The Program

The Dr. Manuel P. Berriozábal Prefreshman Engineering Program (PREP) was established in 1979 at The University of Texas at San Antonio.  PREP-Lubbock has been hosted by the Texas Tech University Department of Mathematics and Statistics since 1986.  It is a mathematics-based summer enrichment program, designed to build a strong academic foundation while helping students develop the habits and skills needed for long-term success.

PREP features innovative programing to motivate youth to consider career paths in STEM fields and to promote collaboration between higher education, school districts, industry, and the community.  The program consists of courses offered during the summer for four years.  Each TexPREP course includes a different disciplinary emphasis and uses resources available at the host college or university site to create an environment where students can learn, explore, achieve, and discover.

Background

Dr. Manuel P. Berriozábal, a mathematics professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio, founded the Pre-Freshman Engineering Program in 1979 to identify high-achieving middle and high school students interested in science and engineering and to help them enter those fields.

Since then, PREP has expanded throughout Texas as TexPREP and nationally as PREP-USA. More than 32,000 students have completed at least one summer of PREP throughout the nation.

The Department of Mathematics and Statistics at Texas Tech University serves as the host for the Lubbock program. Dr. Derald Walling was the first director of TexPREP-Lubbock, serving from 1986 to 1991. He was followed by Dr. Benjamin Duran (1992–1993), Dr. Charles Kellogg (1994–1998), Dr. Jo Anne Temple (1999–2003), Dr. Jerry Dwyer (2004–2015), Brock Williams (2016), and Jim Brown, who has served as director since 2017.

TTU Campus Map

View the Texas Tech University campus map index scrolling down to Mathematical Sciences.  Zoom out to see the building to the upper left (northwest) of Memorial Circle.

Curriculum

The curriculum is designed to strengthen students’ ability to solve problems, reason, form conjectures, and apply mathematical knowledge logically and systematically.  It emphasizes critical thinking, abstract reasoning, and systematic analysis through an integrated, hands-on approach.

PREP demonstrates how mathematics connects to science, computer science, and engineering.  Students develop mathematical skill, improve written and oral communication, and gain confidence through success in a rigorous academic setting.  The program reinforces the value of hard work, perseverance, and commitment while helping students build competitive and marketable skills.

Across the four-year sequence, students take courses and participate in activities that may include mathematical logic, algebra topics, probability and statistics, pre-calculus, calculus, computer science, physics, introduction to engineering, university readiness, leadership development, career awareness, robotics, ecology, Earth science, and astronomy.

Special projects and events are used to integrate course material and encourage innovative application of mathematical ideas.  Students also benefit from mentoring by college instructors, high school teachers, undergraduate and graduate students in STEM fields, as well as career and motivational speakers.

Course Credit

All participants are expected to maintain an average of 70 or better throughout the program. Each student earns a final grade that can be reported to the student’s school upon request.

The Texas Education Agency has permitted individual school districts to approve PREP participation as elective credit toward high school graduation for PREP II, III, and IV.

Field Trips

Participants in PREP are introduced to many academic areas across the Texas Tech campus.  Students tour departments in engineering and the sciences, complete projects in labs, observe demonstrations, and hear from speakers in mathematics, engineering, and other scientific fields.

PREP IV students also participate in a University Readiness class and related activities designed to help prepare them for college.

In addition to campus activities, students take part in off-campus trips that expose them to industry, research, and scientific exploration.  Over the years, destinations have included engineering firms, observatories, museums, research institutes, science events, and university laboratories throughout Texas and the region.

Recent experiences have included visits to Connected Development in Dallas, the Fort Worth Zoo, the NEXT Lab at Abilene Christian University, the solar observatory at Sunspot, New Mexico, and other science- and engineering-focused destinations.  In 2026 the PREP 3 and 4 groups visited McDonald Observatory near Fort Davis, attending a Star Party and touring two research telescopes.  They also visited the Midland Army Air Force Museum on the way there.

Tuition

PREP does not charge tuition.  Each year, PREP staff work to secure grant funding so that students from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds can participate without financial barriers.

Students are responsible for providing their own transportation to and from campus and for bringing or purchasing their own lunch.

A $10 program fee is requested from each student to help cover T-shirts, Tech ID cards, pizza, and recreation on the last day of the program.  Students or families who cannot afford this fee should contact the PREP office.