Welcome to Transition Academic Programs

The General Studies major major is designed to accommodate students needing one or two semesters to complete course work necessary for entrance into a specific major course of study. It is very important to determine and declare your desired major as soon as possible. Each student’s designated major must be approved each GEST semester as being realistically within reach given your academic history and the limit of majoring in GEST for no more than two semesters. For example, if this is your first year at TAMU and you only made a 2.0 last fall, it will not be possible to meet the GPA requirements for majors such as ALHE, BUAD, CHEN, COSC, MEEN and PETE within the limit of two GEST semesters. Our goal is to help make your transition to a realistic designated major a smooth one.

Students in the Texas A&M Blinn TEAM Program may be allowed three or four semesters to complete TEAM requirements before they can declare a specific major course of study.

Corresponding with Transition Academic Programs Only TAMU e-mail addresses can be used during any exchange or discussion of students’ grades, admission or other private information. Please only use your official TAMU e-mail account when engaging in an on-line academic discussion that includes your personal information. TAMU staff and faculty will only send and accept student-originated email when its source is TAMU. Do not rely on monitoring your TAMU e-mail from any mobile device. Regularly check your TAMU e-mail via a University-based computer terminal.

It is time to prepare to declare . . . .

ATTENTION ALL STUDENTS:

APPLICATION TO GENERAL STUDIES (GEST): The Application for Continued Enrollment at TAMU as a General Studies (GEST) student for Spring 2017 is now available on-line. STUDENTS WHO HAVE BEEN DISMISSED FROM A DEGREE-GRANTING MAJOR: Be aware of the following:

Transition Academic Programs is not able to admit students who will be approaching senior classification (students with 90 or more total credit hours) into General Studies.
If you are on academic probation (Cumulative GPA below 2.0), the chance of entering General Studies is low.
To be considered for General Studies, you must indicate an intended future major that is REALISTIC (highly likely) for you to be able to enter after only one semester in General Studies.
- Your intended major cannot be the major that has suspended you.
- Our decision will be based on the courses and grades you would need during Spring 2017 to qualify to enter your intended major at the end of the semester.
  - If the GPA you would need to earn during Spring 2017 is higher than your best previous semester GPA, approval is not likely.
  - If the amount or combination of prerequisite courses you would need to complete during Spring 2017 is considered excessive, approval is not likely.

IF APPROVED TO BE IN GENERAL STUDIES (GEST): Students are only guaranteed one GEST semester. To be accepted from a degree granting major for a first semester in General Studies, a student must have official mid-term grades that combined with other course grades indicate it is reasonable to expect acceptance into to the student’s designated major with no more than two semesters in GEST.

To earn the ability to pre-register for a second GEST semester, a student’s grades for all courses as well as any official mid-term grades must indicate academic progress is being achieved that will result in acceptance into the student’s designated major field of study with only one more semester in GEST. Students who begin a second GEST semester will not be permitted to pre-register for the following summer term or semester until they have been accepted into a major in one of the degree granting colleges.

It is VERY important for all Transition Academic Programs (TAP) students to check the TAP webpage for Change of Major requirements/deadlines/application processes for most of the majors on campus. Students must not assume that the requirements/deadlines/application processes for one major are the same as another major.

LOSS OF GOOD ACADEMIC STANDING: Any TAP student whose TAMU cumulative GPA drops below 2.0 has been sent an e-mail to the student’s official TAMU e-mail address. Included in the letter are directions about the student’s status and the process to request to be allowed to continue on academic probation, if that is possible.

Transition Academic Programs Advising will only use TAMU e-mail addresses for correspondence. Make sure your TAMU e-mail goes directly into your inbox if you view your e-mail mostly on your mobile device. Students are responsible for monitoring their TAMU e-mail and responding in a timely and appropriate manner.

TO ACCESS THE APPLICATION FOR CONTINUED ENROLLMENT, CLICK ON THE ENROLLMENT FORM BUTTON:

Programs in Transition Academic Programs are supported with funding from The Association of Former Students.
The Department of Transition Academic Programs is an Equal Opportunity Employer