Undergraduate Certification:
Certification Levels
Degreed Students
Internship and Residency
Recommendation to the State Board
Oral Communication Competency
Applying to SBEC for Certification

See also:
Kinesiology Certification

Undergraduate Certification

Effective fall 2007, students must pass all appropriate state exams and apply for appropriate state certifications with the State Board for Educator Certification / Texas Education Agency within six months of the completion of their residency / practicum / program. If a student allows the six month period to go by without passing all state exams and applying for certification, additional coursework and/or state exams will be required for recommendation for certification. Additional coursework will be determined by the appropriate Program Director in consultation with the faculty.

Certification Levels

See Undergraduate Degree Options

Degreed Students

Initial teacher certification is offered only at the graduate level for students who have earned a bachelor's degree.

Internship, Inquiry Semester and Residency

Application deadlines: March 1 for Fall semester. October 1 for Spring semester.

Internship (EC – 4th Grade and Bilingual EC – 4th Grade Certification)

Early Childhood – 4th Grade Internship is a semester that involves a block of courses centering around practicum experiences in a variety of settings where young children are served. Students will: (1) meet with instructors for discussions on course topics and classroom experiences, and (2) be assigned for a day in an approved PreK – 4 field setting for application of theory. Students may be offered opportunities for employment as early childhood teaching assistants in a kindergarten setting. Students should complete all core and support system courses prior to the Internship semester. All students must meet all requirements (GPA, THEA scores and prerequisite courses) prior to Internship. The Internship semester is in the fall, begins and ends with the public school district calendar and must immediately precede Residency.

Early Childhood – 4th Grade Residency is a full-time supervised and directed practice in an approved prekindergarten – 4th grade classroom. Students will have at least two placements. Residents who are employed as intern/resident early childhood teaching assistants in the fall will remain in a kindergarten setting for Residency. Residency is in the spring and begins and ends with the public school district calendar.

Inquiry Semester (Middle-level Certification)

The Inquiry Semester is a one-semester experience for students seeking middle-level certification. It follows the university calendar. The Inquiry semester is in the Fall semester and must immediately precede the Residency semester.

To be eligible to enter the Inquiry semester for middle-level certification, the student must:

• Have filed a degree plan with the College of Education.
• Have an overall (or last 60 hours) GPA of 2.75.
• Have completed the required content area courses.
• Have a minimum GPA of 2.75 in all College of Education certification courses.
• Have completed EDML 4300, EDUC 2101, EDTC 4201, EDUC 4360, READ 4343, BEEP 4384, READ 4376.
• Be concurrently enrolled in EDML 4370, EDML 4371, EDML 4372, READ 4378.

Middle-level certification candidates spend 144 hours in the field during the Inquiry semester. This involves two days (Tuesday and Thursday) each week in assigned schools working with supervising teachers, university faculty, and middle-level students. One-half of each day will be spent in the classroom working with the 4th-8th grade students under the supervision of the district teacher and university faculty. The other half of the day will be spent in classroom lecture.

Residency (Middle-level Certification)

Middle-level 4th-8th Grade Residency is the final semester where students repeat the sequence of field assignments just as in the Inquiry semester. Students spend 720 hours in the field for a full-time assignment. Students attend faculty meetings, parent teacher conferences and professional development experiences as well as regularly scheduled university seminars, which involves presentations by partner school principals and university faculty. Residency is in the spring and begins and ends with the public school district calendar.

Internship (Secondary Certification)

Internship is a one-semester experience for students seeking Secondary certification. It follows the public school district calendar. The Internship semester should immediately precede the Residency semester. The application deadline is October 1 for the Spring semester and March 1 for the Fall semester Internship.

Eligible students must make application for secondary internship before the deadline early in the semester preceding the internship assignment. Secondary intern applications are then reviewed by partner schools and students are subsequently assigned by the Field Experience Office to appropriate school sites (based on student’s area of specialization and the partner school’s needs).

For purposes of determining eligibility for internship, all applicable grades, including those earned at other institutions, will be used in the calculation of grade point averages. Students are urged not to take more than 15 semester credit hours, including internship, during the internship semester.

Students should become familiar with the Internship Handbook prior to beginning the internship assignment.

