College of Arts & Sciences

When should I make an advising appointment?

Students should make an appointment with their assigned advisor at least once per semester. The purpose of an appointment is to have set time for a student to meet with their assigned advisor and discuss course options, degree requirements, academic and career goals, holds, and any matters pertaining to degree planning. Students are welcome to set up an advising appointment when necessary. However, small matters not requiring detailed attention may be addressed via e-mail.

Does my degree include an internship?

At this time, the College of Arts and Sciences undergraduate degree programs that offer an internship course are Criminal Justice, Sociology, Communication, and Systems Engineering.

Does my degree include a research opportunity?

Currently, the College of Arts and Sciences fields of study that offer research courses are Biology and Psychology.

How can I change my major or minor?

Students may change their major and/or minor at the Registrar’s Office. Degree programs change requests made be made by e-mailing the Registrar’s Office at registrar@tamiu.edu.

Request for change of degree plan information form: https://www.tamiu.edu/registrar/documents/change-of-degree-plan-form2

What is the 6 State Drops Remaining hold?

This hold refers to the “6 Drop Rule” which was enacted by the Texas Legislature to prohibit students from dropping more than six classes. The State Drops Remaining hold does not prevent registration as it only serves as a reminder regarding how many “Ws” a student has left.

When does the course schedule come out?

The schedule for Wintermester & Spring is usually posted in mid-October and in mid-to-late March for Maymester, Summer & Fall.

When does registration open?

Registration dates vary for each semester. Usually, registration opens in early April for Summer & Fall registration and in early November for Wintermester & Spring registration.

How do I check for holds?

To check for holds, follow these steps:

1. Log into Uconnect
2. Click on “Records and Registration” tab.
3. Click on “View Holds” under “Access Your Records.”

Note: Uconnect reflects the most up-to-date information regarding holds. Please do not refer to DegreeWorks for holds.

How do I use the Scheduler to make a schedule?

For directions to use the TAMIU Scheduler, please see how-to video at the bottom of the following web link: https://www.tamiu.edu/newsinfo/2019/01/tamiuscheduler032018.shtml

Students may also find helpful videos by clicking the “Help” button located at the top right hand side of the Scheduler page.

How do I know if I’m a part-time or full-time student?

Students are considered part-time if they’re enrolled for 6 semester credit hours or less during the Fall/Spring semester and 3 semester credit hours or less during the Summer term.

Students are considered full-time if they’re enrolled for a minimum of 12 semester credit hours during the Fall/Spring semester and minimum of 6 semester credit hours during the Summer term.

What’s the difference between a general elective and an advanced elective?

General electives are courses that can be taken at any-level (e.g., COMM 1311, PSYC 2314, ENGL 3302, SOCI 4325, etc.)

An advanced elective must be taken at the junior or senior level—course number must start with a 3 or 4 (e.g., THAR 3354, CRIJ 4340, etc.)

What are WIN courses?

In 2010, TAMIU implemented WIN course requirements for all degree programs. WIN stands for “Writing Intensive” which means that 50% or more of the WIN course assignments entail written work. The “intense” part could mean that grading is more demanding or the class will require multiple drafts/papers. For detailed information on WIN courses: https://www.tamiu.edu/registrar/documents/Information%20Regarding%20Writing%20Intensive%20Courses.pdf

How many WIN courses do I need to take?

Students are required to take a total of three WIN courses regardless of degree program.

What is the Foreign Language Graduation Requirement?

The Foreign Language Graduation Requirement (FLGR) is a requirement for all degree-seeking students that may be satisfied by one of the following options:

1. Completion of three years of high school study of a single foreign language with a minimum grade of 80 (3.0) at the end of the third year, or
2. Completion of two years of high school study of a single foreign language and completion of a 2000 level university course in the same language with a “C” or better, or
3. Earning a minimum grade of "C" in 6 SCH in a foreign language, or
4. completion of an approved international experience (study abroad) of at least one semester/summer session in length in a country where English is not the primary language, or
5. CLEP or AP exam scores that award 6 SCH in a foreign language, or
6. completion of two courses in a language with a "C" or better from the University's International Language Institute, or
7. Completion of two American Sign Language courses with a "C" or better.

Note: Students usually take the CLEP Exam or 6 semester credit hours (2 classes) of a foreign language when pending this requirement. For more information on the CLEP Exam, please refer to Testing.

What is the Foreign Language/Study Abroad Requirement (FLSA)? 

This requirement is in addition to the Foreign Language Graduation Requirement. The FLSA is satisfied by 6 semester credit hours of a foreign language at the college level and cannot be fulfilled with credit by exam. Language course options include Spanish, French, German, Mandarin, and Arabic. Students who opt to take Spanish classes to fulfill the FLSA requirement must take the Spanish Placement Exam (SPE) prior to enrolling (please refer to SPE information under Testing).

