Tarleton State University has clarified the academic direction for its new downtown Fort Worth campus, emphasizing health sciences, STEM fields, and workforce development. Officials stated that the institution’s programming is designed to address specific regional labor shortages rather than duplicate existing offerings.
The university’s presence in Fort Worth traces back to 1978, when its medical laboratory science program began classes on West Myrtle Street. Over the decades, the program relocated to the Richard C. Schaffer Building in the 1990s and the Hickman Building on Camp Bowie Boulevard in 2006. The current Law and Education Building places students near the city’s medical district and healthcare partners.
Capua, a university representative, described the Fort Worth campus as a collaborative Texas A&M System project involving Texas A&M, Texas A&M Law, and Tarleton State. The goal is to position programs where they best serve students, faculty, and workforce requirements. For instance, the university offers an associate degree in histotechnology, a discipline focused on detecting tissue abnormalities for disease diagnosis. Capua noted that nearby institutions do not provide this specific associate degree, despite demand from major health systems including Baylor Scott & White Health, Texas Health Resources, and JPS Health Network.
The medical laboratory science program, which enrolls approximately 40 students annually, utilizes a 3+1 model. Students complete three years of undergraduate study elsewhere before transferring to Tarleton State Fort Worth for a final year of professional training. This focus aligns with broader labor market trends. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects 22,600 annual openings for clinical laboratory technicians and technologists between 2024 and 2034, driven by retirements and workforce departures. The broader healthcare sector is expected to see 1.9 million annual openings due to growth and replacement needs.
The Law and Education Building will also house Tarleton State’s Office of Extended Education and Workforce Development. This unit will provide short-term, noncredit training tailored to employer needs, such as classes on estate planning or continuing education for real estate professionals. The university is also working with Texas A&M and Tarrant County College to create an inventory of professional education options, aiming to simplify access for local businesses.
