Texas A&M University at Qatar
Quick Facts Fall 2008
Academics and Research
• Texas A&M University at Qatar is a branch campus of Texas A&M University. It offers bachelor of science degrees in chemical, electrical, mechanical and petroleum engineering. Degrees are issued from Texas A&M University.
• Curricula at Texas A&M at Qatar are identical to the respective engineering programs at the main campus in College Station and are taught in English.
• Graduate and research engineering programs are planned to start in 2009.
• More than $15million USD in research funding.
Administration
• Dr. Mark H. Weichold was approved by the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents as dean and CEO of Texas A&M at Qatar effective January 2007.
• Texas A&M at Qatar was established with seven faculty members and five staff in its inaugural year. In 2008, it consists of 71 faculty in engineering, sciences, liberal arts and kinesiology, with more faculty joining in Spring 2009, and 174 professional staff providing academic instruction and support services for the campus.
Education City
• Texas A&M’s Qatar campus is part of Education City, a campus dedicated to education, research and technology on a 2,500–acre (10 million square meters) site near the capital of Doha. Texas A&M’s neighbor institutions in Education City are Carnegie Mellon University, Georgetown University, Northwestern University, Virginia Commonwealth University and Weill Cornell Medical College.
• Texas A&M at Qatar’s home in Education City is the Texas A&M Engineering Building. The building is 55,000 square meters (595,000 square feet) and contains 30 teaching labs and 32 research labs.
Admissions and Enrollment
• The Fall 2008 student body consists of 362 students, of whom 51 percent are Qatari and 38 percent are female. Students hail from 32 countries. Forty-two percent of the 110 students in the freshmen class are female.
• Fall 2008 admission included study abroad students from Texas A&M’s main campus, midshipmen from the US Naval Academy, as well as students cross registered from other universities in Education City.
• The freshman average retention rate is 87%. Sophomore and junior average retention rates are 95%.
• Nine students are expected to graduate in December 2008 and 66 students in May 2009.
• Of the 34 graduates, 25 graduates have jobs at Qatar Petroleum, RasGas, QChem, Kahrama, GE, ExxonMobil, Shell, DNV, Schlumberger and Qatargas, with at least one of the graduates pursuing a graduate degree.
• Freshman average retention rate is 87%, sophomore and junior average retention rates are 95%.
• Compared to other Education City universities, Texas A&M at Qatar has the largest incoming class, highest enrollment of Qataris and 38% females, a remarkable rate for an engineering program.
Student Life
• A student leadership exchange program takes place in the spring of each academic year where 10 students from College Station visit the Qatar campus for a week over spring break and in return 10 Texas A&M at Qatar students visit the College Station campus for a week over their spring break.
• Texas A&M at Qatar has more than 20 student organizations and clubs representing students’ diversified interests that range from academic activities to entertainment. Clubs activities range from hosting lectures and art exhibitions to organizing sports activities and environmental awareness activities.
