Coastal Bend of Texas Colleges, Universities Boost Business
Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
The Coastal Bend of Texas has a strong nucleus of higher education institutions that help meet career needs of students and the workforce needs of the region.
The area is home to two campuses of the Texas A&M University System: Texas A&M-Kingsville and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Texas A&M-Kingsville, with enrollment of about 6,500, offers degree programs across a range of academic disciplines, from accounting to industrial technology to wildlife management, as well as a diverse roster of master's programs and seven doctoral programs.
Texas A&M-Kingsville has the region's only School of Pharmacy, and is also a research leader. On the Kingsville campus, there are several opportunities for learning through hands-on research at the undergraduate and graduate levels. For example, in December 2010, it opened a $7.2 million research center to serve the region's citrus industry.
In addition to the usual sciences and humanities, A&M's Kingsville campus offers a few programs that set it apart from the crowd.
“The King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management offers a one-of-a-kind master’s degree that combines business and ranch management coursework," says Cheryl Cain, executive director of marketing and communications at Texas A&M-Kingsville. “Our National Natural Toxins Research Center is internationally known for its work with snake venom. The NNTRC is researching ways to use venom to prevent and/or treat cancer, heart attacks and strokes.”
In 2010 alone, the university generated $136 million in economic activity in the Kingsville area.
“Overall, of course, the mission of the university is to provide the greatest benefit to the area through the education and preparation of critical thinkers and leaders for this region and beyond,” says Cain.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
The palm tree-lined pathways, nearby wetlands and a beautiful beach make Texas A&M-Corpus Christi's 240-acre campus hard to beat. But the school itself is the real appeal, with numerous degrees available in five colleges: Business, Education, Liberal Arts, Nursing and Health Sciences, and Science and Technology.
Because the campus is located on the Gulf of Mexico and the cultural border of Latin America, the school has gained an impressive reputation as a designated Hispanic-serving institution. Its current enrollment is around 10,000, and the campus also has the distinction of being the only university located on its own island.
The university includes major research facilities and the Coastal Bend Innovation Center, which provides services to help entrepreneurs build their companies.
Community Colleges Build Workforce Musle
Supporting the workforce training needs of the region are a network of community colleges.
Fast approaching its 75th anniversary, Del Mar College certainly has something to celebrate. The college, located in Corpus Christi, experienced record student enrollment over the past two years, reaching 12,249 in fall 2010, says Melinda Eddleman, media relations coordinator for Del Mar.
The college offers degree programs in arts, teaching and sciences in more than 50 university transfer majors. But it benefits more than just its students.
“It's a driving force among higher education in Coastal Texas and responds quickly to the educational and workforce demands among stakeholders in its service area,” says Eddleman.
Coastal Bend College
With four separate locations in the area, Coastal Bend College has education covered.
The two-year community college prides itself on its ability to teach students on an individual level. Small class sizes, free tutoring and study seminars, and personal attention give the school an edge when it comes to meeting each and every student's needs. The main campus in Beeville was established in 1965, and has since expanded to include locations in Alice, Kingsville and Pleasanton.
Del Mar Students Can Easily Transfer to Texas A&M
Higher education institutions in Coastal Texas partner to make it easier for students to start and finish their education in the region. A program is in place that will help engineering students at Del Mar College to transfer seamlessly into the bachelor's program in mechanical engineering at Texas A&M Corpus Christi. The agreement was designed to ensure that programs at each institution mesh and offer similar curriculums.
Craft Training Center – Coastal Bend
Coastal Texas industries and contractors work together to supply the region with skilled workers for the construction trade. The Craft Training Center of the Coastal Bend operates out of 22,214-square-foot, $3 million, state-of-the-art training facility that includes classrooms, an electrical lab, an instrumentation lab, a welding lab and a computer-based craft-assessment lab. The center has been cited as a national model for regions that want to provide training opportunities for construction workers.
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