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Future Students Start Here

Have a bachelor’s degree and want to become certified to teach in Texas? UTA’s teacher certification program offers outstanding faculty, classroom observation, and in-person classroom field experiences to give you the expertise you need to pass your initial teacher certification exams. From there, it is on to the classroom! Register for an information session or request information to learn more.

Priority Application Dates

Applying after the priority date? Admissions applications are welcome at any time. However, for priority consideration, apply by the priority date.

Fall

Submit by July 1

Classes start end of August

Spring

Submit by Nov. 1

Classes start in January

Summer

Submit by April 1

Classes start mid-May


View the UTA Official Catalog for admissions requirements and details about probationary admission, deferred admission, and more for the following programs. 

 

  • Department of Curriculum and Instruction graduate programs:
    • M.Ed. or Certificate in Instructional and Learning Design Technology
    • M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction - Open Options 
    • M.Ed. in Mind, Brain, and Education 
    • M.Ed. in Teaching with Teacher Certification 
    • Initial Teacher Certification Only Program 
    • Criminal History Acknowledgement for Educator Certification programs

  • Department of Educational Leadership and Policy Studies graduate programs: 
    • M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, with Higher Education Administration Emphasis 
    • Dual Degree: Master of Social Work and M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, with Higher Education Administration Emphasis 
    • B.A. to Ph.D. Track in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies
    • Hispanic Serving Leadership Preparation Graduate Certificate 

Applicants seeking admission must submit two recommendation forms. Please wait until you have your 10-digit, UTA student ID number to submit recommendation forms.

 

For online programs:

The required Recommendation Form is available for download here

For on-campus and hybrid (featuring online and in-person courses):

The required* Recommendation Form is available for download here.

The Hispanic Serving Leadership Preparation Graduate Certification does not require a recommendation form at this time. 

 

Some applicants, such as international students, may have additional admissions requirements* and/or program** limitations.

English Language Test Score Requirements

UTA accepts TOEFL* or IELTS or Duolingo. If your native language is not English, you must demonstrate a sufficient level of skill with the English language to assure success in graduate studies. You are required to submit official test score reports directly from the testing agency unless you hold a bachelor's or master's degree from an accredited U.S institution.

You are required to submit an official test score report sent directly from the testing agency. UTA's ETS institutional code is 6013.

*Certification programs only accept TOEFL due to Texas Education Agency requirements. 

View test score requirements online

Additional Resources

Have additional questions?

Email UTA's international office at international@uta.edu.

 

*The resources provided here are for informational purposes. Please review the Official Catalog for official information. 

**The M.Ed. in Mind, Brain, and Education is not eligible for international students at this time.


Information for Out-of-State Students

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) requires candidates seeking certification to complete all practica in a TEA-approved site. Out-of-state students who do not complete the practicum at a UTA College of Education and TEA-approved site and meet all other TEA requirements do not qualify for Texas educator certification. If seeking certification outside of Texas, please work with your state agency in the state in which you are seeking certification to determine eligibility and to complete any additional requirements. Please note that after successful completion of your UTA College of Education degree, you may request a memo indicating your degree completion. UTA cannot recommend out-of-state students for certification and cannot recommend out-of-state students to take Texas certification exam(s). Additionally, UTA faculty and staff cannot complete out-of-state form requests for individuals seeking certification, licensure, and/or endorsements in another state according to TEA.

Additional Changes

Program requirements may change as state/TEA certification requirements change.

As required by Texas HB1508, applicants need to be aware of the following.

  1. In order to receive a teacher certification in Texas, you must pass a criminal history background check.
  2. If you have been convicted of an offense that is considered not appropriate for an educator, you could be ineligible to earn this certification from the state of Texas.
  3. You have a right to request a preliminary criminal history evaluation letter from the Texas Education Agency prior to admission into this program. The Texas Education Agency currently charges a $50 fee for this criminal history evaluation.

For more information on Preliminary Criminal History Evaluation: Click Here

  • Pursuant to the Texas Education Code (TEC), §22.083, candidates must undergo a criminal history background check prior to employment as an educator.
  • Pursuant to the TEC, §22.0835, candidates must undergo a criminal history background check prior to clinical teaching.

Content Area Declaration 

If you wish to pursue Mid-Level, Secondary, or All-Level certification, you must choose a subject you wish to teach. This is what the state refers to as your 'Content Area'. You must have a minimum of 24 undergraduate hours in your chosen content area and at least half of those hours must be junior/senior level classes. 

Your content area must be verified by a professor in your discipline who has been designated as a Content Advisor before you will be permitted to enroll in Education coursework. If the Content Advisor finds that you must take more than 12 hours to complete your content coursework, these must be done before beginning the certification program and student teaching!

Content Area Declaration Form

Find your content advisor using the button below. From there, complete and return your form to the College of Education.

View Official Catalog

View program information, admissions requirements, and more.

Questions?

Get information about College of Education programs, admissions requirements, and more.

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