Note: The 6 semester credit hours must be in a single language. For instance, a student cannot take one Mandarin class and one French class to fulfill this requirement. If a student prefers to study abroad for this requirement, the study abroad program must last for a minimum of 4 weeks

What is the SAP Policy?

The Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy is made up of three standards that students must meet to maintain financial aid eligibility at TAMIU. These standards include:

1. Maintain a minimum of 2.0 institutional cumulative GPA.
2. Pass at least 67% of total attempted hours (calculated by dividing overall completed hours by overall attempted hours).
3. Complete a degree in a timely manner (Maximum Timeframe Requirement).

For detailed information, please visit: https://www.tamiu.edu/financialaid/SAPP.pdf

What is a SAP Appeal?

As per financial aid rules, students who do not meet any one of these standards may submit a Satisfactory Academic Progress appeal which includes a written statement detailing the student’s extenuating circumstances. Additionally, students should meet with their assigned advisor in order to complete the “Academic Advisor Appeal Questionnaire” form. Link to SAP appeal form: https://www.tamiu.edu/finaid/Documents/Annual%20Forms/SAP_Appeal_Form.pdf

How do I know how much financial aid I am receiving?

To see how much aid you can expect to receive, please follow these steps:

1. Log into Uconnect.
2. Click on the “Financial Aid” tab.
3. Click on “Financial Aid Awards” located on the right side.
4. Select appropriate school year & click submit

What is the CLEP Exam?

CLEP stands for College-Level Examination Program. Instead of taking a particular subject at the introductory college level, students may take the CLEP exam to earn college credit by examination with passing score.

Note: Students must wait at least three months to retake the CLEP exam. For information on test fees and testing process, please visit https://www.tamiu.edu/testing_center/

What subjects can I CLEP out of?

Below is a table of subjects for CLEP exams that TAMIU’s Testing Center offers:

**For the Spanish CLEP, please be sure to select the Non-written option.

Where do I take the CLEP Exam?

CLEP exams may be taken at the Testing Center by appointment only.

• Testing Center
• Phone: 956.326.2131
• Location: Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center (ZSC) 201

What is the Spanish Placement Exam?

The Spanish Placement exam (SPE) is used to test a student’s level of Spanish proficiency. The SPE will place a student in the appropriate Spanish college-level course and may be taken when a student wants to fulfill the FLSA requirement by taking Spanish classes. To setup a testing appointment, students may call the Testing Center at 956.326.2131 or email thetestingcenter@tamiu.edu

How do I apply for graduation?

Students may apply for graduation by following these steps:

1. Log into Uconnect.
2. Click on the “Records and Registration” tab.
3. Click on “Apply for Graduation” under “Access Your Records.”
4. Follow the steps located toward the top of each page you navigate through.

Note: Application fee is $50 (a $100 late fee is incurred after the application deadline).

What can I do with my major or degree? 

It is not uncommon for a student to be studying for a degree that they love or are interested in but not be completely sure how they will use it in a career. The following online resources may be useful in understanding career breakdowns and expectations:
What Can I Do With this Major? https://www2.washjeff.edu/careerservicesmajors/
O*NET Online: https://www.onetonline.org/

For individualized guidance, students should consult with their assigned advisor and/or visit Career Services: https://www.tamiu.edu/career/

How do I know how many credits a class is worth?

Course subject is followed by 4 digits (e.g., SPAN 4301). The second digit of the course number will indicate how many credits the class is worth. For instance, SPAN 4301 is worth 3 credits and PSYC 2117 is worth 1 credit.

How do I know the level of a class?

The first digit of the course number will let you know its level: 1 – freshmen; 2 – sophomore; 3 – junior; and 4 – senior. For example, HIST 2321 is a sophomore-level course and MATH 4305 is a senior-level course.

Where can I see my account balance?

Account balance information is available on Uconnect under the “Pay My Bill” tab. The balance should appear under the “My Account” section. 

How can I pay for my tuition?

Tuition may be paid at the Bursar’s Office located in the Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center 137 or online by following these steps:

1. Log into Uconnect.
2. Click on the “Pay My Bill” tab located on the left hand side.
3. Click on “Make a Payment” under “Account Tools.”

For more information, please visit the Bursar’s Office website: https://www.tamiu.edu/comptroller/bursar.shtml#InstallmentPlan 

How do I know which books I will need for classes?

Students may search for required textbooks at the bookstore located in the Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center or online at https://www.bkstr.com/texasaminternationalstore