UT Dallas students who live in Collin County will soon have the option to take classes closer to home.

UT Dallas and four area universities have partnered with Collin College to bring bachelor’s and graduate degree programs to the new Collin Higher Education Center (CHEC).

The CHEC, located at the northeast corner of State Highway 121 and Central Expressway in McKinney, is in the final stages of construction and scheduled to open in January.

Other participating universities include Dallas Baptist University, the University of North Texas, Texas Women’s University and Texas A&M University-Commerce.

“UT Dallas’ presence at the Collin Higher Education Center is another key component of the University’s commitment to the community,” said Dr. Sheila Amin Gutiérrez de Piñeres, associate provost and professor of economics and political economy. “The CHEC expands UT Dallas’ ability to serve current students, prospective transfer students and working adults for whom commuting to Richardson may be a difficult, time-consuming or expensive task.”

The following UT Dallas degree programs will begin in the spring at the CHEC:

Undergraduate Degrees

  • Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Information Management (AIM) – The Accounting and Information Management’s Professional Program in Accounting allows qualified undergraduates to complete a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Accounting and Information Management degrees in five years, while simultaneously preparing to sit for the Certified Public Accountant (CPA) exam. Special scholarships are available for these students.

Graduate Degrees

  • Master of Business Administration – Business Week has ranked UT Dallas’ professional MBA program in the second tier of top part-time MBA programs.
  • Master of Science in Accounting and Information Management  – Students in the AIM graduate program are well-prepared to sit for professional licensing examinations. A former student who earned his undergraduate degree, MBA and master’s degree in Accounting and Information Management at the School of Management was the top scorer in Texas in 2008 and one of the top 10 test-takers nationwide on the CPA exam.

The UT Dallas undergraduate degree programs offered at the CHEC complement the associate degrees offered by Collin College and have significant workforce demand in the North Texas area.

The CHEC option builds on the University’s Comet Connection, a pre-enrollment program for transfer students. Created to help students and their families budget for college, Comet Connection guarantees four years of fixed tuition and fees and other enrollment benefits at UT Dallas. Students are encouraged to sign the Comet Connection agreement as early as their first semester at community college.  After completing 30 community college credit hours, they can apply for admission to UT Dallas. Collin College is one of 50 Comet Connection partner institutions.

“The ability to offer quality degree programs right where people live and work is essential in today’s fast-paced environment,” said Greg Morris, assistant vice president for undergraduate admissions. “That’s why I’m so excited about UT Dallas’ expansion into Collin County, currently the fastest growing county in Texas.”

For more information about the CHEC, visit the CHEC Web site.

Media Contact: Karah Hosek, UT Dallas, 972-883-4329, karah.hosek@utdallas.edu
or the Office of Media Relations, UT Dallas, 972-883-2155, newscenter@utdallas.edu


Artist's rendering

The Collin Higher Education Center facility is in the final stages of construction and is scheduled to open in January.

Recruting table

Recruitment Officer Rebecca Duncan Murry speaks to a Collin College student at a recent Transfer Student Information Fair hosted by Collin College.

 

Signing ceremony

From left: UT Dallas President David E. Daniel, UNT President Gretchen Bataille  and TWU Chancellor and President Ann Stuart signed a partnership agreement with Collin College in November.

 

Enrolling in Classes

New UT Dallas students who wish to enroll in courses offered at the CHEC must complete the new student application and enrollment process.

Once admitted to the University, undergraduate students meet with an academic adviser to review their degree plans and the list of upper-level courses offered at the CHEC to determine whether they must first take any prerequisite freshman or sophomore level courses.

Graduate students also meet with academic advisers to complete a degree plan.

Current UT Dallas students may take part or all of their course work at the CHEC. Students should meet with their academic advisers to discuss course offerings. The undergraduate students can enroll in the upper-level UT Dallas courses being offered at the CHEC. Graduate students will have the ability to take a majority of their classes at the CHEC.