Engineering Academy offers unique pathway to a Texas A&M engineering degree

Program allows students to pursue their engineering degree while co-enrolled at Texas A&M and Blinn

February 8, 2018

When Peter Blank received his acceptance letter into Texas A&M University’s College of Engineering, it included an opportunity he simply couldn’t pass up.

The Old Saybrook, Conn., native was invited to enroll in the Texas A&M Engineering Academy at the Blinn College-Bryan Campus, a unique co-enrollment partnership between Texas A&M and Blinn that allows students to take their engineering courses on the Texas A&M campus and their remaining coursework at Blinn-Bryan.

“Something about the Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Blinn-Bryan really intrigued me,” Blank said. “My parents and I spoke with advisors to get more details about the program, and I was convinced it was the route I wanted to take.”

Introduced in Fall 2013, the Engineering Academy at Blinn-Bryan has offered hundreds of students an alternate pathway to an engineering degree from Texas A&M. Engineering Academy students can take up to five credit hours each semester at Texas A&M, and their math, science, and core curriculum courses through Blinn. Smaller class sizes and access to resources from both campuses ensure students excel in their coursework.

“These students really build true friendships in this program,” Blinn Engineering Programs Director Ashley Hermes said. “Students take their courses at Blinn together, which helps them get to know their classmates very well, creating a built-in support system. They are essentially creating a family while away at college.”

Engineering Academy students have two years to successfully gain admission into one the 18 different engineering degree granting majors within the College of Engineering. Once a student is accepted into an engineering major at Texas A&M, they must complete the calculus sequence required by that major before fully transitioning to the university.

Similar to all freshman engineering students at Texas A&M, admission to a major is competitive and not guaranteed. However, Engineering Academy students who complete all program requirements with a minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 2.5 will be guaranteed full admission to Texas A&M.

Students who participate in the Engineering Academy at Blinn-Bryan save between $1,500 and $2,000 per semester. Additionally, Blinn offers a variety of scholarships, including the Texas – Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (T-STEM) Challenge Scholarship for students from a Texas high school who graduated with a minimum 3.0 grade point average.

“I am very pleased with how well Texas A&M and Blinn have come together to provide a great learning opportunity,” said Blank, who is in his second year with the Academy. “It has eased me into the college lifestyle at a lower cost to me and my family. I honestly do not think I would be where I am right now if I had not enrolled in the Engineering Academy.”

The Engineering Academy at Blinn-Bryan is one of many collaborative, co-enrollment partnerships held between Texas A&M and Blinn. Other programs include the Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Blinn-Brenham, a living and learning community for engineering students on the Brenham Campus, and the Texas A&M-Blinn Transfer Enrollment at A&M (TEAM) Program, which allows students to take one general academic course at Texas A&M each semester and the remainder of their courses at Blinn-Bryan.

In addition to Engineering Academy, Blinn offers two 60-credit hour engineering degrees: an Associate of Science degree in engineering and an Associate of Science degree with a Field of Study in engineering. These programs prepare students to pursue any type of engineering career, including specialties such as aerospace, biomedical, civil, electrical, mechanical, petroleum, and more.

For more information regarding the Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Blinn-Bryan, visit: www.blinn.edu/engineering-academy-bryan