Certificates

Educator Certification

If you want a rewarding yet challenging career, please consider teaching. Currently Texas is facing a serious shortage of good teachers in the public schools. Here’s a quick guide to the process of Educator Certification.

Grades 1-8: Students without a Bachelor’s degree who wish to teach grades 1-8 will enter the College of Education and complete their certification there.

Grades 8-12: Students interested in teaching these grade levels will earn a major in a department of the Colleges of Liberal Arts or Science that will include the secondary school Educator Certification sequence from the college of Education as part of their degree plan. For Liberal Arts majors the choices are Art, English, History, Journalism, Music, Speech, and Social Studies. There is a Theatre certification but our Theatre Arts department recommends that students do not choose this option. Art and Music are known as All-Level Certification, because our program will prepare you to teach at all grade levels.

How To Proceed

Step 1: Tell your advisor that you are interested in Educator Certification. He/she will then change your major to the education option in your major.

Step 2: Begin to take the courses in your content area (your major) that will help you learn the content area.

Step 3: When you are about 75% finished with your content area courses apply to the College of Education. If accepted begin your Education courses.

Step 4: Take the practice exam in your content area. If you don’t pass you will be directed to seek advice from a content area person.

Step 5: Pass the content area TExES.

Step 6: Complete the Education course sequence, take the PPR TExES during your student teaching semester.

Step 7: Apply to the state for certification.

Step 8: Help the children wherever you teach learn to be good learners!