PHOTO COURTESY STEPHANIE OZUNA LARRALDE
The UTRGV Graduate College offers 63 master programs and 13 doctoral programs, providing assistance to anybody interested in a master’s or doctoral degree, according to university staff.
“We offer appointments, so students can always come meet with a recruiter one-to-one, talk about the available graduate programs,” said Stephanie Ozuna Larralde, director of UTRGV Graduate Recruitment and Outreach, which partners with the Graduate College.
Ozuna Larralde added they can talk about the admission requirements each program has and what funding might be available to help students pay for graduate school.
She said when students inquire about a graduate degree, the department provides information to potential students on how to apply.
“We also invite them to participate in informational webinars,” Ozuna Larralde said. “We also have our graduate fairs where we invite them to come talk with faculty and learn more about graduate programs.”
The director said, in contrast to undergraduate enrollment, which has the same admission requirements, each graduate program has different criteria.
“We provide that assistance with students to let them know what is required of the program and how to get in,” she said.
Ozuna Larralde said deadlines for each program can be different and advises prospective students to make sure to have documents in by deadline.
“We do have some very competitive programs and, some of those … if you don’t have all of your admission requirements by deadline, you won’t be considered and you’ll need to apply for the next available term,” she said.
Ozuna Larralde added the business programs have a “really high” enrollment compared to others.
The university offers accelerated online programs, which are meant for full-time professionals, according to the director.
“So, these are 100% online, online programs where they can be studying anywhere or be working anywhere and choose to study here at UTRGV,” Ozuna Larralde said.
The director encourages students to meet with a graduate recruiter to explore the options available for them.
“A graduate recruiter can kind of help them decide, ‘Yes, this might be a program that’s good for you or maybe not,’” she said. “… They can help explain the admissions requirements, what is required of that program, when the deadline is and, also, who the graduate program coordinator is.”
Felipe Olivarez, assistant director of Financial Aid, said students should complete their FAFSA application, and the Financial Aid Office will assist students on what types of aid they are eligible for.
Olivarez said programs such as the Pell Grant and Texas Grant are specific for undergraduate students working on their first bachelor’s.
“So, on the grad side, basically we’re looking at if there’s an institutional grant like our Graduate Resource Grant,” he said. “If the scholarship office is able to award a scholarship that they offer, it’s called Grad Select, and that’s available for students that are eligible if they’re pursuing their first master’s program.”
Olivarez said international students, aside from scholarships, can get financial assistance through fellowships, graduate assistantships or research positions.
“Those are typically with their department of major,” he said. “So, they can definitely check with their department to see if there’s anything that they can also offer, whether it’s in the form of a scholarship or a position.”
Cynthia Vazquez, an English as a second language graduate student, said she did a bachelor’s in art with a Texas’ teacher certification prior to Graduate College.
Vazquez said she decided to pursue a master’s degree because of her experience as an educator in Texas, having noticed there was a “need” for educators to become aware of the situation in South Texas with migration and receiving students that do not speak English.
“I just wanted to have that background or that knowledge in English as a second language to help them,” she said.
Vazquez said she had a “good” experience in her first semester with Graduate Admissions & Enrollment staff.
“They were really friendly and really helpful in every step through the process of applying,” she said.
