College of Innovation and Design
Match Your Learning Style
The College of Innovation and Design was created with you in mind! Your college delivers a unique blend of services and programs to help you reach your educational and career goals.
Our online degree options are perfect for working adults who are seeking to earn a degree or certificate. Whether you choose our self-paced, competency-based programs or our online programs that provide a more structured environment, you are sure to find learning opportunities that match your learning style. Our dedicated advisers ensure your needs are met and provide one-on-one guidance, either virtually or face-to-face.
By combining unique programs, personalized advising and career planning, the College of Innovation and Design provides you with the knowledge, confidence and practical tools needed to become a career-ready professional who is prepared to compete and contribute value in the global marketplace.
Benefits of the College of Innovation and Design
Competency-based Delivery
Our competency-based delivery programs allow you to work in a self-paced environment. If you have experience in a particular subject area, you will receive credit for what you already know! With the choice of a BAAS in Organizational Leadership, BAAS in Safety and Health, BAAS in Health Services Administration, or the B.S. in Law Enforcement Leadership, you will find that competency-based delivery is flexible, affordable and perfect for working adults.
Online Programs
Our college offers convenient online degrees designed for transfer students and working adults. Our faculty and staff are very mindful of your busy schedule and limited time. We work with you to help achieve your goals as efficiently as possible.
Transfer Students
Our college offers four degree programs that will each transfer up to 85 semester credit hours. No other college can accept that many transfer credits! Courses that you have completed as part of an A.S. or AAS degree may be applied to one of our bachelor’s degrees, which you can complete in as little as 37 hours.
Wraparound Student Support
Our advisors and faculty are dedicated to providing rapid response to your academic and social needs. Whether you need assistance selecting a major, registering for classes, accelerating into additional coursework, or need clarification about assignments, campus resources or other questions, we are here to ensure your success!
Welcome from the Dean
The College of Innovation and Design is a university-wide hub that works collaboratively with faculty, students, alumni and industry to assess and prepare students for the demands and opportunities of our ever-changing world and workplace. The college serves as an incubator for new initiatives, badges, certificates and degrees that transcend single disciplines or departments. Together, we ensure students are successful for their first year of college as well as for their first, second or third career later in life.
Make a difference. Make a living. Make a life.
Academic Degree Programs
Alternative Teacher Certification, Competency-Based
Make a difference in the lives of students sooner than you might think with our fully online competency based Alternative Teacher Certification program.
Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS)
Our BAAS program is flexible, affordable and 100 percent online. If you have earned or worked toward an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree, our innovative BAAS program will provide you with a cost-effective pathway to earning your bachelor’s degree. We will accept up to 84 hours of your previous coursework from an accredited institution, which means you are could be only 36 hours away from earning your degree!
Criminal Justice (BS) Law Enforcement Leadership Emphasis, Competency-Based
The Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Law Enforcement Leadership (BSCJ-CJCB) at Texas A&M University-Commerce is a 100% online, competency-based program designed specifically for first responders: law enforcement, peace officers and military personnel with existing work experience, police academy training, or other certifications. Courses are offered in an accelerated format, so students can move swiftly through material they already have mastery over, and focus more attention on topics that are new and challenging to their existing knowledge base. The courses are self-paced, so students can work according to their own schedule. Students in the BSCJ-CJCB program develop practical workplace competencies that meet current and future challenges facing first responders today.
General Studies (BGS)
The BGS degree will allow you to explore multiple areas of study, satisfying personal interests, aligning to career goals, or simply helping you wrap up the college education you might have started long ago.
General Studies, Competency-Based
The Bachelor of General Studies competency-based degree allows you to explore your strengths and apply prior learning experiences to a degree that fits your goals. You will learn about leadership, problem-solving and design thinking while exploring career options and preparing for academic and career success.
Health Services Administration (BAAS), Competency-Based
Our BAAS program is flexible, affordable and 100 percent online. If you have earned or worked toward an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree, our innovative BAAS program will provide you with a cost-effective pathway to earning your Bachelor degree. We will accept up to 85 hours of your previous coursework from an accredited institution, which means you are only 37 hours away from earning your degree!
Organizational Leadership (BAAS) Competency-Based
The Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences in Organizational Leadership (ORGL) degree is a competency-based program that prepares innovative leaders for employment in an increasingly technological and global society. This program provides opportunities for students to receive credit for what they know and can do already, allows them to accelerate completion of their degree and — because it is fully online — students are able to plan their study schedule around the rest of their day to complete the coursework.
Safety and Health (BAAS) Competency-Based
Our BAAS program is flexible, affordable and 100 percent online. If you have earned or worked toward an Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) degree, our innovative BAAS program will provide you with a cost-effective pathway to earning your Bachelor degree. We will accept up to 85 hours of your previous coursework from an accredited institution, which means you are only 37 hours away from earning your degree!
UX Design Graduate Certificate
UX Design involves the development of solutions to problems (particularly with websites, apps, products or services) by relying on insights from the user. This multidisciplinary certificate will provide you with the skills necessary to gather, interpret and visualize a range of data types in a variety of mediums.
What is Competency-Based Education?
What is Competency-Based Education
Competency-Based Education (CBE) posits that learning is best measured by students demonstrating what they know and can do rather than by the number of hours spent in a classroom. CBE is student-driven and self-paced, guided by individualized feedback from an instructor and advisor. CBE is also flexible, and offered fully online, so it works around the busy personal and professional lives of adult learners and working professionals.
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Faculty Spotlight
Deena Besson
You can truly be yourself here and receive an amazing education at the same time.
Jennifer Hudson
Ideas excite me, so having the opportunity to work with you to develop your big plans or ideas never…
April Sanders, Ph.D.
