es ter classes, 5 p.m.
Re fer to Finance.tamu.edu/sbs for tu i tion and fee due dates.
June 2 First day of 10-week sem es ter classes.
June 5 Last day for add ing/drop ping courses for the 10-week se mest er, 5 p.m.
July 4 In de pend ence Day. Fac ulty and staff hol i day.
July 7 No 10-week se mes ter classes.
July 11 Last day to ap ply for de grees to be awarded in Au gust with out a late fee.
July 22 Last day for all stu dents to drop courses with no pen alty for the 10-week se mest er (Q-drop), 5 p.m.
Last day to of fi cially with draw from the Uni ver sity for the 10-week se mest er, 5 p.m.
Au gust 11 Last day of 10-week sem es ter classes.
Last day to ap ply for all de grees awarded in Aug ust.
Au gust 12–13 10-week se mes ter fi nal ex am i na tions for all stu dents.
Au gust 14 Grades for de gree can di dates due, 10 a.m.
Au gust 15 Last day for Aug ust und er grad u ate de gree can di dates to ap ply for Tu i tion Re bate, 5 p.m.
Au gust 16 Com mence ment and Com mis sion ing.
Au gust 18 Fin al grades for sec ond term due, 10 a.m.
*All dates and times are sub ject to change.
2
2014 Fall Sem es ter*
Au gust 20 Grad u a tion ap pli ca tion opens for all stu dents plan ning to grad u ate in De cem ber 2014.
Au gust 29 Last day to regi st er for fall sem es ter classes, 5 p.m.
Re fer to Finance.tamu.edu/sbs for tu i tion and fee due dates.
Sep tem ber 1 First day of fall sem es ter classes.
Sep tem ber 5 Last day for add ing/drop ping courses for the fall se mest er, 5 p.m.
Oc to ber 3 Last day to app ly for deg rees to be awarded in Dec emb er with out a late fee.
Oc to ber 20 Mid-se mest er grades due in En roll ment Ser vices, 10 a.m.
No vem ber 10 Pre reg is tra tion be gins for 2015 spring se mes ter.
No vem ber 18 Bon fire 1999 Re mem brance Day.
No vem ber 21 Last day for all stu dents to drop courses with no pen alty (Q-drop), 5 p.m.
Last day to change Kinesiology 198/199 grade type, 5 p.m.
Last day to of fic ially withd raw from the Univ ers ity, 5 p.m.
No vem ber 27-28 Thanksgiving hol i day.
De cem ber 8 Re de fined day, stu dents at tend their Frid ay classes.
Prep day, classes meet. No regu l ar course exa ms (exc ept for labo r at ory and one-hour classes) on these days.
De cem ber 9 Last day of fall sem es ter classes.
Last day to app ly for all deg rees to be awarded in Dec emb er.
Re de fined day, stu dents at tend their Thurs day classes.
Prep day, classes meet. No regu l ar course exa ms (exc ept for labo r at ory and one-hour classes)
shall be given on these days.
De cem ber 10-11 Read ing days, no classes.
Dec 12, 15–17 Fall se mes ter fi nal ex am i na tions for all stu dents.
De cem ber 18 Grades for de gree can di dates due, 10 a.m.
De cem ber 19 Last day for De cem ber un der grad u ate de gree can di dates to ap ply for Tu i tion Re bate, 5 p.m.
De cem ber 20 Com mence ment and Com mis sion ing. 9 a.m.
De cem ber 22 Fin al grades for all stu dents due, 10 a.m.
Dec. 24–Jan 2 Fac ulty and staff hol i day.
2015 Spring Se mes ter*
Jan u ary 7 Grad ua tion ap pli ca tion opens for all stud ents plan ning to grad ua te in May 2015.
Jan u ary 16 Last day to regi st er for spring sem es ter classes and pay fees, 5 p.m.
Re fer to Finance.tamu.edu/sbs for tu i tion and fee due dates.
Jan u ary 19 Mar tin Lu ther King Jr. Day. Fac ulty and staff hol i day.
Jan u ary 20 First day of spring sem es ter classes.
Jan u ary 26 Last day for add ing/drop ping courses for the spring se mest er, 5 p.m.
Feb ru ary 20 Last day to app ly for deg rees to be awarded in May witho ut a late fee.
March 9 Mid-se mest er grades due in En roll ment Ser vices, 10 a.m.
March 16–20 Spring Break.
March 18–20 Fac ulty and staff hol i day.
April 3 Read ing days, no classes.
April 6 Pre reg ist ra tion be gins for 2015 first term, sec ond term, 10-week sum mer sem est er and fall se mest er.
