Certification for Out of State Students

Our certificate programs are designed to meet the requirements for certification in the state of Texas. Each state issues its own state teaching certificate and has its own unique requirements. A state issued teaching certificate is good only within that particular state, and if an individual moves to another state, he/she must meet the criteria for certification in the new state. Part of this process usually includes taking a state mandated test.

If you are from out of state, you may complete one of our certificate programs and work through your state to become certified. We will work with you prior to beginning our program to compare your state requirements with those of Texas. This information can be provided to your state certification entity so that you can ensure that you will be able to meet certification requirements at the end of the program.

If you wish to pursue initial certification in Texas while living out of the state, you can complete the coursework in one of our certificate programs and then complete a 12 week supervised practicum in an accredited school in your state. In addition, you must make arrangements to take and pass an onsite (at UTA) practice test for your content area and for the pedagogy related to your level of certification in preparation for the TExES. Then, you must register and pass the TExES (administered in Texas) for your content area and for the pedagogy related to your level of certification. You can then be recommended for certification in Texas and present a Texas certificate to your state to pursue the licensure process there.

NOTE: For active duty military personnel living outside the DFW area, you may take the practice test and the actual TExES through a supervised testing center in your area with a proctor present. You will work through the UTA Assistant Dean of Assessment to make arrangements for this process.

If you wish to pursue one of the add-on certificates/endorsements available online (Reading Specialist and English as a Second Language), you must first have an initial teaching certificate issued by Texas. You can then complete our add-on certificate program and be recommended for certification in Texas and present a Texas certificate to your state to pursue the licensure process there.

Individuals who do not hold an initial certificate from Texas but who wish to pursue a Reading Specialist or English as a Second Language add-on must work through their state certification entity as noted earlier.