Engineering Academy Blinn-Brenham FAQs
The Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Blinn-Brenham offers students the opportunity to apply directly to the Engineering Academy and, upon acceptance, co-enroll at Blinn and Texas A&M. These Academy students will participate in a living and learning community, where they will take their first-year math, science, and engineering courses on the Brenham Campus together while living as a community in Mill Creek Hall.
Students who successfully complete the Academy by the first Summer term following their second year with a minimum Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) of 2.5 at both institutions as calculated by Texas A&M will automatically be admitted into Texas A&M for the following Fall term and can apply for a degree-granting major in the Texas A&M College of Engineering.
In the Brenham Campus program, students will live together in Mill Creek Hall or Prairie Lea Hall on campus and will take all their Engineering Academy classes (math, science, and engineering) together as a cohort. Engineering courses will be taught by a Texas A&M College of Engineering faculty member; therefore, Academy students on the Brenham Campus will not have to commute to the Texas A&M Campus in College Station.
Blinn-Bryan Academy students take their Blinn courses at Blinn's Walter C. Schwartz Building at the RELLIS Campus located in Bryan. Engineering Academy students take all their Engineering Academy classes together, but the Blinn-Bryan program does not offer a campus living option for these participants – these students live off campus and commute between the RELLIS Campus and Texas A&M University for their courses.
The admission process is another key difference between the two programs. Admission to the Engineering Academy at Blinn-Brenham offers students an opportunity to apply directly to the Blinn-Brenham Campus via the ApplyTexas application. First-time and continuing college students who are pre-calculus or calculus ready (having completed MATH 1316, scored at least a 25 on the Math section of
To participate in the Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Blinn-Bryan, students must apply to Texas A&M via the freshman ApplyTexas application. Entry to the Academy is by invitation only and this offer will be made by the Texas A&M Office of Admissions.
Students from both programs who successfully complete their Engineering Academy experience and meet qualifications will automatically be admitted into Texas A&M and can apply for a degree-granting major in the College of Engineering.
An option to apply for early transition into an engineering degree-granting major is available for Academy students who have completed a minimum of two math, two science, and two engineering courses required for an engineering major, and have earned a minimum 2.5 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) at Blinn College and a minimum 2.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) at Texas A&M, as calculated by Texas A&M. This option, “ETAM,” is available at the end of the first Spring term, second Fall term, and second Spring term.
Successful program completion requires that students meet the following requirements by the end of the first Summer session following the second year of enrollment in the Engineering Academy:
- completion of at least 48 transferable hours from Blinn College-Brenham with a minimum 2.5 CGPA as calculated by Texas A&M.
- completion of at least 9 hours of engineering coursework from Texas A&M with a minimum 2.5 CGPA
Upon successful completion, students can apply for a change of curriculum into a degree-granting major at Texas A&M. Advisors for the Engineering Academy will help engineering students identify majors in or outside the College of Engineering that are suitable for their academic goals and CGPA competitiveness.
Yes, the primary pathway to a degree-granting major in the College of Engineering is the entry-to-a-major process. Engineering students in the Engineering Academy program may apply to a degree-granting major upon meeting two eligibility requirements:
- Must be in good academic standing in the Engineering Academy, which implies a minimum 2.5 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) at Blinn College and a minimum 2.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) at Texas A&M, as calculated by Texas A&M, and
- Complete at least two math, two science, and two engineering courses. Detailed information can be found on the Engineering Academy Entry-to-a-Major website.
Upon entry to a degree-granting major in the College of Engineering, an engineering student in the Engineering Academy may choose to remain co-enrolled at Blinn College-Brenham until the completion of the two-year program. Engineering students remaining at Blinn after being granted entry to a major will be advised by the advisor in the degree-granting major as well as the Engineering Academy advisor.
No. However, students who complete at least two math, two science, and two engineering courses and earn a 3.75 cumulative GPA or higher at each institution for the first ETAM cycle are guaranteed entry to the first choice engineering major at the end of their first year. Detailed information can be found on the Engineering Academy Entry-to-a-Major website.
Upon entry to a degree-granting major in the College of Engineering, an engineering student in the Engineering Academy may choose to remain co-enrolled at Blinn College-Brenham for an additional semester or until the completion of the two-year program. Engineering students remaining at Blinn after being granted entry to a major will be advised by the advisor in the degree-granting major as well as the Engineering Academy advisor.
Engineering Academy at Blinn-Brenham students will pay fewer fees than Academy students on the RELLIS Campus because they will not be charged fees associated with the use of on-campus facilities at Texas A&M.
Tuition/fees are assessed separately by Blinn College and Texas A&M University and are payable to each school based on the number of credit hours taken. An Academy student taking 15 credit hours (5 credit hours at Texas A&M and 10 credit hours at Blinn) will save approximately $3,000 compared to a student taking all 15 credit hours at Texas A&M.
Additional information on tuition/fees for Texas A&M University can be found at using Student Business Services Tuition Estimator. Information on tuition/fees for Blinn College can be found in the College Catalog.
Students accepted to the Engineering Academy will be required to pay the respective tuition and fees separately at both institutions, pro-rated as appropriate based on the semester credit hours enrolled at each institution, by the established deadlines.
Students will be considered in-absentia at Texas A&M University and therefore not subject to the Recreation Sports Fee, the Health Center Fee, and the Student Center Complex Fee.
Engineering Academy at Blinn-Brenham students will be required to participate in an on-campus living and learning community at Mill Creek Hall. Housing deadline and fees are as follows:
- A housing application fee of $125 is due by June 1.
- On-campus housing requires a minimum of 9 Blinn college credit hours and 3 Texas A&M hours or a minimum 10 Blinn college credit hours and 2 Texas A&M hours.
- Students removed from the Engineering Academy for academic reasons or removed by request in the Fall semester will be required to increase their Blinn credit hours to a full-time status (12 credit hours) to remain in Mill Creek Hall for the Spring semester.
- Non-Academy students remaining in Mill Creek Hall at the end of the Spring semester may be asked to vacate the living and learning community for capacity reasons.
Students complete all of their financial aid through the Blinn Financial Aid Office. Any outside scholarships should be sent to the Blinn Financial Aid Office.
Students placed on scholastic probation must follow the respective Blinn scholastic probation policies and Texas A&M scholastic probation policies.
In addition, students are encouraged to review the timely completion policy in regards to this program. Please see full details here.
An engineering student removed from the Engineering Academy for academic or disciplinary reasons will not be allowed to continue enrollment nor be guaranteed admission to Texas A&M. Continued enrollment at Blinn will be at the discretion of Blinn officials.
The Texas A&M College of Engineering requires all students, including Engineering Academy students, to purchase an approved device. For information, please visit:
http://engineering.tamu.edu/easa/areas/academics/byod