April 21 Last day for all stu dents to drop courses with no pen alty (Q-drop), 5 p.m.
Last day to change Kinesiology 198/199 grade type, 5 p.m.
Last day to of fic ially withd raw from the Univ ers ity, 5 p.m.
April 21 Mus ter. Cam pus cer e mony.
May 4 Prep day, classes meet. No regu l ar course exa ms (exc ept for labo r at ory and one-hour classes) on these days.
May 5 Last day of spring sem es ter classes.
Last day to ap ply for all de grees to be awarded in May.
Re de fined day, stu dents at tend their Frid ay classes.
Prep day, classes meet. No regu l ar course exa ms (exc ept for labo r at ory and one-hour classes) on these days.
May 6-7 Read ing days, no classes.
May 8, 11–13 Spring se mes ter fi nal ex am i na tions for all stu dents.
May 14 Grades for de gree can di dates due, 10 a.m.
May 15 Last day for May und er grad ua te de gree can di dates to ap ply for Tui tion Re bate, 5 p.m.
May 16 Com mence ment and Com mis sion ing. 9 a.m
May 18 Fin al grades for all stu dents due, 10 a.m.
*All dates and times are sub ject to change.
3
2015 Sum mer Term I*
May 20 Grad u a tion ap pli ca tion opens for all stu dents plan ning to grad u ate in Au gust 2015.
May 25 Mem or ial Day. Facu lty and staff holi d ay.
May 29 Last day to regi st er for first term classes and pay fees, 5 p.m.
Re fer to Finance.tamu.edu/sbs for tu i tion and fee due dates.
June 2 First day of first term classes classes.
June 5 Last day for add ing/drop ping courses for the first term, 5 p.m.
June 22 Last day for all stu dents to drop courses with no pen alty for the first term (Q-drop), 5 p.m.
Last day to change Kinesiology 198/199 grade type for the first term, 5 p.m.
Last day to of fic ially withd raw from the Univ ers ity for the first term, 5 p.m.
July 3 Last day of first term classes.
July 4 In de pend ence Day.
July 6 First term fi nal ex am i na tions.
July 9 First term fi nal grades due, 10 a.m.
July 10 Last day to ap ply for de grees to be awarded in Au gust with out a late fee, 5 p.m.
Re fer to Finance.tamu.edu/sbs for tu i tion and fee due dates.
2015 Sum mer Term II*
May 20 Grad u a tion ap pli ca tion opens for all stu dents plan ning to grad u ate in Au gust 2015.
May 25 Mem or ial Day. Facu lty and staff holi d ay.
July 4 In de pend ence Day.
July 6 Last day to reg ist er for the sec ond term and pay fees, 5 p.m.
Re fer to Finance.tamu.edu/sbs for tu i tion and fee due dates.
July 7 First day of seco nd term classes.
July 10 Last day for add ing/drop ping courses for the sec ond term, 5 p.m.
Last day to ap ply for de grees to be awarded in Au gust with out a late fee, 5 p.m.
Re fer to Finance.tamu.edu/sbs for tu i tion and fee due dates.
July 27 Last day for all stu dents to drop courses with no pen alty for the sec ond term (Q-drop), 5 p.m.
Last day to change Kinesiology 198/199 grade type for the sec ond term, 5 p.m.
Last day to of fi cially with draw from the Uni ver sity for the sec ond term, 5 p.m.
Au gust 10 Last day of seco nd term classes.
Last day to ap ply for all de grees awarded in Aug ust.
Au gust 11–12 Sec ond term fi nal ex am i na tions for all stu dents.
Au gust 13 Grades for deg ree cand id ates, 10 a.m.
Au gust 14 Last day for Aug ust und er grad u ate de gree can di dates to ap ply for Tu i tion Re bate, 5 p.m.
Au gust 15 Com mence ment and Com mis sion ing. 9 a.m.
Au gust 17 Fin al grades for sec ond term due, 10 a.m.
2015 10-Week Sum mer Se mes ter*
May 20 Grad u a tion ap pli ca tion opens for all stu dents plan ning to grad u ate in Au gust 2015.
May 25 Mem or ial Day. Facu lty and staff holi d ay.
May 29 Last day to regi st er for 10-week sem es ter classes and pay fees, 5 p.m.
Re fer to Finance.tamu.edu/sbs for tu i tion and fee due dates.
June 2 First day of 10-week sem es ter classes.
June 5 Last day for add ing/drop ping courses for the 10-week se mest er, 5 p.m.
July 4 In de pend ence Day.
July 6 No 10-week se mes ter classes.
July 10 Last day to ap ply for de grees to be awarded in Au gust with out a late fee, 5 p.m.