I feel a responsibility to speak up because there were many people before me who did their part in b…
Beth Bailey, Ph.D.
I believe that adults who are working to support themselves and their families deserve a non-traditi…
Pride Pathway
Earn an affordable and flexible degree leading to teacher certification!
Texas schools need your talent and experience working in local schools. As an ISD employee, you can complete your bachelor's or master's degree and earn a teacher certification fully online without having to quit your full-time job.
Student Support
Initiatives
Events
Featured News
Mount Pleasant ISD Partners with A&M-Commerce for Alternative Teacher Certification
Officials with Mount Pleasant ISD (MPISD) and A&M-Commerce gathered on Aug. 14 as MPISD Superintendent Judd Marshall and A&M-Commerce President Mark Rudin signed an MOU affirming the district’s commitment to the Pride Pathway alternative teacher certification program at A&M-Commerce. Additionally, Deputy Superintendent Debra Malone revealed scholarships—made possible through a Department of Education grant awarded to […]
By Cops, For Cops: A&M-Commerce Competency-Based Criminal Justice Degree is Transforming Law Enforcement
Law enforcement officers in Texas and beyond are elevating their careers by earning their bachelor’s degree fully online through Texas A&M University-Commerce. The university’s competency-based Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice degree program emphasizes law enforcement leadership and provides a convenient and flexible option for working officers to earn their degree while keeping up with […]
A&M-Commerce Invests in Employees with New Professional Development Series
Amid post-pandemic trends in the workplace that focus on improving employee job satisfaction, a new professional development series at Texas A&M University-Commerce promises to empower employees and foster rewarding work experiences. Dubbed “Investing in US,” the series of for-credit courses will be offered to faculty and staff in eight-week terms at no cost in Fall […]
A&M-Commerce Faculty, Staff Share Expertise at Renowned Competency-Based Education Conference
Representatives from Texas A&M University-Commerce attended the CBExchange conference hosted by the Competency-Based Education Network in Amelia Island, Florida, from Oct. 18-21. The annual event is touted as the foremost conference on competency-based education. “As founding members of the Competency-Based Education Network, A&M-Commerce has grown to national prominence as a leader in competency-based education,” said […]
TAMUC College of Innovation and Design Dean Featured in Interview
Yvonne Villanueva-Russell, Ph.D., who serves as founding dean of the College of Innovation and Design at A&M-Commerce, is featured in an interview with The EvoLLLution, an online newspaper published by Modern Campus. In the interview, Villanueva-Russell provides insight into paradigm shifts in higher education and identifies opportunities for traditional institutions to capitalize on these growing […]
Lion’s Lecture Speaker Series Returns at A&M-Commerce
A&M-Commerce faculty, staff and students gathered on Sept. 29 to welcome the return of the Lion’s Lecture Series presented by the Graduate School and First-Year TRAC. Drs. Matt Wood and Sharonda Pruitt entertained the audience with two 20-minute presentations in the popular TED Talk format. Wood, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy, […]
TAMUC Pride Pathway Program Helps Address Teacher Shortage
An article at HoustonPublicMedia.org highlights the Pride Pathway program at A&M-Commerce as an option for replenishing the teacher preparation pipeline in Texas. “One of the huge areas that have been a focus is the fact that the pipeline to education has been drying up,” said Zeph Capo, president of the American Federation of Teachers. “Too […]
A&M-Commerce Announces First Health Services Administration Graduates
The College of Innovation and Design at Texas A&M University-Commerce has produced the first graduates of its new health services administration program. Patty Macias, Danielle Mahan, Alysa Moss, Kaci Powers, Kardelia Smith and Kisha Wofford received their Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences (BAAS) in Health Services Administration at the university’s summer graduation ceremony on […]
TAMUC Competency-Based Education Program Touted for Industry Engagement 
An article recently published at workingnation.com highlights the competency-based Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, Law Enforcement Leadership degree program at A&M-Commerce as a beacon for merging classroom theory with real-world application. The article “What is not causing the skills gap” is authored by Amber Garrison Duncan, executive vice president of Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN) […]
A&M-Commerce Alum Elected Mayor of Northeast Texas City
Recent Texas A&M University-Commerce graduate Justin Florence was elected to the office of Mayor of Palestine, Texas in a special runoff election held June 18, 2022. Florence received 56.22 percent of the vote during the runoff and will serve a two-year term. He graduated from A&M-Commerce in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Leadership. […]
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many hours should I take?
Students initially register for six hours (two courses per-term). You have the opportunity to accelerate into another course with the expectation that you will complete the coursework by the end of the term. You may continue to add courses, one at a time, through the 5th Friday of the term.
How do I get into Graduate School?
You can begin graduate coursework after you receive your bachelor’s degree, and sometimes even while you are finishing it up. Please visit the Graduate School for graduate program assistance.
What does the Basic Skills policy have to do with me?
Please review the University Basic Skills policy for information on this rule so that we can better ensure your success in your higher educational endeavors.
Why can’t I drop my Math or English course and What does the Basic Skills policy have to do with me?
Math courses include: PJCM 306/300 or Math 131/141/175
English courses include: ENG 100/110/101
ENG 100 must be taken concurrently with coordinating college-level courses according to the University Basic Skills Policy found in the Student Guide. As a CID student, you must be continuously enrolled in mathematics until you complete your math requirements.
How does financial aid work for general studies or applied arts and sciences?
You have to be enrolled in at least six hours (2 courses) to be considered half-time and eligible for grants and loans. Full-time enrollment is 12 hours (4 courses).
For more information, visit the Cost and Assistance page.
Please email [email protected] or call 903.886.5096 for questions about applying for financial aid.
Contact Us
- College of Innovation and Design
- 903.886.5878
- [email protected]
- P.O. Box 3011
- Commerce, TX 75429-3011