Understanding GPA Requirements at Texas A&M International University (TAMIU)

For prospective and current students of Texas A&M International University (TAMIU), understanding the GPA requirements is crucial for both admission and maintaining good academic standing. This article provides a comprehensive overview of the GPA requirements at TAMIU for undergraduate and graduate students, including admission standards, academic probation, suspension policies, and ways to improve academic standing.

GPA Requirements for Admission

Undergraduate Admissions

TAMIU considers several factors for undergraduate admission, including high school GPA, class rank, and standardized test scores (SAT/ACT).

Minimum GPA: A minimum overall GPA of 2.0 is required for undergraduate admission.
Provisional Admission: Freshmen applicants graduating below the top 40% of their high school class may be granted provisional admission for a single semester with a minimum of 920 on the Redesigned SAT or a minimum of 17 on the ACT. Alternatively, these applicants can petition to have their academic credentials reviewed by the Undergraduate Admissions Committee for conditional admission.
Transfer Students: Transfer applicants with less than 24 earned semester credit hours must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale and satisfy regular freshman entry requirements. Transfer applicants with an overall GPA below 2.0 may also petition for review by the Undergraduate Admissions Committee.

Graduate Admissions

Graduate admission requirements at TAMIU also emphasize GPA, along with other factors such as standardized test scores (GRE/GMAT) and letters of recommendation.

Minimum GPA: A minimum grade point average of 3.0 (“B”) on a 4.0 point scale computed on all graduate coursework applied to the degree awarded must be maintained.
Expedited Admission: The College of Arts and Sciences (COAS) offers expedited admission to students who earned their bachelor’s degree at TAMIU with an upper-level GPA of 3.00 or higher.
Probationary Admission: Probationary admission may be granted to students who have submitted all documents for admission but do not meet all requirements for full admission, such as a low overall grade point average, low GRE/GMAT scores, failure to meet program or department requirements, or a lack of an appropriate background for the chosen program.

Maintaining Good Academic Standing: GPA Requirements

Undergraduate Students

Undergraduate students must maintain a minimum GPA to remain in good academic standing.

Students must earn at least a 2.000 semester grade point average (GPA) by the end of the first semester. Students will be removed from probation when the institutional cumulative GPA is greater than or equal to 2.000.

Graduate Students

For graduate students, maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher is essential for staying in good academic standing and graduating.

Minimum GPA: A minimum grade point average of 3.0 (“B”) on a 4.0 point scale computed on all graduate coursework applied to the awarding of a degree must be maintained.
Grade Restrictions: No more than three (3) semester credit hours with a letter grade of “C” earned at this university will be accepted as credit for a master’s degree.
Course Repetition: Courses applicable to a graduate degree may not be repeated for credit unless prescribed during the admissions or Scholastic Deficiency process or when a student enrolls in a Special Topics course with a different topic.

Academic Probation and Suspension for Graduate Students

Scholastic Probation

A graduate student will be placed on scholastic probation if, at the end of any semester or term, the student’s cumulative graduate grade point average falls below 3.0. A student must achieve a cumulative 3.0 GPA within the completion of the next long semester (Fall or Spring) to be removed from scholastic probation if scholastic probation was due to an unsatisfactory GPA.

Suspension

A student who has been on scholastic probation will be suspended from a program if the student’s grade point average for any subsequent term or semester falls below 3.0, or the student does not achieve the required cumulative GPA within one long semester.

Readmission After Suspension

A student who is suspended may not enroll in any graduate program for a minimum of 12 consecutive months. A student must reapply, meet current requirements for degree-seeking students, and be accepted by the University and the program to enroll for graduate studies following the period of suspension.

Grading System and GPA Calculation

Grade Points

A student’s grade average on university work is expressed in grade points. Each semester hour of “A” counts four points, “B” three points, “C” two points, “D” one point, and “F” zero points.

Special Grades

FN Grade: The FN grade indicates that a student has failed a course due to non-attendance. It is calculated as an “F” in the student’s grade point average.
CR/NC, Credit/No Credit: Courses taken in residence on credit/no credit basis are not computed in the grade point average.
S/U, Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory: This grading criteria applies only to courses in the A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business. This grade can be given for only predesignated courses and may be used to satisfy degree requirements (e.g., business internships).
IIP, In Progress: Given to a student in a thesis or dissertation course who has made satisfactory progress for the semester but has not completed all required work. The student must agree to complete the missing course work before the end of the next long semester; failure to meet this deadline will cause the “I” to automatically be converted to an “F”; extensions to this deadline may be granted by the dean of the college.