Re fer to Finance.tamu.edu/sbs for tu i tion and fee due dates.
July 21 Last day for all stu dents to drop courses with no pen alty for the 10-week se mest er (Q-drop), 5 p.m.
Last day to of fi cially with draw from the Uni ver sity for the 10-week se mest er, 5 p.m.
Au gust 10 Last day of 10-week sem es ter classes.
Last day to ap ply for all de grees awarded in Aug ust.
Au gust 11–12 10-week se mes ter fi nal ex am i na tions for all stu dents.
Au gust 13 Grades for deg ree cand id ates, 10 a.m.
Au gust 14 Last day for Aug ust und er grad u ate de gree can di dates to ap ply for Tu i tion Re bate, 5 p.m.
Au gust 15 Com mence ment and Com mis sion ing. 9 a.m.
Au gust 17 Fin al grades for 10-week se mest er due, 10 a.m.
4
ADMINISTRATION
Board of Regents
Phil Ada ms, Chairman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bryan/Col lege Sta tion, Texas
Cliff Thomas, Vice Chairman . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vic to ria, Texas
Ant hony G. Buzbee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Friendswood, Texas
Morr is E. Fost er . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aus tin, Texas
Elaine Mendoza . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . San An to nio, Texas
Judy Mor gan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Texarkana, Texas
Charles W. Schwartz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
Jim Schwertner. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aus tin, Texas
John D. White . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
Nich o las Madere (Stu dent Re gent) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Austin, Texas
The Texas A&M University System Administrative Officers*
Chan cel lor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Sharp
Ex ec u tive Vice Chan cel lor and CFO. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Billy Hamilton
Gen eral Coun sel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ray Bonilla
Vice Chan cell or for Fede ral and State Re lat ions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tommy Williams
Vice Chan cel lor for Ac a demic Af fairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Hallmark
Acti ng Vice Chanc ell or and Acti ng Dean of Agr ic ult ure and Life Scie nces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bill Dugas
Vice Chanc ell or and Dean of Eng in eeri ng . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M. Kath er ine Banks
Vice Chan cel lor for Mar ket ing and Com mu ni ca tions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Steve Moore
Vice Chan cel lor for Re search. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jon Mogford
Chief Busi ness De vel op ment Of fi cer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Phillip Ray
Chief In for ma tion Of fi cer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark Stone
Trea surer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maria L. Robinson
Chief Au di tor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Catherine A. Smock
Vice Chan cel lor Emer i tus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frank B. Ashley III
Vice Chan cel lor Emer i tus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Stanton C. Calvert
In terim Pres i dent, Texas A&M Uni ver sity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mark A. Hussey
Pres i dent, Prai rie View A&M Uni ver sity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . George C. Wright
Pres i dent, Tarleton State Uni vers ity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F. Dominic Dottavio
Pres i dent, Texas A&M In ter na tional Uni ver sity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ray M. Keck
Pres i dent, Texas A&M Uni ver sity-Cor pus Christi. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Flavius C. Killebrew
Pres i dent, Texas A&M Uni ver sity-Kingsville. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ste ven H. Tallant
Presi d ent, West Texas A&M Univ ers ity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . J. Pat rick O’Brien
Pres i dent, Texas A&M Uni ver sity-Com merce. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dan R. Jones
Pres i dent, Texas A&M Uni ver sity-Texarkana. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Em ily F. Cutrer
Presi d ent, Texas A&M Univ ers ity-Cent ral Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Marc A. Nigliazzo
Pres i dent, Texas A&M Uni ver sity-San An to nio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Maria Hernandez Ferrier
Di rec tor, Texas AgriLife Res earch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Craig L. Nessler
Di rec tor, Texas AgriLife Ext ens ion Serv ice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Douglas Steele
Dir ect or, Texas Eng in eeri ng Exp eri m ent Stat ion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . M. Kath er ine Banks
Di rec tor, Texas En gi neer ing Ex ten sion Ser vice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gary F. Sera
Di rec tor, Texas For est Ser vice. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Thomas G. Boggus
Di rec tor, Texas Trans por ta tion In sti tute. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Denn is L. Christiansen
Dir ect or, Texas Vete ri n ary Medi c al Dia gn ost ic Labo r at ory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tammy Beckham
5
Texas A&M University at Galveston
Board of Visitors
Denn is E. Murphree (Chairm an). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
Rob ert A. Fry, Jr. (Vice Chair man) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pas a dena, Texas
Wade Batt les . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
Greg Binion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
Chris to pher S. Cahill. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Galveston, Texas
James C. Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
Mi chael Cokinos. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
Robb Erickson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
