Tyler Junior College (TJC) is the latest college to partner with Texas A&M University as part of their engineering academy program. Students enrolled in the program are dually enrolled at Texas A&M and one of nine partner community colleges throughout the state of Texas. Students are able to take courses at partner colleges including mathematics, science, and core curriculum courses, while also completing engineering courses taught by Texas A&M faculty on the partner college’s campus. In addition to the TJC partnership, other engineering academy programs include:
- Alamo Colleges District
- Austin Community College
- Blinn College District
- Dallas College
- Houston Community College
- Midland College
- South Texas College
- Tarrant County College
Texas A&M hopes that by expanding the engineering academies it will help fulfill the need for engineers in the state. “There’s a high need for engineers and this is a way to really address that high need throughout the state and country,” said Juan Mejia, president and CEO of TJC, in a press release. The sentiment was echoed by John Sharp, chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, who said, “We need 50,000 engineers just in Texas in the next three or four years and so we have to produce more, even though we’re the largest engineering school in the country.”
Texas A&M recently ranked in the top 10 engineering schools in the nation, according to a US News & World Report in 2023. Students can submit their application to join the TJC engineering academy by 31 July 2023, with enrollment set to begin in fall 2023.