General Requirements for Certification (per TAC §230.11)
An applicant for a Texas educator certificate must:
- be at least 18 years of age
- submit to the criminal history review required by the Texas Education Code (TEC) §22.0831, not be disqualified by the TEC, §21.058, §21.060, or other Texas statute, and not be subject to administrative denial pursuant to §249.12 of this title (relating to administrative denial; appeal) or a pending proceeding under Chapter 249 of this title (relating to disciplinary proceedings, sanctions and contested cases)
- not be disqualified by federal law
- be willing to support and defend the constitutions of the United States and Texas
- meet the language requirements listed under "International Students" (below) of this page
It is a requirement that candidates can complete field hours on a Texas Education Agency approved public or private school campus. Determine if your school is TEA approved by following this link.
Upon admissions, you will be required to sign a formal acceptance to the program at the start of the first course.
According to TEA: each EPP must develop and implement specific criteria and procedures that allow:
- military service member or military veteran candidates to credit verified military service, training or education toward the training, education, work experience or related requirements (other than certification examinations) for educator certification requirements, provided that the military service, training or education is directly related to the certificate being sought; and
- candidates who are not military service members or military veterans to substitute prior or ongoing service, training or education, provided that the experience, education or training is not also counted as a part of the internship, clinical teaching or practicum requirements, was provided by an approved EPP or an accredited institution of higher education within the past five years and is directly related to the certificate being sought.
If you qualify, your experience will be aligned with curriculum/coursework to identify appropriate credit toward your degree and certification.
Note: For candidates who are out-of-country and/or have transcripts that are from institutions outside of the US, the candidate is responsible for the field experience that must take place in Texas for certification.
International Students
*International students are ineligible for online programs in our department.
Undergraduate and graduate-level candidates should contact International Student Admissions for the necessary documents and language requirements for admission.
You must be able to communicate, listen, read, write and comprehend the English language sufficiently to use it in daily communication and teaching. English language proficiency shall be evidenced by one of the following:
- completion of an undergraduate or graduate degree at an accredited institution of higher education in the United States; or
- verification of minimum scaled scores on the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet-Based Test of 24 for speaking, 22 for listening, 22 for reading and 21 for writing; or
- If an undergraduate or graduate degree was earned at an institution of higher education in a country outside of the United States listed in Figure: 19 TAC §230.11(b)(5)(C).
Criminal Background Check
You must undergo a criminal background check as part of admissions to the program. According to TEA, educator preparation programs shall inform all applicants that:
(1) pursuant to the Texas Education Code, §22.083, you must undergo a criminal history background check prior to employment as an educator; and
(2) pursuant to the TEC, §22.0835, you must undergo a criminal history background check prior to clinical teaching.
If convicted of an offense, you will receive an email of the potential ineligibility. You have the right to request a criminal history evaluation letter. The criminal background check is conducted at the time of admissions and prior to clinical teaching. Learn more information about the preliminary criminal history evaluation.
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