Thomas E. Farmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Galveston, Texas
G. Allen Flynt . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
Art hur Damon Gowan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Galveston, Texas
Paul Hill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . League City, Texas
Mike Hopkins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brenham, Texas
Randolph W. House. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Col lege Sta tion, Texas
Pet er D. Huddleston . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
Char lie Jenkins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
Will iam E. Jenkins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
Mark Lyo ns . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Texas City, Texas
Ross D. Mar graves, Jr.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
Betty Massey. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Galveston, Texas
Keith McFatridge, Jr.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Galveston, Texas
James P. McGregor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
John J. Mic hael. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
Phyl lis Milstein. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Galveston, Texas
B. Greg Mitche ll. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . La Jolla, Cal i for nia
Frank M. Mull er, Jr. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
L.C. Neely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . San An to nio, Texas
Brandon Hal Neff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . San An to nio, Texas
Bruce Nichols . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aus tin, Texas
Chris Orth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
Vict or R. Pierson . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ja maica Beach, Texas
James E. Pozzi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Galveston, Texas
Wayne H. Prescott . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aus tin, Texas
Terry Ray. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brownsville, Texas
Brian Roy, Jr.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Spring, Texas
Robe rt T. Sakowitz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
Will iam G. Schub ert. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Pinehurst, Texas
Alb ert P. Shann on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Galveston, Texas
Kelley Sullivan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
Kelly Teichman. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Galveston, Texas
Tyson T. Voelkel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hous ton, Texas
Kris Anne Vogelpohl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Galveston, Texas
Jon a than Whitworth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . North Van cou ver, Brit ish Co lum bia
Administrative Officers
Robe rt Smith III. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chief Ex ec u tive Of fi cer
Su per in ten dent, Texas A&M Mar i time Acad emy
Vice Presi d ent, Texas A&M Uni vers ity
Patr ick Louchouarn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice Pres i dent for Ac a demic Af fairs
and Chief Ac a demic Of fic er
As so ci ate Pro vost, Texas A&M Uni ver sity
Donna C. Lang . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice Pres i dent for Ac a demic Op er a tions
Su san Hernandez Lee . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Vice Presi d ent for Fin ance and Comp li ance Officer
Grant W. Shallenberger . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . As so ci ate Vice Pres i dent
for Ad min is tra tion and Aux il iary Ser vices
Tammy L. Holliday . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . As so ci ate Vice Pres i dent
for Re search Op er a tions
Antonietta S. Quigg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . As so ci ate Vice Pres i dent
for Res earch and Gradu a te Studi es
Todd Sutherl and . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . As sis tant Vice Pres i dent for Stu dent Affairs
6
University Statement on Harassment and Discrimination
Texas A&M Uni vers ity at Galveston is com mit ted to prov idi ng an edu c at ional and work clim ate that is cond uc ive to the per-
sonal and prof ess ional dev elo pm ent of each ind iv idu al. To fulf ill its mult i ple miss ions as an ins ti tut ion of higher learni ng, Texas
A&M en cour ages a cli mate that val ues and nur tures col le gi al ity, di ver sity, plu ral ism and the unique ness of the in di vid ual within
our State, nat ion and world. The Uni vers ity also strives to prot ect the rights and privi l eges, and to enh ance the self-est eem of all its
mem bers. Facu lty, staff and stud ents should be aware that any form of har ass ment and any form of il leg al disc rim in at ion against
any ind iv idu al is inc ons is tent with the valu es and idea ls of the Univ ers ity com mun ity. Any quest ions or com plaints rela t ive to dis-
crim in at ion should be ref erred to the Hum an Re sources Of fice.
Admission Statement and Policy on Individuals with Disabling Conditions
Texas A&M Uni ver sity at Galveston has a strong in sti tu tional comm itm ent to the prin ci ple of div er sity in all ar eas. In that
spirit, adm iss ion to Texas A&M Uni vers ity and any of its spons ored prog rams is open to all quali f ied ind iv idu a ls. Texas A&M
does not disc rim in ate on the ba sis of an ind iv idu al’s dis abil ity and com plies with Sect ion 504 of the Reh ab il it at ion Act of 1973,
and the Ameri c ans with Dis abil it ies Act (ADA) as amended in its ad miss ions, ac ces si bil ity, treat ment and emp loym ent of stu -
dents in its prog rams and act ivi t ies. Serv ices and fa cil it ies are avail able to stud ents with handi c aps. Ind iv idu a ls should cont act the
Of fice of Stud ent Aff airs if they have spe cial needs be fore they comm it to en roll ment.
