Secondary Teacher Certification for Degreed Students (Certification Only)

Education courses required for Secondary Certification:

Upon admission and enrollment in courses, students must register and successfully pass a subject/content practice exam prior to being bar-coded to take the state exam. Candidates for Teacher Certification must also meet all state requirements in the teaching field/academic specialization (see areas of certification). Depending on the student’s score, additional subject/content courses may or may not be required.

  • EDUC 5310 - Diverse Populations in Today's Schools
  • EDUC 5314 - Secondary Methods
  • EDUC 5315 - Practicum Residency*
  • EDUC 5329 - Classroom Management in Secondary School Environments
  • LIST 5345 - Content Area Reading and Writing
    OR
    LIST 5326 - Secondary Language Arts Methods (for English Language Arts teaching field students)

15 Total credit hours**

**All transfer hours must be approved by the program director

*Obtaining a probationary certificate for a full time teaching position at the level and in the content area in which the student is pursuing certification may be used in lieu of the 12 week supervised practicum. In all cases, students must register for EDUC 5315 in both semesters of their probationary teaching.

All education courses are available via the Internet, with varying availability during the academic year. See the Internet course rotation.

Program Director: Dr. Nancy Hadaway

Steps to take for Mid Level, Secondary and All Level Certification Students

I. Apply to the Graduate School and complete the required courses

1___ Submit your application to Graduate Admissions, 3rd floor Davis Hall. Certification only students need to submit a Special Student Application; Degree Seeking students need to submit the traditional Graduate Application. For official application deadlines, please reference the Online Graduate Catalog.

2___ Contact a College of Education Graduate Advisor, sign a content declaration form, and obtain a certification plan from a Graduate Advisor.

3____ Meet with a department academic advisor in the content area in which you are pursuing certification to determine if you have any content deficiencies that need to be met.

4____ Register for your education courses, and content courses if necessary. On acceptance to initial teacher certification for middle level or secondary, students must file a Content Declaration form (PDF) which specifies their background in their chosen teaching field. Students pursuing secondary certification must have at least 24 semester credit hours in one of the subject areas for secondary certification. Students without the required 24 hour subject area background will be required to complete those hours before taking the subject/content practice exam.

5 ____ Meet with your Faculty Advisor prior to registering for your second semester.

II. Pass the Pedagogy and Content TExES Exams

1____ Register for a practice content exam upon completion of your content area courses. You can register for this exam online. (Practice exams are not currently available for All Level certifications.) Students meeting the subject/content requirement must, upon enrollment in the first semester, register and successfully pass a subject/content practice exam. Depending on the student's score, additional subject/content courses may be required.

2____Attend a practice test review session.

3____Obtain a barcode to take the state content exam.

4____ Complete any remaining education courses and register for a practice pedagogy exam. You can register for this exam online.

5____ Attend a practice test review session.

6____ Obtain a barcode to take the state pedagogy exam.

III. Complete the practicum (residency) requirement

NOTE:

  • To be eligible to proceed to practicum (residency), secondary certification students must have completed at least THREE of the following: EDUC 5310, EDUC 5314, EDUC 5329, and LIST 5326 or 5345.
  • All certification coursework must be completed by the end of the practicum semester.
  • Students must apply for practicum (residency) by October 1 for spring placement or March 1 for fall placement.

1____ Complete one of the following:

i___Work as a non-paid student teacher for 12 weeks by applying for practicum (residency) one semester prior to your expected field placement (March 1 for Fall placement or October 1 for Spring placement).

ii___Register for EDUC 5315 during your first semester of practicum (residency).

OR

*Obtaining a probationary teacher certificate for a full time teaching position at the level and in the content area in which the student is pursuing certification may be used in lieu of the 12 week supervised practicum. In all cases, students must register for EDUC 5315 in both semesters of their probationary teaching.

IV. Apply for Certification

1____ Apply online to SBEC for official certification.

2____Contact the Director of Certification with any questions.

Additional Information

• Direct questions addressing course substitution, transfer credit, and course content to the program director. Secondary and All Level Teacher Certification: Dr. Nancy Hadaway.

• Direct questions addressing course clearance, registration, and application status to Graduate Advising in Certification and Advising Services.

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Updated: 18 October 2007