About the Department of Life Sciences

Life Sciences (LSCI) became a separate Department at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in Fall 2006. Prior to this, life sciences was a component of the Department of Physical and Life Sciences (PALS), which had grown so large that it "split" into two departments: LSCI and the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences (PENS). The study of life sciences has always played an integral part in the academic curriculum of this institution as it has undergone many changes (including its name).

Dates	Institution Name	System Affiliation
1947-73	University of Corpus Christi	Baptist General Convention of Texas
1973-89	Texas A&I University at Corpus Christi	University System of South Texas
1989-93	Texas A&I University at Corpus Christi	Texas A&M University System
1993-present	Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi	Texas A&M University System

Currently, the Department of Life Sciences consists of three programs: Biology Program Biomedical Sciences Program Mariculture Program

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is situated on Ward Island, a 240-acre island approximately ten miles from downtown Corpus Christi (a city with over a quarter of a million inhabitants) and 20 minutes from the Padre Island National Seashore. Mexico is a three-hour drive away. A sandy beach on Corpus Christi Bay graces the north side of the "Island University's" campus, and the quiet waters of Oso Bay surround it on the other sides. Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi has become one of the top Public Comprehensive Universities in the Western United States.

Campus Map 1	Campus Views
Campus Map 2	City of Corpus Christi
Campus Views (aerial)	Visitors to Corpus Christi

The island campus provides a natural living laboratory that promotes a hands-on approach to field work in the life sciences. Nearby are barrier islands, estuaries, bays, oyster reefs, freshwater and saltwater marshes, lagoons, seagrass beds, tidal flats, sandy beaches and rocky coast-like jetties, as well as brushlands. The campus has published its own 260-page field guide, A Field Guide to Ward Island. Nearby, "on the mainland," Hans and Pat Suter Wildlife Refuge (about a half mile from the campus) is among the top 20 birding sites in the U.S. The proposed University Village would add 273 acres "on the mainland" to the campus. This project would include research facilities, but over half of its acerage would be public "green space" including wetlands and an arboretum.

Laboratory analysis is a major component of all studies in the life sciences. As the science programs at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi have grown, the laboratory facilities have developed and improved. Courses are taught in modern classrooms and laboratories located in the Center for Sciences, the Center for Instruction, and the Science and Technology Building. Over the years, laboratory-based studies have spawned a focus in biomedical and molecular sciences, areas that have received consistent interest and support from the campus and community.

Community support is an important factor in the success of the Department of Life Sciences. Several life-science-related Institutes, Centers, and Agencies are affiliated with Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and/or are located on its campus. The city of Corpus Christi and its many clinics, hospitals, and health-care facilities also help to support support the research and teaching programs of the Department of Life Sciences.

Accreditation:

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is accredited to award bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees by the:
Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS), Commission on Colleges
1866 Southern Lane
Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097
Telephone: (404) 679-4500, extension 566
FAX: (404) 679-4558

Clinical Laboratory Science at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is accredited by the:
National Accrediting Agency for Clinical Laboratory Sciences (NAACLS)
8410 W. Bryn Mawr Ave., Suite 670
Chicago, Illinois 60631-3415
Telephone: (773) 714-8880
FAX: (773) 714-8886