GENERAL INFORMATION
Texas A&M Uni ver sity at Galveston (TAMUG) is an ocean-orie nted camp us of fer ing ac ad emic deg rees, re search, con tin u -
ing edu c at ion and publ ic serv ice in mar ine sci ence, eng in eeri ng, busin ess, transp ort at ion and libe ral arts. Be cause TAMUG is a
branch cam pus of Texas A&M Uni vers ity (TAMU) in Col lege Stat ion, stud ents rec eive their de grees from Texas A&M Uni ver-
sity. TAMUG in cludes the Texas A&M Mar it ime Acad emy, one of only six state mar it ime train ing acad e mies in the United States
and the only one loc ated on the Gulf of Mexi co. It is also the only traini ng acade my af fil ia ted with a comprehensive research and
teaching university.
TAMUG is loc ated near the mouth of Galveston Bay with close ac cess to the Gulf of Mexi co. Most ins truc tional prog rams
are taught at the 130-acre Mitche ll Cam pus on Pel ic an Is land (with housi ng for 1,388 stud ents). The 10-acre Offatts Bayou Cam -
pus houses the Cent er for Ma rine Traini ng and Safety and student recreational facilities.
Stu dents who com plete the ac ad emic pro grams of Texas A&M Uni ver sity at Galveston (TAMUG) are awarded the de gree
of Texas A&M Uni vers ity (Coll ege Stat ion). Theref ore, stud ents enr olled in Texas A&M Uni vers ity at Galveston must adh ere to
the same bas ic aca d emic req uire ments as stu dents en rolled at Texas A&M Uni ver sity (Coll ege Stat ion). Stud ents are ad vised of
these req uire ments and are enc oura ged to be fam il iar with the Univ ers ity Rules.
Stud ents are re quired to com plete the courses listed in a curr ic ul um; howe ver, the disp lay of a curr ic ul um does not nece ss ar-
ily ind ic ate the length of time req uired to com plete the deg ree re quire ments. Rather, this dis play is int ended as a guide to ind ic ate
the pref erred or der for com plet ion of deg ree re quire ments. Exc ept ions to cert ain req uire ments may be made by pet i tion, through
the De part ment Head to the Vice Pres id ent for Ac ad emic Ope r at ions or designee.
This cata l og was prep ared in adv ance of its eff ec tive date; theref ore, the course de script ions may vary from act ual course
cont ent. The prov is ions of this cata l og do not cons ti tute a cont ract, exp ress or imp lied, bet ween any app li cant, stud ent, facu lty or
staff memb er of Texas A&M Univ er sity or The Texas A&M Univ er sity Sys tem. This cata l og is for inf orm at ional purp oses only. The
univ er sity res erves the right to change or alt er any statem ent herein witho ut prior not ice. This cata l og should not be int er preted to
all ow a stud ent that beg ins his or her edu c at ion und er the cat al og to cont inue the prog ram und er the prov is ions in the cat al og.
Academic Programs
TAMUG pro vides un der grad u ate ac a demic in struc tion in ma rine and mar i time-re lated de gree pro grams in Ma rine Bi ol ogy
(MARB), Ma rine Sci ences (MARS), Ma rine En gi neer ing Tech nol ogy (MARR), Ma rine Trans por ta tion (MART), Ma rine Fish er -
ies (MARF), Mar i time Ad min is tra tion (MARA), Mar i time Stud ies (MAST), Off shore and Coastal Sys tems En gi neer ing
(OCSE), Ocean and Coastal Re sources (OCRE) and Univ ers ity Studi es (USGA). A 5-year pro gram is of fered to all ow OCRE ma-
jors to en ter the Mast er of Ma rine Res ources Man agem ent (MARM) de gree, com bini ng their sen ior year of OCRE with the first
year of MARM. An other 5-year pro gram is of fered to al low MARA maj ors to en ter the Mas ter of Mar it ime Ad mini s tra tion and
Log ist ics (MMAL) deg ree prog ram, also com bini ng their sen ior year of und er gradu a te courses with mast ers level courses to re -
duce the overa ll course load. All stud ents com plete the Univ ers ity Core Curr ic ul um req uire ments set by TAMU to ensure a
broad-based education.
TAMUG also ad min ist ers a Mas ter of Ma rine Re sources Man age ment (MARM) deg ree, a Mas ter and Doc tor ate in Mar ine
Bi ol ogy and a Mas ter of Mar i time Ad min is tra tion and Lo gis tics (MMAL). Other co op er a tive grad u ate de gree pro grams, at both
the mast er and doc tor ate lev els, are in place with the de part ments of Wild life and Fish er ies Scie nces, Ocean og ra phy and Bio l ogy
at TAMU. The Texas A&M Mar it ime Acad emy is head quar tered on the Galveston Camp us.
