Classes have begun at the new Texas A&M University-Commerce at Dallas campus at Northwest Highway and 75, and students say the facility is already opening new doors for their education and career.
“Our programs draws a lot of professionals who work here in Dallas during the day and teach at night,” said Cora Welch, a senior from Allen studying visual communications. “That’s beneficial because they have really good insight. They know the current trends and have hands-on experience in their field.”
The new facility occupies the top two floors of 8750 North Central Expressway, also home to TopGolf and Match.com. More than 320,000 people pass each day, and their 50,000 square feet of renovated space will enable partnerships with Dallas College, Dallas ISD, Richardson ISD and other districts. A&M-Commerce currently has other DFW locations in Frisco, McKinney and Mesquite. The Dallas site is just a block from the Park Lane stop on DART’s light rail, with easy access off Greenville Avenue and plenty of garage parking. Classrooms, labs and meeting rooms are tech-enabled, and students can relax in the café and workout in the fitness center between classes.
“This is a significant improvement,” said Quincy Crowell, a senior from Van Alstyne studying to create art and copy for commercial packaging. “We have a wider range of facilities, with a press room for our equipment and more places to create our artwork.”
A&M-Commerce previously hosted a visual communications program at Dallas College-El Centro downtown, but expanding to the new facility will enable additional programs including agriculture, business and education.
“Expanding into Dallas has been a dream of Texas A&M Commerce since it was called East Texas State University,” said Bill Mahomes, vice chairman of the board of regents. “We believe a high quality, affordable higher education should be within the reach of anyone who is motivated to seek it.”
Access to high paying jobs with respected employers is a big draw, students say.
“Our professors are great at keeping us engaged,” said Alondra Cavazos, who graduated from DISD’s Trinidad Garza Early College High School. “There are lots of opportunities for visual communications jobs and internships in Dallas. The industry is growing, and this campus will attract exciting teachers and speakers.”
