Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday that the Texas American Muslim University at Dallas, a North Texas school that offers bachelor’s programs with Islamic studies courses, must cease operations.

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The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board said the school is offering higher education courses and degrees without a proper certificate of authority, violating Texas laws for operating a higher education institution. 

At Abbott’s direction, the state agency ordered the school, which is based in Richardson, to cease advertising its programs and enrolling students. 

“Texas will not allow illegal educational institutions to operate in our state,” Abbott wrote Thursday in a post on X. 

Shahid Bajwa, the school’s founder, declined to immediately respond to a request for comment. 

Abbott’s directive comes as state leaders have increasingly scrutinized Islamic schools and sought to curtail activities hosted by Muslim groups. The state comptroller’s office initially held up dozens of Islamic K-12 schools from enrolling in Texas’ new voucher-like program, with Abbott deeming the schools sites of “radical Islamic indoctrination.”

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Texas American Muslim University at Dallas, which says its “north star” is to “advance Texas,” advertises itself as the first university in the country to offer STEM degree programs with mandatory courses in Islamic studies.

For example, students can enroll in an online Master’s in Artificial Intelligence program, which consists of 40 credits. To complete the degree, students take nine technology classes and four Islamic ones. Another class, called “Introduction to Cybersecurity,” meets twice a week and promises to provide a “comprehensive introduction to cybersecurity fundamentals.”

It costs “$99 for a 3-credit course” for international students, while U.S. students pay “$99 X 3 for a 3-credit course,” according to the website.

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Private universities must be authorized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to grant degrees in Texas under state law. The law, which aims to “prevent deception of the public” based on “fraudulent or substandard college and university degrees,” requires institutions that are already accredited or working toward accreditation to apply for authorization. For schools that are not accredited, agency officials review several factors, such as the institutions’ mission, governance and financial resources and stability. A site visit is also part of the application. 

The school does not appear in the U.S. Department of Education’s database of accredited postsecondary institutions and programs. 

On Thursday, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board said the school, which is listed in state filings as a nonprofit, cannot use the term “university” without a certificate of authority, according to a letter sent from the agency to the school. 

The school has until Friday to respond to the higher education agency’s letter and confirm that it has “voluntarily, permanently, and immediately ceased” advertising, offering and enrolling students in programs. 

Both Abbott and the coordinating board threatened legal action by the attorney general if the school does not comply. 

Staff writer Jessica Ma contributed to this report.