7
Academic Facilities
Classr ooms, labo r at or ies and meet ing spaces are housed within 18 maj or buildi ngs on the Mitche ll Cam pus. There are seven
res id ence halls on camp us, a phys ic al ed u cat ion fa cili ty, and the Mary Moody Northen Stu dent Cen ter with caf et er ia ser vices. The
Jack K. Wil liams Li brary cont ains over 43,000 books, 35,000 bound volu mes of journ als and a coll ec tion of charts and maps. Pub -
lic ac cess com pute rs in the Lib rary guide the user to the holdi ngs of the Wil liams Li brary, the Galveston Bay bibl i ogr ap hy and
many other li brary cat al ogs and com pute ri zed dat ab ases. The Univ ers ity traini ng ship, in add it ion to bei ng a float ing cam pus dur-
ing sum mer cruises, prov ides add it ional classr oom, meet ing and traini ng space duri ng the school year. TAMUG has telec om mu -
ni ca tions sys tems es tab lished to com mu ni cate state wide within the Texas A&M Uni ver sity Sys tem uni ver si ties and agen cies.
TAMUG has dir ect acc ess to the TAMU computer network in College Station via remote job entry connect lines.
Research Programs
Facu lty, post-doct oral fell ows, res earch staff and stud ents are act ively inv olved in res earch througho ut the world. Re search
is cond ucted und er the dir ect ion of more than 30 fac ulty mem bers with fundi ng from fede ral, state, priv ate and univ ers ity sources
in clud ing the Na tional Sci ence Foun da tion, Na tional Oce anic and At mo spheric Ad min is tra tion, De part ment of the In te rior, Na-
tional In sti tutes of Health, U.S. De part ment of Trans por ta tion, Na tional Un der sea Re search Pro gram, De part ment of En ergy, En-
vi ron men tal Pro tect ion Agency, Texas Gen eral Land Of fice, Texas Parks and Wild life, Texas De part ment of State Health
Serv ices, Welch Found at ion, CONACYT, McDaniel Found at ion, Nat ional Speleological Soc ie ty, Texas Ins ti tute of Oceano gr a-
phy and Res earch Dev elo pm ent Fund. Ext er nally funded res earch exp end it ures were about $4.3 mil lion. Tot al res earch exp end i-
tures were over $5.3 mil lion.
Res earch enc om passes both the bas ic and app lied as pects of fields such as mar ine bio lo gy, oceano gr ap hy, coastal/ocean en-
gi neer ing, ma rine ge ol ogy, ma rine pol icy and man age ment, en vi ron men tal stud ies, con ser va tion, busi ness, ad mi ralty law and
coastal zone man age ment. Re search is fo cused largely in the ar eas of coastal and beach pro cesses (e.g., physi c al pro fili ng of
coastal reg ions and eros ion proc esses and cont rol), mar ine life studi es (e.g., mar ine mam mal, fish, shellf ish, alg ae and sea turt le
bi ol ogy and ecol ogy), bay and es tu ary eco sys tems (e.g., wetlands man age ment and toxic con tam i nant anal y sis), geo chem i cal cy-
cling in ma rine/aquatic/at mo spheric sys tems and off shore/deep water en vi ron ments.
TAMUG of fers a M.S. (the sis or non-the sis) and Ph.D. in Mar ine Bi olo gy, both a thes is and non-thes is Mas ter of Ma rine Re-
source Mana gem ent de gree and a the sis and non-thes is Mas ter of Mari t ime Adm ini st ra tion and Log ist ics de gree. There are over
90 stud ents part ici p ati ng in these prog rams. Many of the facu lty re searche rs also have gradu a te app oint ments in TAMUG and/or
TAMU de part ments. App roxi m ately 40 M.S. and Ph.D. gradu a te stud ents from the TAMU de part ments of Wildl ife and Fishe ri es
Sci ences, Ocean og ra phy, Eco sys tem Sci ence and Man age ment, Ocean/Civil En gi neer ing, Bi ol ogy and An thro pol ogy are con-
duct ing their res earch un der a TAMUG facu lty mem ber.
Und er gradu a te stud ents at TAMUG have many opp ort un it ies to part ici p ate in re search, such as the Texas Ins ti tute of Ocean-
og ra phy Un der grad u ate Stu dent Re search Pro gram, work ing as stu dent work ers and tech ni cians on funded re search pro grams,
tak ing in de pend ent study classes or par tic i pat ing in the Un der grad u ate Re search Schol ars Pro gram. Un der grad u ate stu dents may
work in the labo r at ory and at field sites througho ut the world, part ici p ate in re search cruises, prese nt res ults at loc al, nat ional and
in ter na tional meet ings, and serve as au thors on pub li ca tions.
