Texas A&M University plans to place one of the largest departments in its engineering college under a new school, a change the university says will not alter any existing degree.
Texas A&M Engineering announced Thursday, Oct. 15, that the university's Office of the Provost has signed off on creating a School of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution. The school would take effect Aug. 15, 2027, but it still needs sign-off from the state's Higher Education Coordinating Board, which oversees public colleges and universities in Texas.
What changes
The new school would serve as an umbrella over the existing department of the same name. According to the announcement, the goal is to make the department more efficient, strengthen its role in preparing workers for industry and give the industrial distribution and engineering technology sides clearer, separate identities.
Dr. Robert H. Bishop, who leads Texas A&M Engineering as dean and vice chancellor, said employers seek out the department's graduates because they meet a clear workforce need. He said the school would be built around the department's mission of applied training and research partnerships across disciplines.
The university noted that the department's degrees, while distinct, overlap in many technology areas, and that many courses use the same labs.
What it means for students
None of the department's current degrees will be altered by the reorganization, the university said.
According to the department's website, its undergraduate offerings include bachelor's degrees in multidisciplinary engineering technology, industrial distribution, electronic systems engineering technology, and manufacturing and mechanical engineering technology. A fifth program, information technology service management, is being phased out and no longer admits new students.
