The Department of Education offers an Alternative Teacher Certification program to those individuals who are seeking Texas State Certification, but have already earned a baccalaureate or higher degree in the following areas:
Candidates complete the following requirements to be eligible for Texas Teaching Certification. In addition to the following requirements, students also complete a Clinical Teaching or an Internship placement.
| Certification | Requirements to Achieve Texas Certification |
|---|---|
| Generalist EC- 6 |
|
|
Middle School 4-8 |
|
| Secondary Certification |
|
| All Level Certification (Grades EC - 12) |
|
Successful completion of Internship is required of students who seek certification. It is taken in the final year. Students who have received a "D" or "F" in required Education or academic emphasis (teaching field) courses may not take Internship until the course has been repeated and a grade of "C" or higher obtained. Applications and supporting documents for Internship must be filed with the Certification Officer no later than one year prior to the desired assignment. Before an Internship assignment will be made, a student must meet the following requirements:
An Internship is for a minimum of one full school year for the classroom teacher assignment. Students spend time teaching a class, Monday-Friday, under an Internship Certification issued by TEA.
*If any faculty member judges a student to exhibit behavioral characteristics or communication skills that indicate potential problems in school settings, they may refer the student to the Teacher Education Review Committee (TERC) for review and evaluation. The TERC may recommend specific courses of action to the student and/or the faculty member.
International Student Applicants:
Texas Education Agency states "any applicant for Texas educator certificate must be able to communicate, listen, read, write, and comprehend the English Language sufficiently to use it easily and readily in daily communication and teaching." (19 TAC 230.11(b))
Based on this requirement, a foreign credential evaluator that has been recognized by the State of Texas must evaluate all foreign transcripts. In addition, all student applicants whose native language is not English must submit a score report from the TOEFL. Approved scores as of October 22, 2017 are a minimum of 24 in Speaking, a minimum of 22 in Listening, a minimum of 22 in Reading, and a minimum of 21 in Writing. Scores must be within two years from the date of testing.
Enrolling in the educator preparation program is the first step in your preparation to be a licensed teacher. Ultimately, your suitability for certification as teacher will be evaluated by a state licensing agency, which in Texas will be the Texas Education Agency. In Texas, as in many states, you may be ineligible for certification due to a criminal or deferred adjudication for a felony or a misdemeanor offense. A copy of the current Texas Guidelines to consider the eligibility for teacher certification for individuals with criminal history is enclosed for your review. If your record includes a criminal or deferred adjudication for a felony or misdemeanor offense, and you plan to seek licensure in Texas, you may request a criminal history evaluation letter from the Texas Education Agency to evaluate your potential ineligibility for certification due to a past conviction or deferred adjudication. Information related to the process for requesting a preliminary evaluation of certification eligibility in Texas is also enclosed to assist you. Please consider these materials carefully and, if appropriate or if you are unsure, please take steps to review your potential ineligibility for certification before continuing the program and incurring the related tuition and fees.
To apply our Educator Preparation Program for teacher certification, please use the online registration below or contact the Certification Officer for the required application packet.
If you're interested in earning your undergraduate or graduate degree in addition to teacher certification, apply to your program of interest through the University of Dallas Admissions Office. Then, contact the certification officer to discuss entrance to teacher certification.
As an incoming freshman, Abigail Wade, BA '19, thought she might major in one of the sciences and ultimately become a physical therapist; now she's an art major, with a focus in painting. Some things have not changed, however: She is still aiming to represent the U.S. on the archery team in the 2020 Olympics. Also, her love for UD has only grown in her nearly four years here.
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