Mission Statement
Texas A&M Uni ver sity at Galveston is a spe cial-pur pose in sti tu tion of higher ed u ca tion for un der grad u ate and grad u ate in-
struc tion in mar ine and mari t ime studi es in scie nce, eng in eeri ng and busin ess and for res earch and publ ic serv ice rel ated to the
gene ral field of mar ine res ources. The ins ti tut ion is und er the mana gem ent and cont rol of the Board of Re gents of The Texas A&M
Univ ers ity Syst em, with deg rees of fered und er the name and aut hori ty of Texas A&M University at College Station.
Academic Year
The aca d emic year is div ided into the fall and spring se mest ers and the sum mer sess ion which cons ists of two terms of five
weeks each or one 10-week summ er semester.
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University Core Curriculum
The Texas A&M Core Curr ic ul um, in com pli ance with the Texas Core Curr ic ul um, prov ides stud ents with a found at ion of
knowle dge of hum an cul tures and the physi c al and nat ur al world, de velo ps princ ip les of pers onal and soc ial re spons ib il ity for liv-
ing in a div erse world, and ad vances in tell ect ual and prac tic al skills that are es sen tial for all learn ing. The Core Cur ric u lum en-
hances the ind iv idu al de gree prog ram and univ ers ity gradu a t ion req uire ments, and all three are as must be met by eve ry stud ent.
Given the rapid evol ut ion of nece ss ary knowle dge and skills and the need to take into ac count global, nat ional, state, and lo-
cal cult ures, the core curr ic ul um ens ures that stud ents will dev elop the es sent ial knowle dge and skills they need to be suc cessf ul in
coll ege, in a car eer, in their com mun it ies, and in life. The core curr ic ul um acts to enr ich and broaden the Univ ers ity’s tra dit ion of
prov idi ng thoro ugh prepa r at ion in each stud ent’s ac ad emic maj or and prep ari ng stud ents for a life time of learni ng.
The Uni vers ity Core Curr ic ul um req uire ments are de scribed in the sect ion that foll ows. These req uire ments must be met by
eve ry stud ent ent er ing Texas A&M Uni vers ity on or aft er the 2014 fall sem est er. Stud ents ent er ing earl ier will be guided by the
core curr ic ul um in the cata l og upon which they ent ered the univ ers ity. Ind iv idu al de gree prog rams may req uire that specifi c
courses from the core curr ic ul um be used to sati sfy core curr ic ul um req uire ments. Please check with ind iv idu al prog ram adv is ors
for det ails. Stud ents transf err ing course credit to sat isfy the Core Curr ic ul um req uire ments should re fer to the Texas Com mon
Course Num beri ng Syst em (see last page of this cata l og).
The core curr ic ul um foc uses on the dev elo pm ent of six skills that have been shown to be ef fect ive in prep ari ng stud ents for
the job mark et and their role in a di verse world and dem oc ratic soc ie ty.
• Crit i cal Think ing Skills – to in clude cre ative think ing, in no va tion, in quiry, and anal y sis, eval u a tion and syn the sis of
in for ma tion.
• Com mu ni ca tion Skills – to in clude ef fec tive de vel op ment, in ter pre ta tion and ex pres sion of ideas through writ ten,
oral and vi sual com mu ni ca tion.
• Em pir i cal and Quan ti ta tive Skills – to in clude the ma nip u la tion and anal y sis of nu mer i cal data or ob serv able facts
re sult ing in in formed con clu sions.
• Team work – to inc lude the abil ity to cons ider dif fere nt points of view and to work ef fect ively with othe rs to supp ort
a shared purp ose or goal.
• Per sonal Re spon si bil ity – to inc lude the abil ity to conn ect choices, act ions and cons eq uences to ethi c al
de ci sion-mak ing.
• So cial Re spon si bil ity – to inc lude intercultural com pet ence, knowl edge of civic res pons ib il ity, and the abili ty to
en gage ef fec tively in re gional, na tional, and global com mu ni ties.
Stud ents dev elop and pract ice these skills in the cont ext of 42 sem est er credit hours ass igned to eight Found at ional Com po -
nent Are as, each made up of a sel ec tion of courses that meet the defi n it ion prov ided by the Texas Core Curr ic ul um. The courses
that com prise each of these Found at ional Com pon ent Are as can be found at core.tamu.edu.
Com mu ni ca tion – 6 SCH
Courses in this cate g ory foc us on de velo pi ng ideas and exp ress ing them clearly, cons ide ri ng the ef fect ive of the mess age,
fost er ing und ers tandi ng, and buildi ng the skills needed to com mun ic ate pers uas ively. Courses inv olve the com mand of oral, au-
ral, writ ten, and vis ual lite ra cy skills that ena ble peop le to exc hange mess ages app rop ria te to the subj ect, occ as ion, and aud ie nce.
