My son received his PSA offer from TAMU. We are interested in him attending Tarleton (as he is too). He has to complete specific course requirements from the approved TAMU program-specific degree plans, 24 transferable hours in residence at a single system school during Spring and Fall, maintain the GPA and submit transfer application by March 2020 deadline. Ok, great got it. However, when I pull up the “course requirements” it says he needs 8 hours of approved math courses and 8 hours of approved science courses. Will he need to take these 16 hours of “required” courses BEFORE he can start the PSA program or can he take them while attending Tarleton?
@CYPRESSmom What’s his major? I’ll go look. But I’m assuming he takes a math and science each semester definitely not before he starts the program. I’ve never heard of such…
@AggieMomhelp it’s engineering
Early math classes, e.g., Math 151 and 152 or Tarleton equivalents are 4 credit hour classes apiece. Also, standard early chem plus chem lab is 4 hours, for example. Aren’t they just breaking math and science out to make sure they’re taken along with unspecified 16 additional credit hours during two semesters at the PSA school?
@CypressMom , I’m with @MomHopesNxtGenAg . Those courses in bold print are a required part of the 24 hours. The only classes your son might have to take before starting PSA would be prerequisites.http://catalog.tarleton.edu/courses/math/ I think TSI (placement tests, ACT/SAT scores) may impact that. https://www.tarleton.edu/admissions/TSI.html
Definitely talk to an advisor.
@CypressMom If your son is going to major in engineering he will need a 3.25 GPA to transfer through PSA. Last year my son was offered PSA and he chose to go the Engineering Academy route. At the Academy you are co-enrolled and there are many other advantages over the PSA route. A 3.25 is extremely difficult to get. I started this thread last year. Look it over and let me know if you have any questions. http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/texas-m-university/2062343-engineering-academies-p1.html
Also, PSA doesn’t offer the freshman engineering course. So if your son makes it to TAMU for his second year, he will have to take the freshman course then. He will then be able to apply to his major (ETAM) in April of his sophomore year. At the Academy you take the engineering course through TAMU and participate in ETAM your freshman year just like the CS kids do.
@trinley how can he get into the Engineering Academy route? It was not offered to him.
@CypressMom http://talk.qa.collegeconfidential.com/texas-m-university/2062343-engineering-academies-p1.html
@CypressMom Two engineering academies are admissions decisions; Engineering Academy Blinn Bryan and McAllen Engineering Academy. Other engineering academies one applies to independently. There is one in Dallas, Houston, San Antonio, and Blinn Brenham. Blinn Brenham gets the Aggie Banner, can purchase a sports pass etc. https://engineering.tamu.edu/academics/academies/index.html
The academies would be a better choice over PSA for Engineering majors.
I don’t currently believe that McAllen engineering is an Academy but is more like Engineering to Galveston, that is, full admission with possibility to transition to CSTAT through the ETAM process. McAllen also offers a few engineering degrees that can be pursued in totality there at McAllen. I think all admission to McAllen engineering majors is handled through TAMU main admissions, yes.