The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has ordered the so-called Texas American Muslim University at Dallas to shut down immediately, alleging it has been operating as a degree-granting institution in open defiance of state law.
According to The Post Millennial, the entity, which also brands itself as TexAM University at Dallas or Texas American Muslim University, has been aggressively marketing itself as a new higher-education option for Muslim students. It has advertised STEM degree programs, including a masters in Artificial Intelligence, bundled with mandatory Islamic studies, despite never having obtained legal authorization to function as a university in Texas.
According to a formal notice from the coordinating board, TexAM has never secured the required Certificate of Authority under Chapter 61 of the Texas Education Code, a prerequisite for any institution seeking to operate or confer degrees in the state. TexAM has never been granted a Certificate of Authority to operate in Texas; therefore, TexAM is prohibited by law from granting or offering to grant degrees. A person or entitys non-compliance with Chapter 61, Subchapter G, subjects them to criminal punishment, administrative penalties, and liability for civil penalties and injunctive relief (Tex. Educ. Code 61.316-319). Furthermore, non-compliance is a violation of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and subjects the person or entity to the criminal and civil liability imposed under that act (Tex. Educ. Code 61.320), the letter stated.
The board further warned that the very use of the term university without proper authorization is itself unlawful. Additionally, the use of a protected term such as university without a certificate of authority is a violation of section 61.313 of the Texas Education Code. Such a violation subjects a person to criminal liability.
Regulators pointed to TexAMs own online materials as evidence that it has been publicly presenting itself as a fully fledged degree-granting institution. TexAMs advertising and postings via its website indicate that your entity publicly holds itself out as offering in the State of Texas STEM degree programs, including a masters degree in Artificial Intelligence and admissions to bachelors degree programs in computer science, IT, cybersecurity, and health informatics. TexAM, and all related entities, must immediately cease advertising, offering, and enrolling students in degrees or programs of study until it has applied for and been granted a Certificate of Authority. You must also cease and desist from using any protected terms immediately, the letter added.
Governor Greg Abbott, reflecting the law-and-order approach favored by conservatives in Texas and in President Trumps second administration, said he personally ordered the crackdown. I directed the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to issue a Cease & Desist to TexAM, an unauthorized Islamic educational institution operating illegally in Texas, Abbott said in a post to X.
The governor made clear that the state is prepared to escalate if TexAM ignores the directive. If they refuse to comply, legal action will follow. Texas will not allow illegal educational institutions to operate in our state.
TexAM had recently been promoting Spring 2026 Admissions for programs in Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity, Health Informatics, and Islamic Economics, paired with coursework in Islamic studies, mathematics, and English. On its website, the institution describes itself as the first university in the USA to offer STEM degree programs embedded with mandatory courses in Islamic Studies, asserting that about 30 percent of its curriculum is devoted to Islamic subjects.
For conservatives who have long warned about unregulated niche institutions exploiting students under the guise of diversity and religious accommodation, the TexAM case underscores why strict enforcement of state education codes matters. As Texas officials move to protect students and preserve the integrity of legitimate universities, the fate of TexAM will likely hinge on whether it seeks proper authorization or continues to operate outside the law, inviting the criminal and civil penalties spelled out in the states own statutes.
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