Additional Academic Regulations

Graduation Under a Particular Catalog

A degree-seeking student may receive their master’s degree upon satisfying the requirements of the catalog under which they first earned resident credit for graduate work, or upon satisfying the requirements of the catalog of any subsequent year in which they earned credit as a resident student in the University. All requirements for a master’s degree must be completed within five years or within the time specified for the particular program. No credit completed under a catalog older than five (5) academic years or within the time specified for the particular program will be recognized as graduate credit applicable toward a graduate degree. Students whose coursework has expired may repeat the expired course(s), request an appropriate substitute, or request a course extension.

Read also: Decoding the 5.0 GPA Scale

Course Load

The normal load for a graduate student for a long semester is nine (9) semester credit hours. A full-time graduate student is defined as one carrying a minimum load of six (6) semester credit hours during a long semester.

Leave of Absence

Under unusual circumstances, a student may petition for a leave of absence. The student initiates a petition for a leave of absence by submitting a Leave of Absence Request form. The Department/Advisory Committee Chair and College Dean must approve the petition and route it to the Graduate School. If the Graduate School Dean approves the petition, the registration requirement will be set aside during the period of leave. A leave of absence is granted for one year.

Resources for Academic Success

Advising and Mentoring Center

The Advising and Mentoring Center provides support and resources to help students succeed academically. Students on provisional status are required to attend monthly counseling sessions with the Retention Specialist in the Advising and Mentoring Center.

Faculty Advisors

Students should work directly with the person in their major department who is responsible for supervising their programs concerning course requirements and options, deficiencies, degree plans, and special regulations.

University Regulations

Students are expected to familiarize themselves thoroughly with the regulations of the University, to accept responsibilities for course requirements for their degrees, and to make inquiries in case of doubt. It shall not be the University's responsibility should complications arise because of failure to follow regulations and requirements.

Read also: Understanding ASU Tuition

The Significance of GPA in College Admissions

Many schools say they have no SAT score cutoff, but the truth is that there is a hidden SAT requirement. The 25th percentile SAT score is 910, and the 75th percentile SAT score is 1110. The average ACT score at Texas A&M International University is 18. The 25th percentile ACT score is 15, and the 75th percentile ACT score is 20. Even though Texas A&M International University likely says they have no minimum ACT requirement, if you apply with a 15 or below, you'll have a very hard time getting in, unless you have something else very impressive in your application. Because this school is moderately selective, strong academic performance will almost guarantee you admission. Scoring a 1110 SAT or a 20 ACT or above will nearly guarantee you admission. If you can achieve a high SAT/ACT score, the rest of your application essentially doesn't matter. You still need to meet the rest of the application requirements, and your GPA shouldn't be too far off from the school average of 3.7. But you won't need dazzling extracurriculars and breathtaking letters of recommendation to get in.

Financial Aid and GPA

To qualify for financial assistance, a student must be admitted into a degree-granting course of study, be meeting TAMIU’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) Policy, and must not be in default on any student loan. The student must not owe a balance for Federal Title IV funds returned due to complete withdrawal from TAMIU or any other institution.

Before a student receives federal, state, and institutional aid, federal regulations require that the student meet and continue to meet some basic academic progress standards. The following represents TAMIU’s satisfactory academic progress policy regarding GPA, PACE towards degree completion, and Maximum Time-frame Credit requirements.

Meeting Texas Success Initiative (TSI) Requirements

All students must meet Texas Success Initiative (TSI) requirements before enrollment. A student entering Texas A&M International University at the sophomore (30 to 59 hours), junior (60 to 89 hours), or senior (90 or more hours) level from a college or university is considered a transfer student. Those students who wish to transfer with less than 24 earned semester credit hours must have minimum cumulative of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale and must also satisfy the regular freshman entry requirements.

Academic Fresh Start

Senate Bill 1321, passed by the 73rd Texas Legislature, entitles State of Texas residents to seek admission to public institutions of higher education without consideration of courses undertaken ten or more years prior to enrollment. This bill has been called the "Right to an Academic Fresh Start" and it gives the students the option of electing to have the coursework taken ten years or more prior to the starting date of the semester in which the applicant seeks to enroll either counted as usual or ignored for admission purposes.

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