The Texas Physics Consortium
If you have questions regarding the Texas Physics Consortium, please contact the website (www.tarleton.edu/tpc) or Dr. Chris Baird (cbaird@wtamu.edu or 806-651-4264).
The Texas Physics Consortium (TPC) was initiated by the chairs of the Physics departments at member institutions (see below). According to the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that created the Consortium (https://www.tarleton.edu/tpc/wp-content/uploads/sites/128/2022/05/mou.pdf), the goals of the TPC are to:
- provide a joint B.S. Physics degree at a minimal cost to the State of Texas using distributed resources,
- increase the number of B.S. Physics graduates in Texas from underrepresented groups,
- supply high quality upper-division courses in physics and closely related disciplines such as astronomy and engineering physics to students,
- provide research opportunities for undergraduate majors and minors in physics and closely related disciplines,
- create the administrative infrastructure necessary to enable the TPC to function as a "distributed academic program," and
- provide a functioning model of a distributed academic program for adoption elsewhere.
The TPC members jointly awarding the Bachelor of Science (BS) Degree in Physics include:
- Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, TX
- Prairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX
- Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, Corpus Christi, TX
- Texas A&M University-Kingsville, Kingsville, TX
- Tarleton State University, Stephenville, TX
- Texas Southern University, Houston, TX
- West Texas A&M University, Canyon, TX
TPC members awarding other Physics or Physics related Degrees include:
- Texas A&M University-Commerce (BS Physics Degree available), Commerce, TX
- Texas A&M University-Central Texas (BS in Math with Secondary Math/Physics Teacher Certification available), Killeen, TX
All classes are provided in real-time, with face-to-face interactions via the Texas Trans-Video Network. For those classes that are received by West Texas A&M University (WTAMU), the students also have an on-site facilitator for the courses. This qualified professor proctors exams and serves as a resource to students, and as an additional point of contact for the consortium. Of the 120 hours required for the degree in Physics, 32 hours can be taken via the trans-video network. In general, the 32 hours are rotated among the member institutions; however, for the past five years, WT students have generally taken 22 hours (18%) of their degree from professors housed at one of the other institutions. There is NO additional cost to the student for completing the physics degree through the TPC at WTAMU. However, students will receive a different diploma, since this is a jointly awarded degree.