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.

Secondary Education

• Bachelor’s degree with at least 24 hours in the content area for which certification is desired. Twelve of these hours must be upper level. Applicants must have a 2.8 GPA or better in the content area.
• Teaching field: No additional courses if student passes the TExES content exam for the area in which certification is sought. This test is taken in the first term/semester of course work. If the student does not pass this exam, additional course work is required.

Disclosures

Gainful Employment Disclosures for Graduate Academic Certificates