To be eligible to enter the Internship in the secondary certification program, the student must:

• Have filed a degree plan with major academic department and have provided a copy to the College of Education advising office.
• Have an overall (or last 60 hours) GPA of 2.75.
• Have completed at least 75 percent of the required hours in specialization/teaching field, including six advanced hours in an academic specialization(s).
• Have a minimum GPA of 2.75 in all College of Education certification courses.

Secondary certification candidates will spend five instructional clock hours and a one-hour planning period per week in their assigned schools working with mentor teachers and secondary students. In addition, students are required to attend seminars throughout the semester.

Residency (Secondary Certification)

Residency immediately follows Internship for students seeking Secondary certification and All-level certification. It is a one-semester experience scheduled to begin and end with the public school district calendar that involves working with mentor teachers and EC-12 students in the school setting five days a week. Residency is considered to be full-time enrollment.

Students should become familiar with the Resident Handbook prior to beginning the residency assignment.

For purposes of determining residency eligibility for all education students, the following must be completed:

• 2.75 GPA overall or last 60 hours.
• 2.75 GPA in all College of Education certification courses.
• Additional requirements specific to each certification level.

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Recommendation to the State Board

To be eligible for certification under all programs, a candidate must meet specific criteria set by the College of Education, the University, and the State Board for Educator Certification. To be recommended to the State Board for Educator Certification for initial teacher certification, a student must have successfully completed the following:

• All course work required for certification, including a baccalaureate degree.
• All College of Education certification courses with a grade of C or better and with a minimum GPA of 2.75.
• For purposes of determining eligibility for certification, all applicable grades, including those earned at other institutions, will be used in the calculation of grade point averages.
• Pass all required Texas Examinations for Educator Standards (TExES).
• Apply online for certification to the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) www.sbec.state.tx.us when all course work is completed, the bachelor’s degree is posted on U.T. Arlington transcript, and all required state mandated tests have been successfully passed.

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Oral Communication Competency

All students will satisfy the oral communication requirement during the professional development sequence leading to initial teacher certification. Students must complete the Internship semester with an acceptable evaluation of oral communication by university professors and assigned mentors in the field. The oral communication evaluation criteria are outlined in the Internship Handbook.

