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Application Process and Guidelines

The Entry to a Major (ETAM) process uses a priority method that places you in your highest preferred major possible based on your academic performance, your ETAM application and the program’s capacity. 

There’s also an automatic entry pathway to your first-choice major if you complete the required courses for ETAM and maintain the required automatic entry cumulative GPA defined for your class.

During each ETAM cycle, all College of Engineering majors will accept applications (other than the Bachelor of Arts in Computing and the Bachelor of Arts in Information Technology Service Management degree programs). On the ETAM application, you must apply to three majors and have the option to select up to five majors. 

Double-check your major choices and rankings before submitting your ETAM application. You will not have the option to decline an offer to a major listed on your application.

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Application Guidelines

Below are guidelines for completing your Entry to a Major (ETAM) application. 

  • Students are required to apply to three majors with the option of applying to up to five majors.
  • Major selections must be ranked in order of preference.
  • You cannot select the same major twice.
  • It is important to be mindful and intentional with the rank order of your selected majors. You will not have the option to decline an offer to a major listed on your application.
  • If you are not willing to immediately relocate to a different campus and complete your undergraduate degree there, then do not select a major/campus that is different from your current location.
    • For example:
      • if you are not willing to immediately leave College Station and complete your degree in Galveston or McAllen, then do not select majors outside of College Station such as Ocean Engineering (OCEN)-Galveston, Computer Science (CPSC)-Galveston, Interdisciplinary Engineering (ITDE)-McAllen, etc.
      • if you are not willing to immediately leave Galveston and complete your degree in College Station or McAllen, then do not select majors outside of Galveston such as OCEN-College Station, CPSC-College Station, ITDE-McAllen, etc.
      • if you are not willing to immediately leave McAllen and complete your degree in College Station or Galveston, then do not select majors outside of McAllen such as OCEN-Galveston, CPSC-Galveston, ITDE–College Station, etc.
    • The only allowable deviation from this policy is applicable to students in a co-enrollment program. If needed, refer to the transition requirements for your respective program.
  • There are three essay portions to the application. Do not use AI text generators such as ChatGPT to complete your application. For details and guidance to prepare your essays, read more here.
  • You cannot update or revise the application once it is submitted. Please review all details carefully before you submit.
  • You will receive a confirmation email when you have successfully submitted the application.
  • Late applications will not be accepted. If you encounter a technical issue when submitting your application, immediately email enadvising@tamu.edu and include a screenshot to document the issue. Most technical issues can be mitigated and/or avoided by submitting your application early.

Preparing for Entry to a Major

Your academic advisors are here to guide you. You should consult with your assigned academic advisor (General Engineering and Engineering at Blinn, Engineering Academy) as you prepare for the ETAM process. They are considered a primary source for information about ETAM, which can be very helpful as you prepare an application for your preferred majors.

College Policy on Major Changes and Appeal Requests

There is no appeal process for ETAM placement decisions. Once placed in a major through ETAM, any changes to your major (also known as change of curriculum) must be initiated using a change of major form in Howdy. Requests to change your major within the College of Engineering will not be considered until you have completed at least one semester in the degree-granting major you were placed in through the ETAM process. During that semester, you are required to enroll in courses that count toward degree completion for that major.

NOTE: A request to remain in the same major and relocate between campuses (e.g., from Galveston to College Station) is not considered a “change of major.” If placed in a degree program on a remote campus (e.g., Galveston, McAllen), you are expected to remain on the remote campus to complete that undergraduate degree.

Work closely with your assigned academic advisor to determine the best options for your desired outcome. Your assigned advisor's name is located in Navigate under the Success Team box located on the bottom right of your Student Home Page.

Housing Prospects Post-ETAM

On-campus housing in College Station is often limited due to high occupancy rates by first-year students. If your ETAM placement may result in a relocation to College Station, we encourage you to consider off-campus housing options in addition to on-campus housing. To prepare for a potential relocation post-ETAM, you may preview the housing options below:

Please note: Enrollment in the Bachelor of Arts in Computing program occurs through:

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