The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Graduate College office is located in Sabal Hall 1.202 on the Brownsville campus. On the Edinburg campus, the office is located in MASS 1.158. ANDREA TORRES/THE RIDER.
The Washington Monthly has ranked the University of Texas Pan American as a Top 10 Master’s University in the nation.
On Aug. 24, the legacy school moved from the No.19 spot to the No. 10 spot. The Washington Monthly is a bimonthly magazine based in the nation’s capital. The magazine features a yearly edition of the top-ranked universities in the nation. Having a legacy school placed in the Top 10 list is considered an achievement by faculty, staff and students.
“I know that students want to attend a university that will give back to them, that will make them stronger applicants in the workforce, and the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley provides all that,” said Sylvia Saenz, director of Graduate Studies.
Future Vaqueros can expect to see more options after completing their undergraduate program.
“We are looking into more graduate programs within the next few years,” Saenz said. “And we are looking [to add] more connection within the community through service learning.”
UTRGV officials agreed that the amount of exposure provided by the magazine’s article could prove to be positive for both the community and the university.
“This type of awareness of the university and what we can do and offer is always great. It’s good news,” Saenz said.
Currently, UTRGV offers 56 master’s programs and four doctoral programs.
Graduate student Hector Zamarripa believes the ranking of UTPA’s graduate school will help validate his collegiate career.
“To have that sort of validation is amazing,” Zamarripa said. “We already knew that it was a great program. [The ranking] makes my degree worth that much more, especially if I decide to leave the Valley.”
Zamarripa is an AP history teacher in the Brownsville Independent School District. Although he considered continuing his education after receiving his bachelor’s degree in December 2007, Zamarripa said he had a change of heart. He is pursuing a Master of Arts in history at UTRGV.