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Undergraduate Certification: Certification Levels Degreed Students Internship and Residency Recommendation to the State Board Oral Communication Competency Applying to SBEC for Certification See also: Kinesiology Certification Undergraduate Certification Effective fall 2007, students must pass all appropriate state exams and apply for appropriate state certifications with the State Board for Educator Certification / Texas Education Agency within six months of the completion of their residency / practicum / program. If a student allows the six month period to go by without passing all state exams and applying for certification, additional coursework and/or state exams will be required for recommendation for certification. Additional coursework will be determined by the appropriate Program Director in consultation with the faculty. Certification Levels See Undergraduate Degree Options Degreed Students Initial teacher certification is offered only at the graduate level for students who have earned a bachelor's degree. Internship, Inquiry Semester and Residency Application deadlines: March 1 for Fall semester. October 1 for Spring semester. Internship (EC – 4th Grade and Bilingual EC – 4th Grade Certification) Early Childhood – 4th Grade Internship is a semester that involves a block of courses centering around practicum experiences in a variety of settings where young children are served. Students will: (1) meet with instructors for discussions on course topics and classroom experiences, and (2) be assigned for a day in an approved PreK – 4 field setting for application of theory. Students may be offered opportunities for employment as early childhood teaching assistants in a kindergarten setting. Students should complete all core and support system courses prior to the Internship semester. All students must meet all requirements (GPA, THEA scores and prerequisite courses) prior to Internship. The Internship semester is in the fall, begins and ends with the public school district calendar and must immediately precede Residency. Early Childhood – 4th Grade Residency is a full-time supervised and directed practice in an approved prekindergarten – 4th grade classroom. Students will have at least two placements. Residents who are employed as intern/resident early childhood teaching assistants in the fall will remain in a kindergarten setting for Residency. Residency is in the spring and begins and ends with the public school district calendar. Inquiry Semester (Middle-level Certification) The Inquiry Semester is a one-semester experience for students seeking middle-level certification. It follows the university calendar. The Inquiry semester is in the Fall semester and must immediately precede the Residency semester. To be eligible to enter the Inquiry semester for middle-level certification, the student must: • Have filed a degree plan with the College of Education. • Have an overall (or last 60 hours) GPA of 2.75. • Have completed the required content area courses. • Have a minimum GPA of 2.75 in all College of Education certification courses. • Have completed EDML 4300, EDUC 2101, EDTC 4201, EDUC 4360, READ 4343, BEEP 4384, READ 4376. • Be concurrently enrolled in EDML 4370, EDML 4371, EDML 4372, READ 4378. Middle-level certification candidates spend 144 hours in the field during the Inquiry semester. This involves two days (Tuesday and Thursday) each week in assigned schools working with supervising teachers, university faculty, and middle-level students. One-half of each day will be spent in the classroom working with the 4th-8th grade students under the supervision of the district teacher and university faculty. The other half of the day will be spent in classroom lecture. Residency (Middle-level Certification) Middle-level 4th-8th Grade Residency is the final semester where students repeat the sequence of field assignments just as in the Inquiry semester. Students spend 720 hours in the field for a full-time assignment. Students attend faculty meetings, parent teacher conferences and professional development experiences as well as regularly scheduled university seminars, which involves presentations by partner school principals and university faculty. Residency is in the spring and begins and ends with the public school district calendar. Internship (Secondary Certification) Internship is a one-semester experience for students seeking Secondary certification. It follows the public school district calendar. The Internship semester should immediately precede the Residency semester. The application deadline is October 1 for the Spring semester and March 1 for the Fall semester Internship. Eligible students must make application for secondary internship before the deadline early in the semester preceding the internship assignment. Secondary intern applications are then reviewed by partner schools and students are subsequently assigned by the Field Experience Office to appropriate school sites (based on student’s area of specialization and the partner school’s needs). For purposes of determining eligibility for internship, all applicable grades, including those earned at other institutions, will be used in the calculation of grade point averages. Students are urged not to take more than 15 semester credit hours, including internship, during the internship semester. Students should become familiar with the Internship Handbook prior to beginning the internship assignment. To be eligible to enter the Internship in the secondary certification program, the student must: • Have filed a degree plan with major academic department and have provided a copy to the College of Education advising office. • Have an overall (or last 60 hours) GPA of 2.75. • Have completed at least 75 percent of the required hours in specialization/teaching field, including six advanced hours in an academic specialization(s). • Have a minimum GPA of 2.75 in all College of Education certification courses. Secondary certification candidates will spend five instructional clock hours and a one-hour planning period per week in their assigned schools working with mentor teachers and secondary students. In addition, students are required to attend seminars throughout the semester. Residency (Secondary Certification) Residency immediately follows Internship for students seeking Secondary certification and All-level certification. It is a one-semester experience scheduled to begin and end with the public school district calendar that involves working with mentor teachers and EC-12 students in the school setting five days a week. Residency is considered to be full-time enrollment. Students should become familiar with the Resident Handbook prior to beginning the residency assignment. For purposes of determining residency eligibility for all education students, the following must be completed: • 2.75 GPA overall or last 60 hours. • 2.75 GPA in all College of Education certification courses. • Additional requirements specific to each certification level. ^ Top Recommendation to the State Board To be eligible for certification under all programs, a candidate must meet specific criteria set by the College of Education, the University, and the State Board for Educator Certification. To be recommended to the State Board for Educator Certification for initial teacher certification, a student must have successfully completed the following: • All course work required for certification, including a baccalaureate degree. • All College of Education certification courses with a grade of C or better and with a minimum GPA of 2.75. • For purposes of determining eligibility for certification, all applicable grades, including those earned at other institutions, will be used in the calculation of grade point averages. • Pass all required Texas Examinations for Educator Standards (TExES). • Apply online for certification to the State Board for Educator Certification (SBEC) www.sbec.state.tx.us when all course work is completed, the bachelor’s degree is posted on U.T. Arlington transcript, and all required state mandated tests have been successfully passed. ^ Top Oral Communication Competency All students will satisfy the oral communication requirement during the professional development sequence leading to initial teacher certification. Students must complete the Internship semester with an acceptable evaluation of oral communication by university professors and assigned mentors in the field. The oral communication evaluation criteria are outlined in the Internship Handbook. ^ Top College of Education University of Texas at Arlington Main Office: 5th Floor, Hammond Hall Box 19227, Arlington, TX 76019-0227 Phone: 817-272-2591 \| Fax: 817-272-2530 General Inquiries: education@uta.edu Certification & Advising: coedadvising@uta.edu 817-272-2956