Tarleton State University has outlined the academic and workforce development priorities for its new downtown Fort Worth campus, emphasizing health sciences, STEM fields, and training aligned with local employer needs. The institution describes its role within the Texas A&M System as collaborative, working alongside Texas A&M University, Texas A&M Law, and other partners rather than competing with them.
The university’s presence in Fort Worth dates back to 1978, when its medical laboratory science program began offering classes on West Myrtle Street. Over the decades, the program relocated to several sites, including 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 closer to the city’s medical district and healthcare partners. Officials stated the downtown expansion is not intended to duplicate the existing Tarleton State campus along Chisholm Trail Parkway but to position programs where they best serve students and workforce demands.
Specific programs highlighted include an associate degree in histotechnology, a field that helps detect tissue abnormalities for disease diagnosis and treatment. Officials noted that nearby institutions do not currently offer this specific associate degree, despite demand from health systems such as Baylor Scott & White Health, Texas Health Resources, and JPS Health Network. The medical laboratory science program, which enrolls approximately 40 students annually, follows a 3+1 model where students complete three years of undergraduate coursework elsewhere before transferring to Fort Worth for a professional year of training.
These academic choices reflect broader workforce pressures. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects about 22,600 annual openings for clinical laboratory technologies and technicians between 2024 and 2034, driven largely by retirements and workers leaving the field. The broader healthcare sector is expected to see approximately 1.9 million annual openings due to growth and replacement needs.
The Tarleton State Office of Extended Education and Workforce Development will occupy space in the Law and Education Building, focusing on short-term, noncredit training shaped by employer requirements. Potential offerings could include brief classes on estate planning or continuing education for real estate professionals. The university is also discussing collaborations with Texas A&M, the A&M System, and Tarrant County College to create an inventory of professional education options, aiming to help local employers identify available training.
