Accreditation

The graduate programs in the A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business are accredited by AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business.

Research Activities

In addition to its academic programs, the A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business has several related entities designed to encourage research by both faculty and students. Among them are: 

• The Institute for International Trade;
• The Texas Center for Border Economic and Enterprise Development;
• The Center for the Study of Western Hemispheric Trade - Laredo;
• and The International Trade Journal.

Graduate Admission Procedures

Applicants interested in a Master of Business Administration (MBA) or a Master of Science in Information Science (MS-IS), or a Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAcc) degree must submit the following documentation to Graduate School:

• Application
• Application Fee
• Official transcript(s) of all college/university-level studies
• Updated resume to include three references and their contact information
• GMAT or GRE scores required for applicants whose upper level grade point average (GPA) is below a 3.00. Test scores must be dated within five years of applicant’s entry term. Applicants pursuing the MBA taught in Spanish and needing to submit standardized test scores may choose to take Prueba de Admisión a Estudio de Posgrado (PAEP) or the Exani III, which are administered at partner universities in Mexico. Master applicants who hold an advanced U.S. degree (masters, law, doctorate) or its equivalent from another country are not required to submit standardized test scores
• TOEF/ELTS/Peasron PTE Scores for applicants whose academic studies were completed from a country where English is not the native language. A minimum TOEFL score of 79 (ibt TOEFL), 550 (Paper-based), a 6.5 on the IELTS, or a 53 Pearson PTE Academic is required. These exam scores must be sent directly from the testing service and dated within two years of enrollment

Automatic Admission: Will be granted to applicants who hold a bachelor's degree (in any discipline) with a minimum 3.00 upper-level GPA or hold an advanced degree (masters, law, doctorate) from the U.S. or its equivalent from another country. Applicants who hold an non-business degree or business degree from an institution not accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB) will be reviewed by the School of Business to determine proper sequence of required prep modules.

Applicants not meeting automatic admission criteria will be required to submit the following additional items:

• Personal statement (minimum 300 words) describing career and personal goals
• Two letters of recommendation (academic or professional)

Upon submission of additional referenced items above, the applicant's portfolio will undergo a holistic review in compliance with House Bill 1641 by the Masters Program Admission Committee. Students admitted with conditions must satisfactorily complete those conditions to remain in the program.

Applicants interested in a Ph.D. in International Business Administration (Ph.D.-IB) degree must submit the following documentation to Graduate School:

• Application
• Application Fee
• Official transcript(s) of all college/university-level studies
• Current resume
• Three letters of recommendation
• Statement of purpose to indicate area of study.
• GMAT/GRE scores must be dated within five years of applicant’s entry term.
• TOEF/ELTS scores for applicants whose academic studies were completed from a country where English is not the native language. A minimum TOEFL score of 100 (ibt TOEFL), 600 (Paper-based), a 7.0 on the IELTS, is required. These exam scores must be sent directly from the testing service and dated within two years of enrollment. Doctoral applicants who have received a graduate degree from an AACSB accredited U.S. institution within two years of the application date may be exempt from the TOEFL requirement. TOEFL scores of all applicants must be sent directly from Educational Testing Service (ETS) and dated within two years of applicant’s anticipated semester of enrollment.

Graduate Degree Requirements

See Academic Regulations for Graduate Degrees for specific TAMIU Regulations.

Workload Regulations: The maximum number of semester credit hours (SCH) that a graduate student can take is:

Business Undergraduate General Requirements

Semester	Semester Credit Hours
Regular Semester (fall or spring)	12 SCH
Each summer session	6 SCH

Any SCH load in excess of the above must be approved by the Dean of the A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business Administration.

Graduate-Level Courses: Courses numbered 5000-level or above.

Special Issues Courses: Special Issues courses taken under course number 5199-5399 have a varying degree of semester credit hours (SCH). These courses, although generally taught as three semester credit hours, can also be set up for one or two semester credit hours.

S/U (Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory): This grade can be given for only pre-designated courses and may be used to satisfy degree requirements (e.g., business internships). For graduate students, a grade of “S” indicates achievement of 80 percent or greater for the course requirements. This grading criteria applies only to courses in the A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business.

Academic Probation: If at the end of any semester, a graduate student’s GPA for that semester is below 3.0, the student will be placed on academic probation.

Additional Master’s Degree Policy: Students shall not be permitted to apply the same course credit to more than one master's degree.