The fol lowi ng skills will be add ressed in the courses that com prise this area: crit ic al thinki ng, com mun ic at ion, team work, and
per sonal re spon si bil ity.
Math e mat ics – 6 SCH (Note: Applicable courses are listed in the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board course
inventory as meeting either the Mathematics or the Component Area Option Foundational Component Area.)
Courses in this cate g ory foc us on quant i tat ive lite ra cy in logic, patt erns, and re lat ions hips. Courses inv olve the und ers tand -
ing of key math e mat i cal con cepts and the ap pli ca tion of ap pro pri ate quan ti ta tive tools to ev ery day ex pe ri ences. The fol low ing
skills will be ad dressed in the courses that comp rise this area: crit ic al think ing, comm un i ca tion, and emp ir ic al and quan tit a tive.
Life and Phys i cal Sci ences – 9 SCH (Applicable courses are listed in the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board
course inventory as meeting either the Life and Physical Sciences or the Component Area Option Foundational Component
Area.)
Courses in this cat e gory fo cus on de scrib ing, ex plain ing, and pre dict ing nat u ral phe nom ena us ing the sci en tific method.
Courses in volve the un der stand ing of in ter ac tions among nat u ral phe nom ena and the im pli ca tions of sci en tific prin ci ples on the
physi c al world and on hum an exp er ie nces. The foll owi ng skills will be add ressed in the courses that com prise this area: crit ic al
think ing, com mu ni ca tion, em pir i cal and quan ti ta tive, and team work.
Lang uage, Phil oso phy and Cult ure – 3 SCH
Courses in this cate g ory foc us on how ideas, val ues, be liefs, and other asp ects of cul ture exp ress and af fect hum an exp er i-
ence. Courses inv olve the exp lor at ion of ideas that fost er aes thetic and int el lec tual crea tion in ord er to und ers tand the hum an con-
di tion across cult ures. The fol low ing skills will be ad dressed in the courses that comp rise this area: crit ic al think ing,
com mu ni ca tion, so cial re spon si bil ity, and per sonal re spon si bil ity.
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Crea tive Arts – 3 SCH
Courses in this cate g ory foc us on the app rec ia t ion and analy s is of crea tive art i facts and works of the hum an imagi n at ion.
Courses in volve the syn the sis and in ter pre ta tion of ar tis tic ex pres sion and en able crit i cal, cre ative, and in no va tive com mu ni ca -
tion about works of art. The fol lowi ng skills will be add ressed in the courses that com prise this area: crit ic al thinki ng, com mun ic a-
tion, team work, and soc ial re spons ib il ity.
Ameri c an Hist ory – 6 SCH
Courses in this cate g ory foc us on the cons ide ra tion of past events and ideas rel at ive to the United States, with the opt ion of
in clud ing Texas His tory for a por tion of this com po nent area. Courses in volve the in ter ac tion among in di vid u als, com mu ni ties,
states, the nat ion, and the world, cons ide ri ng how these int er act ions have cont ribu ted to the de velo pm ent of the United States and
its global role. The foll owi ng skills will be add ressed in the courses that com prise this area: crit ic al thinki ng, com mun ic at ion, so-
cial re spon si bil ity, and per sonal re spon si bil ity.
Gov ern ment/Po lit i cal Sci ence – 6 SCH
Courses in this cate g ory foc us on cons ide ra tion of the Cons ti tut ion of the United States and the cons ti tut ions of the states,
with spe cial em pha sis on that of Texas. Courses in volve the anal y sis of gov ern men tal in sti tu tions, po lit i cal be hav ior, civic en-
gagem ent, and their pol iti c al and philos ophi c al found at ions. The foll owi ng skills will be add ressed in the courses that com prise
this area: crit i cal think ing, com mu ni ca tion, so cial re spon si bil ity, and per sonal re spon si bil ity.
Soc ial and Beh avi oral Scie nces – 3 SCH
Courses in this cate g ory foc us on the app li cat ion of em piri c al and scie nt ific metho ds that cont ribu te to the und ers tandi ng of
what makes us hu man. Courses in volve the ex plo ra tion of be hav ior and in ter ac tions among in di vid u als, groups, in sti tu tions, and
events, exa m ini ng their im pact on the ind iv idu al, soc ie ty, and cul ture. The fol lowi ng skills will be add ressed in the courses that
com prise this area: crit i cal think ing, com mu ni ca tion, em pir i cal and quan ti ta tive, and so cial re spon si bil ity.
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