Routes to Certification for Graduate Students

Initial Certification Without an Advanced Degree

Admission

Some certification plans have additional or alternative program-specific requirements.

1. A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education, with an undergraduate GPA of 2.8 overall or 3.0 in the last 60 hours.
2. Admission to the Toulouse Graduate School as a non-degree-seeking, certification-only student. Students who are not U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents must meet the “Admission Requirements for International Students ” printed in the Admission section of this catalog.
3. Acceptable scores on the Texas Higher Education Assessment (THEA) test (Reading = 240; Math = 230; Writing = 220) or equivalent standardized test scores acceptable to the individual certification program.
4. Admission to teacher education is generally required by the end of the first term/semester of enrollment. See specific program requirements for any differences.

Certification

1. Completion of all courses including field experience (early field experience/student teaching/practicum); see individual plans for details.
2. Passing scores on the appropriate Pedagogy and Professional Responsibilities (PPR) and the appropriate teaching field(s) subtest of the TExES examinations.
3. Making application, fulfilling all state requirements, and paying fees to SBEC for teacher certification.
4. Students seeking foreign language teacher certification must pass the appropriate Texas Oral Proficiency Test (TOPT).

Program-Specific Requirements

Candidates must meet the program requirements for the specific teacher certification option selected. Requirements completed as part of the undergraduate degree may be counted toward initial teacher certification, when applicable, but not toward a graduate degree. Students may use up to 12 graduate semester credit hours taken while in non-degree, certification-only status toward certain graduate degrees. Students must consult with a faculty program coordinator prior to enrolling in classes. Performance requirements to remain in a program may vary. See program advisor for details.

EC–6 Generalist English as a Second Language

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Admission to teacher education is required before beginning EC–6 certification classes. The teacher education deadline is the same as the Graduate School Admissions deadline (generally, one to two months prior to the start of the term/semester in which students begin taking classes; see the current Academic Calendar section for specific dates by term/semester).
• Students in this route are required to enroll in courses each long term/semester (fall and spring) until they complete their program, although they have the option of summer enrollment. Not maintaining enrollment in the long terms/semesters requires permission of the program graduate advisor. Unapproved absence from one or more long terms/semesters inactivates the student’s status and the student must reapply for program admission before taking courses again.