International Students Language Requirement: International students who do not meet the language requirement for admission to the masters programs of the A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business, may apply to the University’s International Language Institute (ILI). Upon certification of English proficiency by ILI or receiving a score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) or 79/80 (Internet-based), or 550 (paper based) in the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), students will be permitted to pursue a master's degree from the A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business. Students pursuing a doctoral degree will need a minimum TOEFL score of 600 (paper-based) or 100 (internet-based). This score must be sent directly from the Educational Testing Service (ETS) and dated within two (2) years of enrollment.

Transfer of Credit: Students may request to transfer a maximum of two courses (6 SCH) of graduate coursework for which a grade of "B" or better was earned on each course at an accredited institution. Transfer credit may apply solely for elective/concentration courses; required courses that are part of the business graduate curriculum must be completed at TAMIU. Students must complete a Request for Transfer of Credit Form and submit required documentation to the Graduate Advisor for processing. Request must be approved by both the Division Chair and Dean of the A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business. Coursework that is part of a previously earned degree is not acceptable for transfer credit.

Time Limitation: No credit more than five (5) years old, counting from the catalog year in effect at registration, will be recognized as graduate credit applicable toward a masters level graduate degree unless validated by a qualifying examination conducted by the appropriate department. Any approved transfer coursework must fall within the 5-year time limitation.

Leave of Absence: Under unusual circumstances, a student may petition for a leave of absence. A petition for leave of absence is initiated by the student 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. Leave will be granted only under conditions that require the suspension of all activities associated with pursuing the degree. For certain types of approved leave, such as medical, the time period for the completion of the degree will stop with the leave and begin when the student returns to the program. Other types of leave may not stop the time limit for the degree. A student should refer to the section on Time Limitation for master’s and doctoral programs. A leave of absence is granted for one year. In a case of extenuating circumstances, the leave of absence can be extended by the student’s Department/Advisory Committee Chair and the Graduate School Dean. A student who returns to the University after an approved leave of absence will not be required to submit an application for readmission to the Graduate School. An international student should visit with an Office of International Engagement advisor to find out how a leave of absence may impact the student’s stay in or re-entry into the U.S.

Master of Business Administration (MBA)

The following modules make up the MBA Business Foundation courses that must be taken for the MBA degree offered by the A. R. Sanchez, Jr. School of Business. The MBA Business Foundation courses DO NOT count toward the 30 hours needed to complete the MBA degree. 

Course List

Code	Title	Semester Credit Hours
Business Foundation Courses for the MBA Program
BA 5201	Concepts in Fin and Eco	2
BA 5202	Concepts in Acc and Info Sys	2
BA 5203	Concepts in MGT and MKT	2

Waiver Policy for Business Foundation Courses

Students may be waived from the Business Foundation courses by either:

1. Successfully graduating with a business bachelors degree from a university in which the business program is accredited by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB International), or
2. Providing evidence of equivalent course work at an accredited institution at either the undergraduate-level or graduate-level.

All course work used for waiver from a particular course must have been taken within the past seven (7) years or be validated by the division in which the course is normally offered. The student must have received a grade of “C” or better in each course within the module(s) for waiver approval consideration.  Applications for course waivers must be completed during the first in-residence semester of work on the MBA program.

Students requesting a waiver must get approval from the Chair of the division for which the course is assigned. The Division Chair has the responsibility for ensuring that the student has the appropriate prior course work and knowledge as set forth in this policy before approving the waiver.

Master of Science

The following courses make up the MS Foundation courses. The MS Foundation courses do NOT count toward the 33 hours needed to complete the Master of Science degree.

Course List

Code	Title	Semester Credit Hours
Master of Science in Information Science Foundation
BA 5204	Data Analytics for Management	2
MIS 5201	Information Systems & Programm	2

Graduate Degrees

• Master of Business Administration (MBA) with a concentration in the following areas:
  • International Business (taught in English and Spanish)
  • International Banking and Finance
  • International Trade and Logistics
  • Management
• Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Criminal Justice (MBA)
• Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Healthcare Administration (MBA)
• Master of Professional Accountancy (MPAcc)
• Master of Science in Information Science (MS-IS)

Doctor of PhilosophY

• Doctor of Philosophy in International Business Administration (Ph.D.-IB)

CERTIFICATE

• Data Analytics